[Ace Attorney] fic: His Pet Brother Part 3
Title: His Pet Brother Part 3
Fandom: Ace Attorney (AJ era with references to AAI1)
Words: 1,475
Summary: Upon his colleague's recommendation, Kristoph visits a pet shop in Chinatown to acquire a pet dog but somehow returns home with a human instead. No matter how much he condemns himself, he can't bring himself to part with his new brother. He thinks the world of Klavier -- until he breaks the contract.
Notes: These chapter divisions are pretty terrible, whoops.
Previous Part
His Pet Brother Part 3
After Klavier joined the school band, he began singing at home and even managed to convince Kristoph to buy him a guitar. Kristoph had to admit that he enjoyed Klavier's singing a lot, but he didn't expect that Klavier would want to form a band of his own in the future. From Klavier's explanation, it sounded like he was planning on a career in music. The younger boy had given it a lot of thought.
"I want to spread the Gavin name!" exclaimed Klavier when Kristoph asked why.
That was sweet of him and all, but Kristoph didn't want Klavier in the spotlight. That would bring him too much attention, and music wasn't a realistic career. But when he looked at Klavier, his determination was evident in his eyes. Kristoph could tell that Klavier had the talent to succeed.
"What about law?" asked Kristoph. He had been proud when Klavier seemed to share his interest. It was another bond between them, one that Kristoph had thought would be strong. The mere thought that Klavier no longer aspired to be like him took the wind out of his sails.
Klavier merely tilted his head. "What about it? I am not giving it up. I can do both."
Kristoph released the breath that he didn't know he had been holding. He chuckled while he marveled at how alive Klavier was. Klavier thought he could take on the world. Well, if that was what Klavier wanted, Kristoph would support him. He would help him plan and prepare. They were family.
He learned to accept the changes Klavier went through. In some ways, Klavier was like a blank slate, easily influenced by Kristoph and by the rest of his environment. If they had not met, Klavier would never have considered law and he would never have come to rely on Kristoph so much. Klavier trusted Kristoph completely and admired all that he did. In return, Kristoph found comfort in Klavier's presence and his unwavering loyalty. Kristoph could hardly remember a time when Klavier wasn't in his life. Their shared peace almost made him forget how Klavier had come into his life.
Almost.
He soon received a wake up call.
Kristoph hadn't done it on purpose. In hindsight, that was the only reason he had come out of the situation relatively unscathed, but he would still have a lasting scar to show for it. It happened one day when he was trimming his nails. His nails had gotten too long for him, and the edges were not as perfect as he would have liked, so he took out a pair of small manicure scissors to fix his nails. He found fixing his nails to be relaxing and often took time in the evenings to unwind by beautifying his nails. This time was no different. Meanwhile, Klavier was quietly reading in the same room. It was a very normal evening.
The day would have ended on a normal note if only Klavier hadn't tripped. Klavier had gotten up, his head still buried in his book. He shuffled forward towards the table, but his foot must have gotten caught in the rug because the next thing Kristoph knew, Klavier was flying right at him. Kristoph hastily stood up and tried to move his small manicure scissors out of the way, but he must not have done that quickly enough.
Kristoph wondered why he even bothered to stand up - the force of Klavier's fall pushed him right back into his chair and even toppled them both. They tumbled to the ground. As they fell, Kristoph watched a lock of blond hair drift to the ground almost in slow motion.
"Sorry Klavier," commented Kristoph dryly. "I think I might have accidentally-"
Before Kristoph even managed to finish speaking, Klavier violently wrenched the scissors out of Kristoph's hand.
"Klavier?" exclaimed Kristoph, bewildered.
His exclamation died in his mouth when Klavier stabbed the sharp metal right into the very hand that had been holding the scissors the moment before. His right hand burst in pain, but his mind was too numb to register what was going on. His body protested against the treatment - he tried to throw Klavier off, but his movements only made the younger boy twist those damned scissors and drive the metal further in. The metal was anything but cold. It was hot and searing and scorching.
Kristoph gasped and screamed. He screamed at Klavier to get off, but it was no use.
Klavier's eyes were wild.
The contract. He had violated the contract.
Klavier was out cold. Kristoph hadn't been able to make him stop. He had blindly reached for something to help and had come upon Klavier's fallen book. Kristoph had hurriedly grabbed that and smashed it against Klavier's head, and now Klavier was still out cold. The boy had fallen silent, just as eerily silent as he had been throughout the entire ordeal.
Kristoph should be worried about Klavier, and he was, he really was, but he was more numb than anything. His heart had taken a long time to calm down, but his hand was still on fire. He tried moving his fingers - gods, let them still work - but the slightest twitch made him cry out in pain. He went on autopilot to stop his own bleeding. His first aid lessons ran through his mind like a mantra - take care of your own injuries first or else you'd be no help for anyone else. While he was still doing that, he heard a groan coming from where Klavier lay.
The older Gavin swallowed and wondered what state of mind Klavier was in. He never thought he would ever be frightened of Klavier, but here he was. His illusions of sweet, innocent Klavier had been shattered. He was a threat. He was unstable. But he was also Klavier.
