To: propheticsound
3:25 AM
As per usual, your suggestions are fantastic. Just how you manage to find the perfect music for someone who can hardly describe what they want is incredible and mind boggling. Honestly, I'm a little jealous.
Sometimes I wonder what it might be like to have a normal sleep schedule like you do, my friend. I wonder what it would be like to rise only after the sun does, to lay in bed in the wee morning hours and enjoy that moment when the world seems to pause. Maybe wake to find myself curled around someone else, telling them not to leave me when they finally wake, whispering quietly into their skin that I want to relish that moment of peace a little longer (who this person may be, I don't know. Could it be you? Could it be someone else I know? Couldn't tell you). But then, I would be missing the city at night, miss seeing how the city works that late, everything moving in almost slow motion. I have certainly had plenty of stories to tell because of it, at least.
I wonder what it would be like, though, trading sleep schedules with you. To let you see what I see, do what I do, and in turn be the one who wakes to find an email full of late night ramblings you sent me when you couldn't sleep.
Your earful for the day is Alaska by Maggie Rogers. But you've probably heard it before, music aficionado that you are.
Wishing you a peaceful morning, as always.
Apollo can't help the smile that spreads across his face when he finishes reading the email, closing his eyes and letting his phone rest against his forehead. Though the sender always laments his strange sleep schedule, Apollo has come to realize he adores waking up to a new email from his friend.
The brunette stays curled in bed for as long as he possibly can; he always does this once he reads any emails waiting for him, lays under his covers and tries to enjoy that last moment of relaxation before he has to face that day. But then his cat Mikeko hops onto his bed and starts kneading his form under the blankets to propel him into moving. Grumbling, he slides out of bed and makes his way to the kitchen, but the smile hasn't quite left his face.
The email had been right, he's heard the song before, but that doesn't stop him from playing it loudly over his speaker system as he gets ready for the day. Already he has a spring in his step, like he has for for the past four months that he's been emailing this familiar stranger.
In an hour he's dressed and prepared for the day, stepping out of his apartment so he can bike the short distance to Delphi Records.
Delphi Records has been nestled in the heart of Los Angeles for nearly two decades, sitting right on the edge of the city's art district. Apollo has owned the record store since his father, Jove, passed away and left it in his care. It had been hard, juggling his father's sudden death with trying to manage the indie record store--thanks to some very loyal friends and employees, Apollo has managed to keep it running just the way his father had since he was six years old. Delphi Records is Apollo's second home, the place where he feels the closest to his father still.
Trucy is waiting for him when he arrives, leaning against the nearest light pole and humming some idle tune. She turns and beams when she sees Apollo coming towards her, standing straight and joining him at the bike rack.
"You're smiling more than usual." She notes. A wink. "Yet another message from your mystery man?"
"And why did I tell you about him again?"
"Because I'm your half sister and you love me?"
Apollo turns and gives her a look over his shoulder as he finishes locking his bike up. He heads to the front door of Delphi to unlock it. "I think those are just reasons why I shouldn't tell you something like that."
Trucy pouts, stamping her foot. "You're such a party pooper, Polly!"
"Ah, my most honored title." Apollo says dryly, taking his key from the door and pushing his way inside. "Party Pooper Apollo Justice."
"But you didn't answer my question." Trucy leans against the front counter as Apollo goes around turning on lights. "You got another email from him, huh?"
He gives her another look. "Have been since I gave him my email address. You know this. Of course I got another one."
"And still no clue who he is?"
"I told you, we agreed that there won't be any sort of personal information given out. That was one of our rules, we don't want to know everything about each other." Apollo says, returning to the counter as the front door opens. He smiles at the newcomer, waving. "Hey, Nahyuta."
Nahyuta smiles warmly at the two, coming towards the counter to stand next to Trucy. "Good morning Apollo, Trucy. What are we talking about?" They tilt their head, curious.
Apollo just rolls his eyes a little as Trucy answers. "Apollo's boyfriend."
Nahyuta's mouth forms a small 'o' in understanding.
"He's not my boyfriend." Apollo pointedly ignores the yet that Trucy mutters, focusing on the computers in front of him. "We just email and message through Skype, that's all."
"Skype? Don't people, like....have cyber sex over that?" Trucy asks. "You know, video calls and stuff?"
"Really?" Nahyuta says, shooting Apollo an amused look. All Apollo can do is drop his head into his hands with a groan. Leave it to his sister to give people the wrong impression.
"Trucy, don't you have work to do?" Apollo finally gets out, shooing her off. Trucy just sticks her tongue out at him, laughing as she heads to the back office to check on their storeroom and back inventory.
Nahyuta shrugs off their coat, coming around the counter to join Apollo as he sets up the computers for another day of sales. They work in companionable silence for a while, content to just make sure everything is ready for the day.
"You know," Nahyuta begins, giving Apollo an amused look, "If you really wanted to be in a relationship that badly, I know plenty of--"
"Oh my god, please, please. I get enough shit from Trucy about this, I don't need you weighing in on it too."
Nahyuta sighs, turning to face Apollo properly. "I'm just surprised you never said anything."
The two have been friends since childhood, and Nahyuta may be the only person who knows Apollo better than Trucy, or even Apollo's friend Clay. Considering the nature of their friendship, Apollo can understand why they might be upset he hasn't said anything.
"I dunno." Apollo turns back to the computer in front of him. "I just never thought to bring it up before. Besides, I only just told Trucy a week or two ago."
One of Nahyuta's eyebrows quirk up.
"She pestered me until I gave in." Apollo continues.
Nahyuta only continues watching him, a gentle, patient smile appearing on their face. Apollo knows they're waiting for an explanation.
"Fine, I'll tell you. But you can't tell anyone, okay? I'm pretty sure Trucy already told her dad which means her dad told his fiancé."
The smile grows wider on Nahyuta's face. "My lips are sealed."
So Apollo starts from the beginning. He explains that about a year ago, he had commented on the music video for one of his favorite musicians, and someone had replied to him. They started up a short but fervent discussion about whether the artist's new album was as good as everyone said, before conceding that they both had made good points and agreed to disagree. Then, two months later, the same thing happened; the same person, someone with the username pianoman, replied to him again, though their conversation was more civil this time. And they kept bumping into each other in Youtube comments, somehow. After the fifth time this happened, the two decided to exchange emails and had been in contact ever since. They talked about just about everything, from music to movies to the city they lived in (though they had both agreed not to reveal where exactly they lived, they knew they both lived somewhere in Los Angeles).
Apollo found that whoever pianoman was, he was funny, intelligent, and respectful. He'd never met someone quite like this stranger before.
Nahyuta listens intently to everything, expression thoughtful. As the most logical of his friends, Apollo knows they're thinking of the best way to respond.
"He sounds interesting." Is what they settle on.
Apollo hums. "I've enjoyed talking to him so far. But I don't know what will come of it in the long run."
Nahyuta studies him for a moment. "What do you want to happen in the end?"
"...I don't know." He says. "I just like things being the way they are. My life is great the way it is. I don't need a wrench thrown into things, from this guy or otherwise."
"I think that goes for all of us." Nahyuta says, finally standing straight again and focusing on their work. "I'll go over your numbers today, then we can talk about it over dinner?"
"Sounds good. Thanks, Nahyuta."
They smile warmly, rubbing Apollo's back lightly before heading to the office.
The last thirty minutes before Delphi opens for the day pass in relative peace, with Apollo and Trucy bringing any CDs or records out from the back to put them in their places. They readjust a couple of the displays, and Apollo finally declares them ready to open.
Just as Apollo is flipping on the 'open' sign, his other two employees appear from around the corner. He'd noticed that Wocky and Vera were late, but this was usually the case as they carpooled and Wocky always seemed to get stuck in traffic. But this had been late, even for them.
"Boss!" Wocky shouts as he bursts in the front door, dragging Vera by the hand. Both are out of breath, Vera in particular looking like she might have to sit for a minute.
"Wocky, calm down--"
"It's a tragedy, boss! It's awful, you need to see this--"
"Wocky, calm down, and take a deep breath."
Wocky takes a breath, as instructed.
"Good. Now, can you calmly tell me what's wrong?"
"Something awful."
Apollo purses his lips. Trucy, who's come up beside him, huffs and says, "That's helpful."
"No, no really! I can't--I can't even explain it, you need to see it--"
Apollo heaves a sigh. "Fine. Vera, I know you don't like working at the front counter, but do you mind covering it until we get back?"
"No." Vera says, quiet as always. But she seems more willing than usual to take up the front.
"Thanks." Apollo turns back to Wocky. "Alright, show us."
Wocky leads him outside, and once he's sure Apollo (and Trucy, and even Nahyuta who's been brought out from the back because of the shouting) is following, he takes off running down the street. He stops a couple of blocks down and one block over, pointing at the corner that had been under construction for the past few months.
Apollo's mouth drops open the moment he reads the new sign splashed across the construction barriers.
Coming Soon!
Guitars & Serenades
Your One-Stop Shop for Music, Instruments & More!
"Oh." He says, rather quietly. "Oh no."
To: pianoman
10:05 AM
It's a gift.
I think I'd like seeing the city at night. Would you show me around? Maybe take me to a greasy spoon kind of restaurant and stay there for hours, if the staff let us stay that long. I'd like that.
I know I don't normally email in the middle of the day, but...remember when I said my life is rather no-nonsense? Well, not to give any personal details, but a wrench got thrown into things. A big one. Think a wrench one might need to tighten the world's largest screw. It's not spelling disaster, per se, but it's still rather worrying. I'm keeping a calm face for those around me, but inside I kind of want to scream. Has that ever happened to you?
Anyway. I know I can't quite wax poetic the way you do, but knowing you're there and happy to give support is helping keep me calm. I have friends to turn to, but for some reason they aren't quite as calming as you are. Maybe that's because we know so little about each other, so I know you genuinely care about the situation even knowing so little. (Not that I don't have faith in my friends, I just...need away from them sometimes. Does that make sense?)
Your song of the day is The Boxer by Mumford & Sons. Not my usual music, but I've always liked this song and Mumford did it best.
Hope your day is going better than mine so far.
"Tell me you have caffeine."
Klavier makes a noise from where he's standing at the entrance of Guitars & Serenades, one hand full with a drink holder, the other holding a bag of his assistant's favorite snacks. "Doubting me still, Ema, even after all this time? Come now, you know I feed your coffee and junk food addiction singlehandedly."
Ema purses her lips and gives Klavier a look as he approaches, beaming at her. She takes the snackoos from him, and Klavier takes the opportunity to push his sunglasses up to his forehead, letting it hold his bangs out of his face.
"Why did I decide I liked you, again?"
"You didn't." Klavier says back, winking.
Ema harumphs a little as if to agree, taking her coffee and rolling her eyes before gesturing for him to follow.
As the regional head of business development, Klavier has been overseeing the building of the latest branch of Guitars & Serenades and keeping an eye on the community surrounding the new store. It was risky, putting it right on the edge of the arts district, but Klavier is a shrewd businessman, and he knows this will work out in the long run. There will be some resistance initially, but with all the things he plans to build in this new store, he knows there shouldn't be much resistance for long.
Ema takes Klavier around the contruction site, showing him the first floor that is to be dedicated to records and CDs, the second to be focused on instruments, and finally leads him back downstairs. Construction is moving along at a good pace--actually, it's going faster than expected in some areas. This is a good thing, because that means this store might open sooner, and start bringing in money for the company sooner. Klavier can't wait until everything is done and they get to start bringing in all of the inventory they'll be selling.
"You'll be happy with this." Ema says over her shoulder once they're back on the ground floor. "Remember that floor plan update you made?"
"The one with the cafe?"
"Mmm. Well, it got approved, and we've started work on it now. It won't even set us back that much to put it in after we've started everything else." Ema points to where a good sized section of the first floor is cordoned off by a waist-high partition. "They're still deciding on the finish of the stage you wanted, but it looks like corporate liked your idea to encourage live music here."
Klavier smiles into his coffee. "I thought they'd come around. Speaking of coming around--what about the community? I saw we put up the sign."
"We did. So far, there hasn't been too much response. There were some people standing on the opposite corner gawking at us for a while earlier this morning, but they left without coming over or shouting anything at us." Ema tosses one last snackoo into her mouth before throwing out the bag. "But like I said, there's not much yet."
"Mmm." Klavier's expression turns thoughtful. The initial reaction would be crucial. They would need to keep an eye on community response--from the things that happened directly around the store to social media, there would need to be someone to gauge how they were being received. He taps his lips once, twice, before wagging a finger at Ema. "Make a note that we need to have some of our social media department keep a very close eye on people tweeting or Facebooking about this location. And on any news coverage. Have to protect our name and brand and all that jazz."
"Sure thing." She jots this down.
"What about stores nearby? You said something late last week about--"
"--The music stores in the area. Right. Well, there's one north of here, CD Source, but they should be enough out of our range that they won't bother sales. However..." She pauses, reading something on her clipboard. "Delphi Records is about five blocks away. Small business type. Depending on how this store does, they'll probably fold within a year or two, maybe even sooner."
"Indie store, huh?"
"Yep. As far as I can tell, it's been in the area for a while so our biggest resistance might come from that store's supporters."
Klavier hums. This wouldn't be the first time the company has made a smaller music store close. Music lover that he is, Klavier feels sorry for the owners every time it happens. But it's not personal--it's only business.
"Well, good to know." Klavier finishes his coffee and dumps it into the nearest trashcan. "Unfortunately I do have to run now that we're all up to speed on the progress here. Got to report in to the office and all."
"I know, I know. You want to do a late lunch or dinner afterwards?"
"Anything for you, Fräulein." With a laugh, he leans over and kisses her cheek lightly. She rolls her eyes but is smiling anyway. "My treat."
"What a gentleman." Ema says. "Text me when you're done. And say hi to Daryan for me."
"Can do."
Not even two hours after he walked through the front doors, Klavier leaves, putting his sunglasses back over his eyes and heading for the bus.
Klavier's life is--well, perhaps not simple, but it's straightforward. He lives alone with his dog, spends a probably unhealthy amount of time working, and somehow still manages to have a social life. He likes that nothing in his life is too complicated, and if he can keep it that way, he would like that. Granted, he does have his strange acquaintance with a man through email. Whoever propheticsound was, he had worked his way into Klavier's clear cut life so easily it should have been a little scary. But Klavier found him easier to talk to than Daryan, who was one of two people who he trusted the most. He's happy they agreed to continue chatting the way that they do, as what little he does know about propheticsound is fascinating.
He's glad he's taken the bus today because when he finds his seat and checks his phone, he's got a waiting email from the man himself. He frowns instantly when he sees his friend explains what's going on, not sure what he can do for him. If he knew what exactly was wrong, perhaps he could help. For the time being, he listens to the song and opens their chat.
pianoman: just got your email
pianoman: holding up alright?
propheticsound: eh. could be better i guess but seeing you worried enough to skype me is comforting
pianoman: hopefully everything works out?
propheticsound: let's hope so. my life is fine the way it is, universe, don't need any more of your shit to deal with
pianoman: yeah, fuck the universe
propheticsound: going way off topic but
propheticsound: ...is it sad i have a friend who might actually be excited by that prospect
pianoman: is it the one who you've known forever or the one you've known forever forever?
propheticsound: forever. the one who's so into space
pianoman: ah, thought so
propheticsound: anyway, thanks for messaging. i appreciate it
propheticsound: but i have to get back to work. talk more later?
pianoman: sounds perfect
Klavier turns to stare out the bus window, using his phone to hide how wide his smile is. He lets his eyes close, the world falling to the wayside as the music he's listening to drowns out all else. He only rouses himself when he hears the name of his stop, standing and heading for the front once the bus gets there. He's dropped off right in front of the building that holds the regional office for Guitars & Serenades. The building itself is rather nondescript, but once he steps inside and heads up to the floor he needs, he is greeted by speakers playing whatever is on the top 40 playlist for the day and hallways lined with offices open to passerby.
At the end of one hallway, Klavier pauses, poking his head further into the space. "Hey, bruder."
Kristoph hardly glances up from his work. "Klavier."
Though they may be brothers, the eight year gap in their ages has always served as a barrier they could never break. They were close when Klavier was younger, but there is not much they have in common any more. Klavier tries to keep Kristoph in his life, though, keep tabs on how his brother is doing in return.
"Just stopping in to say hello before the meeting today. You joining us?"
"I do not think I can. I've got this agreement to deal with. The other party's lawyers are rather irritating." Kristoph glances up at Klavier over the rim of his glasses. "Unless you need me there?"
"No, no." Klavier waves his hand. "I've got it. You do your lawyer thing. I'll see you later."
"Hmm." Kristoph turns back to his work without a goodbye, leaving Klavier to wander to his own office debating whether he should have even said hello at all.
The rest of his day passes in its usual boring fashion; the only thing of note is his meeting with his superiors, Aristotle Means and Constance Courte. Both are pleased about the development of the new location, and give him a pat on the back. Courte in particular congratulates him on another success, smiling brightly and winking at him. Out of everyone who works at Guitars & Serenades, Constance Courte is the only one Klavier likes and trusts.
Once his work is done, he packs up his things and heads home. It'll be a while before his work really starts picking up again due to the new store opening, so he decides that he will relax as much as possible until then. That will be good.
To: propheticsound
10:45 PM
Look at me, emailing before midnight. Tell me, are pig flying outside? But I'm emailing sooner to check on you again. I know you can deal with whatever is happening with the dignity I always think you have, so I guess I'm not altogether that worried, but I certainly hope nothing else happens to you. Having a simple life is a good thing. Trust me, I know.
Have you ever wanted to ask someone how you ended up being unable to understand them? You know them, yes, but your relationship with this person has changed so much over the years that it's morphed into something you can't even recognize. I don't know; maybe I'm just a romantic and wish that I could recover what bond was there, but I don't know how to even start. Everything's fine, I just wish this person wasn't so closed off. Does that make sense?
My next big project at work is almost ready to be debuted, and I'm sitting here with butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it. There's still time before it's revealed, but part of me wants to speed up time so it happens sooner. I can't take this waiting game any longer.
To: pianoman
11:00 PM
I'm doing better. We'll see how this all changes in the coming weeks--unfortunately, it's not an immediate problem. But I will strive to do you proud when the time comes.
...I don't know. That sort of thing hasn't really ever happened to me, I'm still really close to the people I know. If anything, we've gotten closer over the years, not the other way around. I've--lost people before. Not because it was my fault, there was nothing I could do about it, but I still lost these people and it hurts. I miss them so, so much. I don't want you to possibly lose someone, to know this aching in my chest I get whenever I think about it. So all I can say is just think over what the problem is and be direct. That's my usual approach, but I sometimes shove my foot in my mouth. So. Take that with a grain of salt I guess.
From what I know, you've been really excited about it for a really long time. I hope it pans out the way you want it to!
I need to get some sleep, loathe as I am to stop talking to you for the night. I look forward to whatever you send me tonight, if you do.
Sweet dreams.
Apollo sends off the email, before flopping back on his couch and trying to stay positive. He has...what, two months before that Guitars & Serenades opens? He can handle that. He can figure out what to do before then. He does have that neighborhood festival to look forward to, and that's always been the most profitable week for Delphi. If he can maybe convince Athena and Simon to advertise for Delphi a little more on air...
He spends the rest of his evening trying to think of ways to steer clear of the disaster looming on the horizon.
propheticsound: hey! you okay to talk a little?
pianoman: of course :)
propheticsound: great
propheticsound: ughhhhhhh is it bad i kind of want to just go sleep right now
pianoman: that bad a day, huh?
propheticsound: goddamn wrenches being thrown into my goddamn life
propheticsound: otherwords, yes. it’s getting worse the more time passes
propheticsound: been nearly a month and things are not looking up
pianoman: yikes
propheticsound: and the bomb is about to go off too...
propheticsound: should probably stop freaking out about it but i cant help it
pianoman: well obviously if i knew more i could give more advice
pianoman: but i know you can do it! you can beat whatever it is
pianoman: (ง •̀_•́)ง
propheticsound: lol
propheticsound: thanks again for the vote of confidence
pianoman: anytime~
pianoman: anything else in life you’re looking forward to tho?
pianoman: like
pianoman: general things
propheticsound: well…
propheticsound: there’s this big block party happening on the street i work on tomorrow
propheticsound: and i got asked to help out like always
propheticsound: so that’ll be fun
pianoman: hope that goes well!
pianoman: who knows i might bump into you
propheticsound: me too
propheticsound: …wait what
pianoman: :3c
propheticsound: how can you honestly send that to me unironically
pianoman: i was just joking, silly
pianoman: but it would be funny if we ended up bumping into each other in a thing like that, no?
propheticsound: i guess
pianoman: you guess???? im wounded
"Why are you dragging me to this again?" Daryan asks as he and Klavier get out of his car. The sound of music filters through the air, and Klavier can smell something cooking nearby. The music festival must be in full swing. Vongole barks as she's let out of the car, and Daryan picks up her leash so she doesn't run off into the crowd.
Klavier slips his sunglasses down over his eyes. "Because it'll help me get a feel on the neighborhood. Also I thought it could be a fun not-date."
Daryan frowns. "Not-date?"
"Right. Because we're 'not dating'." Klavier does air quotes, taking Daryan's hand before he can get smacked upside the head.
"We're not. We've been over this."
"The stuff you've already moved from your place to mine would like to disagree." Klavier hums a little. "Anyway, we're music people, I thought it would be fun."
Daryan just makes a noise, his grip on the blonde's hand tightening. Despite all his grumbling, Klavier knows that Daryan is happy to be here, happy that Klavier invited him out.
They walk down a couple of blocks from where they parked to find the music festival--an entire block has been cordoned off for people to mingle in, chatting and eating and roaming the shops nearby. Klavier peers around, an excited smile on his face; he's glad he saw the flyer for this thing because he doubts he'll have a better chance to see what this community is like and implement it in the new store.
Daryan steers them to a food truck almost immediately, and they spend some time wandering and eating. The shops here seem to mostly be mom & pop types of places, independent stores that would close were they to lose any business. Klavier nearly starts running possible sales figures when he remembers that he's not at work, that he's supposed to be having fun. So he grips Daryan's hand a little tighter and turns his focus back to the people at the festival. He lets the music playing fill his head instead of numbers, and he finally starts feeling like he's not here for work.
After their lunch, Klavier and Daryan wander back around the block and actually take a look at what the stores around them are selling. Klavier comes away with a nice new leather jacket, and Daryan finds a set of bracelets to mail to his aunt for her birthday. Vongole gets along with just about everybody, which is how she usually is--Golden Retrievers tend to be rather friendly with everyone they meet. It's a great afternoon, all in all. Klavier wishes quietly that people did this more often. That the new store will promote this kind of thing to more than just once a year. Finally, they sit on a bench in the center of the festival to rest and decide on their next course of action. After a few hours of being on his feet, Klavier is glad to have the break.
"...was Black Man in a White World by Michael Kiwanuka. He's going to be coming back out to L.A. once his tour is over; he said he might even stop by the KXT studio, so look forward to that! Before that we had Black Water Lillies by Aurora, and Take a Walk by Passion Pit." Klavier turns as the music fades, catching the man DJing for the festival speaking. It's really only now that he gives any attention to the booth that's been providing the music for this festival: it looks like a radio booth on an elevated stage, complete with a microphone for the DJ on air to talk between sets of music. Klavier pauses as he sees the DJ, blinking once or twice as the man speaking continues. "I've got one more set coming up for you, but I wanted to thank everyone who's come out to our annual music festival today, and who's helped put it on again this year--"
The DJ starts listing off some of the radio station's sponsors, but Klavier is less interested in who's helped put on the festival and more interested in the man himself. He's got soft-looking brown hair sticking out from under his headphones, a cowlick in the middle of his hairline flipping a couple of tufts higher than the others in an attractive kind of way. The smile on his face is easy as he speaks, and he looks genuinely happy to be up there, talking about music and sponsors and whatever else is happening at the festival. A gold bracelet hangs from one wrist, glinting in the bright midday sun. He's got to be into music, given the depth and breadth of the music he's been playing. Klavier wonders idly what other things this DJ is into. (Klavier may or may not have a thing for musically inclined brunettes.)
"--great day for the Arts District Music Festival. I'm Apollo, and I'm going to start off one last set before I have to hand things back off to Athena." The DJ looks up, as if sensing Klavier's eyes on him. Their eyes meet across the crowd, and Klavier's world slows down to a crawl. But then, Apollo turns back to the booth in front of him, breaking eye contact. "This is The Changing Lights by Broken Bells, on member-supported KXT."
"Hey." Klavier blinks as Daryan waves a hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention back on their conversation. "Still with me?"
"Huh?"
"I asked if you knew there's another music store here." Daryan points, and Klavier follows his hand--just behind the radio booth sits Delphi Records, the little music store that, until now, Klavier couldn't be bothered by in the least. "I mean I figured you did, but what are the chances, huh?"
Klavier makes a noise in the back of his throat in agreement. He catches sight of Apollo the DJ handing off a CD to a red-haired girl in yellow, taking off his headphones, and heading into the music store. It makes sense for the little shop to be where the radio station set up shop, they probably have access to lots of music there, but he hadn't even given Delphi Records a second thought since Ema had brought the store's existence to his attention nearly a month ago.
"Yeah...what are the chances." Klavier turns and presses his lips to the corner of Daryan's mouth, fishing out a couple of twenties from his wallet. "Let me check it out, and you go buy some of those delicious-looking ice cream sandwiches from that food truck you keep eyeing? I'll be five, ten minutes."
"Sure." Daryan gives a toothy smile. "What kind?"
"Surprise me." Klavier squeezes Daryan's hand one more time before heading off towards Delphi.
The Arts District Music Festival is always one of the most profitable days for Delphi, which means Apollo has to have pretty much all hands on deck while it's going on. Nahyuta's brought in their little sister to help restock, and Clay managed to get time off from his regular job to come in to keep the check out line moving. Delphi is running--well, perhaps not smoothly, but this is actually one of their better years. Maybe it's just that Apollo has finally gotten used to the crowd in his store after three years of barely being able to accommodate so many customers.
"Here, you take a break Wocky. I can take over for a bit." Apollo says, coming behind the front counter to where Wocky, Trucy, and Clay are doing their best to keep the line moving.
Wocky's head shoots up. "Huh? You sure?"
"Yeah, I got it. You've been going non-stop since you got in this morning, go grab a burrito or some pho or something."
"Alright. I'll be back in a bit!" Wocky rushes off, barely remembering to grab his jacket as he runs off. Clay, at the register next to him, laughs a little.
"How was being up for the station, Polly?" Trucy asks, waving goodbye to another customer. "I know you just volunteer there sometimes but it looks like you really like doing the whole DJ thing."
"It was good. Nice to force my tastes on other people without anyone telling me to stop for once." His music choices sometimes get vetoed at Delphi, and it's a bit of a sore point for him.
"Aww, don't be such a sourpuss." Clay punches him lightly in the arm. "I like your weird music!"
Apollo shoots him a look that clearly reads why are we still friends. "...Thanks, Clay."
The next few minutes pass in a blur, nothing but scanning CDs and records and printing receipts. That doesn't bother Apollo in the least--he's loved working the register ever since he was a kid, helping his father on his busy days. Besides, it means Delphi will continue to grow and thrive despite the whole Guitars & Serenades issue. (Which, surprisingly, hasn't been a big issue until now. From what Apollo knows, it's about two weeks from opening, but there's no real buzz about it. He spends all of his free time worrying about what it might mean for Delphi, having this superstore just around the corner, but he's pretty sure he might be overthinking it. His anxiety doesn't help matters. )
Finally, there's a bit of a lull--with the big rush of customers checked out and through the door, the store isn't quite as crowded and more people can browse freely. Apollo sighs heavily, leaning forward. Trucy nestles against his side, mimicking him by putting her chin in her hands.
"So far so good." She says. "Been really busy today."
"You think more than last year?" Clay asks, joining them on Apollo's other side. They make quite a trio at the front counter.
"Dunno. We'll have to have a team meeting once Nahyuta runs today's numbers, but it feels like more than last year." Apollo takes in a deep breath and lets it out, feeling a little less hurried. He wishes he was still up in the KXT booth, but Athena was getting antsy about being back on, and he'll have another chance later in the day. "Doesn't mean I'm still not worried about the next few months, though."
A moment passes. Customers continue to mill around, content to continue browsing for now.
"Hey, Pollo, we still doing Lamiroir's party this coming Friday?" Clay breaks the silence and turns his attention to Apollo, watching him. "Just so I can tell my boss I need to take off early for it."
Lamiroir, the Landscape Painter in Sound, was hosting a party with her pianist Machi in celebration of her latest album. Given the singer's friendship with Jove, she had always invited the Justices to her parties--even now, with Jove gone, Apollo was always welcome to go to her gatherings, and even see her whenever he wanted (not that he ever felt comfortable doing so, though).
Trucy pouts. "I still wish you woulda let me come with you instead."
"Well, both your dad and his fiancé wouldn't exactly approve of me letting you go to a party that serves alcohol, seventeen or no." Mr. Wright might have thought it okay since he sometimes let her take a sip of whatever he was drinking, but Apollo really didn't want to be on Mr. Edgeworth's bad side again. "Maybe next time."
Trucy mutters 'party pooper' under her breath, before perking up immediately. She starts incessantly tapping Apollo's arm, the action so comical both Clay and Apollo can't help but laugh.
"What, Tru?"
Trucy bites her lip and points to a tall blonde whose back is to the register. She whispers rather loudly into his ear. "Calling it, he's your type."
Apollo frowns. "You really need to stop trying to play matchmaker for me. None of your suggestions have ever worked out."
Trucy stands up, hands on her hips. "I have never struck out."
"What about Athena's friend Juniper?" Clay says.
"Well, I couldn't really tell right off the bat that she was dating a girl from her school, now could I?"
"That guy at the planetarium that works with Clay?" Apollo raises an eyebrow.
"Not my fault the guy can't kiss worth a crap." Trucy stamps her foot. "Fine, don't believe me. But I know a good catch when I see one, and trust me, he's really your--"
"Should I come back in a minute...?"
The trio turns to see the blonde from before standing a few feet from the counter, a small collection of CDs and a record in his hands. It takes a moment, but Apollo recognizes him--it's the blonde who had been staring up at him while he was finishing up his set for the radio station. He hadn't paid it much mind before, lots of people stared when he was DJing, but it had felt a little...odd. Apollo wasn't sure how to describe it. Up close, though, he can see the man a little better--his hair is a little less brilliant when not in the sunlight, but it still has that silky look like Nahyuta's. He must spend a lot of time on the beach, given his tan, and Apollo can see a variety of rings and ear piercings. He's dressed a little too much like Brendan Urie for his taste, but Apollo can see why Trucy might think the blonde is his type. He certainly is attractive though, Apollo will give him that.
Apollo stands up straight immediately, swallowing.
"No!" He says, probably a bit too loudly. "No, I can take you here. Sorry about that."
"It's fine, no worries." The blonde steps forward, already having moved on to peering at the shelves lining the wall behind the registers.
Apollo takes the items from him, humming in approval. "The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen. Good choices."
The stranger hums. "Gotta love the Boss. I've been looking for that record all over, actually, I was happy to find it here."
"We do have an extensive classic rock section. Glad you were able to find these." Apollo smiles warmly as he meets the blonde's eyes. After a moment, he turns back to the screen, the blonde turning and looking at the store again.
"How long have you been in business?"
"Almost twenty years. My dad--" Apollo points to a photo on the wall behind him, featuring Jove and a much younger Apollo standing at the very same check out counter. "--started it because he was so passionate about music. He was a guitarist."
"Ah. Was he any good?"
"Yeah, but he didn't ever get to do anything more than a few bars around town." Apollo shrugs. "He always said he wasn't good enough to make it big but I never thought that."
"Mmm. What about you? I saw you up doing the--" The blonde waves his hand. "The radio thing."
"Oh, that?" Trucy chimes in. "Polly volunteers at KXT sometimes. They're good friends of Delphi's, since Polly donates to them every year."
"Apollo is one of their most requested volunteer DJs, too." Clay adds.
The blonde smiles. "Well. Apollo has a great taste in music, so far as I could tell."
Apollo blinks, staring at the blonde for a moment. He's not quite sure how to take that...is this guy flirting with him? He turns away and finishes ringing him up. "Total is $98.52."
The blonde's eyebrows go up. "How much?"
"$98.52. Would've been over $100, but today is the last day for a few of our sales so that's brought it down."
The blonde narrows his eyes, probably doing the math in his head, before sighing and pulling out his wallet. Trucy leans over, watching him.
"You're gonna be coming back, right?" She asks, suspicious.
The blonde blinks. "Uh--yes?"
Apollo senses something there, but it's probably just surprise at his sister's question.
Trucy seems satisfied. "Good." She turns to Apollo. "See? Nothing to worry about. We've got loyal customers."
"They're opening a Guitars & Serenades a few blocks away. Apollo's just a big worrywart." Clay says by way of explanation when the blonde gives all three of them a confused look. "You and other customers like you are why Apollo doesn't need to be such a stick in the mud."
The blonde has gone silent, expression going from confused to hard to read. Apollo can sense the tension rolling off of him, though the customer looks rather calm. Huh.
"Anyway." Apollo tilts his head. "Cash or card?"
"Cash." The blonde says it quickly, pulling some bills out. He hands over a few twenties, then reaches for his purchases. "Keep the change--and the receipt."
Apollo leans over as he follows the blonde's path towards the door. Trucy and Clay follow suit, before Trucy calls after him. "Hey! What's your name?"
The blonde stops in the doorway, offering a thin-lipped smile. "Klavier."
And then he disappears through the door, slipping his sunglasses back over his face.
Apollo, Clay and Trucy stay there for a few moments, before Apollo clicks his tongue. "Well. That guy was weird."
"Another swing and a miss for Trucy!" Clay shouts, his laughter drowning out Trucy's protests.
Delphi had record sales the day of the music festival. The entire staff is thrilled at the news, and have an impromptu party after closing. Quietly, Apollo feels like they might actually do okay, even with the new music superstore looming over them like a bad dream.
On the other side of the city, Klavier falls silent, letting Daryan talk his ear off without interruption. His chest feels heavy with all that he's learned today. Mostly, though, he wishes he hadn't gone into Delphi. That was a mistake, a really big one, and he knows it.
