Work Text:
Simon Blackquill.
That name still makes Sebastian shiver, even though it has been seven years since he first heard it. He remembers watching the TV with Kay when the news came on, revealing a news story that sent Sebastian into a panic attack.
A young prosecutor (only a few years older than him), was arrested on suspicion of murder. Sebastian had vaguely heard of Simon Blackquill before, mainly as that Japan-obsessed samurai guy who worked on the floor above him, but they had never spoken and he doubted Simon even know his name. But to see the photographs of Simon all over the news as people talked about him murdering his mentor, Sebastian felt so sick. He worked in the same office as a murderer.
He kept following the story throughout the trial, and had a panic attack again when Simon was found guilty and sent to death row. He didn’t even know why he was scared anymore, but all he knew was that the name Blackquill made him feel sick with fear.
Over these past seven years, he hasn’t seen Simon at all. He never went to see Simon in prison, mainly because he had no clue what to say. To be honest, he never really thought about Simon, instead following his own path. Sebastian has flourished as a prosecutor over these seven years and grown into a much calmer young man, although his anxiety is still there and will never go away. But he has a support network and he can cope with his life.
But things go downhill again when Mr Edgeworth, now the Chief Prosecutor, calls every prosecutor into a meeting and tells them something truly unbelievable.
“I have decided to allow Simon Blackquill to prosecute in court, despite still being an inmate.”
And he doesn’t really know why – maybe it’s because his father is a prisoner or Blackquill just scares him or maybe because he just has panic attacks all the time – but Sebastian falls into a severe panic attack.
Someone grabs his arm and pulls him out of the room, and Sebastian shudders for breath, tears running down his face, so scared to think he might pass a murderer in the hallway and what if Simon sees how weak he is and sees an easy target and—
“Sebastian?”
Sebastian opens his eyes. He could recognise that voice anywhere.
He can’t calm down (he’ll just have to ride the panic attack out), but he blinks away tears and finds himself in Klavier’s office. Klavier sits beside him on the couch, patting his hand.
“Easy, Sebastian,” Klavier sooths. “Try to calm your breathing. Just breathe nice and slow for me.”
His words seem pointless, but they help. After all, this is Klavier Gavin, a man Sebastian has known since his days at Themis Legal Academy. Other than Kay, Klavier is his best friend. And, having seen Sebastian have a lot of panic attacks, he knows just how to help.
Klavier stays with him for the next twenty minutes, helping Sebastian time his breathing and soothing him and just staying with him, and, finally, the panic attack ends. Sebastian gasps for breath, his chest aching and eyes burning, and Klavier presses a tissue into his gloved hand.
“Ja, that’s it,” Klavier says, smiling. “Do you feel better now?”
Sebastian nods. He goes to open his mouth, but his words have gone. Of course; he often goes nonverbal after a panic attack. After cleaning himself up, he takes his conducting baton out of his bag and grips it with trembling hands.
“I know why you started panicking,” Klavier says. “And… I understand why you’re scared. But I promise you you’ll be okay, Seb. If anything happens, I’ll protect you. I promise.”
Sniffing, Sebastian smiles weakly and slumps against Klavier, letting his best friend pull him into a hug.
He doesn’t have a panic attack again, but the next few days pass in a haze of heightened anxiety. The Chief Prosecutor apologizes for accidentally causing a panic attack, and sits Sebastian down to explain what will happen. He learns that Simon will always be accompanied by a detective armed with a shock device (which he thinks is a bit cruel until he learns the detective is Mr Fulbright, who would never shock someone), always have his wrists cuffed and will not be at the prosecutors’ office for more than a few hours a day. And he also leans that, apparently, Blackquill is an oddly pleasant guy for a convicted murderer, and Mr Edgeworth isn’t scared of him at all.
Still, when the day comes for Simon to appear at the High Prosecutors’ Office for the first time in seven years, Sebastian couldn’t be more grateful to be in court at the time. He may lose his case against Mr Justice, but he knew the suspect was innocent, and he’s just glad to be out of the offices in case he bumps into Simon.
When the case is over, Kay, his detective, has to literally drag him back to the offices, and Sebastian feels like his heart might explode. After Kay heads back to the precinct, Sebastian heads into the cafeteria to get a late lunch, but Sebastian freezes in the doorway.
Simon Blackquill is in here. Simon sits at a table in the corner, Detective Fulbright beside him, having a conversation with Klavier. There’s a smirk on his face and all Sebastian can think of is the fact this guy brutally murdered someone and what if he hurts him and—
“Sebastian!” Klavier calls, waving to him. “How did it go?”
With reluctance, Sebastian wanders closer, wringing his hands again and again. his heart drums inside his ribcage, and he kind of wants to be sick.
“I, uh… lost,” he mumbles, staring down at the floor.
“Well, you thought she was innocent anyway, right?”
“Um, yeah.”
“Do you wanna get something to eat?”
Sebastian nods, despite feeling sick. “O-Okay.”
But as he makes his way over to the line to order food, a new voice makes him freeze in place.
“Ah, this must be the Debeste-dono you were talking about.”