Turning around carefully, Kristoph watched as Klavier groaned again. Klavier's hand came up to his head. That must have been where Kristoph had clobbered him. It must hurt, but Kristoph had to do it. Klavier opened his eyes groggily, his long eyelashes inching upwards to reveal clear blue irises. Kristoph almost forgot how to breathe.
"Brother?" asked Klavier blearily, clearly out of sorts. He had even reverted to German. "What happened?"
Kristoph breathed a sigh of relief. Klavier was back to normal. Kristoph had no idea what had happened, but he knew he had broken rule number 3 on the contract. He hadn't done it on purpose, or else Kristoph didn't think Klavier could be stopped even if Kristoph clobbered him on the head.
"I think it's best if you cut your own hair from now on," murmured Kristoph. When Klavier looked at him questioningly, Kristoph grudgingly explained what had happened. Never would Kristoph even dare to lie to Klavier. He couldn't imagine the consequences. If this was what one accidental snip did (and it wasn't even his fault the snip had occurred), he didn't want to find out what would happen if he broke one of the rules intentionally. That meant he had to be careful. Much more careful. That meant no lies, no references to Klavier as his pet, no touching of Klavier's hair.
"Oh gods, I did that?" said Klavier in horror. He touched the soaked bandages on Kristoph's right hand and immediately retracted his hand when Kristoph winced. "I'm so so sorry." The younger boy looked to be on the verge of tears. Kristoph's over-imaginative mind had been warning him against Klavier, but at the sight of those tear-filled eyes, Kristoph found himself swinging his left arm around Klavier to bring him in for a one handed hug. Klavier buried his face against his older brother's shirt. Kristoph could feel his shirt slowly getting wet from tears. He blinked himself. He was so very glad he hadn't lost Klavier, but now he knew Klavier wasn't merely his charming little brother.
Kristoph, despite his misgivings, had to return to the petshop to figure out what in the world that contract was. It was just a piece of paper. The words on a mere piece of paper shouldn't have made Klavier crazy like that. However, when Kristoph reached the petshop, he discovered that the shop was completely empty.
Eyes wide, Kristoph ran past the entrance. He looked left and right, but there was not a single tea cup or incense burner in sight. He stumbled over to where the corridors were supposed to be, but there were no corridors to see. The petshop was just as small on the inside as it looked from the outside. The mysterious owner had disappeared without a trace, and he had taken all evidence of the petshop's existence with him.
Kristoph slammed his hand against the wall and immediately regretted his action. He cradled his right hand as he left. His oozing blood did nothing for his mood. When he reached home, he immediately locked the contract away in a safe where he kept his most important documents.
to be continued
Fandom: Ace Attorney (AJ era with references to AAI1)
Words: 1,475
Summary: Upon his colleague's recommendation, Kristoph visits a pet shop in Chinatown to acquire a pet dog but somehow returns home with a human instead. No matter how much he condemns himself, he can't bring himself to part with his new brother. He thinks the world of Klavier -- until he breaks the contract.
Notes: These chapter divisions are pretty terrible, whoops.
Previous Part
His Pet Brother Part 3
After Klavier joined the school band, he began singing at home and even managed to convince Kristoph to buy him a guitar. Kristoph had to admit that he enjoyed Klavier's singing a lot, but he didn't expect that Klavier would want to form a band of his own in the future. From Klavier's explanation, it sounded like he was planning on a career in music. The younger boy had given it a lot of thought.
"I want to spread the Gavin name!" exclaimed Klavier when Kristoph asked why.
That was sweet of him and all, but Kristoph didn't want Klavier in the spotlight. That would bring him too much attention, and music wasn't a realistic career. But when he looked at Klavier, his determination was evident in his eyes. Kristoph could tell that Klavier had the talent to succeed.
"What about law?" asked Kristoph. He had been proud when Klavier seemed to share his interest. It was another bond between them, one that Kristoph had thought would be strong. The mere thought that Klavier no longer aspired to be like him took the wind out of his sails.
Klavier merely tilted his head. "What about it? I am not giving it up. I can do both."
Kristoph released the breath that he didn't know he had been holding. He chuckled while he marveled at how alive Klavier was. Klavier thought he could take on the world. Well, if that was what Klavier wanted, Kristoph would support him. He would help him plan and prepare. They were family.
He learned to accept the changes Klavier went through. In some ways, Klavier was like a blank slate, easily influenced by Kristoph and by the rest of his environment. If they had not met, Klavier would never have considered law and he would never have come to rely on Kristoph so much. Klavier trusted Kristoph completely and admired all that he did. In return, Kristoph found comfort in Klavier's presence and his unwavering loyalty. Kristoph could hardly remember a time when Klavier wasn't in his life. Their shared peace almost made him forget how Klavier had come into his life.
Almost.
He soon received a wake up call.
Kristoph hadn't done it on purpose. In hindsight, that was the only reason he had come out of the situation relatively unscathed, but he would still have a lasting scar to show for it. It happened one day when he was trimming his nails. His nails had gotten too long for him, and the edges were not as perfect as he would have liked, so he took out a pair of small manicure scissors to fix his nails. He found fixing his nails to be relaxing and often took time in the evenings to unwind by beautifying his nails. This time was no different. Meanwhile, Klavier was quietly reading in the same room. It was a very normal evening.