To: propheticsound
4:18 AM
Sometimes I wish I could just leave my heart at home when I go to work. That way, it wouldn't complicate things for me. I hate it when my feelings get in the way of work. I'm supposed to be a smart, no-nonsense businessman. Not someone who feels bad for making smart business choices.
I don't know. I met someone today. Very briefly. And it's making me rethink things, just a little. I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this. I should really, really think about getting some sleep.
Vongole says you should listen to more Springsteen. But we both know she's a classic rock junkie. For something different from me, try Late Night Confessions by CIITY.
Thinking of you. Kind of. In a friendly way, when I wish you luck. Two weeks left, right?
To: pianoman
8:29 AM
I'm...sorry things are getting complicated for you. From what I know your life is pretty simple. Honestly I'm a bit jealous. I wish I could be emotionless with my work, but it's--well, it's kind of impossible to be like that with my job. But that's okay, it's part of what makes it nice. But I'm still sorry you have to deal with this. I'm here, though. Curious how meeting someone made this come up. What, you run someone out of business and they came to shit talk you?
Yes, you do need sleep. I hope you slept in today.
Well, while I appreciate Vongole's suggestion, Mikeko hates The Boss. But, sometimes she concedes and listens to things like Stay With Me by Faces.
And yep, two weeks. But I'm feeling better about it all. Things might not be as bad as I've been making them out to be. I've been told I do that, blow things out of proportion.
Thinking of you, too, wherever you are. My friends would say there's a Kingdom Hearts joke in there somewhere.
The week passes relatively quietly. Things seem to be going well still after the music festival, so Apollo is feeling at ease. Not totally, of course, but he feels a bit better about it all. He feels good enough about things to not be guilty about seeing Lamiroir.
Her loft is incredibly spacious, but with the number of people in it, it feels a little more cramped than usual. It has a very modern look to it, the furniture and decorations minimal ("I cannot see them, anyway, so as long as Machi and my guests like the look, I am fine with it." Lamiroir had once told him.) and it's not really anything Apollo likes but at least the sofas are comfortable. Apollo and Clay don't stand out in their nicer clothes, glad they went with the more business end of business casual.
"There is someone you must meet." Lamiroir says the moment they arrive. "He is a guitarist, one I met a few months ago. I have asked him if he will be in my next album."
"Oh, hey. That's--that's great, Lamiroir." Apollo shoves his hands in his pockets, glancing over at Clay, who shrugs. "I'm sure the two of you will have a great song or two together."
Lamiroir leads them through the party, looking as if she's floating rather than walking. Even if she was his father's friend, Apollo has always felt a little uncomfortable being near someone who was so famous. Lamiroir was down to earth, sure, but it still felt a little surreal.
"Ah, there he is." Lamiroir says, clapping her hands together. She must have heard his voice. Apollo and Clay stop next to her. "Do you see a man with blonde hair...? He has a tan, and some jewelry."
Clay is the first to spot him--he nudges Apollo and points. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, we see him. He..." Apollo trails off. He looks familiar. Strangely familiar, even. He and Clay exchange looks, both thinking the same thing as Lamiroir calls the blonde and his date over.
Klavier, the weird guy from the day of the festival, is Lamiroir's new guitarist friend.
Apollo's face scrunches up as the blonde approaches, confused. Of all the coincidences...
Lamiroir hasn't noticed Apollo and Clay's reaction, and greets Klavier amiably, leaning up to kiss both his cheeks and squeeze his arm lightly. He looks dressier than he had the day of the festival, almost like a rock star. Apollo is still rather skeptical of his musical ability, but if even Lamiroir was charmed by him, he must have quite a bit of skill.
Klavier recognizes Apollo and Clay just about as quickly as they recognized him; it's not obvious on his face, which is schooled into a pleasant smile when he holds out his hand, but Apollo can see some unease in his eyes.
"Klavier, this is Apollo Justice, the son of an old friend of mine. And this is his friend Clay--" Lamiroir pauses, trying to remember Clay's last name. She's been good at remembering songs and voices, but never names.
"Terran, Clay Terran." Clay shakes Klavier's hand. "Lamiroir tells us you're a guitarist...?"
"It's just a hobby, really. I'm not a professional musician." Klavier shrugs and puts his hands in his pockets. "I do love playing, though, I always have."
Klavier's date, a dark-haired and dark-skinned man who radiates an aura of fight me, snorts and rolls his eyes. He drapes an arm over Klavier's shoulders, taking a big sip from his drink. "He's just being modest."
"Daryan..."
"No, really, he is. Had he not been stupid and gone into business, he could've been playing it up with Clapton and Bon Jovi." Apollo purses his lips and Daryan continues. "Just glad this lady here is finally making him realize just how good he is, sure as hell doesn't listen to me."
Lamiroir smiles serenely at the blatant disrespect, but her tone is surprisingly icy when she speaks to Klavier. "You just wanted to keep music your hobby, isn't that right, Klavier?"
"That's right. Playing is purely for fun." Klavier smiles a bit wider, nodding to Apollo. "What about you?"
"I was a really bad clarinet player in middle school. Other than that, no." Apollo shrugs, crossing his arms. Clay, at his side, has completely lost interest in the conversation and is staring longingly at the buffet table. "I stick to listening and selling, mostly."
"I see. Well, you are an excellent DJ."
"Mmmm."
The following silence is awkward, and Apollo has to fish for something to say.
"So...business, huh? What do you do?"
"Oh!" Klavier brushes his bangs out of his eyes. "Oh, I'm in charge of regional development for a national company. It's just work, work, work, all the time."
Daryan hums from his glass again. "Yeah--they're openin' up Klav's next store in about a week. Right on the edge of the Arts District or whatever."
That sets off an alarm bell in Apollo's head instantly. There's only one store opening in the area... "Huh?"
"Yeah, that new Guitars & Serenades--that's Klav's brainchild." Daryan smiles, baring his teeth a little too much. It makes him feel like a big cat or a shark or something.
Apollo and Clay stand there, flabbergasted. Klavier's eyes flutter closed, his head dropping forward and hiding his expression.
"How--" Apollo starts.
"Been working on that damn thing for a year and a half. From what his assistant told me, he's the best damn thing that's happened to Guitars & Serenades."
The entire group is silent for about thirty seconds, letting that bomb settle.
"Oh, look, strawberries." Clay says, taking the first opportunity he can to escape. Before Apollo can stop him, he's made a beeline for the buffet table without looking back.
"You--!" Apollo gapes a little, unable to get out the full sentence at first. "You work for Guitars & Serenades?"
Klavier smiles warmly, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "That I do." He holds out his hand. "I think a proper introduction is in order. Klavier Gavin."
Apollo's mouth continues to hang open--he'd gotten a weird vibe from Klavier the day of the festival because he'd responded so weirdly to Trucy and Clay pestering him. Or, at least that was the reason he'd thought it was. Maybe now it was because they'd brought up the Guitars & Serenades that was opening up, or maybe he was trying to spy on them. Whatever the reason was, this man was his competition. This man could run Delphi into the ground, destroy the one thing Apollo still had of his father and the life he'd managed to build for them. He turns his gaze down to the hand Klavier--no, Gavin is offering, and he feels his blood boil.
He levels a glare at Gavin, jaw clenching. He keeps his arms stubbornly crossed.
"And you know exactly who I am. What were you doing, spying on us?"
Lamiroir is immediately concerned by Apollo's tone, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Is everything alright?"
"Not really, no."
Gavin sighs heavily, muttering. "Here we go."
"Lamiroir, that new store of his is threatening my business. You know, the one my dad started?" Apollo can hear his voice getting louder the more he speaks, but he honestly doesn't care. "His new place is four blocks from Delphi."
"Oh." Lamiroir's expression is troubled. "Oh, why I--I didn't know."
He knows taking his anger out on Lamiroir probably isn't the best idea, since she seems sincere in not knowing. Honestly, he still might not know if it weren't for Gavin's date.
Gavin sets down his now-empty glass. "Listen--"
"Wait." Gavin's date Daryan says. "Wait, waitwaitwait--this guy is the owner of that dinky little music store?"
"Dinky?" Apollo says, sounding rightfully offended.
"Apollo, Klavier, please--" Lamiroir starts.
"My store is not dinky, you--!"
Daryan snorts, smirking. "Oh, yeah, real insulting there--"
"Daryan--" Gavin says, gripping his upper arm.
"--just what I'd expect from some indie-hipster type." Daryan continues on like a freight train, and Apollo can feel his face flushing with anger all the way up to his ears. "What you gonna do, champ, hit me?"
"Daryan." Gavin cuts both of them off just as Apollo feels his hand curling into a fist so he can sock this asshole in the face. He glances at Apollo briefly before turning and whispering to his date. He can't really make out what's being said, but judging by the tone it's not pretty.
Daryan pulls his arm out of Gavin's grasp, clearly seething. "Whatever." He says, rolling his eyes and brushing past Apollo. Gavin must have told him to go cool off or something.
Gavin turns back to Apollo and Lamiroir. "I'm sorry about all of that. Daryan--likes riling people up."
"Hmm. Charming." Apollo spits back, frowning.
Lamiroir has retracted her hand from Apollo's shoulder by now, and he feels bad that he's picking fights with her guests. But he has to admit that out of anyone she could want to be on her next album, it was this guy. Honestly, Apollo could laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Gavin's expression is calm, all business now. "And to clear the air about the other day--it wasn't to spy." At Apollo's look of disbelief, he continues. "Not originally, anyway. Last I checked, going to a music festival in the area isn't spying. I just so happened to come across your store, and decided to go in."
Apollo narrows his eyes. "Really."
Gavin smiles gently, but the sincerity behind it is clearly fake--Apollo's too good at watching people to not notice that. "Truly. And I have to say, your store is nice. You offer a wide selection, and having roots in a neighborhood get-together like that one is good. Even found out you've got ties with that public radio station. And that's good, that's good for a small business like yours."
Apollo opens his mouth to speak, but finds he's still too angry to get a proper sentence out.
Gavin brushes his hair out of his face. If he notices Apollo's inability to speak, he doesn't show it. "I hate to be your competition, I truly do. I never want to be the big bad music store. But the fact of the matter is that while your store may have ties to the community and good selection, it won't be able to stand up against Guitars & Serenades, even in this age of the Record Revival. We don't just sell CDs and records either--we sell instruments, sheet music. We provide for aspiring musicians, not just music enthusiasts." Gavin meets his gaze again. "You sell, what, $750,000 to $900,000 a year in CDs and records, right?"
Apollo feels his anger giving way to dismay, still unable to say a word in response. He can only nod.
"Even with any extra revenue you pull in through sales and the like, I doubt you'll be able to stay open." Gavin, for a moment, genuinely looks upset. That riles Apollo up again--how dare he have the gall to act upset on his behalf! "I hate to be the person who reminds you of that."
"Sure you do." Apollo manages after a moment. "Sure you hate to say all that. You say it but I know you're lying, that you're just as impersonal as anyone from such a big company should be! You're going to eat your words--"
"I won't be. You'll see in a few months’ time that I'm entirely right about this, when you are staring down at your records. You'll see that your business is failing, and that the only one eating his words will be you." Gavin's calm demeanor is making this worse. How dare he try to look like the reasonable one in all this. "Guitars & Serenades is a company with thousands of stores across the country. It's a multi-million dollar business."
Apollo trembles in rage, hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"You won't win." Gavin says, quietly. Regretfully. "There's almost no way that you could."
An uneasy silence settles between them. Apollo can feel his temper flaring the way it always has when he's threatened, and he knows he's just a few poorly chosen words away from a fist fight. Gavin looks way too calm and it's pissing Apollo off royally. This is Apollo's livelihood that's at stake. Lamiroir seems to be frozen next to Apollo, unsure of what to do. Both are her guests, but she probably didn't expect something like this to happen. A small commotion at the buffet table draws her attention. She excuses herself, leaving Apollo and Gavin to continue to stare each other down.
A few moments later, Lamiroir calls out, "Apollo! Come quickly!" and breaks whatever is still tying the two men together. When he turns, he sees Lamiroir standing next to Clay--he's not sure what's going on but it's a welcome distraction.
Apollo gives Gavin one last glare before heading over to see what's wrong.
As Justice wanders off, Daryan comes back. Klavier is quietly glad that he did as asked, and stayed away from the owner of Delphi until their conversation was over. He puts an entire chocolate-covered strawberry in his mouth as he approaches Klavier.
"So. What'd I miss?"
Klavier watches as Justice reaches Lamiroir and the man he'd brought with him to the party, dragging his friend away almost immediately. "Not much. I made an enemy, I think."
"Mmmm. Nice."
Klavier doesn't respond, trying to ignore how horrible he suddenly feels.
To: pianoman
11:58 PM
Have I ever told you about my friend's uncanny ability to sense that something's going to go south ages before it happens, and that he somehow manages to find a way out of it for me? Because he has this ability. He comes up with stupid reasons to get me out of things, but it works. Except for the fact that because of this, he pulled it tonight and I had to drive him to the ER immediately because he purposefully ate an entire plate of strawberries, which he's allergic to. He just got discharged and half of me is tempted to tell him to walk home, except it's his car and I'm just driving it.
Another thing I don't know if I've told you: I have anger issues. I always have, ever since I was a kid, and I remember how much trouble it caused for both me and my dad. Whenever I get threatened, or just plain get pissed off, I feel the uncontrollable urge to deck someone. It's not a trait I'm happy to admit I have. And it's got the wonderful side effect of sometimes making me so angry that I can't form coherent sentences and look completely flabbergasted to whoever it is I'm angry with. It sucks.
Don't be me is what I'm trying to say.
To: propheticsound
12:05 AM
I seem to have the exact opposite of your problem. See, in my family, we always come off as calm and cool and collected, like we're looking down our noses at whoever we're talking to. I always like to think that I've gotten over that, that I show that I truly am a normal person who feels things just like everybody else. That I'm not an arrogant piece of shit who thinks he's better than anyone else in the room.
But sometimes I have an argument or disagreement with someone and I get reminded that no matter how much I sort of delude myself into thinking that, I'm still just like my mother. Like my brother. That no matter how hard I try, the other person will only think of me as cold as ice, with a frozen heart that cannot be melted by anything.
What a pair we make, you and I. Tell me, do you think your fiery anger could melt this heart of mine?
To: propheticsound
12:06 AM
...That last line was pretty good, actually. Maybe I could write a song about it. Hopefully it'd be something to your tastes.
The week passes in what feels like no time at all.
Klavier spends more time at the new store than he does at home almost, leaving only to make sure Vongole is well cared for. Otherwise, he and Ema are constantly doing circuits around the place, making sure everything is perfect.
"You're nervous." Ema notes the morning of the grand opening. Everyone is preparing in the last hour before the doors officially open, and Klavier is left jittery, the way he always is before the grand opening of any of his stores.
"Yes, well. Two years of planning and preparation went into this store, I'm not surprised I'm nervous."
Ema pats his shoulder in a mostly unconvincing display of sympathy. "Well, boss, I think you did good."
"I'd certainly hope so."
His assistant rolls her eyes. "Relax, seriously. You know how G&S stores are like, once they open they run like well-oiled machines. This isn't gonna be any different than the store in Santa Monica or Seattle."
Klavier nods, clenching and unclenching his hands at his sides. The true test will be what Courte and Means think of it all--Courte he knows will like it, as she is typically very happy with his work, but Means is the real enigma. Who knows how he'll take to the new store, especially since Klavier had heard that Means was half the reason it took so long to make final decisions on anything in this project.
"I'll relax once today is over." He finally says, and when Ema makes a face he quickly adds, "But I'll try my best to chill out in the mean time."
Ema eyes him critically. "Good. Also, no more coffee for you."
"Ja, ja, muter. No coffee." He smiles thinly, winking at her.
Ema responds by jabbing him sharply in the side with her hand, but Klavier sees her smile no matter how she tries to hide it.
"Alright, kids." Apollo nods, looking over his staff. "Today's the day we've all been dreading."
Wocky, Vera and Nahyuta nod solemnly. Trucy, as she was more of a volunteer than an actual worker, was not to be seen, so it looked like it was just the four of them today. No matter, though. There was nothing to worry about.
"Guitars & Serenades is opening today, so we can assume that business here will be slow--that new place is a novelty to everyone, so we'll let one or two days slide." Apollo settles his hands on his hips, expression serious. "But! Slow business doesn't mean we can slack off. We can't let this new megastore get to us. We provide a lot of things that they won't--genuine service, with employees who actually know what they're talking about."
"Yeah!" Wocky says, pumping his arm in the air.
"Like that enthusiasm, Wocky. Keep it up, no matter how slow today might be. We need to keep up the momentum we had at the Festival--record sales, remember?"
Nahyuta nods. "Best we've had in the history of the Festival."
"Right. So we're still doing well. Just need to keep it going. Make sure you all do your best. Vera," Apollo gestures to her. "You are already on top of our stock but I need you to be even more on your A game than before. Wocky, keep doing good at the counter and making customers happy. Nahyuta--"
"--keep track of sales, help with customer service." Nahyuta finishes, smiling gently.
"Yes, exactly. We keep on our game, and we can ride out the novelty of that new store." Apollo takes a deep breath and claps his hands together. "Alright. I think we can do this, guys."
The others nod and voice their agreement, and break their meeting for the morning.
As expected, there's not a lot of business, so it is rather boring throughout the beginning of the day. Even while attempting to stay alert for customers, to make sure they don't look like they had been goofing off, it's very hard for Apollo to not open his phone and see if anything has come in through Skype or his email (understandably, since pianoman's project was due today, from what he knew).
Around lunch time, the front door bursts open, sending the bell attached to it flying around on its hook and alerting the entire store to the newcomer.
"APOLLO!" comes the enthusiastic greeting, and the red headed young woman who entered immediately rushes to the counter.
"Hi, Athena." Apollo says, already feeling a headache coming on.
Athena Cykes was, surprisingly, one of the loudest people Apollo knew (which, considering how he and Clay still had shouting contests sometimes, was a feat in and of itself). She'd befriended him through the local public radio station, KXT, and had basically been a whirlwind in his life ever since. Sometimes Apollo wished that they had never met, just because she and Trucy caused altogether too much commotion for any one man to handle. Honestly, Apollo has no idea how Simon handles her on a day to day basis.
"I got here as soon as I finished my broadcast this morning--the moment Simon got his headphones on and I started my last set, I ran out of the recording booth." Athena slams her hands on the counter. "So. Everything okay in the trenches?"
Apollo makes a face. "Everything's fine, Athena. Slow, but we knew it would be."
"Do I need to give a pep talk? Do the troops need an encouraging speech?"
"Oh, hey Athena." Wocky says as he gets back from his lunch break. "Got a nice pep talk from the boss this morning before we opened."
Athena nods, approving. "Well, that's a good first step. What about scouting them out?"
Apollo frowns. "Scouting the--Athena, they've been open for four hours."
"Yeah." Athena looks at him as if he's an idiot. "Four hours that you could have spent scoping out their store, figuring out what they look like, what the place feels like."
"Athena, we can't focus on them, or we're going to lose. We need to focus on Delphi, and make sure we're doing all we can to make sure we beat this."
"But--" Athena starts, but Apollo puts up his hand.
"Wocky offered to go earlier today, but we really do need to keep everyone here. No matter what, we need to be on top of things."
Wocky shrugs when Athena turns to him. "Boss has got a point. I even made a good case for it and everything!"
Athena seems to think this over for some moments, dropping her chin into her hands. Apollo is glad that her bubble seems to have been deflated for now--who knows what could happen if she charged ahead without any regard for the consequences. She did that a lot, especially if Trucy was around--thank god Trucy was busy with school and her magician job. That might cause a lot of problems that Apollo would rather not deal with.
"Well." Athena says finally. "The issue is letting anyone who actually works here go or it'll mess your system up, right?"
Apollo doesn't like where this is going.
"Athena..."
"But I don't work here! I'd totally be up for giving you guys a scoop on the competition!" Athena's face lights up as she talks. "So you can't possibly say no to that, right?"
Apollo doesn't answer for a few long moments, face scrunched up. Just as he is about to answer that no, he still doesn't need to know, Athena charges ahead.
"Okay, then, it's settled! I'll be back soon!" Athena says as she runs out of the store, her voice trailing behind her as she leaves them all behind.
Apollo groans, running his hand over his face. He knew he didn't like where this was going.
The noise level in Guitars & Serenades is not quite deafening, but it is certainly music to Klavier's ears. His nerves have settled a little in the hours since the grand opening ceremony earlier in the morning, and he is happy to wander the store with Ema, Courte, and Means.
"You really did a good job here, Klavier." Courte says, squeezing his shoulder gently. "You put plenty of work into this place and it is certainly paying off."
Means makes a quiet noise, and Klavier isn't sure if it's approving or not.
Ema, behind his bosses, is smiling knowingly. Klavier meets her eyes once, his own smile widening.
"Thank you! It's been a labor of love, coordinating everything. I'm just glad that our opening has been smooth sailing."
In hindsight, Klavier would wish he hadn't said such a thing.
Almost as soon as the words leave his mouth, a commotion starts up, loud enough to be heard almost clearly over the hustle and bustle of the rest of the store.
"--don't care!"
Klavier frowns, and he turns to find a young woman is yelling at one of their startled employees.
"Miss--" The poor young man says, only to be barrelled over by the customer.
"I want to know who's in charge! I want to see them right now--I need to give him a piece of my mind!" The young red haired woman shouts, and by now she's causing a commotion. "Seriously, just tell me where they are!"
Klavier gestures for his bosses to stay where they are, and when he turns to settle the situation Ema is instantly at his side.
"What seems to be the issue, Cody?" Klavier says, smiling gently. The clerk, Cody, lets out the tiniest sigh of relief at the sight of him.
"Uh--this lady wanted to talk to, uh." Cody gestures to Klavier. "Uh. You."
"I see." Klavier turns his gentle smile to the young woman, who is staring at him, mouth agape. "What exactly can I help you with, Miss...?"
"Cykes! Athena Cykes." The woman says, who ignores the hand Klavier offers to her. "And I have a bone to pick with you, mister!"
Klavier and Ema exchange a look, unsure of what's going on. He clears his throat, gesturing to Cody that he can escape. "Well, Miss Cykes, I'd be happy to talk with you, but I do need to ask you to lower your voice for the time being--"
"But you're the one who threatened Apollo!" Cykes yells. "He said you two got into it about a week ago--"
"No such thing happened, I can assure you--"
"--and I came in and decided that Apollo shouldn't have to deal with that sort of intimidation!" Cykes huffs, stomping her foot. "He's my friend, and I won't let people try to run him over like that!"
"Miss Cykes, I can assure you that nothing of the sort happened. We did have a disagreement about a week ago, but nothing like this alleged intimidation happened." Klavier somehow managed to continue smiling through it all, even as he saw the young woman stiffen, ready to argue more. "Now, please, I'd be happy to discuss this more in private--"
"I don't believe you!" Cykes was yelling enough to draw the attention of everyone within ten feet. "Not with the way I heard it from Apollo--and no one upsets my friends like that, buster!"
Cykes takes a menacing step forward, clenched fists rising. Instantly, Ema butts in, gripping the young woman's wrist firmly.
"Watch yourself, miss. You can calm down, or be escorted off of the premises."
Cykes was clearly thinking twice now, meeting Ema's glare with one of her own. But, she wrestles her arm out of Ema's grip, muttering under her breath something that Klavier couldn't quite catch.
"Whatever." Cykes finally says, huffing. "I don't like it here anyway!"
She stomps off in a huff, and Klavier lets out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He turns to Ema, quietly thanking her for stepping in.
Ema purses her lips. "Sure thing. You think that Delphi Records guy sent her?"
"No...no, she came on her own. But I think either she blew things out of proportion, or our friend Justice is exaggerating to make himself look like the victim."
Ema nods. "Shame though. From what you told me about him, he seemed the type to not do things like that."
"Yeah." Klavier's face falls, and he glances back at his bosses, who are watching from a short distance away. "Yeah, I thought so too."
He can't deny that he feels a little disappointed.
Apollo only gets a single text from Athena to indicate what happened.
[ From: Athena ]
im sorry.....i think i made it worse!!! QAQ
And honestly, Apollo can't say he's surprised. She meant well, at least...
Thankfully, though, the rest of the day went by rather smoothly. Apollo got the store closed easily enough, and he was happy to just order in and settle in for movies and messaging pianoman when he got home.
propheticsound: glad things went well today!
pianoman: yea~ thanks
pianoman: sorry yours was kinda boring though
Apollo laughs a little at the message, shaking his head. He takes a sip from his beer.
propheticsound: eh, it's whatever. nothing too bad. so i count it as a win
propheticsound: at least one of us had a good day
pianoman: mhmm! good day indeed
propheticsound: oh! heard a song on the radio for you
propheticsound: https://youtu.be/VLSBU6PoXNw
pianoman: ooooo
Klavier hums in excitement, opening the link and letting the song start. He nods along to the beat for a few moments, before glancing back at the IM window.
propheticsound: i refrained from sending you regina spektor
propheticsound: even though i WILL convert you someday
pianoman: thank you for sparing me tonight, at least
pianoman: the mowglis are good though
propheticsound: sure, sure
Apollo chuckles a little, shaking his head. He stands to grab another slice of pizza from the kitchen, letting Mikeko trail along after him.
Klavier finished the song, humming the melody for a few moments before thinking of what to say. There was one question he wanted to ask, had wanted to for a while...maybe he'd finally work up the courage to send it tonight. He settled further down into the couch, reaching down to rub Vongole's head.
"Well. No harm in trying, right...?" He murmured. Vongole gave no answer.
Hesitantly, he typed. Even more hesitantly, he sent.
pianoman: hey
pianoman: uh. i've been thinking....
propheticsound: ?
pianoman: ...should we meet?
Apollo blinks, staring at the screen for several long moments.
"Meet?" He whispers. Even hearing it out loud makes him cringe, hundreds of possible awkward meetings already popping into head.
Klavier has rolled over completely on the couch, hiding his face in the arm until he hears the notification on his phone that propheticsound responded. Vongole whines curiously, snuffling as her owner makes a quiet whining sound.
This was a bad idea.
propheticsound: uh
"Jesus how do I--" Apollo gets up and paces once, twice, before sitting down and continuing.
propheticsound: well.
pianoman: you know just
propheticsound: i mean its a possibility
pianoman: just ignore that i dont know why i even aske d
propheticsound: hold on, slow down
Klavier was about ready to throw his phone across the room and hide in shame. He knew this had been a bad idea.
propheticsound: maybe we should meet
propheticsound: eventually. some day.
propheticsound: i just.
propheticsound: dont. think it should be now
propheticsound: were both busy and all so....
pianoman: yeah! yeah that
pianoman: that makes a lot of sense
pianoman: but. im glad you didnt outright say no
propheticsound: well i cant deny that id like to meet you someday
pianoman: same to you
pianoman: but
propheticsound: someday
pianoman: right. someday.
propheticsound: anyway. should go to bed soon. send me more music soon k?
pianoman: with pleasure ;)
propheticsound: night
pianoman: night
On two opposite sides of the city, both Apollo and Klavier heave heavy sighs. Some day...some day, they would meet whoever was on the opposite end of the screen.
They just had to get their work lives sorted out first.
As it turns out, work life is starting to bleed into personal life. Just a little.
"What the hell." Apollo whispers to Athena, alarmed. He busies himself with the coffee carrier in his hands, turning his back to the Starbucks counter as Klavier Gavin steps up to it, preparing to order. "This is the fourth time I've seen that bastard this week."
"It's Tuesday." Athena says, quietly. Her face scrunches up as she looks past him to the offending party.
"Exactly."
"It's like he's following you."
"Jesus, I certainly hope not." Apollo makes a face. "...This city has almost 4 million people in it. 4 million, Athena. Why is he showing up everywhere I go?"
"Well, maybe you both just have similar tastes in things." Athena shrugs, adding one final sugar packet to her tea before snapping the lid back on. "You never know."
"I highly doubt Klavier Gavin and I could ever have anything in common." Apollo mutters, pursing his lips.
They turn to go, and Apollo casts one last glance over at the counter. He spots Gavin off to the side, flipping through his phone. He looks disgustingly normal, as if he isn't a complete money-grubbing, self-serving, small-business-killing asshole.
...Okay. So maybe Apollo has taken to daydreaming about punching Gavin in the face when he's having a bad day. It's good stress relief.
But he's heading over to the station to volunteer some today, and that always puts him in a better mood. He likes the solitude of being in the recording booth, the calm he feels as he picks the music to play. The desk is big, and he feels no qualms about spreading out all of his things, using the quiet time to plan out things for Delphi Records.
He follows Athena out the door, willing thoughts of the store going under and the man causing it all out of his head. He makes idle conversation with Athena as they take the bus to KXT, happy to let her talk animatedly about what she and Simon have been doing, what music she’s excited to get once it is released, and what the others at the station were planning on doing for the big boss's birthday in a month.
Simon is introducing one of his final sets when they arrive. He briefly glances up at them as they wave at him from outside the recording booth to acknowledge them. Once he starts the music and flicks off the switch for his microphone, he waves them in.
Simon Blackquill is, aside from Mr. Edgeworth, the most severe person Apollo has met. At first glance he has no sense of humor, the stare of someone planning on gutting you in public, and a mane of hair that is full of secrets (or so Trucy whispers to Apollo every time she sees Simon) and a bird. Most of that is actually still true after having befriended him, but he is surprisingly thoughtful.
Also, his sister sometimes comes in and gives him a noogie while he's talking to people at the station, so it's kind of hard to be intimidating once that happens in front of someone.
"Soy chai." Athena says, taking the drink from the carrier in Apollo's hands. "For our favorite lactose-intolerant serial killer."
Simon levels a glare at her, but takes the drink anyway. After a moment he turns to Apollo. "You ready to go on?"
"Yep. Got some good ones this time." Apollo shakes the strap of his messenger bag a little. "Brought some more CDs to download for you guys too. So you'll have them later."
"Oh, sweet!" Athena instantly turns to the bag, not even waiting for Apollo to put it down to rummage through it. She makes a delighted noise, pulling out CD after CD. "The new Norah Jones? Ohh, and some St. Vincent too! Excellent."
Apollo sets down his things and helps Simon clear up the clutter that's accumulated while he's been broadcasting. "I have a copy of those two at home, actually, so those in particular you guys can keep for your collection."
"'Bout time you gave me a present." Athena mumbles.
Apollo and Simon both roll their eyes.
"Anyway--our pledge drive is coming up." Simon says, pointedly ignoring the way Athena sticks her tongue out at them. "We talked about our plans for it during the morning meeting, and wanted to let you know we’ve started the planning.”
Apollo nods. “Alright. I’ll try to keep my schedule open. Anything else?”
“Mr. Cosmos was talking about maybe moving our station to a new building, and then he asked about you and your shop." Simon falls silent, as if waiting for a response.
Apollo doesn't turn, focused on making sure his pile of CDs won't spill onto the floor. "Oh?"
"He heard about that big music store near you. You think you'll be alright?"
"We'll be fine." Apollo says, a little too quickly.
"Are you sure?" Athena says, waving a hand. "Simon and I make sure to bring up Delphi when we can to help draw business to you, but we can always--"
"We're fine." Apollo glances up at Simon and then Athena, lips pulling into a line. He quickly turns back to his things, refusing to meet their eyes. "Really. Don't worry about it."
He can feel Simon and Athena exchange a look over his head, but they don't say anything else. Apollo lets out a quiet sigh as Athena wanders off to do some cleaning in the office she and Simon share, and Simon returns to his broadcast.
It's too much effort to worry about it more than necessary, Apollo has decided. That capitalist crony and his corporate henchmen weren't worth that much emotional effort. Quite frankly, Apollo would like to enjoy his afternoon--the worrying would only ruin it. And while he appreciates the concern from the station director, it's probably just because Delphi has been one of the station's biggest supporters since it went on air.
A few minutes pass in silence, and before long Simon's signing off and letting Apollo take control. Simon salutes as he leaves, picking up his papers and tossing his coffee cup away.
Now, Apollo thinks, I can finally focus on something else. Maybe he can finally write a reply to pianoman during his sets, which he's been meaning to do for days.
He slips the headphones over his ears, catching the end of one song in this set. He settles in, queuing up the next song and preparing for the mic to go back on. Once the final song in that set fades out, he flicks on the microphone and beams.
"Good morning, listeners, this is Apollo. I'm filling in for Robin today..."
To: propheticsound
3:06 AM
I’m seeing someone. Did I tell you that? I think I’ve hinted at it, and it is one of those pesky personal details we skirt around. But honestly at this point, fuck it.
I don’t know if this relationship will last. I hate to say that, because I care about this person. A lot. But we argue a lot, and I'm worried our lives are going in different directions now. I knew that going in--we have clashing personalities. The sex is great, but sometimes it's too volatile between us. Just in general. It's like I'm feeding a fire every time I'm with this person.
I hope I can get it to work out. I don’t know if I could handle a bad fall out from this. If I had to pick a song for us right now...Candles, by Daughter. There's this line that goes "I'll never be your lover/I only bring the heat" and. That sums things up about us.
I don’t know why I’m giving you yet more emotional baggage right now. I know you’re tense, and we haven’t talked as much recently, so. I don’t know. Forgive me for adding to your pile. I just needed to get it out there.
Klavier hears footsteps heading down the hallway to his office, and when he realizes they aren't Ema's kitten heels he scrambles to look like he's actually working on something. He ends up with a fistful of old plans for the L.A. store, but as Kristoph rounds the corner he figures he looks like he's just filing them away.
Kristoph doesn't even bother knocking and making sure his brother is free before entering the office. He closes the door, leaving Klavier to watch him, confused.
"Uh." Klavier blinks once, twice. "Hi. Something wrong?"
"I heard from your assistant that you've been having troublesome customers at the store recently." Kristoph watches him, his expression devoid of basically all emotion.
Klavier purses his lips. That meant his brother had interrogated Ema about things. They'd talked about leaving his assistant alone, but it looked like the assurance Kristoph had given him was worth nothing. Klavier also probably ought to treat Ema to dinner for her trouble.
