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Apollo Justice had a major problem.
See, he was in a relationship, and a very happy one at that. He couldn't ask for a better life than one with Clay, the man who had been there for him through heaven and hell, the one who had been with him through his transition and through his painful endeavors in law school. The two had been dating for a few years now after Clay suddenly confessed upon finding out Apollo had passed the Bar. The two had gone to hell and back. Clay getting stabbed, Apollo getting caught in a bombing then hit on the head so hard he bled. But they were here now, together.
However, that’s where the problem came in.
Klavier Gavin, once the lead singer of the Gavinners, now full-time prosecutor. He has invaded the lives of Apollo and Clay like nobody could imagine. He had once seen the two men on an outing at the aquarium and decided to join them, not exactly catching on that the outing was romantic in nature. To be fair, neither of them had made any effort to tell him of that.
Since that day, the three had hung out quite often. After a while, Klavier found out that the two were in a relationship, but Clay insisted that the three still go out. Despite Apollo's complaining, he didn't actually have any objections. Both of them appreciated the opportunity to know Klavier for more than his rockstar persona. Even Clay, who had always wanted to meet someone of Klavier's status, was able to look past that exterior to see the real, sincere person behind the mask.
However, knowing the real Klavier developed into an issue as Apollo's feelings towards them changed. He recognized that feeling of butterflies in his stomach, the way his eyes traveled over to Klavier as he tried not to smile but ultimately failed.
He had feelings for Klavier Gavin.
The worst part of it was that his feelings for Clay never left. He was just in love with him as he always has been, but now those feelings were accompanied by those for Klavier. It was a bad idea to dwell, Apollo knew. Ignore the unwanted feelings and they'll go away.
They didn't.
After a while, Apollo came to the conclusion that he needed to talk to Clay. After all, in their years of dating, they learned the importance of communication. They could work through this, Apollo knew (hoped).
—
Apollo couldn't look Clay in the eyes as he told him that they needed to talk. Even then, Apollo felt Clay's tension on his wrist.
The two sat on the end of their bed and Apollo fiddled with his fingers, staring at his gray sweatpants.
“What's wrong, ‘Pollo?”
Apollo forced himself to look up at his boyfriend and he sighed before looking away.
“Let me start by saying that I love you and that this doesn't change how I feel about you.” Clay nodded, smiling gently. He said nothing.
“I think I have feelings for someone else. I wanted to tell you because I am so happy with you and I tried to ignore the feelings and they just got worse and–”
“Hey, ‘Pollo, hold on. Look at me.” Clay grabbed Apollo's cheek and gently had him look at him. “It's alright. I want to ask you something, and I need you to trust me, alright?”
Apollo felt a tear in his eye and he desperately blinked to try to be rid of it. He nodded.
“Please, love, tell me. Is it who I'm thinking?”
Apollo would've loved to answer this question but he had no idea what his boyfriend was thinking and he was no mind reader. After a moment's pause, Clay supplied, “Klavier.”
Apollo stopped breathing for a moment and Clay took that as a yes. He gently brought Apollo in for a hug before whispering, in the softest of voices that only Apollo got to hear.
“It's alright. Me too.”
“What?” Apollo didn't move in Clay's arms.
Clay's voice was kind but had also shifted slightly towards relief. “Oh, ‘Pollo, you have no idea how worried I was. I thought you would hate me forever, you know? Or at least break up with me.”
Apollo slowly moved out of his boyfriend's arms, his worry turned to utter confusion.
“What?” he repeated. His voice was anything but accusatory. Apollo was genuinely flabbergasted. “What the fuck? Are you serious?”
Clay chuckled. “What can I say? They're hot and a good person. Can't ask for much more in a guy, y'know?”
“Wait. You're telling me that not only do we like each other,” — Clay nodded enthusiastically — “but we also like the same person?”
“The stars are aligned for us, aren't they, love?”
Apollo let out a small laugh, the last thing he thought would result from this conversation.
“'Pollo, you have to hear me out. What if we ask Klavier to date us? I know it sounds crazy but–”
Apollo's shock only grew, but he put a finger over Clay's lips. He was speechless. On one hand, the idea that he would end up talking to his childhood best friend about being in a polycule with a famous ex-rockstar would be absolutely absurd to anyone that wasn't Apollo. On the other hand, he was Apollo and this was his life.
