Chapter Text
(Panicked... Palms sweaty... I can admit it. I'm nervous.)
Apollo was intensely staring at the reflection in the mirror that seemed like it could faint at any given moment.
At first he simply wanted to check if his clothes really looked the way he wanted, if they were nice enough to be appropriate for tonight but not too fancy to send any wrong signals.
Then he wondered what kind of signals he even wanted to send.
And ultimately he succumbed to a feeling of dread and anxiety he hadn't felt since his first day in court.
The last two days had been a powerful blend of excitement and anxiousness.
Images of an expression he had learned to miss randomly entered his mind and distracted him from whatever he was doing previously. But the closer he got to this Sunday the more nervous he felt.
He knew it was silly to get so distraught over something as simple as a date but he just couldn't help but... worry.
What if he did something stupid or embarrassing? What if he was boring? What if there was going to be another date? What if there wasn't? What if he couldn't reciprocate Wocky's feelings? What if he could? What if he would learn to love Wocky only for him to find out that he had been mistaken all along?
Well it certainly went beyond plain worries about the date at this point...
Before he knew it he had already halfway fallen for the fox that had found its way into the hen-house that was Apollo's simple and relatively peaceful life. Though he didn't quite want to admit it just yet.
It was still about an hour until Wocky was supposed to pick him up.
Apollo had been expecting a light breakdown like this so he started getting ready extra early. Although he hadn't considered that being ready early also meant having more time to overthink things...
He briefly considered calling Clay before deciding against it.
He already called him almost every night since his last encounter with Wocky. Clay said that he didn't mind it, that he was happy he called even if it was late and Apollo mostly talked about the emotional mess he couldn't figure out by himself.
Still, there was a reason they mainly communicated through phones these days. Work kept both of them very busy. Apollo didn't want to strain Clay even more by selfishly using him as his romantic counselor after a long day of work. Or on his hard earned weekend. And although he couldn't quite put a finger on it Apollo felt like Clay wasn't too thrilled to hear him gush about possibly falling for a man neither of them really knew all that well.
Romance generally hadn't been a topic between them since College. Not that they weren't comfortable with it, it just hadn't been relevant most of the time.
Clay was the first one Apollo came out to when he had his first boyfriend. He had been there when he went through some draining relationships, none of which had lasted very long, but once they graduated and started getting closer to their dream jobs their ambitions shifted and all of that sort of stopped.
Clay had already supported him more than enough so far. Apollo felt like he should be able to handle a situation like this on his own.
With still more than 50 minutes to go he sat down on the sofa in the living room, put on his headphones, and started listening to some music to drown out the noise of his thoughts.
It was a randomized play-list of his favorite songs. Currently about half of that was Lamiroir. He had bought most of her albums after the last case and they quickly found their way into the list of his all-time favorites. There was just something about her voice that felt incredibly soothing to Apollo. Like the words he couldn't even understand built a connection that was warm and intimate and felt like it had always been there.
He was sure the song that was playing at the moment was about love. He wasn't sure what kind of love but he could clearly hear the affection in her voice.
He closed his eyes and his heart started to beat faster. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to listen to this tonight of all nights...
Despite mild protests Wocky had insisted on picking up Apollo before going to that “pretty neat place” he still kept a secret from the attorney. Apollo himself thought it was kinda silly for him to literally go out of his way since there were only a few establishments in town that would fit all the criteria and most of them were a lot closer to Wocky's home than to Apollo's.
He had suggested that he'd just come by to pick up Wocky instead since it was probably on his way anyway but that had just earned him a “No! That's my duty!! Don't worry, I like walking!”.
Apollo knew when it was pointless to argue so he just accepted this odd determination that he simply explained with Wocky occasionally being surprisingly old-fashioned for his age.
Though he wasn't quite sure how being old-fashioned even worked with what was developing between them...
About 20 minutes before they were supposed to meet a text-message drew Apollo out of the sound scape that had finally succeeded in calming him down.
“Aahh, sorrry I won't make it!!”
“I mean I'll make it but I can't pick you up :x”
After a brief heart-attack and an even shorter burst of anger at the fact that he sent this in two messages without any explanations, Apollo replied.
He wasn't exactly surprised but his stress level had certainly risen again.
Quickly Wocky sent back his answer.
“Nah, don't worry I'm ok. I just sorta ended up at the other end of town and it'd take me like an hour to get to ya”
“OH and it's Eldoon's! You know how to get there, right?”
First of all: How does one end up at the other end of town just like that.