"Nothing we aren't able to handle." Klavier flattens a few of the papers in his hands sharply, not meeting Kristoph's eye. "You're never worried about things like that, what's up?"
"It just--sounded as if you had made yourself an enemy is all. Though we don't talk very much now, I still would be rather upset if you got yourself into trouble."
Klavier bites his tongue to keep from shooting back something to the effect of because it might look bad for you, you’re not worried for my well being . Kristoph usually leaves Klavier to his business, but has stepped in when the Gavin reputation was on the line in the past. If Ema had mentioned the woman from opening day, he could see why Kristoph might be concerned.
But one angry ginger wasn't anything to worry about. And Delphi Records was hardly worth the time, anyway. They'd be gone soon enough.
"You really shouldn't worry about it, Kris." Klavier smiles, a sugary sweet one that he hasn't had to use in a while. "It's not something that has hurt sales, and the staff at the new store are more than capable of handling cranky customers."
Kristoph counters with a too-sweet smile of his own, and Klavier can feel the tension in the room rising with every second that passes. "Ah, well. Forgive me if I have overstepped my bounds."
Klavier cannot think of a proper answer--thankfully, there is a knock on his door, drawing the attention of both Gavins.
"Come in."
The door cracks open, and Constance Courte sticks her head into Klavier's office. Her smile fades as she sees Kristoph, mouth dropping open.
"Oh.” She straightens, turning serious in an instant. “Sorry to disturb you both."
"No, it's no bother. I think we were done." Klavier glances at Kristoph. By his expression Kristoph certainly isn't done trying to rip Klavier a new one, but this interruption is just what Klavier needs to escape.
"We were. For now." Kristoph inclines his head to Constance. "Mrs. Courte, if you'll excuse me."
Constance swings open the door enough to let Kristoph through, wincing at Klavier when she turns back to him.
"Yikes. Did I break up a fight in the making?"
Klavier sighs. "Probably. Thank you for that." He claps his hands. "Anyway! What can I do for you?"
Constance hums, the warm smile returning to her face. "I was wondering if you'd gotten lunch yet. I know it’s late in the day but it's been awhile since our last lunch date. I thought we could take off early and get a bite..?"
"You know, that actually sounds fantastic."
Within minutes they’re headed out of the building, excitedly talking about their lives. Constance’s cats are still lively even in their old age, and she regales Klavier with tales of how she’s still waking up to dead mice in her bed--or, on one morning, in her mouth. Vongole, thankfully, isn’t that wild despite being only three, but Klavier is still sometimes crushed into the couch under her. They talk a little about Constance’s upcoming art exhibit (she’s been having never-ending disagreements with one of the other artists) and the recording sessions Klavier’s had over the last few weeks with Lamiroir (that last for hours upon hours, mostly because Klavier is a perfectionist).
Klavier has always found conversations with Constance to be easy to keep going, winding through topics and leaving him feeling relaxed. Between his few interactions with Kristoph at the office, and then the high-energy and frequent arguments he has with Daryan, the ease of this conversation is nice. It reminds him of his conversations with propheticsound.
They’re settling into a cup of coffee after their meal when Constance settles back into her chair and watches Klavier with her thousand-year-old eyes. He shifts a little, uncomfortable, but knows her well enough that he isn’t afraid of what she may be thinking. She’s honest with him, but never in the biting way others might be.
“You and Daryan doing alright? You haven’t really mentioned him yet.”
Klavier runs his thumb along the rim of his cup. “He’s okay. You know him, he’s busy with his band. He’s also still upset I called him out on basically moving in with me, so he’s stopped staying over so much.”
Constance makes a quiet noise of understanding. “You two sure butt heads a lot. But I think you can get it worked out.”
They fall into a comfortable silence again for a few minutes. The brief mention of Daryan doesn’t exactly ruin Klavier’s mood but it certainly doesn’t help it.
Eventually, Constance speaks up again. “Do you and Kristoph have a lot of arguments? I don’t remember you having them before.”
“When he comes to me, sure. Most of the time he won’t give me the time of day.” Klavier purses his lips. “He only shows up if I might hurt his reputation, or hurt the company, otherwise he couldn’t care less about me.”
“Not that great of a brother, then. But I knew that.”
“He could drop dead and I probably wouldn’t find out for two weeks.” Klavier says, a smile tugging up the corners of his mouth. In spite of that, he doesn’t find it very humorous. His heart feels heavy in his chest.
Constance pats his hand, her smile gentle--he thinks that, in another life, he would have liked it if she were his mother. Or at the very least his aunt. She clearly knows she’s brought up a difficult subject and is quick to offer her support for him.
They finish their meal and Constance sees him home, kissing his cheek lightly as she leaves him at the door. Vongole waits inside for him, and he bends down to greet her. Otherwise, the apartment is silent and Daryan nowhere to be found. Upon opening his laptop, he’s sad to find he still has no response to the email he sent propheticsound three days ago.
Klavier wonders, for a moment, why he feels so alone when he’s still as busy as always.
pianoman: penny for your thoughts?
propheticsound: ?
pianoman: i dunno. you've been kinda quiet. everything alright?
pianoman: not that you have to message me every day or anything was just checking in
propheticsound: oh, sorry. just. work's been a bit weird.
propheticsound: LIFE is being a bit weird rn, tbh
pianoman: aint that just the way
propheticsound: give me today's sound, i need it
pianoman: hrm
pianoman: ...try this
pianoman: https://youtu.be/u4PAOG83nh8
propheticsound: insert a prayer emoji here
“Oh my God.”
Klavier leans his chin onto his hand, watching as Ema scrolls through the screenshots he’d taken for her. Her mouth is hanging open, brows knitted together.
“Oh my God.”
He’d finally told her about his exchanges with propheticsound over a dinner he'd made to apologize for Kristoph's questioning a few days prior. She's sitting at the counter, her meal entirely forgotten as she stares down at Klavier's phone. Ema is, honestly, one of his few friends so he figured he might as well tell her. He'd originally just invited her over for a meal and to ask for some relationship advice, but it had derailed into propheticsound and now there was no turning back from it.
“This is…” She trails off, moving to the next screen. “Oh my God, Klavier.”
“You’re freaking out more than I thought you would be.”
“I think it’s warranted!” She exclaims. “You start asking for relationship advice, and then you end up telling me you’ve been talking to some guy for like six months? Jesus, no wonder your relationship is in the shitter.”
“Almost seven now, actually. But I don’t see what the problem is, this person is just a friend. We talk about the stupidest things.”
Ema gives him a look, unimpressed.
“What?”
“The whole ‘Well I can’t deny that I’d like to meet you someday’ thing is like. Outright saying you’re attracted.” Ema heaves a sigh. “Daryan might think you're cheating on him.”
“That can't be true. It's just a couple of people talking about random things, it's not like we're writing love letters.” Klavier waves a hand. "And how can I be attracted to someone I've never even met? Let alone seen?"
“It can happen. Kind of like how you can fall in love with a book or its author.” Ema sets his phone down next to her, shrugging. “Relationships are a two way street, Klav. Daryan probably doesn't think you're entirely blameless.”
“But he already knows I talk with--whoever propheticsound is. He knows about it and said it’s a little weird but didn’t care.” In fact, Daryan had even interrupted him when Klavier had brought it up, saying he could care less about whatever online friendships Klavier may have. He had also been preoccupied with restringing his guitar at the time, so maybe Klavier could have picked a better time to break the news, but he was being honest about it and not hiding it like he could have. Klavier thinks that would have been a lot more suspicious than outright telling him.
“Just ‘cause someone says one thing doesn’t mean they can’t think something else later.” Ema tilts her head. “Maybe he’s changed his mind.”
“Daryan would have said something. You know him--he doesn’t stew on things.” Klavier pouts a little. “All he really seems interested in recently is his band.”
“Ah, I think I see the issue. The fame is starting to get to him?”
“Maybe. He’s just...changed a lot since I first met him. He’s been a lot more abrasive since he started playing music professionally.” Klavier frowns. “And now we’re in some some kind of like. Limbo I guess you could say? It’s like...we’re waiting for something to come along that will make or break things.”
“Have you told him this?”
“Tried to. He brushes me off.”
“...Well.” Ema leans again Klavier a little, shrugging. “You’ve tried, at least. I guess that means the ball is in his court.”
“Yeah.”
They fall silent for a moment, before Ema snatches the phone back as Klavier reaches for it.
“And now you have to tell me everything about this guy online. How you met, things like that.”
“...Why are you so interested?”
“Because this is the most interesting thing that’s happened to you recently, and like hell I’m not going to wring all the details out of you.” She laughs.
Klavier sighs wearily, shaking his head.
Ema laughs a little more, clearly getting quite a kick out of this. "This is straight up some romantic comedy movie bullshit. The kind that stars Tom Hanks."
"You know, I never pegged you as a Tom Hanks romcom fan, Ema."
She punches him, but that doesn't stop Klavier from laughing at her.
To: pianoman
7:39 PM
I'm sorry for not replying sooner to your last email. My work has gotten...complicated. But I'm sorry that I'm only getting back to you just now.
I hope things work out for the better between you too. I'd assumed you were seeing someone based on some things you've said. I've only had a few relationships myself, but they've all ended on good terms. I wouldn't want this to blow up in your face...but. Well. Can I be frank with you? It sounds like it's a bit of a toxic relationship. Like your partner isn't giving as much as they're taking. But maybe it's just me.
It's kind of a sad song for this, but it makes me think of Love Is A Burden by Jamestown Revival.
...I wish I could give you better advice. But my mind is all scattered right now. Work is...just that crazy. I don't want to trouble you with it, though. Just maybe give me encouraging words every once in a while. Things aren't looking as good as I'd hoped over here.
I care about you very much, my friend. I feel like we are as close to each other as I am with any of my friends, and the thought of you going through emotional turmoil makes my chest tighten painfully. I will do all I can to help, though it may just be a song I think might brighten your day.
I'll talk to you again soon.
He waits for Wocky and Vera to call out their good byes from the front, putting a finger over his lips to make Nahyuta fall quiet. If they're going to talk sales figures, he doesn't want his other employees worrying about it.
Once Wocky and Vera are gone and the store is silent, Apollo turns back to Nahyuta.
"Good news...?"
Nahyuta hands over the monthly report, but their expression isn't pleased. Apollo takes it and lets his eyes wander over the paper, almost instantly looking crestfallen.
"We're not doing too well. I know we have some more promotions going on, but I'm worried it's only holding off the inevitable." Nahyuta sets a hand lightly on Apollo's arm, expression concerned.
Apollo clenches his jaw. His chest is tightening painfully. "No, I'm sure it's going to be okay. That Guitars & Serenades has only been open for a few weeks, it's probably still just a novelty."
Nahyuta doesn't say anything, and when Apollo looks up their expression is concerned. "Apollo..."
"We'll be fine, Nahyuta. Really, we'll be fine."
"Apollo, whatever we've been doing hasn't been working to keep people coming in. Something needs to change in how we advertise, or we won't last the year." Nahyuta swallows. "We can't keep denying that we're doing badly anymore--you need to stop denying it."
"Nahyuta--"
"Just..." Nahyuta huffs. "Just tell me you're thinking of something to help bring in business?"
He turns from Nahyuta, shoulders sagging. "...I've been trying to think of other ways to keep business going. I don't want to rely solely on KXT."
Nahyuta just nods a little. "That's a smart idea. But you should talk to Simon and Athena, too. Simon said you avoided talking about Delphi at all when he saw you last."
Apollo nods, and when Nahyuta comes forward for a hug he doesn't respond more than loosely wrapping his arms around their waist. It's an embrace meant to comfort, but any and all thoughts of Delphi being in trouble do nothing more than set Apollo's anxiety about it skyrocketing.
Nahyuta invites Apollo over for dinner, but he declines. Apollo knows that whenever he gets into moods like this he's a buzzkill, and he wouldn't want to ruin what could be a great dinner for the Sahdmadhis. He watches as they head out the front, waving as they go. Apollo finishes turning off the computers and lights, and locks up for the night. He bikes home, but his thoughts are far from what he should make for dinner or what he should put on in the background tonight.
He thinks over the falling sales numbers Nahyuta had given him, and the concerned looks Athena and Simon had given him back at KXT the day he'd volunteered.
This was maybe a little too much like when Jove had died. He'd left behind so much in his wake that Apollo had been forced to bring Nahyuta and their family in to help him sort through both managing Delphi Records and his father's will. It had been a rough time for everyone, and for a while Apollo didn't know if he could keep Delphi's doors open. But that had been years ago, when it seemed like all of Apollo's life was in shambles. Right now, Apollo's social life is fine and it's just the business that needs saving. If Apollo could get through his father's death alright, he could get through this. He just needs a new plan, and fast.
He heats up some day old takeout, puts out Mikeko's dinner, and then opens up his laptop. When he sees pianoman show up in his Skype contacts, he smiles.
Perfect.
propheticsound: hey there stranger
pianoman: (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
pianoman: how's life, stranger?
propheticsound: uh, well. not too great but that's alright
propheticsound: tell me what's been going on with you
propheticsound: you able to talk to your datefriend?
pianoman: well...not exactly
pianoman: not around much anymore. kind of half the problem
pianoman: but it'll work out eventually
pianoman: ...i think
propheticsound: i hope so!
pianoman: \ (•◡•) /
propheticsound: ...okay seriously do you just have a database of those
pianoman: maybe
pianoman: you do realize you can just google it right
propheticsound: yes but you underestimate how lazy i am
pianoman: ah, yes, the one true enemy of young adults
pianoman: work still tense? you said work was crazy
propheticsound: actually...
propheticsound: i was wondering if you could help me
propheticsound: you said you're a businessman, yeah?
pianoman: yeah
propheticsound: well. my business is in trouble.
pianoman: !! what business?
propheticsound: no specifics. you know that
pianoman: right. well.
pianoman: kind of hard if i have to be general, but
pianoman: all i can tell you is to put up a fight
propheticsound: ?
pianoman: fight whatever it is that hurting your business
pianoman: pinpoint exactly what is causing it and attack it any way you can
pianoman: use everything you have access to to your advantage
propheticsound: okay...
pianoman: go onto fb or twitter or whatever and advertise the shit out of things
pianoman: uh, get more ads
pianoman: get the media involved
pianoman: do something to help you go viral and bring in like.
pianoman: idk buzzfeed or something
pianoman: do whatever you can to get your business out there, the name out there
propheticsound: okay, that makes sense
pianoman: it does? okay good i was worried i was talking out of my ass
propheticsound: no, it's perfect
propheticsound: i was having trouble with thinking of things to help
propheticsound: and the people around me are offering to help but not exactly giving ideas on what to do
propheticsound: except for things ive done before
propheticsound: nothing really new
propheticsound: so thanks
pianoman: anytime, my friend
pianoman: oh i have mood music for you too
pianoman: https://youtu.be/el1QWfnYy_c
Apollo bites his lip to keep from smiling too widely.
propheticsound: well.
propheticsound: to war it is.
pianoman: FUCK EM UP
pianoman: 凸ಠ益ಠ)凸
propheticsound: ...
propheticsound: okay seriously just link me to where you get these already
Klavier stares down at his phone, not quite sure he believes what he's seeing.
"I called the moment I saw it." Ema's tinny voice says over speakerphone. "I think it went up overnight or very early this morning."
He's staring at a BuzzFeed article filled with pictures of the small but loved Delphi Records when Jove Justice first opened it almost two decades ago; he and his son Apollo smile brightly at the camera in each photo. It's another one of those tug-on-the-heartstrings pieces that Lotta Hart always writes, pleading with readers to help the small store overcome its struggle with Guitars & Serenades. Klavier doesn't hate the article for that, and were he not an involved party he would probably try to buy as much as he could from the small store, but honestly? This is ridiculous.
"Why does it say they tried to reach out to us?" Klavier asks, more bewildered by that than anything else. "I certainly never got a call from them."
"I dunno. First I'm hearing about it, too." Ema huffs. "Want me to track it down?"
"Yes, please, we need to get this sorted before it goes viral or they make a video--knowing BuzzFeed, that's the next step. I'll be in the office soon, I'll bring you some coffee."
"And a Red Bull please."
"So long as you don't immediately dump it in the coffee." Klavier is happy to hear he's gotten at least a hint of a laugh from her at that. "See you soon."
Klavier runs a hand down his face as he ends the call, sighing heavily. He had expected some kind of kick back from Delphi Records, but not quite like this. The ad that was currently playing on KXT (a station Klavier now found himself frequently listening to, despite its connection to the small music store) he'd seen coming. There were some reviews showing up on the new store's website now, complaining about the customer service in comparison to what it's like at Delphi. But so far, it hadn't been anything major.
Klavier sincerely hopes that this isn't the beginning of a larger smear campaign; there had been one a few years back, when the San Diego store opened. That one had been pretty bad--so bad that the local news had runs several stories about the ongoing feud. Klavier really, really hopes it won't come to that.
On his drive to work, he turns of KXT just for the hell of it. He almost immediately turns it off when the first thing he hears is another announcement about Delphi Records, followed by a Beastie Boys song that is too appropriate to be coincidence.
It's like Justice is doing this on purpose. Sabotage indeed.
To: pianoman
8:46 PM
I did it! I took your advice and really did whatever I could to get our name out there. And already, we are starting to see some results. Not nearly enough for us to be out of the woods, but it's a very good start. We will keep fighting until we end up on top.
I'm feeling a lot better than I was before. I have bad anxiety over my business given its history, and this whole situation has sucked, but things are starting to look up. I am sorry for being so absent, even though I know we've agreed that this should never come before our actual lives. But now that things are a little more under control, I feel like I can give you more of my focus again. How is your relationship going? Have you been able to talk things out yet? I'm happy to offer any advice I can, though fair warning that I haven't dated tons.
I hope you have a good day today. I'm sending all my good luck to you.
"I heard from Trucy that someone wrote an article for..." Mr. Wright turns to his daughter. He's never been great at remembering online news outlets. "What was it again?"
"BuzzFeed, Daddy. And it was Miss Lotta, your old reporter friend."
Mr. Wright winces a little at the word 'friend'. "Right--Lotta with BuzzFeed. That helping Delphi any?"
Apollo smiles briefly and nods, setting down his fork. "It helped get more people in the store, at least; we just have to make sure they buy something. But yeah, it definitely helped."
Mr. Edgeworth hums a little in thought. "I did hear that ad your friends at the radio station did for you today. The girl in particular was extremely enthusiastic." He looks at Apollo over the rim of his wine glass. "You've really been doing a lot of advertising."
Apollo nods, smiling lightly into his meal.
It's not often that Apollo has dinner with the Wright-Edgeworth family, and usually when he does he feels a bit out of place. He still felt a little like he was intruding on them, despite being extended family.
When he'd found out that he had a half sister, he and Jove had met Trucy and her adopted father for lunch. Phoenix Wright had come off too irresponsible for Apollo's taste, dressed like a hobo and seemingly having no real manners. That first impression never quite went away, even if it's been a decade and Trucy's dad had drastically turned his life around.
And then there's Miles Edgeworth, Mr. Wright's fiancé and joint owner of their law practice. Apollo could never seem to get a read on the man, and had been on what he could only assume was Mr. Edgeworth's shit list for accidentally breaking off the arm of a Steel Samurai figure when they'd first met. Apollo bought a replacement and had since been removed from said shit list, but that wouldn't change the fact that Apollo was afraid of him for almost two years.
So, to say that he felt on edge around the older two men was an accurate assessment. But they were good to Trucy, making sure she was happy and healthy, and that was really all that mattered to Apollo. They had also stood by him like the Sahdmadhis had when Jove died, often letting him stay the night to spend as much time as he could with his one remaining blood relative.
"I've been doing what I can." Apollo says. "A friend suggested that I use everything I possibly can to get the upper hand, and I think he was right."
Trucy gives Apollo a knowing look from across the table, eyes twinkling mischievously. Apollo purses his lips at her.
Mr. Wright leans back in his seat, expression thoughtful. "I'm kind of curious, though--what did you say that guy's name was? The one from the other store."
Apollo raises an eyebrow. "Klavier Gavin."
Mr. Edgeworth's head lifts some, and he shares a look with Mr. Wright.
"Uh." Apollo looks between the two men. "Why, do you know him?"
"No--" Mr. Wright waves a hand. "Not him. We just had a Kristoph Gavin apply to the office recently. Said something about wanting to get out of the corporate world and into trial law. We have an interview with him next week."
"Not one I agreed to. I told you he sounded very insincere over the phone, Phoenix."
Mr. Wright rolls his eyes. "There was no harm in scheduling an interview."
Apollo's lost. "Wait, what?"
Mr. Edgeworth sets down his glass, turning to Apollo. "We need another hand at the office, and since Trucy is in so busy both in and out of school, we decided to bring on a junior partner." He says by way of explanation. "I do have to wonder if there's any connection between the two, though. After all, Kristoph Gavin is coming from that music store you're fighting with."
"I mean, I doubt it's a coincidence." Mr. Wright murmurs.
Apollo frowns into his salad, not sure what to think. Honestly, he doesn't care that much. He has more important things to think about than the Gavins.
They finish their meal, changing the subject to Trucy's upcoming show. She excitedly asks Apollo to help her find some instrumental tracks in the coming week, and she promises to help at the store when she can.
A few hours later he has to head out, letting Trucy walk him to the door.
"Your friend online spurred you into doing all of this, huh?"
She laughs when Apollo stops in his tracks, turning pink at the ears. "M-Maybe he did! What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing, Polly. I'm just teasing you." Trucy smiles a bit more, bumping her elbow against Apollo's arm. "I'm just glad you're less stressed now. Everyone was worried about you. Athena would not stop texting me about it."
Apollo pulls a face. "And did she tell you about how she barged into the store the day it opened and picked a fight with Gavin?"
Trucy snorts. "She conveniently left that out."
"Yeah, I thought as much." They reach the door, and Apollo presses a kiss to her temple as he opens the door. "You should ask her to dinner soon, by the way. The pining is getting to be a bit much."
"Only once you meet your Prince Charming." Trucy pulls him into a hug, ignoring his stuttered protests and squeezing him. "And I'll let you know when I can come in and help around Delphi, okay?"
"Focus on your show first, sis." Apollo says, waving as he heads out of the apartment and back down to his car. He ignores the good-natured nagging Trucy shoots after him, shaking his head.
The drive home is uneventful as usual, though he smiles a little as the ad he had recorded with Athena and Simon comes on during one of KXT's breaks between sets. It's really just a short shout out, really, but apparently was inviting enough that it had drawn more people to Delphi than they usually saw during the work week. Time would tell if it would go viral or not. Miss Hart had promised that it would, and while Apollo usually is hesitant to hope for such things...he feels like it might just happen. Something just feels so right about all of this.
Mikeko chirps at him when he enters the apartment, rubbing happily against his legs. He picks her up and cradles her in his arms for a few moments, closing his eyes. The awkwardness he always seems to feel when around Trucy's dads or Lamiroir drains away with ease. For maybe the first time since that morning when he saw the sign announcing Guitars & Serenades' opening, he feels completely relaxed.
Klavier's jaw drops open as he can only gape at Daryan.
The guitarist is leaning against a door frame in Klavier's apartment, swirling the beer in his hand and watching the blonde with a raised eyebrow. Klavier hasn't seen him properly in some time, and today it's been barely ten minutes and Daryan is already leaving. Now when Daryan comes by it's usually just because he's in the mood for things other than talking. Klavier isn't technically against a quick fling, but he's feeling less and less like he's in a relationship and more like he's just a booty call.
Their relationship has always been volatile. Daryan's explosive personality lends itself to that a lot, and in the past that hasn't bothered Klavier all that much. Daryan was still his dearest and oldest friend, the person who literally knows him better than his own brother. But now...now, Daryan's transition to full-time music meant they spent vastly less time around each other and that he is almost constantly angry. It's hard to be around.
Klavier hates to say it, but he's a little glad that Daryan isn't around as much now.
"I told you that I needed to talk to you, Dar." Klavier, shakes his head, almost disbelieving. "You said we could finally do that today, and now you're saying you can't?"
"We have a gig." Daryan shrugs, finishing the last of his beer and straightening. "It's a last minute thing. We'll talk when I get back."
Klavier frowns. He already knows they probably aren't going to talk the way they need to. They'll be making out on the couch before long and then he'll somehow end up on his knees. That's usually how their most recent "talks" went.
Daryan smiles wryly, reaching forward to brush back a part of Klavier's bangs. "Don't pout, okay? Ruins that pretty face of yours when you do." When Klavier's expression only sours, he rolls his eyes. "We'll talk, I promise."
"We better." Klavier mutters, stepping back. Vongole seems to have sensed her master's tension, pressing herself into his leg almost instantly. She's been doing that a lot recently, being in Klavier's space. Not that he minds, but it's a curious thing.
The front door to his apartment opens suddenly, the force behind it sending it slamming into the wall.
"Daryan, we needed to leave five minutes ago." The other guitarist for the band, a petite girl named Jo, says. Her sharp, angular features make her look perpetually angry, and her hair is dyed to what Klavier thinks is the ugliest shade of red in the world. She turns and meets Klavier's eye, eyes narrowing.
Klavier purses his lips. "Jo." He says, probably with more venom than needed.
"Klavier." Jo spits back.
To be honest, Klavier has never liked her much.
She turns back to Daryan. "C'mon, get a move on."
"Yeah, yeah." Daryan trails his hand across Klavier's cheek as he passes. "See you later."
The farewell Klavier murmurs is lost in the noise of the door slamming shut, taking with it all the violent tension that had been in the apartment. Klavier swears that his ears ring in the following silence.
Vongole makes a quiet noise, licking at Klavier's hand. He starts a little at the gesture, before turning to look down at her. A smile spreads across his face and he bends down to pet her properly. This leads into him sitting on the floor and running his hands through her fur for a long while. Eventually he stands and goes to the kitchen; he spends an hour cooking, belting along to the stereo he keeps in the kitchen. Part of it is that he thinks the impending conversation he's to have with Daryan (the best way to get to a man is through his stomach and all that), but mostly it's just because he loves cooking almost as much as he loves singing and playing music.
Daryan isn't back by the time dinner is finished--but Klavier expected that. He eats while filtering through a short report Ema pulled together about the whole BuzzFeed debacle and some of the other negative feedback they've gotten about their LA store, feeding Vongole a few of the scraps as he does so.
Daryan isn't back by the time he responds to Ema and puts on a movie. He's not back when Klavier shoots a message to propheticsound, or when it's late enough that Klavier pulls out a tub of ice cream and eats it straight out of the carton.
He doesn't come back, and they don't talk. Klavier's heart feels heavy in his chest.
To: propheticsound
2:13 AM
Good! That's really good to hear. I'm glad I could have been of some use. I don't mind your absence--you had a perfect reason for it. I'm just glad that you're feeling better about it all. I can only imagine the stress and anxiety you've been dealing with.
I think you may have been right about the person I'm seeing. I keep trying to talk to them, but I'm left hanging with nothing but empty promises more than I receive anything. It's been getting worse lately...they're never around anymore, and seems to be only focused on physical romance. And even in sex, it's all about them. I'm not great at relationships--this is my first serious one like this, really, and even I know they take work. I'm at least trying to make it work between us, but it's like I'm nothing more than a warm body to them sometimes.
If we talk, I'm pretty sure it'll end. I can see it coming, so I hope I won't be as broken up about it as I would be if I was blindsided with it. And if this relationship ends, I'm pretty sure something fundamental in this friendship will never be repaired. Seeing this fire dying down to embers is...strange. It's been burning so long and so brightly that I don't know what to do without it.
Thank you for your well wishes. With you cheering me on, despite not really knowing each other, I think I might be able to come out on the other side of this in some held-together way. Maybe just a semblance of being whole, but it's better than nothing.
On a slightly cheerier note, I was cooking earlier and listened to some of the music you've sent me since we started talking to each other. I still really, really love that one Bastille song, Lethargy. I guess something inside me is responding to it so much more right now. It's not so much the lyrics, love them as I do, but more the sound. Something in my heart just feels right when I listen to it. I don't know, I probably sound like I'm a raving lunatic.
This is kind of long, longer than some of my emails in the past. Hope you don't mind. I'll talk to you again soon.
Apollo is delighted to see that there's a small gathering of protesters outside of Guitars & Serenades as he bikes past. The response isn't quite as drastic as he would have imagined it being, but at least some people are seeing sense about the situation. The more people he can get to turn on Guitars & Serenades, the better.
The foot traffic inside Dephi has been increasing, too, so much so that it's been noticeable. Apollo's glad that he took Nahyuta and Vera's suggestion of lower prices overall to invite more people to buy things while they're in the store, since the newcomers seem to be buying instead of just browsing now. From the last numbers Nahyuta ran, Delphi is starting to go back up in sales. Maybe it's not the skyrocketing sales Apollo wants, but it's enough to get their heads above water. That's enough for now.
The day passes much like they have in the last two weeks since the BuzzFeed article went up; Apollo is on his feet for most of the day, putting out a handful of fires but mostly in high spirits all day. He doesn't let on to Wocky and Vera any of his anxiety about the business. He'd learned his lesson when his father died, and both of his workers were almost in hysterics every day at closing time. Wocky was trying to stay on the right side of the law for his family, and since Vera was so introverted there weren't many places she could go for work. It had taken lots of reassurances and hours of talking to finally convince them that they wouldn't lose their jobs. The less stress he can put on them, the better.
Even with this success, if more people keep going to Guitars & Serenades than Delphi, they won't be able to tread water for much longer.
"I'm not sure what else to do. I called in pretty much every favor I've got." Apollo mutters to Trucy and Nahyuta while the others are on their lunch break. "It'll be okay for a while, but I don't think it's good for the long term."
"KXT probably can't run that ad for forever." Nahyuta says quietly.
Trucy settles her chin in her hands. "Your friend have any more bright ideas?"
Apollo shakes his head. "No--he told me he couldn't help without specifics. We've always been really strict about how much information on our personal lives we give each other. Less complicated that way."
"Makes sense." Nahyuta nods, pleased. Apollo purses his lips, not sure if he likes this implication that he'd spill all his information to a stranger online.
"He sounds like he knows how to really work things, though." Trucy tilts her head. "And you sound like you're keen on him anyway! Why not try to meet him? You can talk specifics, get more help. And if you don't like him, you can just say you'd like to keep things online."
Apollo frowns more. "That seems kind of rude. Not to mention he's been having issues with people just using him and then leaving him hanging, I don't want to do that to him too."
"Not to mention completely against what you'd been doing so far." Nahyuta purses their lips. "The less complicated thing."
Apollo chews the inside of his lip, brows drawing together. He's quiet for long enough to draw Trucy and Nahyuta's attention, and when they see his expression, their eyes go wide.
"So." Apollo says, very quietly.
"Oh no." Nahyuta walks a few steps away, hands on their hips.
"What did you do?" Trucy whispers sharply.
Apollo finds the Skype conversation of when he and pianoman had suggested someday meeting, holding out his phone for them to see. Trucy snatches it first before Nahyuta even has a chance to read it, and she gasps the moment she reads it.
"Apollo!" She shrieks, handing the phone to Nahyuta.
Apollo drops his head into his hands.
"Oh my God." Nahyuta murmurs.
"This is..." Trucy waves her hands wildly.
Apollo screws his eyes shut.
"This is golden." Nahyuta says quietly, trying to hide the growing smile on their face. "I am never letting you live this down."
"So you should just say you do need to meet now! Just say it's to help your business!" Trucy beams. "No problem."
"Big problem." Apollo says. "I said I'd be okay meeting him someday, but for something like this?" He shakes his head. "I told you both. It feels like I'd just be using him. I don't want to do that."
They argue like this for a few minutes, and the argument just goes around in circles for some time. They break it off when Wocky and Vera come back, holding out cupcakes from the bakery around the corner. Trucy and Nahyuta continue to give Apollo meaningful looks for the rest of the afternoon, and even after work ends they both text him relentlessly about it. He ignores them, laying on his couch with his mind swirling.
He hears his notification tone on his phone go off, the one for Skype and not texts. Hesitantly, he opens it up.
pianoman: hey
propheticsound: hey there!
propheticsound: any luck with your person?
pianoman: no
pianoman: they keep ducking me
pianoman: and a friend of theirs has been acting weird with me too
pianoman: bitchier than usual
propheticsound: y i k e s
pianoman: nothign i cant handle i guess
pianoman: *nothing
pianoman: but still, it sucks
propheticsound: ;n;
propheticsound: you can do it!!
propheticsound: that person you're seeing cant avoid you forever
propheticsound: you should just corner them
pianoman: maybe
pianoman: if i can get out of work earlier enough to catch them
propheticsound: ?
propheticsound: everything okay?
pianoman: eh
pianoman: just a bit of a hiccup, nothing major
pianoman: but it means i work more than usual
propheticsound: right
propheticsound: like you dont already work almost all day long
pianoman: are you honestly calling me out rn
propheticsound: :3c
pianoman: !!! oh my god!!!!!!!!
pianoman: did i finally corrupt you into using emojis
propheticsound: no im just being a little shit
pianoman: you are too much sometimes
propheticsound: i try
pianoman: god tho
pianoman: youre giving me better advice than some of the people i know
propheticsound: well the same goes for you
propheticsound: best advice ive gotten yet
pianoman: oh?
pianoman: thats nice to hear
pianoman: it paying off well?
propheticsound: we're treading water at least
propheticsound: better than going under
pianoman: good
propheticsound: ...
propheticsound: you remember a while back
pianoman: ?
propheticsound: when we said we should meet sometime?
pianoman: you mean the night i nearly melted into my couch with vongole watching on
pianoman: yes i know it well
propheticsound: well...
propheticsound: id like some more advice
propheticsound: specific this time
pianoman: i see
propheticsound: but im not going to just use you for advice and drop you
propheticsound: youre dealing with too much of that
propheticsound: so why dont we make a trade
pianoman: i appreciate the thought
pianoman: and the consideration of my feelings
pianoman: but what would you give me?
propheticsound: help with your person
propheticsound: relationship advice
propheticsound: you know, equal exchange
propheticsound: cant gain anything without giving something in return
propheticsound: thats how it goes right
pianoman: did
pianoman: did you actually watch fma
pianoman: i suggested that to you like
pianoman: when we first started talking
propheticsound: i couldnt sleep a few nights in a row a little over a week ago
propheticsound: and i spent a whole weekend finishing the series
propheticsound: i want to kill you for not warning me about nina and alexander
pianoman: :DDDD
propheticsound: but still
propheticsound: we should meet
propheticsound: and we can give each other specific advice
pianoman: are you sure?
propheticsound: yeah
propheticsound: i mean i wasnt sure before
propheticsound: but we can help each other with our problems
propheticsound: if we meet, we can talk it over
pianoman: well
pianoman: i dont see why not
pianoman: maybe over dinner?
propheticsound: its a date
pianoman: hmmm
pianoman: any day/place in particular?
propheticsound: not really
pianoman: mmm
pianoman: theres an open mic night next week
pianoman: its at the big music store that opened up recently
pianoman: i was gonna try to perform there
pianoman: meet me there and dinner after?
propheticsound: ...
propheticsound: sure, why not
propheticsound: send me time?
pianoman: can do
pianoman: ...is it bad that im already looking forward to this
pianoman: more than playing the open mic?
propheticsound: ...i dont think so
pianoman: i need to give my song choice another think
pianoman: i have to impress you now
propheticsound: im sure ill love whatever you play
pianoman: =w=
Klavier smiles softly, eyes fluttering closed. God, why was someone so far away the person he felt closest to right now?