“Shh. Be logical. Before we do that we need to gauge his opinion. Subtly. Can you do that?”
Clay moved Apollo's hand away. “Awh, c'mon! I'll be so subtle you won't even notice!”
Clay grabbed his phone from the nightstand and Apollo looked over his shoulder as he started typing into the groupchat, the name of said group being chosen by Clay himself.
Space Lawyers 🚀
Clay🌙 (You) : Hey klavierrrrr
Klavier!!!!! : Hallo, Herr Astronaut!
Clay🌙 (You) : Pollo and i r going to kitaki bakery tmrw, u should join us!!!!! 9Am! :P
Klavier!!!!! : I believe I am free, but allow me to check my availability :)
Klavier!!!!! : Ja, I am available! Shall I meet you two there?
Clay🌙 (You) : Ya! C u!!!
☀️ Pollo ☀️ : 👍
“This will be infinitely more difficult in person.”
“It'll be fine! Like I said, I'll be subtle!”
He was, in fact, anything but.
—
The next morning, Apollo woke up with Clay clinging onto him. Clay had always been a cuddler, even going back to when they would share a bed in middle school. Today was no different, even though in an hour they were going to be having a discussion that could change things for the better or worse.
After finally being dragged out of bed by the brunet, Clay got ready shockingly quickly. He put on a yellow shirt with a blue stripe, and put a blue bandana around his head, his spikes sticking out. Luckily, his hair didn't look too shitty that day. Apollo, on the other hand, took more time with his appearance. He wore a turquoise t-shirt with a red cardigan over it, his gold bracelet on his wrist. He applied gel to his hair in the bathroom and from outside, Clay could hear him yelling his mantra. He couldn't help but smile fondly.
When Apollo left the bathroom, Clay took him in again. Recently, the shorter man had stopped trying to cover up his burn scars and the scar on the bottom of his right cheek with concealer. Clay loved his boyfriend's scars, the memories and love they carried flowing through anywhere he stood.
It was about 8:45, and the bakery was around ten minutes away. Apollo and Clay said bye to the adorable Mikeko and headed into Clay's car. Apollo had his licence, sure, but he much preferred biking or remaining in the passenger seat. Today was no different. Apollo connected his phone to the car and played their shared playlist. As Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine played, Clay was smiling in the driver's seat.
“Hey, Clay. You know, I can't believe we're doing this. This is the last thing I expected to come out of our conversation last night.” Apollo looked out the window.
“I know, right? If only I'd known you're pining sooner!”
“I'm…I'm not pining! I'm normal about my feelings.”
“Oh, you're so pining.” Clay's voice became infinitely more teasing and sing-songy. “'Pollo and Klavi sitting in a tree–”
“You're in the tree too, idiot.” Apollo was smirking. Clay laughed. “And don't act like you're not pining. You were so red when you realized I was talking about them. Can't lie, it was quite adorable.”
Clay would've playfully slapped him if he wasn't driving. “Shut up!”
—
It was 8:57 when the two men arrived at the Kitaki Bakery. Klavier hadn't arrived yet. The two took their seats in a booth with two chairs on the opposite end. As was usual for their hangouts, Clay moved the second chair to the next table over. Their usual waiter, one of Apollo's past clients, walked to them sporting his usual colored hair.
“Yo, if it isn't Polly and Clay! What can I get for ya'?”
“Hey Wocky! We're waiting for Klavier. Could I get a latte?” Most people didn't clock Apollo as a latte guy, but he quite enjoyed the taste.
“And I'll pass for now!” Clay's ability to enjoy coffee varied from day to day, and it seemed he wasn't in the mood. However, he was always happy to be at the cafe, even if he didn't always get a drink.
“On it!”
Before his latte was on the table, Klavier Gavin was in their seat, sporting a grin. He wore a black turtleneck with a purple shirt over it.
“Guten Morgen!” God, he was even more beautiful now that the two knew their feelings weren't a betrayal.