The voice is deep, crisp and surprisingly British, and the use of a Japanese honorific confuses him. But then it all sinks in and Sebastian has to fight hard to stop himself running away as fast as he can.
That’s… Simon Blackquill’s voice.
Sebastian freezes and screws his eyes up. This is just like with his father. Maybe if he just stays very, very still, Blackquill won’t hurt him.
“Ja, this is him. He’s really nervous, so please try not to spook him.”
“Don’t worry!” Detective Fulbright says, his voice too loud. “Prosecutor Blackquill can’t do anything to hurt you!”
Sebastian takes a step backwards, tilting his head up. He looks at Simon, swallowing hard. He looks different than he did in the photos from seven years ago – his face is incredibly pale with dark smudges under his eyes and his hair has a large white streak – but his appearance is as scary as ever.
He flinches, wringing his hands faster. “I, uh…”
He hears a clink of chains, and Sebastian steps backwards again. Simon stands up slowly, an inquisitive expression on his face.
“Calm yourself, Debeste-dono. I assure you I won’t hurt you. Even if I wasn’t being babysat by Fool Bright, I wouldn’t hurt you. What kind of bloody idiot would I be to attack someone and risk ruining the privileges given to me by the Chief Prosecutor?”
He knows there’s logic to what Blackquill is saying. But… how can he calm himself down when he’s in a state like this.”
“Sebastian?” Klavier says. “Sit back down, please, Mr Blackquill. He’s scared.”
“I did notice that,” Blackquill says, but he sits back down.
“Seb, it’s okay. You can leave if you want.”
Sebastian wants to try and calm himself down and stop being a wimp, but… he can’t. Tears bubbling in his eyes, he turns and hurries out of the room. Sebastian locks himself inside his office and breaks down sobbing.
Blackquill definitely thinks I’m vulnerable now, he thinks, curling up in a ball.
After a visit from Klavier and a long hug, Sebastian calms down. He feels like such a fool, but he’s used to his anxiety overreacting like this.
And after a few more days of avoiding Blackquill, Sebastian works up the courage to talk to him again. He takes the elevator upstairs and walks towards Klavier’s office; as Simon has been shadowing Klavier, he spends most of his time at the offices in this room. Sebastian genuinely feels like he might faint, but he wants to do this. He wants to have a real first meeting. He wants to know if Simon Blackquill really is as scary as he looks.
Gripping his baton, Sebastian knocks on the office door.
“Come in!” Klavier calls, and Sebastian opens the door.
He pokes his head inside, and finds Klavier at his desk, whilst Simon and Fulbright sit on the couch, studying notes about that big case Simon will be put on tomorrow.
“Um… s-sorry for bothering you,” Sebastian says.
“Not at all, Seb,” Klavier says, smiling.
Looking over at Blackquill, Sebastian swallows hard. “Mr Blackquill, I… I, I wanted t-to introduce myself p-properly, after the other day.”
Simon looks at him, frowning like he’s studying him. “I see. You don’t need to feel bad about the other day, Debeste-dono. I know about your mental health, and getting anxious around a convicted murder is nothing to be ashamed of.”
He’s not smiling, but his normal sarcastic smirk looks totally different. Sebastian is pretty bad at reading facial expressions, but he’s pretty sure Simon is trying to be comforting.
“Th-Thank you. I just…” Sebastian steps closer and extends his free hand. “I, I’m Sebastian Debeste. P-Pleased to meet you.”
Simon smirks and rises to his feet – but slowly so as not to spook him – and holds out one of his cuffed hands. He grasps Sebastian’s gloved hand and shakes firmly. “And I am Simon Blackquill. It’s good to meet you.”
Sebastian trembles as he stares at Simon, not sure what to think. He’s undoubtedly a murderer, but Simon… actually seems to be a genuinely nice guy. What the hell?
When the handshake ends, Sebastian takes a step backwards and flexes his baton. Siimon’s eyes lock onto the conducting baton, and he looks at Sebastian again.
“Debeste-dono, is that a conducting baton in your hands?”
Sebastian nods, hoping Simon won’t mock him like his father always used to. “Y-Yeah. I… I love to compose music.”
“Hmm, sounds interesting,” Simon says. “Would you allow me to listen to one of your pieces sometime?”
“R-Really?”
“Of course. I adore music.”
Sebastian stares at him, eyes wide. And, for the first time in days… Sebastian smiles.
---
After Sebastian leaves his office, trembling much less than when he entered, Klavier rests his chin on his hand and glances over at Simon.
“So, Herr Blackquill, what do you think of Sebastian?”
Simon rubs the back of his neck, his chains clinking, and tilts his head slightly. “Like you said, he’s an incredibly nervous bloke. Although I’m not surprised, given what his git of a father did to him. But once I got to know him, it became obvious that he has a real passion for music and is a genuinely nice person.”
Klavier grins. Without the British slang, that’s exactly how he would describe Sebastian.
“And I would like to get to know him better,” Simon says, his smirk slipping and, to Klavier’s surprise, a real smile crossing his face.