In the week leading up to the open mic night, Klavier "flutters" about his day to day life, or so Ema claims. He doesn't mean to be a bundle of nerves, but finally meeting the person he's been emailing for months is getting to him. He wonders what kind of person propheticsound is, what he looks like, what movies he watches, what foods he loves eating. Maybe it's dumb to think like this, but Klavier can't help it.
The daydreaming doesn't really impede his work, but it's clear he's distracted. He zones out twice during a meeting with Means about the two week long protest happening outside the LA store, too busy picturing how the conversation he's to have with propheticsound will play out to focus. Ema finds him sitting at his desk and staring at nothing with a gentle smile on his face more than once. He walks into one of the doors of his apartment, and that's when he has to put his foot down about the daydreaming. Klavier thinks over all the possible reasons for the intensity of these fantasies, but for days he can't seem to figure it out.
He sits up one night, eyes wide, when he realizes what's going on. He texts Ema immediately.
To: Ema
so ive realized something
To: Gavin
its three in the fucking morning
To: Ema
sorry but i just realized that im probably head over heels for him
To: Gavin
i am going to kill you
To: Ema
not daryan btw, propheticsound. if he is cute i might immediately ask to marry him
To: Gavin
you cant marry him if i kill you first
Ema doesn't kill him, but she sends him murderous glares for two days, and no amount of snackoos or coffee seems to please her. He does apologize and refrains from messaging her late in the night, instead letting his thoughts swirl together and unable to sleep.
He spends the hours of the night practicing and practicing his song for the open mic night. Perhaps it's a little self-centered to participate in an event that his own store is putting on, but he hardly has time to play in public, and he feels he's earned it at this point. Maybe, once Lamiroir's album is released, he can work up the courage to play an acoustic set somewhere. He'd actually sent a recording of an instrumental cover he'd made to propheticsound, and the response he got is half the reason he agreed to do the album with Lamiroir--maybe, if his friendly stranger hears his voice, he'll provide more encouragement to try pursuing music on the side.
But for now, he plays until his eyes droop closed and he falls asleep on the floor of his home office, Vongole laying over him.
Soon enough, the day is upon them, and Klavier is even more jittery than the day Guitars & Serenades had opened in LA. Ema gives him weird looks all day, eyes narrowed. Eventually she forces all of her duties onto him in an attempt to keep his mind off of the impending meeting. It works for a while but the stage is fully set several hours beforehand, and he gets shooed off angrily when he attempts to offer help to the hired technicians running the sound and lights.
He spends the rest of the time fretting over every minor detail, trying to hide his nerves. Slowly the light fades outside, and guests start trickling into the store, chattering as they get drinks from the cafe and settle into seats. Klavier shifts from foot to foot, checking through the makeshift backstage curtain every few minutes.
"I don't know if I've ever seen you like this." Ema grimaces. "I don't like it."
Klavier purses his lips. "Shut up."
"You're nervous, and you're never nervous."
"Why yes, yes I am nervous, Ema. I'm about to meet someone very important to me, and..."
She raises an eyebrow, hands on her hips. "And what? You're worried he won't be cute?"
"No!" Klavier says, scandalized. "I'm not that shallow."
"Then what?" Ema shrugs. "I don't see what the problem is."
Klavier bites the inside of his lip. He doesn't answer for a long moment, before saying, "It's nothing. It's stupid."
He's worried, at least a little bit, that he won't be good enough. That propheticsound will take one look at him and never want to see or speak to him again. The rational part of his brain tells him that he really shouldn't worry about it, that the man he's about to meet would never think that, but he can't stop the tiny voice that whispers to him constantly that he isn't good enough, he will never be good enough.
Ema gives him a look, clearly wanting to say more, but turns away when a store employee comes up and tugs nervously on her sleeve.
Klavier is left to his thoughts for a while. Slowly, time passes along and the room fills up with more and more people. The talent that had signed up begins to check in. Ema finds her way back to Klavier's side, giving him updates on if they will be ready to begin the show.
"Fifteen minutes and counting." Ema checks the watch on her wrist. "And all the signups are here. I've got someone in the crowd, asking for last minute additions to the roster."
"Mmm."
"And the sound guys said the mic is good to go."
"Mmm." Klavier shifts on his feet, clearly not listening.
Ema gives him a look. "And then the guys agreed to a swimsuit contest."
"Mmm, good, good."
Ema smacks Klavier's arm. "You need to focus, you idiot."
Klavier jolts, eyes wide as he blinks. "I'm sorry, what?"
His assistant rolls her eyes. "Idiotic, lovesick fop. I give up on you."
As she speaks, he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket, and he fishes it out. He freezes up when he sees who it's from. Klavier's eyes flutter closed, and he wills his heart to stop beating so wildly in his chest. He lets out a breath.
He's here.
"Ema."
Instantly, she turns to him. The moment she does, she grimaces.
"My dearest friend." Klavier pleads.
"Oh no."
"My better half."
"Don't you dare."
"My greatest source of impulse control."
"I'm not going to try to find him for you."
"My one and only, most perfect platonic soulmate."
"You can't make me."
Klavier opens his eyes to find Ema glaring at him.
"Please."
Ema purses her lips.
He makes a pitiful noise at the back of his throat. "Please, I am beyond nervous, I might faint when I see him if he is even the teeniest, tiniest bit as cute as the mental image I've got of him is." Klavier clutches at her sleeve, dropping his forehead onto her shoulder. When she doesn't move, he whines softly. "Pleeeeeeeeease--"
This goes on for about ten seconds before she huffs.
"Oh my god, are you going to be this whiny all night if I don't?"
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease--"
"Alright, alright!" She brushes him off, struggling to hide a laugh. "Fine, you big baby. I'll look for you."
Klavier straightens instantly, grinning and clapping his hands together excitedly. "Excellent, thank you."
Ema shakes her head and rolls her eyes, pulling aside the curtain partition to peer outside. "What did he say he would be wearing again?"
"Jeans, red hoodie."
"That describes like...three people out there."
Klavier whips out his phone in an instant, scrolling through his IM conversation with propheticsound--they'd agreed on a signal beforehand, a way to find each other in the crowd. "He said he'd have some buttons on his hoodie that a friend gave him. Some sort of gold bracelet too?"
"Okay..." Ema falls silent for a few moments, scanning the crowd. Eventually, though, she stiffens and pulls back, drawing the curtain shut suddenly.
"What?" Klavier blinks once, twice, his heart leaping into his throat. "...Was he not there?"
"Oh, no." Ema shakes her head. "He's there."
"Oh!" Klavier's face lights up. "Excellent! Was--was he okay looking? I mean--I guess I shouldn't be hung up on it but I am--"
Ema falls silent for a long time. Long enough for Klavier to pause in his rambling and turn to her, asking what was wrong.
"...You said that guy from Delphi Records was your type, right?"
Klavier frowns. "Well, yes. Sort of. He's an ass, but I can't deny that he's okay to look at." He thinks it over for a moment, before scowling. "Why."
Ema purses her lips, meeting Klavier's eye. She clicks her tongue and pulls the curtain back for him to look. "Because it's the guy from Delphi Records."
That is...well, quite possibly the strangest and most ridiculous answer she could have given. Klavier blinks at her once, twice, before stepping forward and peering out from behind the curtain, certain that she's joking. He squints against the makeshift stage lights to properly see the audience, and when he his eyes adjust he takes in a sharp breath.
Sitting just left of center stage is Apollo Justice. He shifts nervously in his seat and swivels around every so often in his chair, as if he's looking for someone. A pair of buttons are attached to his jacket, but from this distance Klavier can't tell what's on them. Klavier almost writes his appearance off as coincidence, but then Apollo scratches the back of his neck and displays the golden bracelet on his wrist. Justice looks...small. Worried. Nervous. Kind of the way someone would when waiting for their blind date to arrive.
Klavier's mouth goes dry. He pulls away and closes the curtain. He cannot seem to focus on anything, his mind running at what feels like a million miles a minute.
Ema's got her tongue in her cheek for a moment, before sighing. "Not quite what you expected, I'm guessing."
"...Not really, no." Klavier briefly peers out again, careful not to stick his head out too much and draw Justice's attention.
It's true that Klavier has always thought that Justice had attractive qualities, his looks being the biggest part of that. Granted, he didn't have the best impression of his personality, but what little he'd seen made the owner of Delphi Records come off as someone with the dry sort of wit that he enjoyed. Easy to anger, maybe, but still attractive and incredibly knowledgeable about music. Probably even more so than Klavier himself, which was quite the feat. Up to this moment, Apollo Justice has been a person he can easily slot into place in his brain: a stubborn, short-tempered man who hated him and happened to have soft-looking hair. Someone who he feels sorry for due to circumstances, but otherwise forgets.
But the knowledge that Apollo Justice is propheticsound, the man he's been talking to for going on eight months...it's difficult to reconcile in his brain. The basic things he can match easily--the music knowledge makes lots of sense in context, and their conversations about getting too angry to speak come to mind--but what he knows of Apollo in real life just don't match up with what he knows of propheticsound online. While his online stranger is kind and understanding and supportive, Apollo Justice is brash and angry and beyond rude.
The timing of Delphi Records lashing out at Guitars & Serenades is too coincidental, though--and the thought that Klavier himself might have triggered all that's happened is a bit too much for him to handle.
"So...are you going to go talk to him?" Ema watches him, curious.
He shakes his head. "Would you believe me if you were in his shoes? That the person he hates the most right now is someone he's been so friendly with online?"
Ema considers it for a long moment, before shaking her head.
"That's the problem." Klavier runs his hand across his forehead, sighing. He's quiet for a moment, before muttering, "This fucking sucks."
Ema purses her lips. "What are you going to do, then? You're not going to just blow him off, are you?"
Klavier doesn't answer her.
"Klavier--"
"I heard you. I'm thinking."
He glances back out at Apollo Justice again. The brunette's eyebrows are drawn together in worry, and he looks like the complete opposite of how Klavier has seen him in the past. It's still difficult to think of the man sitting there as the person who's gotten him so charmed, but as the seconds pass, he realizes that it's not as farfetched as it originally seemed. He thinks, briefly, of how he would want to be treated in such a situation.
Almost instantly, the answer comes to him. Perhaps it's not the perfect solution, but it's the best he's got.
The more Apollo sits here, the more he wants to bolt for the door. He feels like he's in enemy territory (which, technically speaking, he kind of is) and that all eyes are on him. He finds himself looking around every few seconds, hoping to catch a glimpse of pianoman. He also checks his phone just as often, but he still has no response to announcing he's arrived.
When he's grown tired of that, he decides to try and an idea of what Guitars & Serenades is like, since he would rather be caught dead than be seen here normally. He supposes it's a nice place--it's not as cluttered as Delphi, but it lacks the charm. It feels too modern. It reminds him a little of a Barnes & Noble, but it's somehow cleaner and more stream-lined. He's dismayed that it's so big, and has so much to it. Maybe Gavin had been right, and having so much to offer would make Guitars & Serenades better in the long run. He hates facing that reality.
Finally, after an impossibly long time, the lights in the main cafe dim, and a cheer goes up from the smaller crowd. The curtain cordoning off the backstage for the evening parts, and Apollo's faces pinches in displeasure.
"Good evening!" Gavin says when he reaches the microphone, smiling softly and waving a little. "Good evening, everyone, and thank you for coming to our first open mic night. We've got a really great crowd out here tonight, and that really is something."
Another cheer ripples through the crowd. Apollo crosses his arms, pursing his lips.
"We do have one person running late, I think..." He turns to the backstage curtain, where a woman nods to him. "Right, one person running late. But! We do have a great lineup, even if they don't show. So let's get started, hm?" He gestures for the first performer to come on stage, and the evening begins.
Open mics are, in Apollo's experience, pretty bad. Most of the performers are amateurs, and maybe he's become a bit too much of a music snob for them most of the time. But, he is pleasantly surprised by the majority of the acts. He finds himself laughing genuinely at the one comedian who's come to perform, and a lot of the musicians have promise. There's one or two who may need some coaching for their voices, but they aren't as awful as Apollo had expected.
Slowly, the tension in his body at being in Guitars & Serenades fades away, forgotten as he lets himself actually enjoy the show.
But then, after a couple of hours, the last musician finishes and leaves. The stage goes quiet. An uneasy murmur goes through the crowd. Apollo finds that his expectation that he'd recognize the man he'd been talking to for eight months has been crushed--he has no idea if the man has even shown up.
Gavin steps back onto the stage, a guitar over his shoulder. Instantly, Apollo's tension is back.
"Well, that was our last performer--our final musician let us know a few minutes ago that he wouldn't be able to make it this evening." He smiles sadly as he waits for the crowd's murmuring to die down at that. His expression is genuinely upset as he goes on. "He did say, though--to the person waiting for him, he's terribly sorry to leave you hanging. And that he will hope to make it up to you in the future."
Apollo's heart sinks in his chest. Gavin hadn't been looking his way when he'd spoken, but Apollo knows that the missing musician is pianoman. There couldn't be anyone else who would leave a message like that. He's not sure if he has ever been this devastated (barring his father's death). Was he pinning too much of his hope on someone he honestly barely knew? If he felt this way...maybe he had been.
"But, we still have a tiny bit of time left--so I thought I'd finish us off for the evening, if you all were alright with that?"
A cheer goes up through the crowd, but Apollo remains silent. He bows his head, barely paying attention as Gavin introduces his song.
Just as Apollo is thinking of getting up to leave, though, Gavin begins to play the guitar and lets his voice fill the room. Apollo's brows knit together--he'd recognize a Bill Withers song anywhere, and this in particular is a somber one. But the way Gavin's voice carries through the room and the slower tempo to the song gives the piece an even more pained tone, and something in Apollo's chest twists painfully at the sound. Apollo slumps in his chair, willing the wetness from his eyes. It's been a while since a song reached into him and mixed up his insides like this. Later, he would blame it on his disappointment at missing pianoman, but it's truly because of the performance.
It's no wonder Lamiroir wanted him on her new album. Klavier Gavin truly is one of the best musicians Apollo has ever heard.
The end of the piece is heralded by applause and even a standing ovation. Gavin's song had blown everything else out of the water and deserved that much praise, but Apollo cannot bring himself to respond, let alone look up to the performer himself.
He actually stares off into nothing as everyone begins to file out, not realizing he is the last left until someone is standing above him.
"You alright?"
Apollo looks up to find Klavier Gavin watching him, expression curious. Instantly, he scowls, shooting up.
"I'm fine. What are you doing?"
"We've got about five minutes before we have to kick everyone out. I thought I would let you know." Gavin smiles, minutely.
Apollo doesn't return it, instead deciding to focus on the messenger bag he'd brought with him with his laptop.
He thinks Gavin will give up and walk off, but instead continues. "I didn't expect to see you here, though."
"What, didn't think I'd try to scope you out the way you did Delphi a few months ago?"
Gavin is quiet for a long moment, before huffing out a laugh. "Perhaps. Or maybe I didn't think you'd come to one of these at a store you despise."
Apollo can feel tension rolling off of Gavin's shoulders, and his bracelet feels tight around his wrist. Something is bothering Gavin, or he's not saying something important. Apollo narrows his eyes a little, studying Gavin's face intently. "I had my reasons. Buzz off."
Instantly, Gavin outs up his hands in a defensive gesture. "No need to be angry--I was only letting you know the store was closing."
Apollo nods, turning to the table to gather his things--not that he took a lot out of his messenger bag. He hears Gavin turn to go, intending to let him walk off without another word. This was a waste of time, and he doesn't want to make a bad night even worse by picking a fight with his nemesis.
But a thought occurs to him, and he straightens. He turns to see Gavin stepping back onto the stage, speaking quietly to the woman Apollo had seen before.
"Hey--Gavin." He calls out. Gavin turns, and under the blonde's gaze Apollo nearly loses his nerve. But he swallows, hands curling into fists. "I need to ask you something."
Gavin exchanges a look with the brunette woman he'd been talking to, but comes closer once again. He tilts his head, and the smile he gives Apollo is clearly one intended for difficult customers. "Yes, Justice?"
Apollo wets his lips. "You--you said that you had one person not show tonight, right?"
"Yes, I did." Gavin lifts an eyebrow.
"Did...did he give his name?"
Gavin searches Apollo's face. Apollo feels his bracelet tighten around his wrist. "He went by an alias--something about a piano."
Apollo's heart sinks even lower in his chest. He knew it. "Did he say why he couldn't be here?"
"No, not really. Just that something had come up." Gavin's brows draw together. "Why are you so curious?"
Apollo's face flushes. "None of your business."
Gavin is quiet for a few moments, before something passes across his face. Apollo swears it's something smug. "You're the one he was supposed to meet, weren't you?" When Apollo doesn't answer, Gavin just straightens a little. "Huh. Imagine that."
"I told you, Gavin, it's none of your damn business." Apollo spits. "Don't you have a store to close up or something?"
"I do. But I am sorry that your friend didn't show."
The concern in Gavin's tone reminds him too much of the night of Lamiroir's party. Apollo can feel his anger rising.
"Don't act like you care, Gavin. You're a heartless corporate robot." Apollo meets Gavin's gaze. "Now just leave me alone."
Gavin looks surprised at the insults. "Look, I'm sorry your friend or date or whoever didn't show, that's all. Getting stood up is awful, and I wouldn't want that to happen to anybody." Apollo glares at him, turning back to his bag. "I mean...I mean, he sounded like a decent guy on the phone."
Apollo freezes.
"I'm sure he'll make it up to you, whoever he is."
"You--you spoke with him?" Apollo's jaw drops, and his bracelet is tight around his wrist. "You talked to him?"
Gavin blinks. "...Yes?"
"And what did you say to him?"
"I asked about the cancellation, he told me to give his message." Gavin shifts on his feet. "It wasn't for long."
Apollo can feel something's wrong--something is awfully, horribly wrong. "You're lying."
"What?"
"You're lying, asshole, I know you are!" Apollo slams his bag onto the table. "Tell me the truth, what did you say to him?"
Gavin shakes his head, mouth open. He doesn't say anything for a long while, which only makes Apollo angrier.
"Well?" He demands, letting his hands clench into fists.
After a moment, Gavin sighs. "I did talk to him. He asked if you were there, and I looked around for him. When I told him I found someone matching your description, he gave me that message."
He doesn't want to believe it. He doesn't want to believe that Klavier Gavin is such a lowlife that he'd do something like ruin what could have been something really, really good. But based on his run-ins with Gavin before, he knows that it's probably not much of a stretch. His bracelet is still reacting, but he's too angry to worry too much about it now. He knows all he needs to.
Somehow, he manages to speak. "So, what did you tell him about me, huh?"
Gavin's eyes go wide.
"What did you say to run him off?" Apollo demands, voice growing louder by the second. "What, did you tell him I was old? That I was some lowlife like you? That I wasn't worth his time?"
Gavin looks thunderstruck, but Apollo steamrolls on.
"Trying to run me out of business not good enough for you? You have to ruin my entire life now?"
"No, I--"
"Of fucking course." Apollo sneers. "Why am I not the least bit surprised. Somehow I knew this would happen, I was worried about it when I agreed to meet here, I should have listened to my gut instinct and called this whole thing off."
Gavin works his jaw open and closed a couple of times. Finally, he says, "Why on earth would I want to do such a thing to you?"
"I don't know! Maybe you're so intent on winning..." Apollo gestures wildly with his hand. "...whatever competition you think we have going, you're more than willing to stoop low enough to do that. You soulless sellouts are all about getting ahead, right? I'm sure you saw me and thought, 'Oh, hey, I hate this guy, so I should totally ruin his life as much as possible!' right? You just couldn't help yourself could you?"
"Nothing like that happened--" Gavin starts. When Apollo tries to cut him off, he slams his hand on the table, voice rising. "Do you really think so little of me? Or are you just so self-centered that the moment something coincidental happens between two people you know, that it just has to be about you?"
Apollo's jaw drops. "Self-centered? Are you serious?"
"Why else would you jump to conclusions, refusing to hear what actually happened?"
"Because you're lying!" Apollo shouts. His hand shoots out and he grabs Gavin by the collar, yanking his face down. "I know you're lying about something, but I don't need to interrogate you to know what it is! You're trying to cover your own ass because all you care about is your stupid store and yourself! And if either of us is self-centered, it's you."
"You don't know anything about me." Gavin says.
The bracelet around Apollo's wrist constricts painfully.
"I don't need to know anything about you--I can already tell that you're nothing more than a soulless man who takes pleasure out of squashing the bugs under his feet." Apollo feels his free hand once more curling into a fist, ready to strike. "And the moment one of those bugs tries to fight back? You throw a tantrum like the child you are. You rip away any shred of happiness that isn't solely yours. You're a spoiled brat who never grew up."
Gavin's eyes widen as Apollo speaks, his eyes looking watery now. What a child, Apollo thinks. Without really thinking about what he's doing, Apollo reels his arm back. Just as he's about to punch, someone grabs a hold of his arm and twists his arm behind his back. Apollo yelps at the sudden movement. When he turns to glare at the newcomer, he finds the brunette woman Gavin had been speaking to on stage has a vice grip on his arm.
"If you know what's good for you," She says, her voice deadly quiet, "You're going to let him go and get out right now."
Apollo matches her gaze for one second, for two, before yanking his arm out of her grip. As angry as he is, he knows better than to get into a fight when the odds aren't in his favor. He shoots one final look at Gavin, who still looks stunned and watery-eyed, before snatching his bag and stalking out.
He waves down a cab, and once he's inside he rubs at his wrist as he finally regains feeling in his hand. He hadn't even noticed just how tight his bracelet had gotten in the heat of the moment--it's never done that before. Gavin must have really been lying through his teeth to make it react like that.
When he gets home, he drops his bag on his couch and collapses on his bed. He's silent for a long while, before he finally allows himself to cry, burying his face into his pillow and sobbing.
Klavier hasn't moved since Ema broke into the argument he'd been having with Apollo. He can't seem to focus on anything, really. Apollo's words ring in his ears, and he feels a little like Apollo reached into his chest and ripped out his heart. He starts when a pair of hands settle on his shoulders, and he looks up to see Ema watching him with concern. She opens her mouth to speak a couple of times but doesn't; eventually she puts her hands on his cheeks to ground him.
"Do you think you can help me pack up a few small things?" She asks quietly.
Klavier nods faintly.
"Okay. Do that for me and then go right home, alright?"
He nods again, but his mind is far from what she shoves into his arms to fold. He hardly registers when he finishes and she leads him to her car to drive him home. He can only think about the way Apollo had looked at him, eyes blazing with hatred.
Apollo hates him. propheticsound hates him and Klavier feels numb.
To: pianoman
4:48 AM
Somehow, I knew things would always blow up into my face. They always do.
But I had really, really hoped you would be different. That you would be able to help me where everyone else has failed. That you could bolster my confidence, give me the hope I need in a really troubling time of my life. I have looked to you as another pillar of support in my life, helping keep me anchored when I feel things are swirling out of control. I thought finally meeting you would feel like a piece of me was finally back in its proper place--that things might actually be okay.
When are things ever good for me, though? When has the universe ever let me have just one thing go right? Oh, right. Never. It clearly wasn't going to make an exception for me now.
The man who is making my professional life a living nightmare, the reason for me asking to meet you, was the one who answered your phone call. I can only assume he told you all sorts of vile and untrue things to keep us from meeting. He's nothing more than a sad little man who only finds pleasure in sucking the life and joy out of others--I know he would stop at nothing to ruin the lives of those around him, especially mine. I hate thinking of what he could have told you, but it is all I can think of.
But even with that...I don't know why I could have ever expected different. Of course you didn't show--even though that is so unlike you. Of course I made an ass of myself in front of the person I hate most in the world right now. That is so on par for how my life has gone that I should never have thought I could really get ahead and find the stability I need. I'm kicking myself for even daring to hope.
I was angry. Extremely, awfully angry. Angry at him for ruining what could have been really good. Angry at you for letting it keep you from meeting me. Angry at myself for exploding the way I did. Even the fact that I could get out my true thoughts without freezing is overshadowed by how angry I was. I always feel bad when I yell at someone, but I really ripped into the man I've been fighting. Part of him deserves it, but I went too far.
It's been hours now, though...and my anger has given way to pain. There is an ache in my chest that won't leave. I am heartbroken.
Even with how disappointed I am at what should have been, I still find myself caring about you. I still am afraid something terrible happened to you, to keep you away. I still wonder if, had you talked to anyone else, you would have come to meet me. But...right now, I don't know if I want to have anything to do with you anymore. I need to forget you, to break the hold you have on me. Someone I have never met, and know so little about, shouldn't have such a hold on me. We shouldn't keep this going.
It's like that Norah Jones song, Happy Pills. I'm going to get you out of my head.
...I wish you had not been just another disappointment. I wish we had met.
Klavier takes a long weekend.
When he'd gotten home after the open mic, he'd sat on the floor just inside the entrance to his apartment, pulled Vongole into his lap and buried his face in her fur. He had no idea how long he'd sat there, wrestling with his thoughts and the way his heart was clenching painfully in his chest, but it felt like an eternity. He managed to drag himself to bed later in the night, but his mind was racing too much to allow sleep.
He read Apollo's email the moment it came through, noting quickly after that Apollo has removed him from his Skype contacts. It prompted the first tears he'd actually shed all night, or even in a while (Klavier wasn’t exactly someone who cried easily). Listening to the song Apollo had mentioned only made it worse. He didn't sleep at all, in the end. He texted Ema late the following morning, saying he wouldn't be in, and she said she'd get him the rest of the week as well. A four day weekend to try to mend his bleeding heart.
His phone is surprisingly quiet, save for a message from Daryan saying he'd be gone most of the weekend on a gig in Washington State, so Klavier is left to stew over the nightmare that had been discovering Apollo was propheticsound . Klavier does what he can to keep from feeling so awful for as long as possible, but there's only so long you can stay in your own apartment watching Netflix before you start going stir crazy or longing for social interaction. No amount of British baking TV could cure him of it, even if he does manage to bake two cakes and three dozen cookies in the attempt.
Ema barges into his apartment with her copy of his apartment key Friday night, at least three bottles of the sweetest moscato she could find under her arm. She takes one look at the pathetic look on Klavier's face before promptly shoving the biggest bottle in his face.
"I brought movies." She says as he opens the bottle. "Some to laugh at, some to cry about. Whichever you'd prefer."
Klavier sips directly from the bottle as he selects a film, not really able to say much more than 'thank you' for both the wine and the entertainment. Ema studies him closely for a moment before she busies herself with getting popcorn and starting the movie, apparently deciding not to say anything about the state she’s found him in. When she sits on the couch she gestures for Klavier to lean against her and sets her arm across his shoulders. He settles his head against her, clutching his wine against his chest and feeling pretty miserable.
Early the following morning, they've started in on the inevitable Hobbit and Lord of the Rings marathon, and Klavier nearly forgets the rest of the world for a while. The way he feels doesn't exactly go away (he doesn’t think that it could), but he forgets it for a bit. Of course, it comes back full force when Ema prods at him during the meeting between Thorin's company and the elves of Rivendell.
"Klav."
"Mmm." He hums, not turning from the TV.
"I know this is probably insensitive, but...Have you heard anything else from him?" Klavier can feel her eyes on the top of his head.
Klavier fishes his phone out from the deep pockets of his sweatpants, not even bothering to check where he's navigating as he pulls up the email. He's done it so much it's in his muscle memory now. He holds the phone out to her and takes another sip of his wine once she plucks it from his hand, trying to focus once again on the movie.
Ema's silent as she reads the email, and she doesn't respond for a long time. Klavier knows that more than once she turns to him, probably trying to think of what to say. She settles for running her fingers through his hair, quietly handing the phone back to him. They don't talk about Apollo Justice for a long time.
The Fellowship of the Ring has just lost Gandalf the Gray in Moria when Ema finally broaches the subject.
"You respond to him yet?"
"No." Klavier says, voice small.
"You plan to?"
"I don't know."
Ema pauses in braiding a piece of his hair for a few moments. When she starts again, she finally says, "You should. At some point."
"Mmm."
They don't talk about it for the rest of their marathon, which ends most of the way through the next day. Ema has to go by then ("My hair feels gross, and your not-quite-morning breath is god awful, no offense.") but Klavier is still glad to have had her company for a little while. He waves her off, then heads back inside to clean his apartment while his anxiety is prompting him to.
All the while, his laptop in his home office taunts him.
Late Sunday night, Daryan opens the apartment door and finds Klavier sitting on his kitchen counter, eating directly from the chocolate cake he'd made earlier in the weekend. Daryan blinks, stepping further into the kitchen. Klavier meets his gaze evenly, taking a large forkful of the cake and putting it in his mouth. The guitarist steps forward, rummages in the silverware drawer for a fork and takes a similar size bite out of the opposite side of the cake. Daryan chews thoughtfully for a few moments, then takes a second bite.
"Any reason for the--" Daryan gestures to the counter and then to the cake. "You know."
"No." Klavier says. A clear lie, but it's a long story and if their relationship is headed down the highway to breakup, this won't help it. Also, Klavier isn't quite sure he can handle a breakup on top of finding out about Apollo. So he pretends nothing's happened.
Daryan nods, and takes another bite of cake before saying anything else. "I miss anything in town?"
"Ema and I marathoned the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies, but otherwise no." Klavier smiles, the gesture very small. "She says hi, by the way."
"I see." Daryan adjusts the turtleneck he's wearing. Klavier's tired brain registers a dark looking mark high on the column of this throat, but he assumes it's just the exhaustion playing tricks on him. "Well, I'll have to say hi right back before long."
They eat cake for a few silent minutes, Klavier not feeling up to talking and Daryan apparently having enough sense to not break it. Vongole watches them from the arch leading to the hallway, tail thumping on the floor.
"So you wanna...?" Daryan says eventually. The look on his face makes it clear what he wants.
"Sure." Klavier sets the cake down, letting Daryan lead him back to the bedroom.
They have sex. It's not mind blowing, or really even that great--Klavier is feeling awful enough that he doesn't care. It doesn't make him forget what's going on, not even the slightest bit, but it takes the edge off of his heartbreak a little bit. Daryan falls asleep not long after, splaying out across the bed and snoring loudly. Klavier sits up and feels dread once more creeping in. It propels him into standing and going to shower, then settle in at his laptop in his home office.
The "Compose" button on his email account mocks him.
He clicks it.
This is not the first time Klavier has tried to write a response to Apollo's email from the open mic night. It's probably the fifth, though he hasn't managed to type even a single word yet. Any excuse he tries to come up with, any way to explain what happened, gets jumbled up in his mind and turns into a garbled mess. He can't think of any way to apologize for what happened, to reach out and make sure Apollo knows that this isn't the way things were supposed to go. That Apollo was never supposed to be in that situation to begin with.
Klavier keeps replaying Apollo's last words to him in his mind, and the way Apollo said them turns steadily more venomous. It really was just their luck, huh? Destined to be star-crossed lovers, except maybe not quite lovers. Definitely not.
There's no way Apollo Justice could ever love him, especially if he knew that Klavier was pianoman .
Therein lies the rub--Klavier has fallen in love with propheticsound . Perhaps not true, honest-to-god love, but it's something intense and has settled in Klavier's chest so deeply that he can't shake it any more. It was probably a sign that he’d gone too deep with this, was letting it have too much control over him, but Klavier hadn’t listened to any of the warning signs.
Someone I have never met, and know so little about, shouldn’t have such a hold on me.
Apollo’s words have some truth to them. They shouldn’t have let this go so far. They would have suffered a lot less heartbreak if they just hadn’t tried to meet.
Klavier still can’t seem to get over the absolute irony of the entire situation--that the one he has shared his most secret thoughts with over most of the past year is the owner of Delphi Records, the one who’s been a thorn in his side with the sudden protests and radio ads. He still can’t quite believe that he caused all of that, either--that he’s caused his own headaches within the past month and a half.
He heaves a heavy sigh, not sure whether he should laugh or cry.
After staring at his laptop for ten minutes with no idea of what to write, Klavier runs his hand over his face. God, what can he even do? He slams his laptop shut and turns his chair away, sure that he’s had yet another unsuccessful attempt at replying.
As he begins to get up, though, the tiny voice at the back of his head niggles at him and he pauses. After a moment he looks over his shoulder at his laptop.
It sits quietly on his desk.
Klavier turns to the door, where he finds Vongole has laid down across the threshold. She blinks up at him, her tail wagging once when she notices how he’s staring. Klavier slumps in his seat.
“Can you write this for me?” He says quietly.
Vongole thumps her tail a couple of times, but that’s the only answer Klavier gets.
He pouts. “You’re no help.” He mutters, turning back to open his computer again.
After a few more minutes of thought, he finally starts trying to put down his thoughts in a way that might possibly repair the damage he’s done. While he’s sure that nothing he says could heal whatever wound he’s dealt Apollo, Klavier hopes it could be some kind of start.
Some time later, he finally has something. He reads it over and edits it a little. Once he’s satisfied, he hits send, hoping with all his heart that Apollo will find some way to forgive him.