Secondly: Eldoon's?
Even despite Apollo's resentment to the food itself, Eldoon's hadn't been on his list of “pretty neat places” for multiple reasons.
And to go there with him of all people?
Apollo had kind of figured that Wocky had a fairly morbid sense of humor but this seemed just absurd.
He sighed. Just like that it was suddenly annoyingly hard to look forward to the dinner, and the last-minute change in plans didn't make him feel much better either.
But Apollo still wanted to see Wocky.
After preemptively putting some stomach medicine in his pocket Apollo set out to what was probably the last noodle stand he wanted to see tonight.
When he arrived Apollo saw someone sitting at the counter of the stand with the all too familiar lettering.
A young man wearing a leather jacket and a colorful shirt only overshadowed by his rather eccentric hairstyle. Not that Apollo was one to talk though.
He seemed a little lost in thought, checking his cellphone without really looking at it. But once he noticed the approaching attorney Wocky turned around and beamed at the lawyer whose heart started to noticeably speed up.
“You're here! I'm super sorry I couldn't pick you up,” he said all while Apollo started to accept that falling for him might be more than just a possibility.
“I told you that wasn't necessary to begin with,” Apollo said trying his hardest to stay cool “More importantly what happened?”
“That's um... pretty stupid. I'll tell ya some other time.” Wocky was blushing and although Apollo's curiosity was more than peaked he decided not to pry any further for now.
“Here!” Wocky suddenly said while tensely holding a single flower in the general direction of the attorney.
A pink rose. It looked like it was missing a few leaves and the stem itself seemed to have taken some damage as well. Nonetheless Apollo reached for the flower trying not to blush within the first minute of their meeting.
“Thanks, um... that's a really nice color,” Apollo knew next to nothing about flowers so he had no idea if there was a deeper meaning behind it but he could appreciate it for what it was.
“Sorry for the state it's in. There um were some complications on the way here...”
“Oh, don't worry it's fine! I just feel bad that I didn't think of bringing something for you.”
Slightly embarrassed he was fidgeting a little as he was turning the rose between his thumb and index finger.
“Haha, I didn't really expect anything. Tonight's for you after all!”
And just like that Wocky was back to being carefree and cheerful. Apollo still wasn't used to seeing him anxious but even so it felt like he saw more of him as a person that way.
“Well anyway, I'm glad it all worked out in the end. But seriously why here? I honestly didn't think you of all people would suggest coming back to this place.”
“Oh, that...” Wocky's blush intensified and he briefly scratched his neck. “I kinda forgot the name and simply remembered it as 'that stand I always went to back in High School'. I didn't even realize it was THAT stand until I was already here... And then I couldn't think of any alternatives so I stuck with it,” he seemed at least as uncomfortable as Apollo felt himself “But ya know, let's just call it closure and enjoy ourselves!”
That was probably the best thing to do. Though Apollo still would have rather been somewhere else.
“Yeah, I'm sure it'll be fine!” Wocky's shoulders lost the last bit of tenseness hearing Apollo say that “But I really didn't think you'd mean THIS when you said you'd know a good place to get Ramen”
“You don't like it?”
“Well, um it's certainly not for every day...”
“Yeah, but that's what's great about it, right?! I've never had a fiercer bowl of noodles than this! It just blew my mind when I first came here, ya know?!”
That's certainly one way to put it.
“Considering how you go about your trials I figured you'd like the thrill~”
Apollo chuckled.
“Maybe...”
He sat down on the bench with an appropriate distance to Wocky and started to relax a little. This wasn't the first time he'd been here and every previous encounter with these noodles had made for a memorable evening. And usually not even just because of the food. Or it's consequences...
The scent of the broth, the sizzling, and all the other sounds coming from the kitchen area just inches away from them filled the air and reminded Apollo that he was actually pretty hungry.
He glanced at the menu but before he could decide on anything the voice to his left pulled him out of his thoughts.
“This place looks so much nicer than I remember! Hard to believe it's the same stand that nearly got me convicted for murder!”
The sound of a shattering bowl interrupted Apollo's internal debate about whether or not it was a good idea to say such things in public. Apollo expected to look into the grim and mildly wrinkly face of his second-least favorite doctor but the person who turned around was actually neither of those things. He seemed to be half of Eldoon's age at most and looked like he couldn't decide if he was more anxious about the bowl he dropped or the obliviously grinning customer who probably didn't even notice that his remark was the cause of a somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere.
He forced a smile, swallowed audibly, and started what seemed to be the standard procedure for new customers.