The day would have ended on a normal note if only Klavier hadn't tripped. Klavier had gotten up, his head still buried in his book. He shuffled forward towards the table, but his foot must have gotten caught in the rug because the next thing Kristoph knew, Klavier was flying right at him. Kristoph hastily stood up and tried to move his small manicure scissors out of the way, but he must not have done that quickly enough.
Kristoph wondered why he even bothered to stand up - the force of Klavier's fall pushed him right back into his chair and even toppled them both. They tumbled to the ground. As they fell, Kristoph watched a lock of blond hair drift to the ground almost in slow motion.
"Sorry Klavier," commented Kristoph dryly. "I think I might have accidentally-"
Before Kristoph even managed to finish speaking, Klavier violently wrenched the scissors out of Kristoph's hand.
"Klavier?" exclaimed Kristoph, bewildered.
His exclamation died in his mouth when Klavier stabbed the sharp metal right into the very hand that had been holding the scissors the moment before. His right hand burst in pain, but his mind was too numb to register what was going on. His body protested against the treatment - he tried to throw Klavier off, but his movements only made the younger boy twist those damned scissors and drive the metal further in. The metal was anything but cold. It was hot and searing and scorching.
Kristoph gasped and screamed. He screamed at Klavier to get off, but it was no use.
Klavier's eyes were wild.
The contract. He had violated the contract.
Klavier was out cold. Kristoph hadn't been able to make him stop. He had blindly reached for something to help and had come upon Klavier's fallen book. Kristoph had hurriedly grabbed that and smashed it against Klavier's head, and now Klavier was still out cold. The boy had fallen silent, just as eerily silent as he had been throughout the entire ordeal.
Kristoph should be worried about Klavier, and he was, he really was, but he was more numb than anything. His heart had taken a long time to calm down, but his hand was still on fire. He tried moving his fingers - gods, let them still work - but the slightest twitch made him cry out in pain. He went on autopilot to stop his own bleeding. His first aid lessons ran through his mind like a mantra - take care of your own injuries first or else you'd be no help for anyone else. While he was still doing that, he heard a groan coming from where Klavier lay.
The older Gavin swallowed and wondered what state of mind Klavier was in. He never thought he would ever be frightened of Klavier, but here he was. His illusions of sweet, innocent Klavier had been shattered. He was a threat. He was unstable. But he was also Klavier.
Turning around carefully, Kristoph watched as Klavier groaned again. Klavier's hand came up to his head. That must have been where Kristoph had clobbered him. It must hurt, but Kristoph had to do it. Klavier opened his eyes groggily, his long eyelashes inching upwards to reveal clear blue irises. Kristoph almost forgot how to breathe.
"Brother?" asked Klavier blearily, clearly out of sorts. He had even reverted to German. "What happened?"
Kristoph breathed a sigh of relief. Klavier was back to normal. Kristoph had no idea what had happened, but he knew he had broken rule number 3 on the contract. He hadn't done it on purpose, or else Kristoph didn't think Klavier could be stopped even if Kristoph clobbered him on the head.
"I think it's best if you cut your own hair from now on," murmured Kristoph. When Klavier looked at him questioningly, Kristoph grudgingly explained what had happened. Never would Kristoph even dare to lie to Klavier. He couldn't imagine the consequences. If this was what one accidental snip did (and it wasn't even his fault the snip had occurred), he didn't want to find out what would happen if he broke one of the rules intentionally. That meant he had to be careful. Much more careful. That meant no lies, no references to Klavier as his pet, no touching of Klavier's hair.
"Oh gods, I did that?" said Klavier in horror. He touched the soaked bandages on Kristoph's right hand and immediately retracted his hand when Kristoph winced. "I'm so so sorry." The younger boy looked to be on the verge of tears. Kristoph's over-imaginative mind had been warning him against Klavier, but at the sight of those tear-filled eyes, Kristoph found himself swinging his left arm around Klavier to bring him in for a one handed hug. Klavier buried his face against his older brother's shirt. Kristoph could feel his shirt slowly getting wet from tears. He blinked himself. He was so very glad he hadn't lost Klavier, but now he knew Klavier wasn't merely his charming little brother.
Kristoph, despite his misgivings, had to return to the petshop to figure out what in the world that contract was. It was just a piece of paper. The words on a mere piece of paper shouldn't have made Klavier crazy like that. However, when Kristoph reached the petshop, he discovered that the shop was completely empty.
Eyes wide, Kristoph ran past the entrance. He looked left and right, but there was not a single tea cup or incense burner in sight. He stumbled over to where the corridors were supposed to be, but there were no corridors to see. The petshop was just as small on the inside as it looked from the outside. The mysterious owner had disappeared without a trace, and he had taken all evidence of the petshop's existence with him.
Kristoph slammed his hand against the wall and immediately regretted his action. He cradled his right hand as he left. His oozing blood did nothing for his mood. When he reached home, he immediately locked the contract away in a safe where he kept his most important documents.
to be continued