He closes his laptop and turns away, standing to go back to bed. His hand ghosts across the top of Vongole’s head as he passes. He collapses into the sheets when he reaches his bed and shifts closer to Daryan, who grumbles in his sleep but doesn’t wake. Klavier tries to ignore the fact that the name that slips from Daryan's lips is not his, and that the mark he'd noticed earlier is not only actually there, but not the only one.
Klavier watches the guitarist for a long moment, before letting his eyes fall closed. Even if it's just for a few hours, he needs the shut eye.
To: propheticsound
5:13 AM
I cannot tell you how sorry I am for what happened, for what you went through. I cannot even give you a good reason for why I was not there that won't sound like some kind of excuse. So I will not try to, lest I just make this awful situation even worse. Just know that I wanted to be there so, so much, and even if that man had told me you were the ugliest person on earth, I would have been there.
I wanted to meet you in person but I wasn't able to. Because of that, you got hurt. That is all that matters.
I put you in a terrible situation, and that is the last thing I wanted to do to you. You mean so much more to me than almost anything else in my life. I want you to be happy, to have a future of success and joy ahead of you. From what I know of you, you more than deserve that kind of happiness. Maybe not with me--though I want to be your friend still--but with the person who deserves you. I do not think I do anymore, or maybe even ever did.
I understand that perhaps we both pinned too much of our hopes on one another. You’re entirely right--no one who knows so little about our personal lives, the way we do, should have such a hold on us. But I cannot deny that having someone to talk to so freely, in spite of never sharing personal details, has been freeing for me. You are one of the few people I can really talk to about these issues.
I will not object if you never contact me again, but I will miss your presence in my life. I do not say that as a way to try and manipulate you into speaking with me; that is also the last thing that I want to happen. You have every right to never speak to me again because of what I have done. And if you only ever contact me for music recommendations, I am alright with that.
Again at the risk of coming off manipulative due to its lyrics, I will give you one last song. Without You, by Oh Wonder.
Goodbye, my dear friend. I wish you nothing but the best.
Apollo waits nervously for any kind of response from pianoman .
Thursday morning, Trucy and Nahyuta immediately know something is wrong, and after a bit of pestering they get Apollo to explain what happened.
“He stood you up.” Trucy says quietly, her expression falling immediately. She looks as heartbroken as Apollo feels.
“There’s probably a good reason why he couldn’t be there.” Nahyuta assures him, but he doesn’t feel much better.
Thankfully, they’re the only ones who know about the whole pianoman thing as of yet. He still doesn’t appreciate the pitiful looks they constantly shoot him, the comforting words meant to bolster his mood. He almost goes home and leaves Nahyuta with the keys by lunchtime because it’s gotten so awful.
Friday passes, and still no response. He now regrets having removed pianoman from his Skype contacts, because it might have meant a quicker response. He’s clearly distracted during his lunch with Clay, and when asked he finally admits to what’s happened.
Clay is very, very quiet for a long time, looking a little hurt that he’s only just now finding out about all of this. But then his expression sours, and he says, “Klavier Gavin can eat my entire ass.”
Apollo makes a face. “I...wouldn’t want him too?”
“Me either, but that’s how I feel about this. He can go eat ass.” Clay sets his coffee cup down a little more forcefully than he probably should, the now lukewarm drink sloshing out of the cup and all over his hand. Clay makes a face himself, and it’s unclear if it’s because of the topic or because of the coffee all over his hand.
Apollo watches him for a moment before saying, “...Do you want me to get you some napkins?”
“Yes please.”
Saturday, Apollo does his best to forget the number of times that he checks his email.
Sunday goes by in a similar way to Saturday, but with more alcohol.
Monday he finally, finally has an answer.
Apollo, being a perpetually light sleeper, wakes the moment his phone chimes with an email notification. He rolls over and sticks out his hand groggily, feeling about for the device. Once he locates it, he removes its charger and pulls his arm back to the relative warmth under his blankets. He's fully awake in seconds, eyes almost bugging out of his head when he sees what it is. He sits up, fumbling for the light on his bedside table.
He reads the email, and then rereads it, and then reads it for a third time. His heart still feels heavy--he has no explanation for why his friend did not show--but he finds the sentiment that it would only sound like an excuse is probably right. He's at least glad to hear that even Gavin couldn't keep pianoman away. It's just unfortunate that he played a role in what happened that night.
He pulls up the song he's been recommended, mind reeling. He's glad that he isn't being forced to continue the relationship--honestly, if it did continue, a bit of breathing room is a good idea for them right now--but the thought of ending it on such an awful note doesn't sit well with Apollo. He doesn't want this to end on heartbreak.
Apollo flops back down into bed, pulling his blankets up to his ears and sighing. He knows he won't sleep any more tonight, his mind too busy trying to work out how he can even respond. Or if he should respond right away. Maybe he should take his time, and focus on Delphi. That would be the smart thing to do. His heart is telling him otherwise, but he really shouldn't have wasted his time on all of this in the first place.
He's unusually quiet all day, but he manages not to say anything to Trucy and Nahyuta other than his decision to keep some distance from his online friend for the moment. He allows himself to forget the nightmare that was the open mic night, instead turning his attention to how Delphi has been doing.
Despite all of her assurances to the contrary, Lotta Hart's article didn't go viral and no follow up video got made (not even the follow up her fellow BuzzFeed writer Spark Brushel wrote went viral, either). Apollo had sort of expected that, given the not-so-stellar commentary Mr. Wright had given him when Apollo had called in the favor. It is disappointing that yet another thing didn't work out, but there has been a noticeable increase to foot traffic in the store. From what Nahyuta has told him, sales have also gone up over what they had been for the same month a year ago. If that trend continues, then Delphi might make it out of this storm just fine.
Take that, Klavier Gavin.
The week passes rather uneventfully, and Apollo finds himself looking forward to a weekend spent watching movies with Clay and Nahyuta. Their "movie night" typically lasts a lot longer than the ones other people might have, so they had all agreed to let it stretch out over the occasional weekend instead of just a single night. This time they were planning on going through all of the science fiction movies they had between the three of them, which meant dealing with the inevitable Star Trek (Clay) vs Star Wars (Nahyuta) argument. In spite of that, though, Apollo is looking forward to it.
What he's not looking forward to is the questioning he gets.
"So." Clay says, shifting in his seat to face Apollo. They've gotten two movies under their belts for the weekend, and apparently that was long enough for Clay to wait to ask about it. "Nahyuta said you're keeping your distance from the email guy."
Apollo purses his lips and shoots Nahyuta a look. They only smile demurely, taking a sip of their cider.
"Yes, I am."
"So that means he replied to you."
Apollo heaves a sigh and settles back into the couch. "So what if he did? I told you, I'm taking a break from it. Now, the next movie needs giant robots and giant aliens."
Clay and Nahyuta share a hard-to-read look, and that's that for a while. Clay keeps trying to breach the subject between movies, and while Apollo does offer some information, he tries to keep it to a minimum. Like he said: he's trying to take a break. He wants to cut off the excess threads that have gotten him all tangled up.
Eventually, Clay gives up, looking up to Nahyuta and shrugging in defeat. Apollo pretends not to see them.
It's been two weeks, and there's been no response. He can't say he blames Apollo.
Klavier's life moves on; well, as best it can while he's still reeling from meeting Apollo at the open mic night. He throws himself into his work, working even more hours than usual. He begins drafts for another store idea, though in no particular area. He filters through data for the other stores he's designed and coordinated, finally picking up all the stray papers littering his office. He finishes cleaning in a day and a half, and finds he can't do much other than pace his office or sit and twiddle his thumbs. It's much more boring than he'd like.
Yet another week passes, and still no response. Klavier supposes it's not the end of the world, though it leaves him feeling awful. He sits through meeting after meeting, doodling idly in the margins of his legal pad and only pretending to be listening. Some of the other development heads are visiting, and going over how the company is doing as a whole. Klavier finds it rather dull--he'd much rather be designing another store or working on the ones already built--but he can't exactly escape these meetings even though he wants to.
Friday afternoon, it's the last meeting of the series, and he really can't escape this one, because he's supposed to be going over the L.A. store--apparently, it's gotten enough attention overall to cause a bit of concern at the main corporate office in Chicago. Klavier would rather skip out of work to play music with Lamiroir. Perhaps he can skip out early, if he presents fast enough...
"...Mr. Gavin, what about the article online we heard about?" Juan Corrida asks, tilting his head. Out of the visiting corporate big-wigs, Klavier likes him best. "I know you've said that sales at this store are doing well, but how has that affected you?"
Klavier nods a little. "There was a bit of a wobble that we noticed, and it started up a small resistance from the community--we saw some small protests, but those have stopped now. Overall, though, it wasn't much of a setback. More of an annoyance than anything."
The other development head that's stayed through the entire week, Jack Hammer, nods. "That's good to hear, at least. How did all of that happen, anyway?"
Because I told someone to fight back with all his might, Klavier thinks, somehow keeping the smile on his face. "There's a small independent seller near our L.A. store, and it seems they managed to pull some strings to get that article written. The owner there came across my path a few times and apparently decided to pick a fight."
Hammer smirks, shaking his head. "Yeah, well, maybe he should've taken a good hard look at how things stacked up before going through with it."
Corrida laughs a little in agreement. Klavier finds his smile is hollow.
"Well, so long as the store's fine, I guess we don't really need to worry about it." Corrida turns to Constance and Means, who have joined them for this meeting. "He's really making a lot of things work out here. You should make sure his projects get done faster in the future."
Means makes a slight face, but Constance breaks in before he can say anything. "I was planning on it--Klavier's our secret weapon out here on the West Coast. We want to have him work his magic as much as possible."
The meeting ends shortly after that, with Means escorting Corrida and Hammer down to their ride to the airport, and Constance helping Klavier clear up the conference room some. They make idle chit-chat in the meantime, and it seems like Constance is more than happy to do most of the talking. Klavier focuses on the sound of her voice, hands moving automatically as he picks up empty cups and scraps of paper.
Suddenly, a thought occurs to him--he hasn't seen Kristoph all week.
"Constance--" he starts, straightening suddenly. He frowns at her. "You haven't seen Kristoph this week, have you?"
She blinks at him, confused for a moment, before something clicks in her mind. Her expression softens, and she shakes her head. "I haven't--I guess no one said anything."
Klavier narrows his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"Apparently, he left the company. He said something about wanting to go finally break into trial law or something." Constance sighs. "I'm a bit surprised nobody said anything--I heard it was a couple weeks ago that he left."
Klavier's brow furrows. Just goes to show how awful his relationship with his brother is. But he decides that given how little stake Kristoph had in his life, that nothing has really changed.
They finish cleaning up the conference room, and Klavier takes the rest of the afternoon off. Once he waves goodbye to Ema and Constance, he gives Lamiroir a call to set up another recording session. She happily agrees--it's been a week since they last recorded--and they agree to meet at her apartment once Klavier finds his guitar.
Lamiroir greets him cordially when he arrives in the middle of the afternoon, smile warm and gentle. She embraces him lightly, kissing him softly on both cheeks in welcome.
"It is wonderful to have you here again, Klavier." She says when she pulls away, taking his hand in hers and leading him further inside. Machi is there to greet them, nodding politely to the visitor.
"I'm excited to play with you again. You're really an incredible singer, Lamiroir." Klavier adjusts the guitar case on his shoulder. "And to think we're almost done, huh?"
Lamiroir laughs, the sound just as musical as her voice. "This has been such a wonderful experience. I may have to have you back on future albums."
Klavier hums, smile widening. "I would be honored. But let's focus on this one first, ja?"
Lamiroir smiles radiantly, squeezing his hand in hers. She leads him along to the recording studio she has set up, releasing his hand only to open then door. Klavier finds his eye catching on the bracelet on her wrist--something about it is familiar, but he can't quite put his finger on it.
"Lovely bracelet." He says.
"Oh, thank you--" Lamiroir says, her smile dimming. "I've had it as long as I can remember. I have stopped wearing it out, lest something happen to it."
Klavier hums, sensing the subject is a rough one. Lamiroir had admitted to him some time ago that her memory past ten years ago was completely gone, so he knows better than to dig into what could be a painful past.
He smiles softly instead. "Well, shall we?"
Leave it to Clay to ruin karaoke night.
The motley crew (Apollo, Trucy, Clay, Nahyuta, and Athena) had left the bar not long after the singing competition ended in disaster, deciding to crash at Apollo's place since it was the closest. Somehow, the conversation had drifted close to the topic of online dating, and in his (slightly) drunken excitement, Clay had blurted out Apollo's relationship with pianoman in front of Athena, who was the last to know about it.
She looks offended as the others fill in the gaps in Clay's version of the story.
"What the fuck, Apollo!" She shouts once they're done.
Apollo points to Clay, then the others, in succession. "You're dead to me. Absolutely all of you." He turns to the sink, pulling out glasses of water for everyone.
"You've been online dating for almost a year and I didn't know about it?" Athena continues, as if Apollo isn't completely ignoring her.
"They weren't technically dating. He was the one Apollo was going to meet at that open mic night, by the way." Nahyuta says, putting a hand on Athena's shoulder to calm her down.
Athena stops abruptly, he eyes going wide. She gasps loudly.
"The one where he got stood up." Trucy adds, joining Apollo at the sink.
"Oh, and where he almost punched Klavier Gavin in the face." Clay says quickly.
Apollo sighs heavily. "You know, I'd like more alcohol. I haven't had enough to drink to deal with this yet."
"Aww, c'mon, it's not that bad. You said you're going on a break." Clay drapes himself over Apollo's dining room table. Okay, maybe he's a lot drunk.
"This guy better not be a Ross Geller about it." Athena is quick to say. She's always been quick to anger. "Because if he is, I'll have to find out who he is and wring his stupid neck!"
"Athena, you don't have to do that." Trucy shrugs, handing out glasses of water. Once she's done, she adds, "Besides, I'm already first in line to beat the guy up if he hurts Apollo any more."
"You ever respond to him? To at least let him know you do want to keep talking?" Nahyuta watches Apollo over the rim of his water glass.
"No." Apollo shakes his head. "I figured I'd just...come back eventually. I don't think he'd mind. He agreed with me when I said we'd gotten a little too involved."
"Wait, what?" Athena blinks.
"He sent me an apology for standing me up." Apollo says, shrugging. "And said we don't have to talk again. He hasn't sent me anything since."
"Ohhh." Athena nods. "Well, at least he recognizes the issue. So that's good. Not as much of a jerk as he could have been!"
That gets Apollo to crack a smile, and the conversation turns away from pianoman for a while. Everyone berates Clay a bit more for ruining their chances of winning karaoke night again, even though he mumbles apologies for rushing into the competition into Apollo's table. Trucy and Athena end up sitting so close they're pressed against one another's sides, giggling into their waters and Clay feebly tries to goad Nahyuta into another argument about their preferred science fiction series. They almost forget about the pianoman thing, actually.
Until Apollo's phone, which had been sitting at the center of the table with everyone else's, goes off.
Before he can grab it, Clay dives onto the table to snatch up the device. His eyes go comically wide.
"What?" Athena says, taking the phone from Clay's hand before he drops it. Instantly, her own eyes go wide. "Oh my god, it's him!"
Apollo rolls his eyes and holds out his hand. Athena drops it into his palm. "It's probably not a big deal."
Which, he quickly finds out, is wrong.
He opens the email only to find a Youtube link--no other text. He opens the link and only needs to look at the song title to realize what's happened. His expression morphs into something sad, leading everyone else to watch him in concern.
"Uh, Polly?" Trucy tilts her head as Apollo's speaker system begins to play Dolly Parton. "Everything okay?"
"I don't think so." Apollo scrubs a hand over his face. "It's...kind of a long story."
Athena leans forward, putting her chin in her hands. Trucy quickly mirrors her, and then Clay and Nahyuta are staring expectantly at him. After a couple of quiet moments, Apollo decides to explain.
"He's sort of been seeing a guy--but it hasn't been doing well. They've had communication issues, and from what I know he's getting a lot less than what he gives. I was going to give him some relationship advice the night we were supposed to meet in exchange for help with Delphi, but..." He trails off, not needing to say any more about that. "I guess things really took a turn for the worse, or he wouldn't have sent this."
As the others begin to speculate what could have happened, he decides to break his silence.
To: pianoman
8:45 PM
Sorry for being so quiet. Life has been...interesting. I also wanted a break.
Do you want to talk about what's wrong?
He puts his phone away, and manages to get the conversation steered away from pianoman until everyone decides to head home an hour later. Athena had agreed to be the good sport this time around and lets everyone pile in her car. As she and Nahyuta lead Clay down to the parking lot, Trucy stays behind a few extra moments.
"Hey, Polly..?"
"Mmm?"
She fidgets with the hem of her jacket. "This piano guy...you really like him, right?"
He frowns. "What brought this on?"
"I don't know. I was just thinking about it. I mean...you obviously mean something to him. He said so in his apology--"
"Wait, you read that? How? When?"
Trucy ignores him. "He said you mean a lot to him, and I think that he means a lot to you, too--you wouldn't have been so hurt about being stood up otherwise."
"Trucy..."
"Polly, I know you're taking a break from him, but..." She shifts. "I think you should tell him that he means a lot to you too. In whatever way you want, but...you still should. I know that's rich coming from me because I haven't talked it out with Athena yet but that doesn't mean you should leave him hanging!"
"That's a bridge I'll cross when I get to it." Apollo crosses his arms. "You let me worry about it."
Trucy purses her lips, like she's not really convinced. "Okay. You know him better than I do, anyway."
"Yes, mother." Apollo turns her around, gently guiding her to the door.
"And you better tell him at some point!"
"If I decide it's necessary, then sure." Apollo opens his front door. "But you should be getting home. I'm sure Athena and Nahyuta are done helping Clay."
Trucy gives him a narrow-eyed look, before sighing. She pulls him into a quick hug, mumbling a good night, but does turn to head downstairs. Apollo watches until she's out of sight and then turns back to his apartment.
He gets an answer to his email not long after Trucy leaves.
To: propheticsound
9:56 PM
Not really, no.
To: pianoman
9:56 PM
Okay then. But I am here if you need me.
Apollo sets his phone aside and busies himself with cleaning up the discarded glasses and wiping up any spills. Clay's a bit of a sloppy drunk, but he managed to keep it under control tonight so there isn't water sloshed all over the place. Mikeko watches him from her perch on the back of the couch, only jumping down to wind around his legs when he pulls out her food for the night.
All the while, he wants to say something else to pianoman.
He thinks back to the advice Trucy had given him before she left, to explain his feelings. This maybe wasn't the best time for it, given pianoman's personal life being in turmoil, but...it did need to be out there.
He sits on the edge of his bed and hesitantly types an email.
Apollo sucks in a breath, attempting to steel his nerves. Should he honestly send this...? He doesn't even know who this man is. This is a huge, huge mistake. But, even so, he hits send before he can remind himself of how awful an idea this is.
To: pianoman
10:47 PM
Dear You,
I think I love you. Just wanted you to know.
From,
Me
Klavier just doesn't want to exist for a while.
His mind is still reeling from the revelation that he's been the other woman in this charade with Daryan--he'd locked Daryan out of his apartment hours ago, seething with rage at what he'd found out. The rage has mostly faded now (Klavier was never one to be angry for long to be honest), and he's laid out on his bed, staring up at the ceiling despondently. He cannot stop thinking about the explosive fight they'd had after Klavier got home from recording with Lamiroir, and now his brain won't let him forget it.
Klavier's phone pings with an email notification just as he begins to feel the depression beginning to creep in, and the moment he reads it, the smile fades from his face. God, this was so much easier when he didn't know that the sender hated him in real life. Not to mention the awful timing! Having this declaration not even a day after his heart's been crushed yet again...Klavier doesn't like this.
But knowing that in spite of everything, Apollo still likes--no, loves him, Klavier feels a little lighter. Maybe someday, Apollo will love all of him, not just pianoman.
He smiles faintly, types a quick response, and sends it. He rolls onto his side, trying to let the good outshine the bad.
To: propheticsound
11:02 PM
Dear You,
Thank you for telling me. I think I may love you too.
From,
Me
To: propheticsound
3:13 AM
Sometimes, I wonder if I have taken the path in life I was meant to take.
Should I have gone to school for something else? Should I have listened to my heart instead of my brother? Should I have done a thousand things I still think on in the quiet of the night, wondering how my life might have been different?
I don't know. Maybe, in some other life, I was happy. Well, happier than I find myself being now. Melancholy I know but I cannot keep from thinking about it.
I sincerely hope you are happy. You deserve it more than most.
It's been two months since Apollo admitted to pianoman that he might love him. A lot has changed.
When before Apollo had been certain that Delphi Records could weather the storm, he's no longer as confident. The steady stream of customers that had been coming by the store has slowed down to a trickle, a number that cannot sustain them. It had been so gradual a change at the time that the sudden reality that his business is failing feels like a slap to the face.
He's suddenly got to worry about what happens to himself and his employees when the store closes.
Apollo has been making calls for days when Wocky and Vera haven't been looking, trying to find places for them to work if Delphi has to close. He's found a place for Vera: CD Source, the next closest music store, agreed to take her on if Delphi closed as their inventory manager. Once they had heard of her shyer nature and the way she handled inventory at Delphi, they had been quick to come up with a position that would suit her well. Wocky is the harder one to find a job for, but Apollo is trying his damnedest.
The only other one who knows for sure that the store is in danger is Nahyuta. They keep sending Apollo knowing looks when they catch him on the phone trying to get something settled for Wocky, but say nothing.
It's actually really hard, keeping all of this a secret. Apollo is usually rather honest about the things that go on in his store, but he knows he can't say anything to the others just yet. He doesn't want to cause any sort of panic until he's got things sorted out, one way or the other. By the looks of things, though, he may have to say something sooner rather than later; they may not be open another two months at this rate.
The search for Wocky doesn't prove fruitful, unfortunately, even after an additional week of searching. But things are obviously getting worse, and Wocky and Vera are starting to catch on.
"Is it better to just bite the bullet, do you think?" Apollo whispers to Nahyuta. It's just before closing but the shop is deserted. It's just Apollo and Nahyuta left; they'd let Wocky and Vera take off early.
The accountant sighs quietly, eyes flickering over their latest reconciling report. They shake their head, expression troubled. "It might be the only way to be able to get a good amount of profit back. You need time for a sale on total stock to bring in as much as you can...and stop orders that haven't been filled yet with suppliers, get refunds."
Apollo's head lowers in defeat. "So, that's our only option."
"At this point, I think so."
They both fall silent for a long moment. Apollo's heart sinks, and he doesn't even realize that he's trembling until Nahyuta pulls him into their arms, one hand cradling the back of his head and the other running back and forth across his back. He doesn't seem to register anything that Nahyuta says for a few minutes, feeling a little too much like his world is crumbling down around him.
"We'll close." Apollo finally says, voice quiet.
After a long moment, Nahyuta nods. "Okay. We'll close."
They begin the inevitable plans to close the store, what kind of discounts they'll need to give their merchandise, when they will need to contact their building landlord to cancel their lease. Apollo's heart breaks a little more with each moment that passes during the discussion, trying to not show it obviously on his face. It's been six years since Jove Justice passed, but it feels like he's dying all over again.
He takes the rest of the evening to try and secure a new job for Wocky. In the afternoon of the next day, he calls together a staff meeting--with Nahyuta out for the afternoon, that means it's just Trucy (who's come to volunteer for the day), Wocky, and Vera. Judging by the looks on their faces, they can kind of tell what's about to happen.
Apollo chews the inside of his lip for a long moment, before taking a breath. "I've...got some bad news."
Vera's shoulders drop visibly, and Wocky's jaw clenches.
"Things have taken a nosedive here." Apollo continues. "The past few months, we've had a lot fewer customers and it's been hard to keep our heads above water. If this trend continues, which Nahyuta is certain it will, then we won't last another two months."
Trucy fidgets in her seat, looking up to Vera and Wocky. When neither of the employees say anything, Trucy speaks up. "I think all of us guessed that."
Apollo takes a breath to steady himself. "I thought so--it's been a bit obvious recently, huh?"
Vera brings her thumbnail to her mouth, nibbling at it the way she always has when she's anxious. She glances at both Wocky and Trucy, then turns her gaze back to Apollo. Quietly, she says, "How long do you think it will be before Delphi closes...?"
"Nahyuta and I were talking about it yesterday. We think a going out of business sale, selling off all our stock, should last about two to three weeks." Apollo twists his bracelet around his wrist. "So. About three weeks. Give or take."
"So we got three weeks to figure out what to do?" Wocky frowns, staring at the floor with a vaguely angry look on his face.
"I'm working on something for both you and Vera, actually." Apollo leans back against the front counter. "Vera, I did get something for you--CD Source said you could work for them once we close. I am still trying to settle something for you, Wocky, but I did not want to just boot you out with no idea of what to do next."
Wocky finally looks up to meet his eyes, and Apollo finds that the younger boy is actually on the verge of tears. Apollo's heart clenches in his chest at the sight.
"S-Sorry." Wocky mutters, swiping at his eyes. "Jus'...this place is the best job I've had, yaknow? 'm gonna miss it."
"I will too." Vera folds her hands in her lap so she won't keep biting her nails. "I've liked working for you."
"Polly--" Trucy breaks in. Apollo faces her and swallows when he sees the concerned look on her face. "Polly, what about you? What are you going to do when Delphi closes?"
Apollo opens his mouth to respond, but the truth of the matter is he has no idea. He has no idea what he's going to do next--he'd been so worried for Wocky and Vera, finding them new jobs, that he's so far neglected his own needs. Maybe it was to avoid the heartbreak, but now he's reminded that his entire life is having the change. So much has revolved around Delphi for the past six years that Apollo can't imagine his life once the store closes. He's never had to worry about it before.
"I don't know." He admits, very quietly.
A few uneasy moments pass. Apollo is left to ponder his own future now that Trucy’s brought it up; what will he do? He finished college, yes, but he hasn’t used his degree in years. God, does this mean he has to finally update his resume, and get an interview suit? He winces internally at the thought.
Just as he ends the staff meeting and lets everyone go their separate ways, the front door of Delphi bursts open.
“HOLD IT!”
Everyone turns to find Athena heaving in the doorway, looking as if she sprinted from across town. Her long copper-colored hair is a windblown mess, half of it plastered to her face with sweat.
Apollo blinks. “Uh. Hi? Athena, what are you doing here?”
Because Athena apparently cannot speak at a normal volume, she shouts, “NAHYUTA TOLD US DELPHI IS CLOSING!”
“Volume. And unfortunately, yes. We have to, or it’ll bankrupt us.” Apollo swallows. “It’s not like I want to, you know.”
“No! Nononono, I’m--” Athena scrubs her hand over her forehead. “I didn’t mean to sound like I was accusing you of anything. But! You don’t have to worry about it!”
“What?” Trucy says, voicing the disbelief that Apollo feels.
“It’ll be okay!” Athena beams. “Nahyuta told us they’ve got a plan, so it’s gonna be fine! Well, sort of fine, but still!”
It seems Athena is not the only one from the radio station to drop by this afternoon--Simon enters the store just as Athena says this, catching on to what she’s saying. “Don’t give them the wrong impression, Athena, only for their hopes to be dashed in case it doesn’t go through.”
“Wait, I’m lost--” Apollo starts. “Nahyuta never said anything about any plan .”
“Apparently they have kept it secret until now.” Simon says, crossing his arms and turning to the doorway. “But it would be best if they explain.”
Nahyuta waves from the door. “Sorry, I thought I was going to get here first but...well. Athena took off in the middle of my explanation.”
Apollo narrows his eyes. “Nahyuta, what do they mean by plan?”
Wocky and Vera come closer, stopping on either side of Apollo, as Nahyuta explains. “A few weeks ago, when I first noticed how much our sales were dropping, I knew we’d soon decide to close the store. You got busy securing jobs for Wocky and Vera, but you seemed to have forgotten about yourself.”
Apollo feels his cheeks color, but tries to ignore it. “And?”
They twirl a strand of hair around their finger, not meeting his eyes for a long moment. “I was having lunch with Simon some time ago, and he mentioned that Mr. Cosmos at KXT was hoping to move the station to a new building when their lease is renewed. Maybe even reaching out to hire another full-time DJ. I thought that perhaps I could help persuade him into taking over the space here. There’s plenty of room for at least two recording booths and a music library.”
Apollo feels Trucy’s hand clamp around his arm as she muscles her way between him and Wocky. He’s not quite sure he believes what he’s hearing.
“Not to mention the person who is the most popular guest DJ would be looking for work, right when they’re thinking of hiring...” Nahyuta continues. “So I went to Simon’s sister Aura about it. We worked up an argument in your favor.”
“I believe that when Nahyuta came to us this afternoon, they intended to have Aura take the proposal to Mr. Cosmos.” Simon frowns. “Who knows if it will work out.”
“Aww, Simon, don’t be such a downer!” Athena punches him in the arm, hard enough to make him visibly wince. “Mr. Cosmos loves Apollo! I’m sure he’ll say yes to the idea.”
“I sure hope so.” Trucy and Apollo mumble at the same time.
The group dissolves into discussing the next course of action--the going out of business sale--and Apollo falls silent as he gives them all a once over. He can’t say that they’re out of the woods just yet, or that everything’s going to be okay, but at least he feels slightly better now. His heart is still breaking with the thought of Delphi closing down, but the prospect of it living on in KXT makes him feel better.
He thinks that, if his father were alive, he would be pleased with the idea.
To: pianoman
8:12 PM
Am I happy? That’s such a strange question to ask me right now.
I own a store--or, I did own a store. Due to certain circumstances, it will be closing soon. On the one hand, a part of me I had forgotten existed is dying, and I don’t know how to handle it. It is a store my father passed on to me when he died, and I have done all I can to run it the way he would, to keep it the place that he always wanted it to be. I don’t think part of me will ever recover from losing it.
But then, there’s this chance that it might not die out totally. It’s...hard to be vague about it, so I won’t try to explain. This chance is taking the edge off of whatever pain I feel about losing all that I’ve worked so hard for.
In any case, a part of me is dying with my store. It’s an end to a chapter in my life that I thought would last for a much longer time. I don’t want to say goodbye.
Someone close to me sent me a lot of Porter Robinson recently. Have one of his songs, Goodbye to a World, because it’s kind of appropriate. I sort of want to be a robot because of it. Maybe that way I’d escape my feelings for a while. I think I’d like that.
I hope you are doing alright. I’ve been thinking about you a lot recently.
The fallout from Daryan and Klavier’s breakup lasted about two weeks. Klavier still isn’t technically alright--he’d found out Daryan was using him to cheat on his guitarist, Jo, in literally the worst possible way--but Daryan seemed ashamed enough to try to make it up to him. So, it’s not really okay , but it could be worse.
Their friendship is mending, at least a little bit. Klavier has known Daryan for too long to just drop him so immediately, and he’s certain that they can eventually work it out. They’ll just never be sexually or romantically involved ever again. Klavier’s fine with that.
Upon getting Apollo’s email, Klavier’s heart broke for him. The news that Delphi Records was closing is confirmed when he drives by it about two days after he got the email. Plastered across the inside of the front window is a sign that reads Going Out Of Business! Up to 75% Off Everything! In bright red letters. Klavier feels his shoulder droop as he studies the storefront.
He can only imagine how heartbroken Apollo is about all of this.
When he gets in to the office, he makes a list of artists he enjoys and pulls Ema aside.
“You want to have your afternoon off, basically?”
She narrows her eyes. “Depends on what you want me to do.”
Klavier shifts on his feet, glancing around and lowering his voice. “Delphi Records is closing down.” He places his list and a not insignificant stack of bills into her hand. “Go buy things for me. Spend all of this.”
“Klavier, this is too much.” Ema says when she counts it. “I’m not going to spend a thousand dollars for you. How did you even get this much--”
“I have a rainy day fund going, okay? Just--just go buy me what you can. I’d go myself, but…”
“But they’d all kill you, yeah, I know.” That was not the first time that Klavier had implied as much since he’d found out who Apollo was. “Alright--look. I’ll take part of this money, and buy things for you since you’re being a gross lovesick mess about it. But I’m only doing this to get the afternoon off, okay? You’ve got me worrying about all of this now and honestly I worry about your life too much as it is.”
He waves her off when she heads out for the afternoon a couple hours later, promising to drop by his apartment, and tries to find something to do for the rest of the afternoon. Means was taking more and more things away from him, for whatever reason, so Klavier isn’t sure what to do with himself.
At about three in the afternoon, he gets a peculiar message.
To: pianoman
2:58 PM
Send me a picture of yourself.
To: propheticsound
2:59 PM
I’m...not sure I understand?
To: pianoman
3:01 PM
This is not your pen pal--but I know him. I want to make sure you’re not creepy and just catfishing people because you’re evil, so I’m demanding you send me a photo. I know he won’t object to it.
To: propheticsound
3:05 PM
[ Attached: Snapchat--236038826639918089.jpg, Snapchat--236038824857918090.jpg ]
See the attached. My dog, Vongole, and a picture from when I first got my motorcycle.
The picture of Vongole is from the night before, when she’d been laying across his stomach and looking up at him pitifully during a rewatch of Ouran High School Host Club.
The one of the motorcycle is older--a selfie he’d sent to Daryan when he’d traded in the loud purple Harley for a much sleeker black motorbike. He’s got a helmet on, the visor shielding his eyes open but thankfully not revealing much. Black leather gloves cover his hands as he holds them up in a peace sign by his face. It was one of the few pictures he had that did not give away who he was instantly.
Whoever this was that had gotten a hold of Apollo’s email was interesting. He had no idea who it could be--Klavier had little knowledge of who Apollo’s friends actually were--but it made him smile to think that at least one of them was this daring.
To: pianoman
3:14 PM
Okay, so maybe you’re the real deal. I couldn’t find anything in a reverse Google search. Also you have good taste in anime. But if you hurt him again I will find you, kill you, and bring you back to kill you again. Also, question, why did you send me a selfie where literally the only thing you can see is your eyes? That defeats the purpose of this whole thing, you know.
Oh, shit, he saw me on his pho
To: pianoman
3:15 PM
Someone needs to learn how to mind their own damn business for once. Sorry to disturb you.