“Good… Good morning, Klavier.” Apollo attempted to act normal, and utterly failed.
“Mornin'!” Clay succeeded much more at his attempt to act normal, but his face still went slightly red.
“Here's the coffee, broski. Enjoy!” Wocky directed his attention to Klavier. “And would'ya like anything?”
“Ja, I'll take what Herr Forehead is having.”
Wocky approved of that response and turned away to deliver that for him.
“So, how have you two been? It was quite late when you messaged me, Herr Astronaut.”
Clay looked at Apollo, then back at Klavier.
“We've been fine! Amazing even! But I have a question for you.”
Apollo was tempted to step on his boyfriend's foot to shut him up but he didn't, which was an extremely stupid decision in hindsight.
Clay put his elbows on the table and rested his head on his hands. “How would you feel about being part of a polycule? Specifically a polycule with a really cool future astronaut and a loser lawyer guy.”
Oh, that was so much worse than Apollo thought it was going to be. His face went bright red and his hand covered his mouth. If he had a sip of coffee by that point, he would've likely spit it out. He couldn't even look at either of the two men.
“Uh- I… I gotta go use the… use the bathroom. I'll be… be back.” Apollo stammered, getting up and nearly running into the restroom.
He looked into the mirror, not sure whether he was legitimately panicking or just extremely flustered. The man who stared back at him was painted red with a shaky lip. Clay would call this sight beautiful, he knew. Would Klavier do the same?
The door opened, and in walked Clay and Klavier, both seeming worried. Apollo turned around, redness plastering his embarrassment, but he couldn't look either in the eye. He fiddled with his bracelet.
“'Pollo, you alright?” Apollo moved forward, grabbed Clay's shirt, and buried his head in Clay's shoulder.
“You're… you're so… not subtle at all… caught me off guard…” he muttered, trailing off.
Klavier chuckled teasingly, clearly amused by Apollo's embarrassment. “Ah, typical Apollo ‘Forehead’ Justice. Blunt with his own feelings, yet cannot handle those feelings being spoken for him.” He paused. “I'd even say it's adorable. Wouldn't you, Herr Astronaut?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”
Apollo didn't move, his brain working overtime to process whatever the hell was going on in his vicinity. He was still gripping onto Clay like a lifeline.
“And you, Clay Terran, are no less adorable than Apollo.”
Now it was Clay's turn to become red, turning his body to face Klavier. Apollo looked up at him as he loosened his grip and stepped back and to the side, standing next to Clay and across from Klavier.
Clay, still red, smiled. “Klavier, repeat what you told me out there to ‘Pollo, would you?”
Klavier smiled genuinely, a smile that was usually reserved only for the two of them and some select others. It conveyed that his facade was nowhere to be found in this moment. He wasn't a rockstar, he was just Klavier.
“What was it?” Clay slightly adjusted his voice to resemble Klavier's. “'I won't deny that it has been in my head for a while'?” He turned to Apollo. “If that isn't a confession than I don't know what is.”
Apollo had regained his cool, or at least some of it, along the way. “Yeah. What do you think, Klavier?” Apollo reached his left hand out, palm facing up. His right hand grabbed onto Clay's.
Klavier put his hand into Apollo's, and Apollo, trying desperately to remain intact, moved Klavier's hand to his lips. He looked to the blond for approval, and he nodded. Apollo planted a light kiss on his hand, smiling. He kissed it again, floating on the feeling of being able to live in this moment.
Apollo could've sworn he saw a tear drop from Klavier Gavin's eye. He'd seen the prosecutor vulnerable before, but never in such a public place.
It was beautiful, almost as beautiful as the redness on his cheeks.
After a few moments of a peaceful embrace, the three walked out of the bathroom and sat down, where there were not two lattes where there was once one.
The silence was peaceful, free of tension.
Apollo, always preferring clarity, was the first to ask “What does this mean for us?”
Clay was the first to answer “That we're boyfriends, if everyone is in agreement!”
Klavier was the first to smile and nod and say “I wouldn't want to be anything else.”
They could talk more about what this meant when they inevitably went back to Clay and Apollo’s place, but for now they had a peaceful first date to enjoy.