Klavier just laughs and shakes his head, sending off a note that he wasn’t bothered by it too much.
Ema sends him a message about an hour later that she’d spent the $200 she had taken with her, and that she’d dropped the CDs at his apartment. He thanks her for her trouble and looks forward to seeing just what she’d gotten him.
When he gets home, he finds that it’s not nearly as bad as he’d thought it would be--Ema got him something by every artist on the list, and even some extra things. There are two pennies sitting on top of the stack of CDs, to which Klavier has to laugh and shake his head at.
The night passes rather quietly. Since their breakup, Daryan was basically banned from Klavier’s apartment, so the only one to keep him company anymore is Vongole. She’s more than enough company, though, so Klavier doesn’t mind. She certainly doesn’t complain when he turns up his stereo and dances as he cooks, barking excitedly and wagging her tail.
Over a period of two weeks, Klavier sends Ema to Delphi to keep buying things for him until one day she texts him to let him know that the small record store is closed. Klavier’s mood sinks, and he can only hope that Apollo is doing okay.
He doesn’t get much time to think about it that night, though. Daryan calls him in the middle of cooking dinner.
“Hey, are we still doing lunch this weekend?” Klavier asks. They’d planned to have a long talk about things, since the lack of communication had been half of what killed...well, whatever had been going on between them.
“...Klavier.” Daryan says. “Klavier, don’t tell me you forgot.”
Klavier scowls at the phone. “If you double booked yourself, don’t blame me. You said nothing else was going on.”
“I didn’t double book, just…” Daryan laughs, and Klavier doesn’t appreciate feeling like he’s laughing at him. “I’m moving.”
“...What.”
“Yeah, I told you--I’m moving to New York.”
Klavier slams a lid on the pot he’s watching on the stove, turning off the heat. He’s not usually one to get angry, but with the almost never-ending drama, he’s had it. Absolutely had it.
“And when are you moving?” He asks, not even trying to hide the contempt in his tone.
Daryan laughs again, as if he doesn’t almost believe it. “You know, I’m almost...Jo, how far are we out of LA?”
He doesn’t hear the answer. He can’t hear much, to be honest.
“Right, we’re about two thirds of the way there. God, I’m pretty sure I told you.”
“Daryan.” Klavier says, voice full of venom. “You’re already most of the way there, and you only just now tell me you’re moving?”
“I told you--”
“No, Daryan, no you didn’t. You never breathed a word of any of this to me. And honestly I’m offended and pissed off that you thought the most appropriate time to tell me that you’re moving across the country is when you’re almost there.” Klavier’s jaw clenches for a moment, before he continues. “You know what? Have fun. Live it up in New York. But honestly, you can go fuck yourself. We’ve been friends for most of our lives, but as of right now you’re dead to me.”
“Klavier, you’re being over drama--”
“If this was the first time you were doing something like this, maybe I’d be over dramatic. But this is just the latest in a string of things you’ve done to cause unnecessary drama between us. So I’m done. Have a good life, Daryan, and don’t ever try to call me again.”
He hangs up the phone, scoops it up into his hand and very nearly slams it down into the floor in a fit of rage. His swings his arm up to do so, but just as he’s about to release, his arm halts, and he can’t seem to actually do it. He hesitates for several long moments, before lowering his arm delicately and staring down at the phone in his hand.
It buzzes as Daryan tries to call him again. Klavier blocks the call, and then quickly blocks Daryan’s number. He sends a text to Ema about it, but doesn’t try to look at his phone for the rest of the night.
In spite of having just lost his life-long best friend, Klavier feels like some weight has been lifted from his shoulders.
It’s a little strange, seeing Delphi Records transform into the new location for KXT. Not that Apollo gets much of a chance to look inside, with it being renovated to accommodate all of the station’s radio equipment and how much time he spends actually in the booth, running sets.
He’s also no longer his own boss, which is also weird to him. The last time he had one, his father was still standing behind the counter and asking Apollo to work the stock room after school. Athena and Simon do their best to keep him busy while he’s at the station with them, Athena in particular flaunting the fact that she’s no longer the rookie. (Apollo tries to point out that technically, he’s been volunteering since a couple years before she started, but when he does he almost gets punched. So. He doesn’t bring it up any more.)
The picture he’d kept of his father behind the counter is one of the few things that returns home with him, which is quickly placed into a frame and set someplace where it won’t have a chance of being damaged. There’s a few signs he’s able to take home, and his slightly cluttered apartment ends up being more of a mess than it ever has been.
The renovations are finished pretty quickly, though, and they spend a weekend moving equipment around. Apollo’s carrying a box of the large music library into what used to be his store, when he notices it.
Not long after KXT took over, the sign that had been outside for Delphi Records had been taken down. Apollo had cried pretty hard as he’d watched the workers taking it down letter by letter, gripping Trucy’s hand like a lifeline. He’d assumed that after that, the sign had been taken to the city dump or wherever you recycled such things.
Along one wall of the station, the sign still hangs proudly, giving off a gentle light. Each letter has been redone, removing two decades’ worth of grime and bringing color back to where the sun had faded it.
Apollo almost drops the box in his hands.
Athena comes up beside him, smiling. She points to a plaque on the wall by the door. Apollo steps closer to it, biting his lip to keep from crying as he reads it.
This location was once the sight of a music store named Delphi Records, owned by Greek immigrant and musician Jove Justice. Named in honor of the god Apollo’s oracle, Delphi Records was open for almost 20 years before it closed its doors. Jove’s son Apollo ran the store following his death. KXT took over the location after the store closed, and renovated the space to keep it as close to what it looked like as Delphi Records as possible.
Athena just laughs quietly as Apollo swipes at his eyes, telling him that they’d all kept it a surprise from him. Apollo sets the box down, takes a couple of photos to send to everyone he can, and sighs.
The move in goes surprisingly well for the rest of the weekend. Apollo has no head for the technical side of things, leaving rewiring the recording booths to Aura and her technicians to work out. He leads the effort to finally organize the music library, enjoying the chance to boss someone around again.
Life goes mostly back to normal after that. It's surprisingly not very strange to be coming back to this building now that Delphi is gone--Apollo had been worried that it would be. Something about the place has always felt like home, and part of him had been concerned that something would change that feeling. But it didn't. If anything, he feels more at ease now when he settles into the recording booth to work.
Two weeks after they’ve relocated, the station hosts its first guest musician.
Lamiroir had released her new album just after the move, and had been the one to reach out about doing a live session in the new place. Something about her music has always entranced him, stirring something inside and making him feel like he’s five all over again and curled into his father’s side as the elder Justice plays him a lullaby.
It’s only when she and Machi get to the station that Apollo remembers that Klavier Gavin was a guest star on the album.
“Nice to see you.” Apollo says in greeting as the singer embraces him. He can’t help the soft smile on his face as she squeezes gently. “You look good.”
Lamiroir smiles radiantly, brushing back a strand of hair from her face. “Thank you, Apollo. I am so sorry to hear that Dephi closed. I meant to visit you before now, but--”
“It’s alright.” Apollo shrugs. “You were probably busy--I’m just glad you thought of us. And I guess it’s not as bad, Delphi still kind of lives on here.”
Lamiroir’s smile dims, just a little. She’s not wearing her veil today, Apollo notes, and a lump forms in his throat. There’s so much about her that’s a mystery--though Apollo is certain he’s puzzled some of it out--and it’s never helped his unease around her. It’s worse when she doesn’t wear her trademark veil and robe.
Athena’s been chatting quietly with Machi off to the side, and joins them quickly. “We’ve got everything set up for you, Lamiroir. We’re all really excited for you to play!”
“Oh--” Lamiroir starts, turning slightly towards the door. “But Klavier isn’t here yet, is he?”
Apollo purses his lips. “He’s supposed to be here?”
“Yes--he’s on the album, after all. He’s been such a wonder to play with, truly. I hope we can work together in the future.” Lamiroir’s smile is back in full force. In spite of everything that Gavin’s done to him, Apollo doesn’t want to hurt Lamiroir’s feelings.
“Athena, would you mind watching for him then?” Apollo forces a smile. When Athena nods, he sets a gentle hand on Lamiroir’s shoulder to guide her along. Machi trails behind them a few steps, glancing over his shoulder to the door.
A few minutes later, Athena joins them with Gavin. Apollo’s shoulders stiffen instantly, halting in his movements as he glares at the blonde. Gavin makes eye contact with Apollo for a few moments before very quickly averting his gaze and going to stand with Lamiroir.
“Well, everyone’s here.” Apollo says. “Guess we should get started, then.”
Once they’ve started recording, Apollo settles back down--as strange as he feels around Lamiroir sometimes, conversations with her flow rather easily. They begin the live session with an interview, asking questions about the new album and how it was created.
Throughout the interview, Gavin hardly speaks--only when Lamiroir asks for his input. In fact, he makes a point to avoid eye contact with both Apollo and Athena, and looks pretty uncomfortable in general. Apollo assumes that part of the reason for that is the awful interaction they had that night at Guitars & Serenades, and honestly thinking back to that conversation puts a lot of Gavin’s actions in perspective. He must be expecting Apollo to launch himself across the room to sock him in the face.
And while Gavin might deserve some hatred because he’d disrupted so many people’s lives, Apollo knows he took it too far that night. Apollo is big enough to recognize that.
Thankfully, Apollo has slipped into his radio voice for most of this interview. It’s easy to settle into it, actually, and he’s happy to at least manage to sound interested in what Lamiroir says even though his mind is a million miles away. More than once he has to remind himself of what’s going on so he can keep the conversation going long enough.
Eventually, though, he’s able to discard the radio voice as Lamiroir turns to Machi and Gavin.
“Well, why don’t we play you something? We can do a song or two from the album, or perhaps cover one of the songs that helped inspire it.” Lamiroir smiles in Gavin’s direction. “What would you like to do, Klavier?”
“Why not a little of both?” He suggests, voice quiet.
“I think we can manage that, yes.” Lamiroir smiles once more. “Why don’t we start with…”
After a moment or two, Machi and Gavin start up a song, and from then on Apollo can forget the way he feels about Lamiroir and Gavin. He focuses on the music, letting everything else fade to the back of his mind.
A couple of songs into the set, Lamiroir introduces the next piece as an inspiration for the album, a KT Tunstall song that Gavin had introduced to her. Gavin’s playing comes more to the forefront of the music now, the guitar playing a bigger role in the song. He sings backup for Lamiroir, able to create the perfect harmony for her.
After the song finishes, there’s a round of applause.
“Wow--no wonder you wanted him on your album, Lamiroir.” Athena says. “How’d you find him, anyway?”
“It was a coincidence, really.” Lamiroir hums. “He offered to be my accompanist one evening at a party I was performing at. Apparently a friend of his had brought him there…?”
“Yes, a friend of mine.” Gavin says the word friend as if it hurt him somehow. It’s barely noticeable, but Apollo’s eyes narrow when he picks up on it. “Anyway, Lamiroir seemed frantic because Machi wasn’t there, and I felt so awful. The next thing I knew, I was playing for her.”
“Oh, and you played such a lovely song, Klavier.” Lamiroir reaches out, eventually able to place a hand gently on his knee. “Apollo, would you mind terribly if he played it now? He plays it so wonderfully.”
All eyes turn to Apollo, who blinks. Why was he the one to decide…? “Well, not really.” He gestures for Gavin to play. “Go ahead, then.”
Gavin meets his gaze for a moment, before a hint of a smile crosses his lips and he nods. “Alright.” He takes a breath. “Well, this is a song titled Call You Home, originally by Kelvin Jones. A favorite of mine.”
As Gavin plays, Apollo is reminded of the open mic night, when he’d first heard Gavin singing and playing guitar. How such a talented musician ended up working for a soulless corporation is anyone’s guess. Apollo’s more curious about it than he should be.
Athena, sitting next to Apollo, seems to be thinking similarly. Her eyes go wide as he continues the song, her jaw even dropping some. She gives Apollo a sideway glance, as if to ask, Are you hearing this?
Apollo nods.
The end of the song is heralded with applause once more, and Gavin seems bashful under the praise. He quietly says thanks for the applause, shifting in his seat. He answers Athena’s following questions easily, if quiet.
“Why didn’t you go into music?” Athena asks. “You’re really amazing! You would make a killing out there.”
Gavin laughs a little, fiddling with the soft curl of blonde hair resting over his shoulder. “It’s...a long story. But the short version is I just never got the chance to play very much until recently. And my work keeps me busy.”
“Oh.” Athena says, glancing briefly at Apollo. “Well, you should think about it. Like I said, you’d probably do really well.”
Lamiroir shakes her head. “I have told him similarly as well, especially as we’ve been finishing this album.”
Gavin’s attention seems to be on his hair, but Apollo catches the faint dusting of pink across his cheeks.
The live session winds down at this point, with Apollo thanking their guests for coming to the station and inviting them to come again some day. Once the recording stops, Machi and Gavin pack up their instruments, and Lamiroir stands. When Apollo goes to her, she takes his hands in hers and squeezes them.
“I am glad that we could see each other again.” She smiles softly, her blind eyes not quite meeting his own. “We will have to see each other more often, I feel that we have a lot to talk about the next time we do.”
“Sure thing, Lamiroir.” Apollo says, trying to sound enthusiastic about it. He catches Gavin watching him briefly, but ignores it. “Would you like some help going out to your car?”
He leads her outside once she says yes, keeping her company as they wait for Machi to unlock it. He bids the farewell once everything is in the back seat, watching as the car drives off. He takes a breath, steadying himself, before heading back inside.
Athena and Gavin are still talking inside--more Athena talking at Gavin than anything else, because he’s gripping the shoulder strap of his guitar case a little nervously.
“...mean it. I know a few people who could help you get a contract or something!” Athena is saying as Apollo approaches them. She notices him instantly, and rounds on him. “Tell him he should quit his job and become a professional musician!”
Apollo purses his lips. “It’s his life, Athena. Don’t go sticking your nose into other people’s business.”
The tension in Gavin’s shoulders eases some. “I appreciate your enthusiasm.” Is all he says.
They fall into an awkward silence for a long moment, and Apollo isn’t sure what else should be said. Klavier Gavin is probably the last person he’d want to talk to, given their shared history, but part of him is also prompting him to at least acknowledge what happened that nights so many months ago.
“Look--” Apollo says, breaking the silence. Gavin blinks, turning to him. “--I want you to know that I still really, really don’t like you for what you did to Delphi. But...I wanted to apologize for what I said to you that night.” Apollo fiddles with his bracelet, trying not to blush in shame. “I think part of you deserved to have someone call you out, but I took it way, way too far.”
Gavin’s mouth opens, but he doesn’t respond.
“So.” Apollo crosses his arms. “Yeah. Sorry.”
Athena glances between the two of them, looking like she doesn’t know if she should interrupt. She eventually decides to stay silent and wait for the moment to pass.
“You have every right to hate me.” Gavin eventually says, when he’s found his words. “I am the reason your business had to close its doors. If I had been in your shoes, I might have done the same thing you did, take out my anger on the person responsible.”
Another awkward silence.
“I am sorry, by the way.” Gavin shifts on his feet, eyes drifting to the ground. “That you did have to close. I know you probably don’t believe me, but it’s true. I didn’t want your store to close, personally.”
Apollo doesn’t quite know how to respond to that.
Gavin seems to think over something for a long moment, before nodding to himself. He reaches into an inside pocket of his jacket, taking a card from it. He locates a pen, writing something on the back of the card. “I doubt you will ever take me up on this, but I’d like to make it up to you. So if you think of anything you need help with, or any favor you might want to ask, don’t hesitate to call me.”
Gavin holds out the business card, and Apollo stares at it with wide eyes for several long moments.
When she realizes that Apollo isn’t going to take the card, Athena breaks in. “Well...you know, if you want to at least start to make it up to him, I’ve got an idea.” When Gavin turns to her, she continues. “There’s this bar we go to sometimes--me, Apollo, and some friends of ours--and every month they do this karaoke contest. One of our friends ruined our chances of winning the last time we went, but...well, I don’t think Apollo would say no if someone joined our group and won it for us.”
Gavin seems intrigued. “And what would I be winning for you…?”
“A month of free drinks and a small cash prize.”
“I see.” Gavin glances at Apollo, who is now staring at Athena with a what the hell are you doing expression on his face.
Athena makes a very quiet ‘I don’t know’ sound and shrugs.
“It would depend on when it is, but I could do it.” Gavin turns his eyes to Apollo. “So long as you want me to.”
Apollo’s mouth drops open, and he finds himself muttering a quiet, “I mean, I guess?”
Gavin just smiles gently and places the business card into his hand. “That has my cell phone number. You can tell me the details when you’ve got them?”
“Okay.” Apollo has no idea what’s going on anymore.
“I should get going. I’ve taken up enough of your afternoon.” Gavin nods politely to Apollo and then Athena. “Have a good evening.”
He turns to go, and Apollo stares after him, still too flabbergasted to give him a farewell. Was Gavin always like this to people he knew? Running through people’s lives and making them feel like they’d weathered a hurricane?
Just as Apollo feels he’s starting to regain his balance, Gavin turns from the doorway.
“For the record…” He starts, “If I didn’t work for Guitars & Serenades, I would have come to your store and bought something every day. Especially if it meant your store could stay open.”
He watches Apollo for another long moment, before finally turning and leaving the station. Apollo is too stunned to say or do anything for several long moments. Apollo’s jaw apparently had dropped open at some point, because Athena taps the underside of his chin.
“You should save his number. Or save the card, at least.” She says, gesturing to the card in his hands. “And hey, if he wins you free alcohol and a couple hundred bucks in cash, then that’s better than nothing.”
Apollo stares down at the card in his hands, not quite sure he knows what to think anymore.
Apollo nearly forgets about the business card he has tucked away in his wallet. A week and a half passes quickly, filled with work and cleaning out the junk in his apartment. Trucy takes a few things of Delphi's off of his hands, and he gifts a couple of things to Wocky and Vera as a way of expressing his gratitude for their work. Nahyuta turns down the offer of getting to keep an old set of Khura'inese records, saying that they have more than enough records at home.
It's only when Athena sits down on the edge of his desk, a flyer for karaoke night in her hands, that he remembers.
"You up for doing it this Friday?" She asks, tilting her head. "Trucy said she's free, and I bet both Clay and Nahyuta will clear their schedules in a heartbeat."
Apollo isn't quite liking the idea of having to deal with Klavier Gavin more than necessary--but if he gets free drinks out of it, maybe he can deal. "I guess I am. Are you sure you aren't doing this because you think Gavin's attractive?"
Athena waves a hand. "I'm a lesbian, Apollo, you know that. He is hot, I'll give him that, but that doesn't have anything to do with anything. I'm allowed to window shop, even if I'll never buy."
Apollo rolls his eyes. "Sure, sure."
"Go ahead and text everybody about it--meet up at 6:30 for the show at 7?"
"Sounds good to me."
"You're a peach." Athena says, grinning and winking at him. She hops up and skips out of the room before he can chase after her for the nickname.
Apollo is left sitting at his desk, wanting to do everything but reach out to Gavin. He shoots Nahyuta and Clay texts about the plan for Friday night, trying to put off the inevitable as long as possible. He gets almost immediate answers from Clay and Nahyuta (both of whom cleared their schedules of anything in order to go), and Athena passes his office several times, reminding him to give Gavin plenty of time to accommodate the event as well. He spends more time than he'd care to admit staring down at the card in his hand.
About ten minutes before he goes on air for his afternoon set, he finally calls the number, praying that Gavin won't pick up.
Gavin picks it up on the second ring.
"Ja?" Apollo hears on the other line, and he has to scramble to sound even the slightest bit enthusiastic.
"H-Hey! Uh, this is Apollo Justice." Apollo winces at how strange he sounds. "I'm sorry to bother you--"
"It's no bother at all." Gavin says breezily. God, Apollo wishes he hadn't done this--he doesn't want to talk to Gavin at all. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah--yeah, everything's fine." Apollo runs a hand through his hair. How should he even phrase this? "Uh, I was just wanting to call to talk about that karaoke thing Athena was talking about..."
"Oh! Yes, it sounds like a fun time. If you'll have me, I'd be fine with winning it for you."
Does he really have to be so enthusiastic about it? "If you would, that would be nice. Athena saw that the next one is this Friday. Would you be able to do that...?"
There's a long pause on the other line, and Apollo chews his lip. Maybe, Gavin will actually say that he has other plans? And then they can forget all about this and never see each other ever again. But then Gavin comes back, saying, "Friday is actually perfect for me."
"Oh." Apollo tries not to sound disappointed. "Okay then. Athena was wanting to meet up at 6:30, so we could find a table and get settled and stuff."
"Okay, that should be fine." Gavin pauses, as if he's writing it down. "Where are we meeting?"
Apollo gives him the name and address of the bar, as well as basic directions on how to get there. Gavin hums as Apollo speaks. That seems to be the end of the conversation, and Apollo opens his mouth to say goodbye.
"Oh--before you go." Gavin says. "Would you mind terribly if I brought a friend of mine with me? For moral support and to make sure no one punches me in the face."
Even though Apollo doesn't want to find Gavin funny in any sort of way, he can't stop the amused huff he gives, shaking his head. "Unless Clay gets drunk enough, or no one keeps an eye on Trucy, you should be fine. And I don't mind if you bring someone else along."
“Alright, then.” He can hear Gavin smiling. “I will see you on Friday.”
“See you.”
The line goes dead, and Apollo suddenly realizes how widely he’s smiling. Instantly it vanishes, and Apollo has to remind himself that he doesn’t want to get chummy with Gavin.
He starts his first set of the afternoon with Daft Pretty Boys , trying to forget how happy Gavin had sounded.
"I'm not going in there." Ema says, refusing to get out of the car.
Klavier sighs, exasperated. He leans heavily on the passenger door, staring at her expectantly. "What's wrong?"
The prospect of competing in--much less winning--a singing competition might have made Klavier shy away a few months ago, but it's actually been the thing he's looked forward to the most all week. He could dismiss the almost dismissive way Apollo had sounded over the phone when they'd talked about the evening's plans because Klavier was certain he'd get a smile if he won.
Which he would, by the way. Klavier doesn't renege on promises.
Ema had reluctantly agreed to go as his chaperone, and it seemed she was even more reluctant now that she was actually about to go into the bar. It was clear that short of throwing her over his shoulder, Klavier wouldn't get her to budge from her seat.
"Have you seen the name of this bar?" Ema says, giving him a look.
Klavier glances up at the sign that reads Tequila Mockingbird , before shifting his gaze back to her. "Yes."
"Then you know why I'm not getting out." Ema points at him accusingly. "You tricked me."
"I have done no such thing."
"Gavin!" Klavier looks up to find young Miss Cykes waving at him, leading the rest of the evening's group towards them. When she spots Ema, she blinks. "Uh--is everything okay?"
"Ema's being her usual stubborn self." Klavier says.
"I'm not going in, and that's final."
Everyone else has joined them by this point. The dark-haired man who had been with Apollo that night at Lamiroir's party so long ago frowns. "What exactly is the problem here?"
"The bar has a punny name." Ema and Klavier say simultaneously.
"And I hate puns." Ema adds, frowning severely.
The entire group is quiet for a long moment, most of them glancing between Klavier and Ema, unsure of how this will turn out. Apollo in particular is studying them curiously, as if remembering Ema from the disastrous open mic night. Klavier finally decides it's the best time to get on Ema's nerves, or they'll be like this all night.
"You certainly do hate punishment." He says.
Instantly, he gets kicked in the stomach. He doubles over in both surprise and pain, but it's worth it for the laughter he gets from Athena, the brown-haired girl who looks like Apollo, and Apollo's dark-haired friend. Even Apollo cracks a tiny smile, so it's especially worth it.
God, Klavier's got it bad.
"Funny how you said that you wanted to bring someone along so you wouldn't get hurt." Apollo says, trying to hide his obvious amusement at the whole situation. "Who's your violence-inclined friend?"
"Ema Skye." Klavier manages. Ema waves. "She's an old friend, and currently my assistant."
Apollo gives sympathetic look. "How unfortunate."
Ema's eyes narrow for a moment, and she points at Apollo. "Y'know, I wasn't too keen on you the last time I saw you, but I've decided that I like you now." She stands from her seat, apparently deciding that her newfound acquaintance with Apollo Justice was worth more to her than the bar's name.
Athena's eyes go wide in recognition. "Oh my god! I remember you!" At Ema's confused look, Athena waves a hand. "I almost beat Gavin up on your opening day, and you totally got between us. I'd totally forgotten."
Ema's quiet for a moment, clearly trying to place the red-head, before her face lights up. "Oh, hey--I remember that too!"
A quick round of introductions later, Ema, Trucy, and Athena dissolve into excited chatter as they head for the entrance of the bar. Klavier hesitates and ends up at the rear of the group, nervousness creeping in. He'd been so confident about all of this--he still is confident--but now he realizes that he's pretty outnumbered, in a place the others seems to know intimately well.
The bartender and a few people around the place call out to Apollo's friends as they arrive--particularly Clay, who has a handful of people shout excitedly about him, though judging by his embarrassed expression that's not the greeting he wants--and Athena greets them all back. Tequila Mockingbird looks like most modern bars, or at least most of the ones that Klavier has been to in the past. A handful of booths, plenty of tables with chairs, and a crowded bar area. The only real difference is the cardboard cutout of Gregory Peck behind the bar, scowling down patrons as the bartender mixes their drinks. There's a small stage for live performances that's been commandeered for the contest, but it's a small, somewhat cramped place.
Klavier doesn't realize he's lost the group until he hears Ema calling his name; he scans the room for her, finally spotting her in a big booth on the far wall. He weaves his way through the crowd, sitting heavily next to her.
"Sorry, I lost track of you." Klavier says.
Clay, from across the table, waves a hand. "It happens, especially on karaoke night. I think it's one of their busiest nights of the month."
"That and speed dating." Nahyuta adds, finishing tying their hair up at the back of their head--quite the feat, given how much there is.
Everyone turns to Nahyuta, eyebrows shooting up their hairlines.
"And how do you know that?" Apollo asks, clearly confused.
Nahyuta pauses, mouth open. Finally, they purse their lips and stand. "Not drunk enough to talk about it. What do we want for a first round?"
There's a moment where the near cacophony of sound inside the bar itself has an additional four people shouting added to the mix, and Klavier winces. Nahyuta manages to get orders one at a time, heading off to the bartender to get drinks. Clay, stuck in the center, slumps in his chair--he's apparently the designated driver, because when Trucy had ordered a Shirley Temple, he'd asked for one too.
"So," Ema starts, settling into her seat, "How many of these things have you guys won?"
Everyone exchanges looks. Between that and the awkward silence, the answer is obvious.
"No wonder you're desperate enough to bring Klavier along." Ema snorts.
"We had a decent chance last time!" Trucy says, leaning forward. "Athena and Nahyuta are our best singers, and last time the theme was boybands from the 90s and early 2000s! But..."
The entire table turns to glare at Clay.
"I said I was sorry!" Clay shouts. "I was drunk and no one was agreeing on who should go up! Besides, I sing pretty well, and I sing along to K-Pop all the time!"
Apollo winces. "You are an awful singer, actually, and you have ruined K-Pop for me." Apollo glances at Klavier. "We got laughed out of the bar last time. Didn't even make it to round two. We're punishing him by making him drive tonight."
Clay pouts, crossing his arms.
"That sounds rough." Klavier says, hoping he sounds sympathetic enough. "Now...how exactly does this competition work...?"
The group takes turns trying to explain how things work to Ema and Klavier--apparently, a theme is picked by Carrie O. Kay, the woman who organizes the competition, and one singer can be sent up per group. Singers draw lots to get certain musicians or bands, and have to sing something by that band. Two rounds pass this way, narrowing down the competition to less than five singers. One last musician is picked, and the finalists have to sing something by the chosen musician. The judges--the bartender on duty and a couple of guests--come to a vote on who wins based on the three performances.
It's a decently thought-out system, Klavier has to admit.
"Do we know the theme tonight?" Klavier asks.
"No, they usually don't announce that until the competition starts." Apollo shrugs. "It's mostly just to keep people singing similar things so they can be judged in similar ways."
"Oh."
Nahyuta finally comes back to the table, carrying a tray of drinks expertly. "Sorry that took so long--there's a big crowd over there."
"'s fine." Apollo stands and helps give everyone the appropriate drink, though it seems that everyone has ordered their usual because it goes rather smoothly.
The conversation is mostly small talk from then to the beginning of the competition, Athena and Trucy talking animatedly with Ema about their lives. Surprisingly, Ema seems to get along with them famously, as if the girls have been friends for years and they're just getting caught up. Clay and Nahyuta keep sending Klavier curious looks, as if they expect him to sprout horns and pick up a pitchfork. Apollo studies him once or twice too, as if he's not quite sure he knows what to do with the man who ran him out of business sitting across the booth from him.
Before Klavier can dwell too much on it, the stage comes to life, and the competition begins.
Apollo has to give Gavin some credit--he's extremely cool under pressure. He doesn't seem at all bothered by the bright lights and commentary Carrie gives as he stands and makes his way to the stage to be their group's contestant. In fact, he almost seems at home under the spotlight.
A hush has settled over the bar as the competition gets under way, the change so sudden that it always leaves Apollo’s ears ringing just the slightest bit. He shifts so he’s settled more against Nahyuta’s side, watching the stage intently.
“Alright! Wow, what a crowd we have tonight!” Carrie exclaims, her forced excitement a bit grating, like always. “Well, most of us know the rules, but let’s review, shall we?”
She spends a moment explaining the rules, but everyone seems ready to move on--even Gavin, despite having only heard the rules less than ten minutes beforehand and never seeing this competition. She’s over in a flash, though, greeting the contestants properly, allowing them to give their names. Each group cheers loudly for their representative on stage, and even Apollo finds himself shouting out when Athena, Trucy and Clay whoop and holler for Gavin.
“Well! I think that’s enough for now! I’m sure everyone’s chomping at the bit for us to start--so!” Carrie claps her hands together. “This month’s karaoke theme is--contemporary female vocalists!”
A murmur goes through the crowd watching on. Athena and Trucy make quiet noises, and Apollo can’t help the glance he sends Gavin’s way.
Gavin’s face is calm, betraying nothing.
“So, I’ll bring around the bowl, and everyone needs to pull just one paper from it for the first round. Be sure to call out your artist!”
Gavin is at the end of the line, so it takes some time for Carrie to get to him.
“You think he’ll be okay?” Athena whisper-yells at Ema, leaning forward across the table.
Ema raises an eyebrow and gives Athena a look. “He promised he’d win, didn’t he? He’ll be fine.”
Ema’s eyes flick briefly to Apollo. He catches her gaze for a moment, unsure of what to make of the intensity in her eyes.
When he looks back at the stage, it’s Gavin’s turn to draw. He reaches in and swirls the contents for a moment, before finally drawing out a slip of paper. He smiles, faintly--it’s so small that Apollo nearly misses it.
“Paramore.” Klavier says into the microphone Carrie has pointing at him.
“Ohh, an excellent pick!” Carrie nods in approval. “Now that we’ve got our artists for the first round, let the singing commence!”
A cheer goes up through the crowd, and the first contestant steps up to the mic and picks a song.
As per usual, Apollo doesn’t really pay attention to the other performers--half of it is because the others start talking themselves, chattering about a variety of things. Athena and Trucy have apparently decided to take this time to probe further into Ema’s life.
“Where did you graduate from again?” Trucy asks.
“Ivy U, the criminology department.” Ema brings her beer to her lips, eyes still on the stage.
“Wait, what?” Athena looks perplexed.
“I was going to be a forensics expert.” Ema shrugs. “But that didn’t happen.”
Nahyuta seems to have taken interest in the conversation at this point, because they speak up next. “Wait--how did you end up working for a music superstore if you were supposed to go into the police force?”
Ema sets down her beer just as the second song ends. She turns to face the rest of the group better. “I was bamboozled by a dick.”
Everyone stares at her.
“His, to be specific.” Ema points at Gavin, who is still sitting quietly on stage. When everyone continues to stare at her, Ema rolls her eyes. “Kind of a long story, but--we had a couple classes together, and we sort of became friends? And I’m ace, so I’m not ever going to have sex because I feel the urge, but I was curious about it what it’s like. Klavier was pretty chill when I asked him to sate my scientific curiosity.”
“Huh.” Clay manages. That’s pretty much all anyone can say.
“And when I was having trouble getting a job after we graduated, he got me an interview with Guitars & Serenades. After that, he kept getting promoted, he made sure I got promoted right along with him. We’ve gotten to be much closer friends because of all that, even if he technically is my boss--he doesn’t act like he is often, though.” Ema finishes her beer, smiling softly. “Klavier’s always doing things like that--trying to help who he can.”
Apollo blinks, turning his gaze back to the stage. He’s not quite sure what to do with that information. Gavin certainly didn’t help him when Delphi was in trouble--though, given where they both worked, maybe that wouldn’t have worked out.
The conversation drifts along at their table as they wait for Gavin to perform, shifting easily from topic to topic. Apollo only hums in response when the others try to bring him back into the conversation, eyes settled on Gavin. His mind keeps replaying what little he knows of Gavin’s backstory, on who he is as a person. The more he thinks on it, the more he knows he was wrong that night in Guitars & Serenades.
Of course, part of him won’t ever forgive Gavin for being the reason Delphi shut down--no matter what kind of silver lining there was to its end, Delphi is still gone. Gavin is the reason it shut down, because he just had to build his mega-store a few blocks away. But the more he learns about Gavin, the less he sees the (admittedly mostly imagined) devious persona Apollo had thought Gavin had, and the more he sees someone who has a big heart but no real way to express it. Especially not to Apollo, with their opposing places in life.
As Gavin steps up to the microphone to pick his song, Apollo realizes that there’s been plenty of evidence for Klavier Gavin being an actually decent person--Apollo had just ignored it up to then.
A cheer goes up from their booth as Gavin comes up for his turn, making the blonde wave at them with a soft smile.
“So! Paramore, right?” Carrie asks. When she gets a nod, she starts fiddling with the karaoke machine. “Which song did you pick?”
“Rose-Colored Boy, please.” Gavin replies, smile widening just a hair.
“Ohh, good choice.” Athena murmurs, beaming. “That one’s really good.”
Apollo has no real opinion on the matter, so he shrugs.
The song begins, and it’s got a strong enough beat that it gets Apollo to tap his foot along to it. Gavin’s voice is as strong as ever--it’s not as subdued as it had been the last times Apollo has heard him sing, as if Gavin is pretending this is some sold out concert venue and he’s performing for thousands instead of the roughly fifty people crammed into this bar.
“Damn!” Clay says, shaking Ema’s shoulder slightly. “He’s actually fantastic.”
Ema snorts, giving him a look. “What, you thought he wouldn’t be?”
“I mean, sort of? I’m still not entirely sold on him but damn if this doesn’t make me like him more.”
The song is fairly short, but by the end of it Gavin has gotten the entire bar clapping to the beat, shouting out lyrics right along with him. A few of the other singers had done similar, but Gavin’s managed to get the entire bar to sing with him. It’s strange how he’s captivated so many people.
Well, maybe not--he really is good at music. So.
When the song is done, a roar of applause goes up through the bar, and Gavin bows low. He straightens up, and the smile on his face reaches from ear to ear. It’s clear that he’s enjoyed himself.
To everyone’s delight, Gavin does make it easily into the second round. He’s in the middle of the group this time, shuffled further up in the line due to how he’d fared in the first round. He laughs a little as he reads off the name Kelly Clarkson as his artist for the round, but he does manage to absolutely nail Would You Call That Love when it’s his turn at the mic.
Apollo finds himself smiling as the song continues, watching as Gavin gets just as into his performance as he did the first round. The enthusiasm is infectious.
Once he’s bowed quickly at the end of his song, Gavin manages to get back to their booth fairly easily, glad to have a moment to breathe as the judges decide on the singers that to get to move on in the competition. He sits down wearily, letting out a heavy breath, but he’s smiling as everyone at the table immediately starts in on commentary of his performances. He laughs quietly, taking a large sip of his soda, face turning pinker as the compliments keep rolling in.
Apollo makes eye contact with him once, very briefly. He hurriedly looks away, taking a sip of his drink.
“I told them the story of how we started working together.” Ema says, watching Gavin with a fond expression.
Gavin raises an eyebrow. “You didn’t start it off with bamboozled by a dick again, did you? Because you weren’t bamboozled, you asked me to sleep with you in the middle of the library in our junior year.”
Athena and Clay both make high-pitched noises, mouths dropping open in huge smiles.
Gavin smirks into his glass. “She always tries to paint me as the temptress, but it’s not true.”
“Daryan and that girl Jo might disagree, but okay.” Ema says, and suddenly everyone goes silent, not quite sure how to respond.
Gavin himself is quiet too, before it apparently registers and he spit-takes. He slams his hand on the table, breaking out into laughter. Ema quickly follows suit, leaning forward enough to rest her head on Gavin’s shoulder as they break down into hysterics.
Apollo is lost, and apparently so is everyone else.
Once he’s caught his breath, Gavin explains. “So--that guy at Lamiroir’s party, you remember him?” When Apollo nods, he goes on. “Well, we were sort of dating? We’d been friends since childhood, but we had this weird on again-off again thing going on. Anyway, even while we had this friends-with-benefits thing going on, he was actually dating the other guitarist for his band. Making me the other woman in this whole scenario--hence the temptress joke.”
Nahyuta winces. “Jesus, what an asshole.”
“You can say that again.”
“Jesus, what an asshole!” Clay parrots back, drawing out a laugh from the entire group.
Gavin shakes his head and takes a long drink of his soda, sighing when he sets it down. “But, he’s out of my life now, so I guess I’ve managed to mostly get over it.”
“Ya know--” Athena starts, turning to look at Apollo. “That all kinda sounds like your email dude.”
All eyes turn to Apollo. He feels his bracelet tighten around his wrist, just briefly.
“Sort of, but he never did tell me what happened with his person.” Apollo shrugs. “Maybe it’s just that time of year when assholes are even bigger assholes than usual.”
Everyone murmurs their agreement. Trucy’s gone uncharacteristically silent, frowning into her Shirley Temple. Apollo would ask her what’s wrong, but he knows that she’s just lost in thought. He’d interrupted her once ages ago, and had learned not to bother her.
“What happened to him, if I may ask…?” Gavin tilts his head, expression vaguely curious. “This is the person you were trying to meet that night, yeah?”
Apollo purses his lips, not quite sure what to say. Gavin is probably the last person he wants to know about this, but he already does. He isn’t keen on saying too much more. Gavin’s even tense about the subject himself, if the way Apollo’s bracelet tightens minutely is any indication, but Apollo’s pretty sure he’s just trying not to overstep his bounds.
“It’s...complicated.” Apollo finally admits.
“Not really.” Nahyuta says, plucking the cherry out of Clay’s drink, ignoring the other’s protests. “They’re talking again, at least.”
“Not as often anymore.” Athena rests her chin in her hand. “He stares at his phone a lot during the day, though.”
Apollo turns pink at that--he’d thought nobody noticed. And as much as he hated that Trucy had stolen his phone and had threatened pianoman , he still had the two photos that had been sent saved to his device. He stared at them a lot more than he cared to admit, especially the selfie.
“Oh, that’s because I got the guy to send over pics.” Trucy says, perking up. “And I told him that if he ever pulled such a stunt again, I’d kill him.”
Gavin laughs, if quietly. “I have no doubt that you’d come up with a way to do so.”
“Apollo, hand over your phone--” Athena says, making a grabby hands motion. “That kinda bomb gets dropped, we can’t not get to see the photos.”
“Oh, yeah--I didn’t even get a chance to see them before you snatched your phone back that day!” Trucy says, somehow already magicking Apollo’s phone into her hand. He honestly still has no idea how she does it. She narrows her eyes at the screen when she pulls up the selfie, and it seems as though she gets lost in thought once more.
They squabble over Apollo’s phone for a while, everyone chatting about pianoman . Gavin’s attention is elsewhere, though, as activity starts picking up back on stage. A few minutes pass, but soon enough Carrie is back on stage, calling out the contestants for the third round.
“Guess that’s my cue.” Gavin says when he hears his name called. He winks at Apollo as he stands. “Get your wallet out, so you can put that cash prize away once I win it for you.”
Apollo rolls his eyes. “Don’t be so cocky, Gavin.”
The blonde’s smile only widens, and while it’s clear Gavin probably wants to say more, he doesn’t. He only turns and heads off to the stage, settling in at the back of the group of singers.
At their table, silence has settled over them. Most are eagerly anticipating Gavin’s last song, but Trucy and Apollo are the only ones with their eyes not on the stage. Trucy in particular looks troubled by something.
“Everything okay?” Apollo asks, taking his phone back from her when she holds it out.
“Yeah. Just...thinking.” She says, eyes still on his phone.
Apollo watches her for a moment, but when it looks like she’ll be okay, he turns away and decides it’s probably not a big deal.
When the first singer pulls out a slip of paper and reads off Kesha , Apollo sees some kind of fire start up behind Gavin’s eyes.
“Oh my god, he’s actually got this in the bag.” Ema says quietly, covering her mouth with her hand and closing her eyes gently.
“How do you know?” Clay says, narrowing his eyes at her.
“The two weeks after he and Daryan broke up? He was singing Kesha almost nonstop.” Ema says.
“Huh.” Apollo says, very quietly.
The other singers pick some of Kesha’s earlier songs--Timber, Tik Tok, things like that. Gavin is the fourth in the group, and he’s the outlier in song choices.
“Praying, please.” He says. From her seat, Ema groans quietly, but still pulls out her phone to film it.
Whatever Apollo had expected to come out of Gavin’s mouth, he definitely didn’t expect the way he sang this last song. Sure, he’d anticipated a good cover of it, on par with what he’s heard so far, but this…
Klavier kills it.
He hits every note perfectly, as far as Apollo can tell, even the high note at the end of the song. Based on what they know of his disastrous relationship history, maybe this song is appropriate, and is also half the reason why Klavier can get so into it. Apollo had heard once that singers give some of themselves when they perform, and it’s very obvious that it’s true for Klavier right now.
The entire room starts shouting as the song finishes, and Klavier gets a standing ovation. The blonde is beaming as he bows, and the judges take no time in deciding the winner--it’s obviously Klavier, by a landslide.
It takes about five minutes for the screaming and clapping to die down and for Klavier to come back to the booth, still smiling brightly. He flops down next to Ema, running his hand through his hair. Athena, Clay, and Nahyuta are the most vocal about how much they loved his singing, all talking over each other in an attempt to be heard. Klavier laughs breathlessly, thanking them all, and seems to radiate excitement.
Apollo averts his eyes from the sight, focusing on the drink in his hand. He can’t seem to stop the smile from growing on his face.
A few minutes pass, and their table is graced with nearly the entire bar, making their way over to congratulate the singer who won the karaoke competition. Even though they’re basically bombarded, Klavier takes it in stride. Eventually, though, he stands.
“Ugh, I need to run to the bathroom.” He says. “The lady running this thing said she’d come by with the prize money, so that’s all yours.” He gestures to Apollo. “I won’t be long, though.”
They watch him head off towards the bathroom. Just as he heads out of sight, Trucy tries to stand.
“You know, I actually have to pee too.” She pushes on Apollo’s shoulder. “Move.”
“Wow, such excellent manners.” Apollo mumbles, but he does stand and let her through. He watches as she disappears into the crowd, a determined look on her face.
He sits back down at the table, turning to Athena and Ema to figure out just what they’re talking about.
Just as Klavier finishes washing his hands and opens the door, he gets roughly pushed back inside.
“‘Scuse me, coming through!” Shouts the small brunette manhandling him back into the bathroom, pushing past some large men waiting in line. She shoves Klavier back inside the bathroom, locks the door, and then rounds on him.
Klavier blinks as he realizes that he’s being cornered by Trucy, Apollo’s half sister.
“What’s your deal, huh?” She demands. Her voice has escalated to shouting, even though the bathroom itself is rather quiet.
“Uh?” Klavier replies intelligently.
“You’ve got some kind of ulterior motive, and I’m going to find out what it is.” She points at him, glaring intensely. Yep, he can definitely see the family resemblance now.
Klavier shakes his head, hands instantly shooting up in a defensive gesture. “I don’t know what you’re talking about--”
“Ha!” Trucy says, waggling her finger more. “You’re lying! You know exactly what I’m talking about--you have an ulterior motive for coming here tonight, and I’ve finally figured you out.”
Klavier’s mouth drops open--this reminds him a little too much of the open mic night, being accused of lying. Technically speaking, he was lying both times (once over why pianoman didn’t come, and now for why he’s here) but the way he’s been almost instantly called out is a bit strange.
But, based on how intense Trucy is being, and her threat from earlier, Klavier figures he shouldn’t try to push her.
Klavier sighs, shoulders slumping.
“HA!” Trucy crows, triumphant. “I was right! Now, tell me what’s going on.”
“Well...what exactly made you think I’ve got an ulterior motive?”
Trucy purses her lips and watches him for a long moment, before finally taking her index finger out of his face and crossing her arms. “You reacted to Apollo talking about his email guy--but not because you were worried Apollo might yell at you. You reacted even more when Athena said she’d caught Apollo looking at his phone a lot recently.”
Klavier swallows, shifting on his feet. And here he’d thought he hadn’t been terribly obvious.
“You’re quite observant.” is all he can think to say.
“Apollo and I are more observant than most.” Trucy narrows her eyes. “You’re not denying it.”
“...No. I’m not.”
“So what’s your deal, then?” Trucy shifts her wait to one side, studying him closely. “You shouldn’t have responded at all when we brought up the photos the guy sent when I demanded them.”
Klavier is silent for a moment too long, his expression too anxious, and Trucy catches on instantly.
“Oh my god.” She murmurs. “You know him, don’t you? You know pianoman .”
Klavier is quiet for several long moments, not sure what he should say. Finally, he is very quiet as he says, “I don’t just know him...I am him.”
Trucy doesn’t respond for some time--at first, she just looks stunned. This slowly morphs into shock, her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.
“You can’t be serious.”
Klavier watches her for several long moments, before pulling out his own phone, and pulling up the email thread where she had demanded that pianoman send photos of himself. He holds it out for her to inspect, and she snatches it quickly, eyes scanning the screen.
“What the fuck.” She says under her breath.
Klavier sticks his tongue in his cheek. “Uh-huh.”
“What the fuck .” She repeats, more emphatic.
“Uh-huh.”
Trucy looks up at him now, mouth dropping open. “Oh my god. How--how long have you known that you’ve been talking to Apollo?”
Klavier leans back against the wall, crossing his arms. Quietly, he says, “Since the open mic night.”
Trucy holds his phone back out to him, brushing her hair back from her face. “Holy shit...that means you didn’t stand him up.”
“No--but I couldn’t exactly show up and tell him who I was without him freaking out.” Klavier sighs. “I tried to be kind to him about it, but things...escalated.”
“Yeah, no kidding…” She trails off. “Y’know, Ema reacted the same way you did at any mention of the email thing. Does she know?”
“Yes, but only because she was the one who told me he had the signal I’d agreed on. She also went and spent a lot of money at Delphi when it was closing in my stead.”
“...And now I know.”
“And now you know.”
Trucy bites her lip, her expression conflicted. She doesn’t look angry anymore--Klavier takes that to be a good thing--but she doesn’t look entirely happy either. But he thinks she may understand what’s happening a little more now.
“Okay.” She finally says. “So you wanted to do this to make it up to him?”
“Yes. I also was hoping I could convince him that I’m not the demon he thinks I am.”
“Well, I think you’re at least on the right track. I can tell he’s warming up to you--he doesn’t own up to his mistakes the way he did with you very often, so that’s a start.” Trucy tilts her head. “And now you’ve gotten him free booze and some cash. So I guess you’re giving it the good ol’ college try.”
Klavier laughs a little. “I think I’m doing a fair bit more than that, but thank you.”
“And you’re not nearly as awful as Apollo made you out to be--so you might have a shot.” Trucy settles her hands on her hips, and studies him for another long moment. Finally, she continues. “I’m going to ask you one last question. So you better be honest.”
“Okay. I will be.”
“I know he said he might love you--did you mean it when you said you loved him back?”
“Yes.” Klavier says, instantly. He breathes it out, finally voicing the thing he’s been feeling for months. “Yes, I did mean it.”
Trucy chews her lower lip for a moment, eyes searching his face. She seems to believe him, because she nods.
“Okay. I believe you.”
Klavier lets out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.
“I know he’s super into you as pianoman --and having heard you out, I’m actually willing to help you win him over.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah--mostly just giving you advice, but I can help at least a little bit. I think Apollo deserves to get a bit more happiness in his life, after everything that’s happened.”
Klavier smiles weakly. “I do too...even if it’s not with me, I want him to be happy.”
Trucy’s mouth quirks up in a smile. “Okay then. Let me give you my phone number--we can text about it, maybe come up with something.”
She quickly types it into his phone, and he follows her out of the bathroom, the interrogation now apparently over. He quietly apologizes to the men Trucy had shoved to the side over all of this, feeling like some load has been taken off of his shoulders.
Apollo studies them curiously as they come back the table. “Everything okay? You were both gone a while.”
“I was interrogating him so you wouldn’t have to.” Trucy says quickly, sliding into her seat.
“Oh? And the verdict?” Clay leans forward in his seat.
Trucy smiles, winking at Klavier. “He passed the test. He’s not that bad.”
“Oh, well thank you for your vote of confidence.” Klavier mumbles. He feels his phone vibrate, and looks down to see that it’s from Trucy herself.
From: Trucy W.
It’ll all work out, I’m sure of it!!
He smiles softly, putting his phone back into his pocket and turning back to the conversation at hand.
They end up staying at the bar a lot longer than they usually do--then again, Apollo and his friends haven’t won karaoke night before, and normally they leave the instant they’re eliminated. But they’re all being congratulated, and taking advantage of the free alcohol thing. (Turns out, it’s really just for happy hour during the weekends, but that’s still okay.)
It’s close to 11 when they finally decide it’s time to get home, all still chatting animatedly as they stand and head outside.
In spite of everything, Apollo finds he does actually like Klavier. He’s funny, unafraid of making jokes at his own expense, and if Trucy has vouched for him, then maybe he really isn’t all that bad. Apollo knows he’ll never be able to forgive him for Delphi, but against all odds, he can see himself being friends with Klavier.
As their group separates for the night, Klavier stops him.
“Justice, listen--” Klavier shifts nervously on his feet. “I--I don’t want to overstep my bounds, but I had a lot of fun tonight, and I know Ema did too. If...if you wouldn’t mind, perhaps we can join you all again next time?”
Next time . Apollo’s foggy mind is having a hard time processing it. “Uh--”
“You don’t have to say yes right now, but--but I was honest when I said I want to make things up to you.” Klavier rubs the back of his neck. “I want to be your friend.”
Apollo’s mouth falls open, and he’s not able to respond for a long moment.
“Okay.” He finally says. “I think I want to be your friend, too.”
Klavier’s face lights up almost the same way it did when he’d won karaoke, and Apollo feels something stirring in his chest at the sight. “I--I’m really happy to hear that. Listen--you have my phone number. Give me a call if you ever want to get lunch, or even if all you want me to do is keep winning karaoke for you.”
“Okay. I can do that.” Apollo bites his lip, trying to hide his smile.
He hears Clay calling for him over by his friend’s old SUV, and knows he needs to go.
“I’ll look forward to hearing from you.” Klavier says, turning to where Ema is waiting for him at his car. “And I hope you get some good rest.”
“Okay.” Apollo waves, just a little. “Drive safe.”
He watches Klavier’s retreating form, half in disbelief. If you’d told him a year ago that he would befriend the man who would put his store out of business, he never would have believed it.
But here they were.
From: Trucy W.
so, I have a question
From: K. Gavin
oh boy
From: Ema
tell me im hallucinating
did you really make a group chat for the three of us and honestly name it "operation siren song"
From: Trucy W.
don't worry about it
anyway, why is your username pianoman?
you don't play piano
From: K. Gavin
you don't know that i don't play piano
From: Ema
its bc his stupid name means piano in german
From: Trucy W.
OH MY GOD
From: K. Gavin
i was getting to that ema why do you always ruin everything
From: Trucy W.
APOLLO LOVES SHITTY PUNS THIS IS PERFECT
From: Ema
where else am i to get enjoyment out of life if not ruining things for you
From: Trucy W.
YOU'RE CLEARLY MADE FOR EACH OTHER
It's almost scary how quickly Klavier and Ema settle into his group of friends.
It starts with Ema going out to lunch with Athena, appearing at KXT the Wednesday after karaoke. Apollo blinks in surprise when she passes by his office door, and when he sticks his head out into the hallway he finds that she's standing at Athena's door. Moments later the two are chattering like old friends and Athena leads Ema back towards the front door. Apollo is left to wander back to his office, expression half confused, half surprised.
Two hours later, two unknown numbers are added to the group chat he has with his sister, Athena, Nahyuta, and Clay. It quickly becomes apparent that it's Ema and Klavier, and no one seems the slightest bit surprised or upset that they've been added. Apollo isn't really complaining, either, except about the fact that his phone is buzzing constantly for four hours because of the nonstop stream of texts. It almost ruins his afternoon set.
The following Friday, Ema and Klavier join them at Tequila Mockingbird once again, intending to join up with Apollo and the others as they enjoy their free drinks. Apollo finds he doesn't mind the intrusion all that much. In fact, he’s actually happy that they showed up.
As happy hour ends, the group drives back to Apollo's apartment and crashes. This is often the case whenever they go out on Friday nights. The group orders in, and then they watch movies or just chat for the rest of the time. Tonight, they’re probably just going to talk--Trucy’s got a glint in her eye, and Apollo recognizes it as the one that means she’s planning something. He’s not sure what she’s planning on doing, but he steels himself for whatever she may have up her sleeve.
When she settles her chin over her threaded fingers, turning her eyes to Klavier, Apollo feels a pang of sympathy for him.
“So.” Trucy leans forward, her chin in her hands, after dinner’s been ordered and everyone is settling into their seats. She smiles at Klavier. “Ema’s told us all about herself, but we still don’t know tons about you.”
Klavier blinks, glass of wine halfway to his lips. He watches her for a long moment, clearly trying to figure out what she’s doing, before giving in. “If you mean how much you all talked last week, then I hate to remind you that I was otherwise occupied at the time.”
Athena snorts. “You know what she means--give us some deets!”
“Your life story,” Trucy adds, leaning forward even more. “We don’t know anything about you other than you can sing, you’re friends with Ema, and you work for a heartless corporation.”
Apollo can’t help the amused snort he lets out, aware that Klavier glances up at him.
A moment passes, and finally Klavier admits, “I’m not quite sure where to begin…?”
“Well.” Clay shifts his chair closer to Klavier. “You could talk about work--Pollo and Yuty only ever said that you work for Guitars & Serenades but nothing about what exactly you do. So I’m kinda curious why Ema’s your assistant.”
Nahyuta murmurs something that sounds like don’t call me that .
“He’s the regional head of development--he deals with a lot of administrative stuff, but does some store designs sometimes.” Ema supplies first. “Used to cover the entire West Coast, but you’ve kind of narrowed it down to California, right?”
“Mmm.” Klavier leans back in his chair, thumbing the rim of his wine glass. “Not by choice, but I don’t mind having a smaller area to deal with.”
“Do you like it?” Athena tilts her head.
Klavier shrugs. “Less than I used to. It’s...sort of complicated. Involving some fighting between people higher up than me, and then just other stuff that’s personal.”
“Ugh.” Ema rolls her eyes. “Is this about Means and Courte?”
“Yeah.” Klavier sighs. “Means keeps taking things away from me because he thinks Courte is encroaching on his responsibilities. Even though we all know he’s a tyrant with archaic business sense, and she’s isn’t even trying to take over his stuff.”
“Yikes.” Nahyuta mumbles.
“Then why don’t you quit?” Athena asks, and Apollo has to roll his eyes. Athena catches him and frowns. “Look, you guys may think I’m pushing it too hard, but it’s only because I really do think he should go into music professionally.”
“You are pretty good.” Nahyuta nods. “So what’s stopping you?”
Something passes across Klavier’s face--not quite angry, not quite sad. Maybe that’s a personal thing too.
“I guess that, right now, nothing’s stopping me.” Klavier shrugs. “But it’s...complicated.”
Trucy shuffles closer, watching Klavier expectantly. He watches her for several long moments, something passing silently between them--when had those two gotten to be so chummy? Apollo might be a bit concerned about this development--before Klavier finally sighs.
“The short version--the extremely short version--is that it’s because of family drama. My older brother, ah, wasn’t terribly enthusiastic about the prospect of my going into music, and he basically forced me into business.” He swirls his wine, shrugging. “He’s not really in my life anymore, and to be perfectly honest he hasn’t had a real stake in my life for years. Dunno why but I just never pictured myself doing anything else even without him controlling me so much.”
“You have a brother?” Apollo asks.
“Mmm. Kristoph. He’s...an acquired taste. Be glad you’ve never met him.”
“He certainly sounds like a tool.” Clay wrinkles his nose. “Jeez, you’ve had some really not great people in your life, haven’t you?”
Klavier only nods in response.
“Hey, wait--” Trucy tilts her head. “That name sounds really familiar. ...Your brother isn’t a lawyer by any chance, is he?”
“He is, actually.” He frowns. “How do you know that?”
Trucy quickly explains that her father and his fiance were still looking for an addition to their law office, and that Klavier’s elder brother had applied for the position. Based on Trucy’s description of the interview, it had gone about as disastrously as expected.
Klavier winces. “I mean, I guess I’m not that upset to hear it went poorly? As I said, Kristoph is a tough person to click with--it’s always been his way or the highway on pretty much everything. I haven’t spoken with him in a while, but I’m not terribly surprised.”
“Yeah...he did kind of just fuck off without really telling anybody, didn’t he?” Ema wrinkles her nose. “Ugh.”
“Okay.” Clay scoots his chair back with an awful sound, startling Mikeko from where she had been resting in Nahyuta’s arms. “This is too depressing. Topic change.”
Athena laughs quietly, but quickly picks up the conversation and transitions over to Nahyuta’s love life (a topic that had somehow been avoided the week before after they mentioned speed dating). Ema wastes no time in jumping subjects but Klavier looks pensive for the rest of the night, gaze resting mostly on his wine.
To: propheticsound
5:13 AM
You think I’m a decent musician, right?
To: pianoman
8:29 AM
Yes, from what little I’ve heard. You’re pretty good on guitar.
Also, please actually get some sleep. I’m worried about you being sleep deprived.
To: propheticsound
8:35 AM
Do you think it’s okay for me to quit my job to go after music, then? Someone made a case for it recently, and...I’m honestly considering it. I’m already thinking over the fallout from just up and quitting, but if I can actually do it...do you think it’s worth it?
To: pianoman
9:04 am
What’s got you so unsure all of a sudden? You’ve always been so confident about things before.
If you want to go after music, go for it. I can’t say how it will turn out--I don’t think anyone can, since no one can actually see the future. But if you are considering it as seriously as it seems you are, then there’s a really good chance that it will work out the way you want it to. You wouldn’t be thinking so much about it if there wasn’t a chance it would work out.
I say...follow your heart. Cheesy, I know, but it’s the best I’ve got for you.
The following Monday, Apollo gets a text.
From: K. Gavin
would you like to get lunch? my treat
Apollo’s never been one to turn down a free lunch. He sends something back once he’s put on a Rag’N’Bone Man song and can turn off his microphone.
From: Apollo J.
Why not. Where?
From: K. Gavin
you in the mood for hamburgers? bc i know just the place
From: Apollo J.
Sounds good to me
They settle on a time and place, and Apollo takes a late lunch to meet up with Klavier.
The burger joint they agreed to meet up at is some sort of grungy-gourmet place that Simon’s claimed to be the best in the city whenever office lunch has been brought up. Apollo’s never been (mostly because Simon is a huge snob and Apollo has issues with snobby people on principle) so he’s still not entirely sure about it. When Klavier had suggested it, the first thing to cross Apollo’s mind was of course he would pick this place . It’s not as bad as he’d expected, though. The place is known for its “poor” service, the staff tossing customers good-natured insults, but it seems a lot tamer than Simon ever described it as.
Once they’ve ordered and found a table, Apollo cuts to the chase.
“You need my advice on something? Kinda got that vibe from your texts.”
Klavier shakes his head. “Not really? I got the advice I needed over the weekend.”
Apollo narrows his eyes. “Is this about the quitting your job thing? Because you are good but just because Athena’s being pushy about it doesn’t mean you should listen to her.”
“But your friend Nahyuta is right. There’s nothing holding me back from doing it.” Klavier hums a couple of notes. “And I decided that I should. Quit, I mean. I wouldn’t be considering it this much if I thought there was a big chance of failure. So I’m going to try.”
Something about that strikes Apollo as familiar, but he brushes it off. It’s probably just what they talked about Friday night.
“Anyway, I just thought that since we’re trying to be friends...we should do friend things.” Klavier smiles warmly. “Friends get lunch.”
“Yeah. Friends get lunch.”
Someone calls out Bonnie Raitt, your order is ready , and Klavier stands to get their meal.
They don’t actually talk about anything serious for the rest of lunch--Apollo talks about Mikeko and how he’d adopted her, and Klavier mentions he had a dog when he was younger. Klavier asks how Apollo’s liking his job with KXT, and Apollo finds it doesn’t hurt to talk about it with the reason why he works at the radio station. Klavier briefly mentions needing to renew his motorcycle license, and they discuss the merits of downgrading to bikes or motorcycles in such a bustling city.
They sit and talk for some time after they both finish their meals, only leaving when they’re crowded out of the place. Klavier walks Apollo back to his car.
“We’ll have to do this again soon.”
“Yeah--because that’s something friends do.” Apollo quirks a bit of smile.
Klavier smiles right back, eyes filled with amusement. “This is turning into a thing, isn’t it?”
“I think so, yeah.”
The blonde snorts out a laugh, shaking his head. “I’ll talk to you later. Wish me luck on turning in my resignation.”
“Wait, you’re doing it today?”
Klavier shrugs. “Maybe. Sometime this week, though--Ema’s already talking to Trucy about that paralegal job, by the way. I told her I want to quit and she jumped on the chance to finally switch careers.”
“Oh.” Apollo nods. “Well, good luck to both of you, then.”
“Thanks.” Klavier smiles, nodding. “See you.”
Apollo waves him off, and finds that he’s smiling the entire rest of the afternoon. Athena teases him, saying that he’s falling awfully fast for someone he hated. He nearly ruins her afternoon set by bursting into the recording booth to strangle her when she plays You Can’t Hurry Love by Phil Collins.
The song is stuck in his head for the rest of the day, but Apollo is surprised it’s not pianoman he thinks of as it loops in his head. It’s Klavier.
How stupid.
They have lunch once a week after that. Klavier is now finally able to see the things he’s adored so much in propheticsound coming out in his conversations with Apollo. It’s a bit jarring, seeing Apollo saying things that Klavier has already heard (well, seen) from propheticsound , but it fades fast. Klavier is liking Apollo even more than he loved his internet friend, anyway.
They talk about anything and everything, though Klavier is careful to leave out anything that Apollo could use to identify him as pianoman . He’s not lying, so Apollo isn’t able to pick up on things the way he does when Klavier lies, but Klavier feels strange still leaving out so much. He hopes that someday he can tell Apollo everything.
He asks Trucy for advice a lot. That’s why he’s able to always find restaurants that he knows Apollo will enjoy. She does bug him a lot with personal questions, asking about why they started the strange correspondence they’ve kept up over the past year, why Klavier still reached out even after he found out who Apollo was. Klavier can only say that it’s because he was in deep--a bit late to just cut himself off entirely by the time shit hit the fan. Which is true, but a bit strange to admit.
With every lunch date, though, he falls more and more in love. With every text, every email, he falls just a little bit more.
A few weeks down the line, the blonde is starting to reach out to record labels; Klavier stops by the station with a demo CD and Starbucks. Apollo’s pleasantly surprised by the gesture, his mind supplying their in-joke of it’s something friends do when Klavier appears in his office doorway.
Athena is understandably offended at the slight.
“Where is my Starbucks, huh? I thought we were friends .” She demands when she catches them in Apollo’s office.
Klavier looks genuinely sheepish. “Sorry.”
“She’s just trying to mooch off of you--don’t pay her any attention.” Apollo ignores the dirty look Athena shoots him, taking the drink and the CD. “Thanks for this, though. I’m sure it’s great.”
Klavier beams. “I hope it is. No word back from who I’ve sent it to so far, but I’m hopeful.”
“It probably won’t be too much longer.”
They talk for a few more minutes before Klavier has to go (a lunch date with Constance Courte, he explains), and Apollo is left standing in the hall, watching him leave.
Simon passes Apollo as Klavier leaves, frowning and peering back at the front door. When Apollo meets Simon’s gaze, Simon rolls his eyes.
“If you’re going to flirt on the clock, don’t do it where I can hear you.” Simon makes a face. “Or see you.”
Apollo turns beet red. “I-I’m not f- flirting !”
Simon’s already walking away, waving a hand at Apollo over his shoulder. Apollo would chase after him, but he gets the impression that Simon would just manage to get Apollo even more flustered.
They weren’t flirting. As if Apollo would flirt with Klavier Gavin. Simon’s full of shit, and Apollo nods to himself when he reaches that conclusion.
Athena, from where Apollo can see her in the recording booth, is just about to start the music for her set. Apollo nearly runs into the booth when she starts with Avalanche by Walk the Moon.
Everyone he works with is full of shit, and Apollo would quit if he didn’t like this place so much.
“You’re really good at picking places I’m into.”
Klavier looks up from his sushi, blinking. He makes a noise, asking for clarification.
“It’s like you have a checklist of the foods I like.”
Klavier takes a second to finish his bite. He might as well be honest. “Well--I asked for suggestions from Trucy and the others. But that was just about it, I found these places all on my own.” He smiles. “We also have similar tastes in foods, I’ve noticed. So that makes it easier.”
Apollo narrows his eyes at Klavier for one second, for two, before pointing his chopsticks at Klavier menacingly. “You’re getting a little too chummy with my sister. She’s dating Athena, you know.”
Klavier nearly spit takes. When he can, he says, “You think I’m trying to break that up? They’d both kill me first.”
Apollo considers this for a few moments. “Well, yeah, they’d both do that. Also probably Ema, but I think she would do that anyway.”
Klavier gets a far away, almost scared look in his eye. “You have no clue how accurate that is.”
That gets a big smile out of Apollo. “At least you’re aware of what the consequences are.”
They spend the rest of lunch discussing who would win in a fight--Trucy, Ema, or Athena.
Apollo is hyper aware of how close Klavier is sitting to him, peering over Apollo’s shoulder as they watch a video on Apollo’s phone. He swears he can feel Klavier’s breath on the shell of his ear, feel the heat radiating from Klavier’s body.
He shouldn’t be so aware of it but he is. It’s distracting.
“That one was interesting, you’re right.” Klavier says, finally pulling back and settling back into his own seat. “Still not really my cup of tea in terms of music videos, but not bad at all.”
Apollo blinks, and flashes back to their conversation--music videos. Klavier still hasn’t been signed and music videos are a step that happens long after he’s got a contract, but Apollo has been looking.
But not because he’s been daydreaming videos as he listens and re-listens to Klavier’s demo CD. Certainly not that.
“Well, I saw it and told myself to show it to you when I could.” Apollo pockets his phone, hardly even sparing Klavier a glance.
He feels more than sees Klavier smiling at him, something small and soft and fond and Apollo’s heart stutters in his chest. “I appreciate that you thought of me. Thank you.”
Apollo mumbles a quiet you’re welcome , hoping he doesn’t look as flustered as he feels.
Somehow, what was supposed to be a movie and booze night with Ema turned into anime and milkshakes with Ema and Trucy. Klavier isn’t as bothered with this development as he might be, especially since they’re sort of coming up with ideas for what to do about Apollo.
“I’m still not sure you should reveal yourself just yet.” Trucy says, eyes not leaving the TV as Sakura transforms in order to capture the next clear card. “He’s hella into pianoman , but you gotta make sure he’s into you as a person. Which I’m not sure he is yet.”
“But you said that you and Apollo have that weird tell-spotting thing. Klavier, as decent as he is at bullshitting, can’t keep it up forever.” Ema stretches and nearly whacks Klavier in the face. “Better to get it out there before Apollo figures it out.”
“Well I guess that makes sense. What do you think, Klavier?”
“I think I’m head over heels for him and I might do something really damn stupid if I keep waiting.”
They all fall silent as the episode continues, and Trucy only speaks again once the card has been captured.
“You’re gonna need to do something really, really romantic.” She says.
“What, you mean like making him dinner?” Klavier can do dinner. He can do any kind of meal, he can make something romantic--
“Nah, probably not just dinner.” Ema slurps the last of her milkshake. “As much as I hate romcoms, they’re right--in a situation like this, you need to do something big.”
Klavier frowns, his nose wrinkling. “I don’t know what would count as a big romantic gesture other than dinner.”
Trucy shrugs. “You’ll think of something.”
Klavier purses his lips and gives her a look. His mind is working on a solution for the rest of the night.
“So how’s the email guy?”
Apollo purses his lips and give Klavier a look. “I’m not sure that’s any of your business.”
Klavier just laughs a little. “Sorry, no need to be touchy. Just curious about it.”
Well, Apollo figures that since Klavier knows so much already, he might as well be in the loop. “He’s...fine, as far as I can tell. We’re back to talking about basically everything. Kind of like we do, but with a lot fewer personal details.”
“Mmm.” Klavier chases the last of his iced coffee with his straw. “And you’re super into him?”
“How do you know?”
“Trucy told me.”
Apollo really, really needs to keep an eye on his phone when he’s around Trucy in the future. Maybe he should stick it down his pants to deter her from stealing it.
“She had no business telling you, and also she’s a thief. So not sure how you should take that information.”
“You’re not denying it.” Klavier smiles faintly around his straw, batting his eyes to look innocent.
Apollo is quiet for several long moments, before finally huffing. “Okay. So maybe I am.”
“Would you ever want to see him? Try to meet again?”
“Only if I knew for sure he would be there.”
Klavier leans back in his seat, eyes settling on something in the middle distance. He doesn’t say anything for awhile, and Apollo’s glad that the topic has apparently been dropped.
“Why’d you forgive him?” Klavier asks eventually.
“Huh?”
“Why did you forgive him? He put you in a really bad situation.” Klavier shrugs. “I mean, if it had been me...I might not have ever reached back out to him.”
Apollo swirls the last of his own iced coffee, staring into the light brown liquid as if it contains the meaning of life. “I...dunno. He broke the silence between us, but I think in the end I did care about him enough to stay in touch.”
Klavier makes a thoughtful noise, and drops the subject for the rest of lunch.
Klavier should probably stop asking about what Apollo thinks of pianoman .
“So why are you so into him?”
“I dunno. He’s funny, and we like a lot of the same music, we think similarly on a lot of things. We just click really well.” Apollo shrugs. “We just haven’t met in person.”
“You think you could make a relationship work with him?”
Apollo thinks for a moment. “Well, I’d need to meet him, and work out just what we are. But maybe. It kind of depends.”
“Mmmm.”
Apollo gives Klavier a look. “What? You said you aren’t judging me for this whole thing.”
“Oh no, nononono, I’m not judging you. Just interesting to think about, I guess.”
Apollo watches him for a few long moments, as if searching for a lie or some indicator that Klavier is hiding something. Eventually he sighs and turns back to his frozen yogurt.
It’s been two months since Apollo decided it was okay to be Klavier’s friend. In that time, they’ve gotten close enough that it felt okay to allow Klavier into his apartment to cook him dinner.
Apollo vehemently refuses to call it a date, no matter how much Athena teased him about it being one. It’s just a friendly dinner. Friends do that. They make each other dinner. Apollo certainly was not having a date with Klavier--that would mean he was romantically interested in Klavier.
Which he’s not. Definitely not.
Klavier hadn’t made it very romantic, either. He’d begun the evening with asking Apollo to find music he could cook to, and in the middle of setting things down on Apollo’s kitchen counter, he’d dropped a glass jar of sugar and shouted a long string of German cuss words. So if he’d been trying for a romantic atmosphere it would have been ruined anyway.
Making dinner is uneventful after that, filled with Klavier singing slightly off key on purpose and the laughter it brings from Apollo. As always, they talk about whatever they want--conversation has been something that comes easy to them, especially since they really began being friendly. Apollo’s not sure he’s been able to talk to someone and have them understand and listen the way Klavier does.
Well, not anyone he knows personally, at least.
Klavier sets down a delicious looking meal, smiling. “ Bon appétit, mon ami .”
Apollo hums his thanks, studying Klavier for a moment. “French now? I’ve just gotten used to you littering German into your speech and now you’re switching it up on me?”
The blonde rolls his eyes. “I was born in Germany, but my mother’s French. Second language.”
“Oh.”
The conversation dies down as they eat. Klavier’s head bobs along to the CHVRCHES song playing over Apollo’s speakers, eyes wandering across the apartment. His eyes don’t seem to rest on any one thing, and Apollo doesn’t notice how often the other’s gaze keeps turning back to him.
Apollo takes a moment to study Klavier himself--half of it because he can’t quite believe that this is happening. Klavier looks simultaneously different and the same he had the night Apollo was supposed to meet pianoman . His blonde hair is soft and silky-looking, and he somehow manages to make an old pair of jeans and a slightly tattered Green Day tour shirt look fashionable.
It hits Apollo that Klavier is pretty--strikingly so. He distantly remembers the day at the music festival so long ago when they met, the brief conversation they’d had. The way Klavier’s hair had looked in the bright summer sunlight, the way he’d smiled. Maybe Trucy hadn’t been so off the mark when she’d said that Klavier was Apollo’s type.
After dinner, they dig into the ice cream Klavier had brought with him.
Klavier gestures with his spoon to Apollo’s bracelet. “So how’d you get your bracelet? Not something most people would wear, though it certainly makes a fashion statement.”
Apollo glances down at it--it’s such a constant in his life that he hardly notices its weight on his wrist anymore. “It’s a family heirloom. My mother’s. She gave it to me when I was a baby.”
“Oh.” Klavier falls quiet, chewing thoughtfully. “Do you see her often anymore?” Apollo stills, brows drawing together. Klavier looks up when he gets no response. “Sorry--you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. I was only curious.”
“It’s okay.” Apollo frowns into his bowl for a moment. “I do see her, sometimes. I think she’s my mother, anyway.” At Klavier’s questioning look, Apollo continues. “My mother used to be known as Thalassa Gramarye. She left my dad because of her dad--my grandfather--and my dad and I only found out she was forced to remarry when we met Trucy. But she doesn’t remember any of that.”
“Doesn’t remember?”
“I don’t think she does, anyway. She doesn’t remember much of anything before twenty years ago.” Apollo meets Klavier’s eyes for a moment. “You’ve met her. Lamiroir.”
Klavier’s eyes widen. “Wait, what?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but there’s evidence for it. She looks just like my mother, from the few pictures Trucy and I have. And my dad Jove was a close friend of hers--I never found out how he met Lamiroir, but they were good friends. He was always very protective of her, too.”
“Why would he not say anything to her…?”
“Probably because he didn’t want to hurt her but still wanted to be there for her.” Apollos frowns. “Terribly sad, of course. My dad tended to always suffer in silence--that’s kind of just how he was.”
Klavier falls very quiet, his eyes drifting back to Apollo’s bracelet. Finally, he says, “She has a bracelet just like yours.”
“Huh?”
“Lamiroir--she has a bracelet just like yours. I saw it a few times while I was recording with her, though she said she didn’t wear it out in case something might happen to it.” Klavier smiles faintly. “I doubt that’s just coincidence.”
Apollo falls quiet, thinking it over. He thinks he might finally understand why his father decided to keep quiet--as awful as it was, as awful as it was to be so close to someone important to you and still have what feels like a million miles between you, it was better in the long run to not say anything. To not change what relationship you had on the off chance that you could have more.
“Probably not.” Apollo finally says. “Thanks for telling me.”
Klavier hums, falling quiet once again.
Apollo raises an eyebrow, taking a moment to think before breaking the silence between them. “What about you? I know you don’t see your brother, but what about your parents?”
“Oh, no.” Klavier shakes his head. “My dad died when I was twelve, and my mother...well, I used to envy people whose mothers left because they were forced to. Now I just don’t really care about it anymore.” He’s quiet for a long time, and he meets Apollo’s eyes once after a few seconds--though he says he doesn’t care, Apollo can see an old sadness in his eyes. “She’s the reason I ever started singing and playing music. And why Kristoph hated it, now that I think about it.”
Apollo raises an eyebrow, asking a silent question.
“Kristoph was the eldest, so he was the left-brain son--the son in the ‘Nuclear Family’ model that was supposed to be a doctor or lawyer. I was the surprise, and that meant I was supposed to be artistic. I actually hated choir and piano lessons when I was little because I was forced to go.” Klavier scoops one last bite of ice cream onto his spoon and eats it, taking the utensil out of his mouth slowly as he thinks. “After meeting Daryan and being friends for a while, I decided I liked it. But by then, Maman had left and Kristoph hated anything that was a reminder of her.”
“So that’s why he forced you to go into business.” Apollo supplies, quiet.
Klavier nods. “He said it’d be a waste if I didn’t do something with my big brain, or something like that.”
Apollo mulls all of that over for a long moment.
“It’s so funny that everything’s turning out the way Maman wanted anyway, though.” Klavier shakes his head. “I’m just glad it’s happening on my terms.”
“I am too. If that’s any consolation.” Apollo smiles faintly.
Klavier holds Apollo’s gaze, a strange mix of emotion swirling in his blue eyes that’s hard to separate out into single feelings. The noise of the apartment almost seems to fade away, and Apollo opens his mouth to say something else.
When he can’t, he lets out a quiet breath.
“How did we end up here?” Klavier whispers, eyes searching for something in Apollo’s face. “How did we go from hating each other to being good enough friends that we can talk about our messed up families over dinner?”
Apollo can’t answer him.
Klavier lets out a barely unsteady breath, and Apollo swears Klavier’s eyes are wetter than they had been moments ago. “I’m still half convinced that I don’t deserve to be your friend, after everything.”
They stare at each other for what feels like years, neither able to break the silence. Eventually, Klavier stands, breaking whatever thread is between them.
Quietly, they clean their dishes and Klavier takes it upon himself to clean the pans he used to cook with. The apartment feels heavy somehow, and Apollo can only mull over Klavier’s words in the silence. They fall into an easy rhythm, one washing and the other drying.
Finally, Apollo says, “It does feel a little like a dream.” Apollo hears Klavier pause in what he’s doing, presumably to turn and watch him. Apollo continues on, closing his eyes. “Half of me thinks that I’m in some kind of fever dream, and that none of this is happening. But then I’m not waking up, and then I remember that all of this is actually happening.”
He glances up to find Klavier watching him with a hard to read expression. The light overhead makes his blonde hair shine, the color golden.
“We’ve got so much in common...I wonder what might have happened. Had--well.” Apollo feels the tips of his ears turn pink, and he looks back down to the plate in his hand. “Had things been different. I think about that a lot.”
Both of them are silent for some time.
“I think about that too.” Klavier murmurs, so quiet that Apollo almost doesn’t hear him.
They continue on in silence, something heavy settling over them that keeps either from saying anything more. Apollo swallows thickly, uneasy. Everything has been going okay with Klavier so far--this isn’t their first time discussing deep topics, but the first time it’s been as personal as this. Maybe this has changed something between them. Or maybe Klavier was realizing that this was a bad idea.
Apollo hopes he isn’t.
As Klavier hands over the last plate, their hands brush against each other. Both freeze almost instantly, looking up to meet each other’s gaze. Klavier’s eyes wander Apollo’s face, the blue vivid in the dimmed kitchen lights overhead. Apollo is entranced.
Apollo couldn’t say who leaned in first, or when he closed his eyes. All he knows is that Klavier’s lips are gently pressing against his own, and the world has frozen around them. The touch is so feather-light that Apollo worries he might be imagining it, but then Klavier presses his lips more firmly against Apollo’s, a hand gently cupping Apollo’s cheek.
A quiet, hopeful noise gets caught in Apollo’s throat, and they break apart for what feels like an eternity. Klavier’s breath is warm against his lips, and there’s a beat before he kisses Apollo again with more intensity than before. The hand at Apollo’s cheek moves to cradle the back of his head, and his other hand finds Apollo’s, fingers threading together. Apollo holds onto it like a lifeline.
When they do part again, whatever drew them together like this disappears and the spell breaks. Apollo’s eyes open to see an almost scared look cross Klavier’s face, and in an instant the blonde has pulled back, putting several feet between them.
Klavier wets his lips. “I--I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Apollo blinks, his lips still parted. “Klavier--”
“I should go.” Klavier’s face is turning red--Apollo hopes it’s not in shame. “I’m so sorry, but I hope dinner was okay…”
He keeps murmuring quiet apologies, gathering up his jacket and wallet and keys so he can vanish. Apollo trails after him, trying to stop him, but Klavier disappears through the door before Apollo can convince him to stay.
Apollo is left standing in the front hallway of his apartment. He lets out a quiet breath, a hand raised to his lips. He swears he can still feel Klavier’s lips against his own.
“You did what?! ” Trucy screeches.
Klavier shuffles even further under his blankets, hiding from Trucy and Ema even though the conference call is on speaker. “I wasn’t going to but then he was right there and so beautiful and I am weak.”
“Damn.” Ema says, the amusement very clear in her voice. “I always knew you were a bisexual disaster, but this just confirms it.”
“God, I fucked up.” Klavier whimpers. “This is just going to mess with him and maybe give him mixed signals and that’s the last thing I wanted.”
“I’ve changed my mind about this whole thing. No more wasting time!” Trucy audibly smacks her hand on a table or counter. “Now you've got all the more reason to tell him how you feel, to reveal who you are to him! You want to avoid mixed signals? Tell him!”
“Get that romantic gesture down too if you haven't yet. Make sure it's ready to go by the time you want to tell him what's going on.” Ema sighs. She’s quiet for a long moment, before quietly asking, “...Was kissing him worth it, though? Just out of scientific curiosity.”
Trucy makes an affronted noise. “Ew! Don’t answer that, that’s my brother you’re talking about!”
Klavier bites his lip before letting out a hurried, “Yes. God, it was so soft. I’m so gay.”
Ema breaks out into laughter and Trucy makes retching noises. Klavier bites his lip to hide the wide smile across his face. Vongole perks her ears and watches him from the opposite side of the bed. Her tail starts to wag when she sees Klavier watching her, shuffling closer on the bed to settle in next to him.
Klavier glances to his dresser, where an envelope sits under his glasses case. He’ll need to stall until his 'romantic gesture' draws closer--he needs a month. He hopes he can get it.
To: propheticsound
11:04 PM
I think I might want to join you on that becoming a robot thing.
To: pianoman
11:09 PM
Well, now it’s morphed back into the inevitable “become a Jeager pilot” desire so. Unless you want to be my copilot, I don’t know if it’ll work out.
To: propheticsound
11:10 PM
Well, we may not be drift compatible, but maybe I could be the Jeager. Or something. I don't know, it's late. Also I don’t want anyone else seeing the chaos going on in my head right now anyway. Imagine constant Kill Bill sirens. It sucks.
To: pianoman
11:13 PM
You, my friend, need sleep. Take two and email me in the morning.
Klavier won’t meet Apollo alone any more, if he even wants to meet at all.
What rapport had been building between them broke that night with a single kiss. Apollo thinks about it more than he probably should, worried that it was something he had done. The nearly terrified look Klavier had given him almost immediately after, and how skittish he was as he’d left--Apollo worries that he caused that. But he’s sure that Klavier kissed first, so the chances that he did something wrong are slim. He hopes so, at least.
Nothing has changed with pianoman, thankfully. He knows he still has deep feelings for his online friend, and they’ve existed for a while. They’ve both acknowledged it, but not having met means they can’t exactly talk about where their relationship will go. Apollo would want to actually meet him, of course, before anything happened on the relationship front.
This whole thing with Klavier throws a wrench into the mix, though--Apollo's been denying it for some time, but he's attracted to Klavier. He finds himself thinking about the color of Klavier's hair, the way he laughs and his whole face lights up, the way Klavier smiles at Apollo so fondly that it hurts. The way Klavier's lips had felt against his own, the way he'd felt so adored and loved in what could have only been a handful of seconds. No one has ever made Apollo's heart flutter in his chest the way Klavier has managed to in such a short amount of time.
During a brunch friend-date, Nahyuta initially offers no helpful advice when Apollo asks for it. They only quietly sip at their coffee, shrugging. "You should talk to him about it."
Apollo frowns. "Yeah, but I can't exactly do that if he's avoiding me. Which he is."
"Well, then you go to him. Catch him off guard, and make him talk." Nahyuta hums. “He’s the one who kissed you, he needs to face it. I get that he’s probably embarrassed, and there’s the whole ‘put Delphi out of business’ thing, but--okay, when did this happen, again?”
“Almost two weeks ago.”
“Almost two weeks? Oh, yeah, he definitely needs to talk to you about it.” Nahyuta purses their lips. “So go chase him down and make him talk.”
The advice he gets from Clay a few days later is roughly the same--though Clay is also almost immediately trying to call Klavier to scream at him and threaten to punch his face in. Eventually Apollo does manage to calm him down, but the sentiment is still the same--force Klavier to meet Apollo alone. Apollo somehow manages to keep it from Athena, but he already knows that she would run to Klavier's apartment to kill him the moment she found out. That, or she'd tell him exactly the same thing.
Cornering Klavier is really the only way to go.
As he’s in the middle of texting Ema and Trucy, hoping that one of them might know where Klavier is, he gets an email.
To: propheticsound
2:20 PM
You still like Mumford & Sons, right?
To: pianoman
3:15 PM
As a matter of fact, I do. That was the artist we first started talking about, right? When this whole thing started? Man, that was ages ago.
What's up?
To: propheticsound
3:30 PM
Well...I believe I told you that someday, I would make things up to you, for leaving you hanging. And I think I have a good way to start that.
I've managed to get my hands on a pair of really nice tickets for when Mumford is in town in about two weeks. I was hoping you'd be willing to join me. I'll be there super early to be sure we don't miss each other. I'll wear a leather jacket, and if I can find my Wilder Mind tour shirt, I'll have that on.
You don't have to give me an answer--just meet me at will call. I'll be waiting.
Apollo doesn’t know how to respond to that. He stares at his phone with his jaw hanging open for about five minutes.
It's been months since the disastrous open mic night where pianoman had stood him up, and while he's mostly over it now, he'd never actually expected an invitation to meet again. Maybe it was because he'd blocked out all possibility of it happening again in his mind due to what happened--Apollo couldn't say for sure. But his heart stutters a little at the thought.
He needs to get this thing with Klavier sorted out, and fast, if he's going to meet pianoman.
Another week passes, and Apollo still hasn't seen Klavier since that night he came over to make dinner. They've texted some, at least--so it's not as if Klavier is completely unreachable. (Though, it's debatable, considering that Klavier has only texted to say that he can't meet to talk because he's been busy with a contract and recording, so Apollo is still being avoided.)
Apollo still hasn't responded to pianoman at all about the concert, either. It's extremely likely that he will be going, but the rational part of his brain is going haywire about it all, making him worry about being stood up again. His heart is telling a different story, but he can't quell the fear of being made a fool of again.
To: pianoman
8:20 AM
...You will actually be there this time, won't you? You won't leave me hanging?
To: propheticsound
8:23 AM
I won't. I promise.
Can I take that as a yes?
To: pianoman
8:45 AM
You can take that as a maybe.
Apollo chews his lip, trying not to get his hopes up about it.
He sends Klavier another vaguely threatening text (something to the effect of if we don't talk about this I will actually punch you and Ema won't be stopping me) to see if they can meet and get this straightened out--the faster, the better. He's got a week until the Mumford & Sons concert to make up his mind, and he wants to be sure he'll go without any kind of baggage or with an idea of what he wants out of this.
Klavier texts back about half an hour later, once again apologizing for the delay (this time caused by a meeting with his new agent). He suggests lunch a little later in the week as an olive branch--and a promise that they will talk everything out.
Mikeko is sympathetic when Apollo gets home, curling up in his lap and purring loudly in an effort to offer comfort. Apollo scratches behind her ears as he stares off into nothing, mind wandering over things yet again. Is he overthinking all of this? Probably. He texts Trucy some, but then puts on something in the background as he cleans and cooks for the night.
Klavier finds him at KXT two days later, looking bashful as he appears at Apollo’s office door. Very quietly, he says, “Uh, hi. Sorry I’ve been so absent, I didn’t mean to be.”
Apollo doesn’t even need his bracelet to know that’s a partial lie. He huffs a little. “Not to mention avoiding me.”
“...Okay, maybe just a little. I’m sorry.” Klavier tilts his head. “Come on--you pick where we’re going, I’ll buy.”
There’s an awkwardness in their conversation as they head to the restaurant Apollo picks (one within walking distance of the station), and it’s clear Klavier isn’t sure how to approach the topic between them. He keeps glancing at Apollo, expression a mix of hopeful and worried, and if he didn’t find it at least a little sweet then Apollo would snap and tell him to knock it off.
But it’s cute, in a weird and aggravating way--he’s willing to admit it.
When Apollo changes the conversation topic to what’s been keeping Klavier so busy, the blonde’s shoulders lose some of their tension and he seems relieved to talk about something else. It turns out that the claim he had signed with a record company was true (Apollo had thought it might be bullshit, in spite of how good Klavier is), and that he’s been working out details and figuring things out with his new agent. Klavier asks about the station, and there’s no news there--just the usual bickering among his coworkers. But after a while, they fall into silence, unable to really talk about anything else.
They don’t actually get around to discussing what’s happened between them until the walk back to the station. Apollo assumes it’s because Klavier isn’t sure of how to broach the subject, so he’s willing to wait. He’s been promised a talk about it, after all, and so far Klavier has kept all of his promises.
They turn into a park about halfway between the restaurant and the station, and the tension in Klavier’s shoulders returns. Apollo studies him closely for a little while, watching as the blonde tries to find the right words to say. Apollo’s eyes catch on the way Klavier bites his lip, and it takes a moment before Apollo tells himself to stop staring.
Finally, Klavier speaks. “I haven’t been avoiding you entirely on purpose.”
“It certainly doesn’t come across that way.” Apollo keeps his tone lightly teasing, in an attempt to keep Klavier from feeling too guilty.
Klavier huffs a little. “I’m trying to apologize, would you knock it off?” But he doesn’t sound as irritated as he could be.
Apollo cracks a bit of a smile. “Sorry, but that’s part of my charm.”
Klavier rolls his eyes. “Anyway, as I was saying...I wasn’t avoiding you entirely on purpose. But then I did anyway.” He’s quiet for a moment, before continuing. “...I was trying to hide it.”
“Hide what?”
Klavier meets Apollo’s eyes, a bemused smile playing across his lips. “Why do you think I would have even tried to kiss you in the first place? I’m--” Klavier lets out a breath, running a hand through his hair. “God, this sounds nuts. I’m in love with you.”
Apollo’s eyes go as wide as dinner plates. He supposes that part of him has known this for a while, but it hadn’t registered until now, when Klavier said it.
Klavier turns pink, embarrassed. “I guess it seems kind of silly, huh? We’ve only really gotten to know each other and be friendly for a little while. But I think I’ve been this way for a while before that.”
Apollo works his jaw a couple of times, trying to speak. Klavier waits for him, glancing at him once or twice.
“Then you’ve felt that way for how long exactly?” Apollo frowns. “Because I can’t have left a good impression on you before you and Lamiroir played for KXT.”
Klavier shoves his hands deep into his jacket pockets. “...I think it was when we actually first met.”
“Huh?”
“At your musical festival. I saw you on this stage, for the station? I was there with Daryan, and just...for a moment, our eyes met, and everything seemed to slow down. And you looked like you belonged up there, in that place in the sunshine.” Klavier chews his lip. “Not just because you’re named after the Greek sun god, I mean.”
Apollo’s face feels unnaturally warm, and he ducks his head.
“But I didn’t realize it all until...well, later.” Klavier fiddles with his bangs, expression turning thoughtful. “By then, though, you were waiting on your Prince Charming to sweep you off your feet, and I didn’t want to mess with that. Kissing you was...god, it was something I really wanted. But I should have waited until you had everything sorted out with your email guy.”
“That’s...considerate of you.”
“I’ve done enough to hurt you. With making Delphi close down. I would have stayed quiet about my feelings anyway--at least, until I thought I might have a chance.” Klavier shrugs. “Which may never happen. I don’t think you could forgive me for what I’ve done to you, between Delphi and the open mic night.”
“Klavier…”
“So, that’s it, I guess.” Klavier won’t meet his eyes. “I’m sorry for kissing you, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how I felt before. I was trying not to complicate things for you, but I ended up doing so anyway.”
He doesn’t respond when Apollo tries to continue the subject, to try to explain to Klavier that it was okay. That he was worrying about nothing. But in a way, Klavier’s right--Apollo probably won’t ever fully forgive him for forcing Apollo to close down Delphi. That store had been his life, his passion, for so long. It had been his father’s before that. It was something that Apollo had held so deeply in his heart that having it ripped away left a wound that could never fully heal. But that didn’t mean that Apollo couldn’t be with Klavier.
In the following silence, Apollo lets his mind wander. This new information doesn’t exactly clear things up--in fact, it makes it worse. He’d been hoping that the kiss had been a fluke--just an impulsive decision. But now, he knows that Klavier loves him, and now his feelings are all in a jumble. He loves pianoman, right? Or, well, however much you can love someone you’ve only talked to over the internet. But Klavier is here, and real, and loves him in spite of all the things that have happened between them. Apollo’s not sure how he feels towards Klavier--especially since that kiss--but this has done nothing but make it more confusing for him.
At least Klavier is aware of the confusion this has caused.
They finally make it back to the station, and they pause at the front door. Klavier hasn’t really said anything since his apology, and he seems as lost in thought as Apollo is.
“...I’m supposed to be meeting him.” Apollo finally says. At Klavier’s surprised look, Apollo continues. “My email guy. He’s got tickets to Mumford & Sons.”
“Oh. ...Are you going to go?”
“I don’t know for sure yet.”
Something flickers through Klavier’s eyes, so fast that Apollo can’t really pick up on it.
“...Do you think I should go?” Apollo isn’t quite sure why he’s asking. Maybe he just doesn’t want to be totally crazy. “Should I try to actually see him? Part of me is scared that he’s just trying to make me look like a fool again. I couldn’t stand it if he did.”
Klavier is quiet for a long moment, before finally saying, “I can’t tell you to go or not to go. All I can say is that--from what I know--he’s a good guy. He wouldn’t leave you stranded unless something kept him from meeting you.”
Apollo’s not sure how Klavier could be so certain, since they’ve only talked vaguely about pianoman before.
“At the very least, you can talk to him about things. And Mumford does great concerts, so if worse comes to worse, you can ignore him and just enjoy the music.”
That brings a tiny smile to Apollo’s face. “Well, that’s true at least.”
The corner of Klavier’s mouth turns up in a smile. “So go if you want. Don’t go if you want. Just do what feels right to you.”
They give each other a still slightly awkward farewell, but Apollo does feel better, knowing what he does now. Maybe someday….maybe some day, if all of this doesn’t work out, he and Klavier could try being together. Apollo finds his heart beating wildly at the thought of it being sooner rather than later.
He’s quiet and contemplative for the rest of the afternoon, thinking things over. He only has a few days to decide to go to the concert, and sort of just what he wants out of his relationship with pianoman.
From: Trucy W.
polly said you talked to him today, did it go ok????
From: Ema
oh shit yea, everything okay?
From: K. Gavin
he said he isn’t sure about meeting me as pianoman
but i told him i love him so. there’s that
Trucy W. and Ema are typing…
From: K. Gavin
so here’s hoping he shows i guess. ill know saturday at 4
Trucy W. and Ema are typing...
From: Ema
you are SUCH a bisexual disaster. you need to get yourself under control
From: Trucy W.
HE TOLD ME NOTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT???? WHAT THE FUCK WHY DID HE NOT SAY ANY OF THIS??????
Apollo spends three hours on Saturday trying to decide what to wear. He keeps pulling things out of his closet and then putting them away again, modelling for Mikeko though she does nothing but stare at him and claw at her cat tree.
Eventually he settles on a nice plaid button up and dark jeans, rolling the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. He gels his hair up the way he only does when he’s got an important meeting, and then paces his apartment for the remaining thirty minutes before he needs to leave.
He may or may not be nervous.
He’s been caught up in his head since his lunch with Klavier, trying to decide what it was that he wanted out of this. Honestly, if Klavier and pianoman would turn out to be the same person, that would make Apollo’s life a lot simpler--but he knows that’s just wishful thinking, and that life almost always favors the complicated. At the very least, he knows he wants to see where this thing with pianoman will go. There’s going to be a very long talk after this concert.
The concert is at an outdoor venue, one that Apollo’s been to once or twice for smaller shows but never something as popular as Mumford. The day is perfect for an outdoor concert, too, not as hot as it sometimes gets in L.A. but cool enough to call for a light jacket. He does wish it were darker out, to hide how red he knows his face is going to be.
Apollo parks his car and does his best not to power walk all the way to will call--he actually stops himself several times on the way, forcing himself to take deep breaths and calm down. Why is he so nervous about this? Is it because he’s much more certain of pianoman actually being there than he had been before? He couldn’t say.
His stomach is in knots as he draws closer to the ticket counter, passing through the security gate and biting his lip as he scans the crowd.
Almost instantly, he spots a man in a leather jacket hovering by the ticket counter, his back to Apollo. He’s got blonde hair tied at the back of his head...how funny that he knows two people with long blonde hair. Everything does seem to be right, though--leather jacket, waiting at will call. Apollo steps forward, pushing through the crowd to greet pianoman .
He’s about ten feet away when the man turns and Apollo stops in his tracks.
Klavier Gavin bites his lip, eyes scanning the crowd as if searching for someone. Apollo’s heart stutters to a stop for a long moment, and everything seems to slow down around him. But then, his heart starts thudding away at double time, and there’s a roar in Apollo’s ears.
Apollo pushes through the crowd between he and Klavier even more frantically now, bursting out of a group of people a few feet away from Klavier. When Apollo looks up, he meets Klavier’s eyes.
They don’t say anything to each other for a long moment, and Apollo feels his mouth fall agape at the openly loving and awed expression Klavier has on his face.
“I’m going to take this as a yes.” Klavier murmurs after another moment of silence, voice thick with emotion. “I was worried you wouldn’t actually show, propheticsound .”
Apollo feels his eyes well up as the realization that Klavier and pianoman really are the same person dawns on him. He feels frozen, unable to do anything more than gape at Klavier, tears beginning to roll down his face. He’s not usually one to cry, but something in his chest has squeezed them out as everything comes crashing down on him at this realization.
Apollo takes several more moments to finally be able to get out a very watery, “I hate you so goddamn much.”
Klavier’s eyes are brimming now, and he only laughs. “I certainly hope not, because I love you more than anything.”
Apollo unwillingly lets out a sob, rushing a few steps forward and into Klavier’s waiting arms. He feels Klavier cradle the back of his head, and he buries his face into the crook of Klavier’s neck. He lets out a shaky breath, heart still hammering away in his chest.
“How long have you known?” Apollo whispers.
“Since the open mic night. I’m so sorry it turned out so badly.”
Apollo tightens his hold on Klavier, shaking his head. “I’m so, so glad it’s you.”
Klavier doesn’t really answer, but Apollo feels his let out what must be a relieved breath. They stay there, holding each other, for what feels like a century--Apollo doesn’t want it to end.
The air fills with sound as the opening act begins to set up, and that draws Klavier and Apollo apart. They glance towards the stage, then back up at each other. Klavier gently wipes the tear tracks from Apollo’s cheeks, smile soft and more loving than Apollo has ever seen.
Klavier leans forward and presses a kiss to Apollo’s forehead. In a flash, Apollo has gently tugged him down into a kiss, smiling widely into it as Klavier can only laugh. The kiss lasts for several moments, the two of them too busy smiling and laughing to themselves to let it be anything more. That will come later, anyway.
“I’m really glad you came.” Klavier relinquishes his hold on Apollo in order to take his hand.
“Me too.” Apollo murmurs. “God, I’m so glad it was you.”
Klavier’s expression is fond as he studies Apollo’s face. “I’m glad it was you too.”
Apollo tightens his hold on Klavier’s hand, letting out a steadying breath. It seemed as though the world had finally, finally, wanted him to be happy. He follows as Klavier leads him to their seats, heart light in his chest.
but in the cold light i live
to love and adore you
it's all that i am
it's all that i have
in the cold light i live
i only live for you
it's all that i am
it's all that i have
there will be time (ft. baaba maal)
mumford & sons
it's all that i am, and it's all that i have
official playlist
tracklist
1. alaska - maggie rogers
2. the boxer - mumford + sons
3. black man in a white world - michael kiwanuka
4. black water lilies - aurora
5. take a walk - passion pit
6. the changing lights - broken bells
7. late night confessions - ciity
8. stay with me - faces
9. san francisco - the mowglis
10. candles - daughter
11. mystery - boxed in
12. love is a burden - jamestown revival
13. sit still, look pretty - daya
14. white flag - joseph
15. sabotage - the beastie boys
16. nemesis - benjamin clementine
17. lethargy - bastille
18. ain't no sunshine - bill withers
19. happy pills - norah jones
20. without you - oh wonder
21. jolene - dolly parton
22. goodbye to a world - porter robinson
23. dreaming with a broken heart - john mayer
24. funnyman (acoustic version) - kt tunstall
25. call you home - kelvin jones
26. please don't say you love me (studio session) - gabrielle aplin
27. daft pretty boys - bad suns
28. rose-colored boy - paramore
29. would you call that love - kelly clarkson
30. i miss the misery - halestorm
31. praying - kesha
32. 26 - paramore
33. human - rag'n'bone man
24. you can't hurry love - phil collins
35. ultralife - oh wonder
36. riptide - vance joy
37. avalanche - walk the moon
38. the mother we share - chvrches
39. stay - zedd + alessia cara
40. there will be time (ft. baaba maal) - mumford + sons