“W-welcome to Eldoon's Noodles, dear sirs! I am Eldoon and will serve you n-noodles.”
(Wow, that was tense... He isn't THAT Eldoon, though. Are they related?)
While waiting for a reaction from the two customers in front of him he kept nervously eying Wocky.
Apollo was about to say something to ease the nervousness of the unfamiliar Eldoon but Wocky beat him to it.
“Relax, Buddy! That guy here proved my innocence!” He briefly poked at Apollo with his elbow before he continued, “You should've seen it! Honest, if ya ever need a lawyer you should ask him!”
Wocky smiled at said lawyer who was already feeling his cheeks heat up.
Before Wocky could continue Apollo quickly tried to change the topic.
“A-anyway, is this the same stand that was here a few months ago? It does looks a bit different now that I think about it.”
“AH, a regular... I'm sorry I'm still new here. And no, this is indeed a new stand. What good eyes you have, fine sir. Uncle Eldoon took the former stand somewhere else to increase our influence in town. And through that he entrusted me to fill the gap he left with noodles of my own!”
“Wait, you're calling him Eldoon? Isn't that kinda weird given that you're family and such?”
(Yep, he's old-fashioned, alright...)
“Under normal circumstances, yes. Probably. But for generations it has been tradition to call the heir of the stand by the name of the noodle.”
Apollo was impressed he managed to say that with a straight face.
“A-anyway. Could I get your orders please? Or do you require more time, gentlemen?”
Not wasting a second Wocky replied.
“Sure!! Let's see... I know it's not on the menu but your uncle used to make some wicked Kitsune Udon! Ya wouldn't by chance know the recipe, man?”
The timid figure on the other side of the counter nervously stepped back and forth trying to quietly push aside the remains of the bowl with his shoes.
“I-I'm afraid not, mister. I only serve Ramen. And mostly just shio...”
“Aw, bummer... Well gimme your best shot then! I'm gonna show this broth who's winning tonight!”
Apollo wasn't aware you could turn eating soup into a contest just like that, let alone compete against the soup, but if someone could do it it was probably the person who already turned his last few days upside down through a single encounter.
“Alright, one Salty Bowl of Terror. Noted.”
Something else the attorney wasn't aware of was that you could choose between different degrees of intensity, or that the menu now featured silly names.
Wondering if he had pointlessly suffered up to now Apollo quickly glanced over the menu on the wall.
“Um, I'll take something a little lighter... So please go easy with the salt.”
“And a Kid's Meal. I'll get started right away!”
Ignoring the laughter next to him Apollo tried to convince himself that this was the smaller price to pay compared to the sore stomach he'd otherwise carry around with him for the next 48 hours.
“Not feeling up to the challenge tonight?”
There was still some playful teasing in Wocky's voice. But it was somehow easier to endure than being toyed with by either of the Wrights.
“Actually no. I'm still occasionally haunted by memories from last time.”
“Haha, so bad? But you won't get stronger if you don't challenge yourself, buddy! Though I guess your qualities lie elsewhere...”
Ever since last week Apollo had been wondering what the tone was he heard whenever Wocky mentioned anything related to his job. Now he was pretty sure it was at least partly admiration.
Between the Wrights, Gavin, and a certain grumpy detective it was a nice change of pace to get so much unironic appreciation. Although Apollo still couldn't help but feel like Wocky was giving him too much credit.
He really wanted to respond in kind. But he neither knew what Wocky was doing now exactly, nor did he have anything good to say about his previous profession...
Instead he just smiled at him and hoped that it was enough.
As they were waiting for their food they began chatting. About all kinds of things. But eventually they somehow drifted off to talking about the Steel Samurai.
He'd never admit it in front of Trucy but Apollo genuinely enjoyed it after having been forced to marathon the whole series with her and her father.
Wocky got into it when it first aired and he followed the franchise ever since. He was surprisingly passionate as he talked about everything that's great about it. It certainly rivaled the Wrights' enthusiasm.
“You can't believe how upset I was when the original series ended without the Evil Magistrate getting a chance for proper revenge! I mean lookin' back it's obvious they wouldn't have let him win but that last arc was starting out so incredibly awesome!!”
To be honest, it felt like they were talking about two different series. Apollo hadn't read even half as much into everything, so hearing Wocky gush about all the details he hadn't even noticed left him feeling like he couldn't really add to the conversation at all.
But nonetheless he enjoyed himself. The enthusiasm spilling over from the man to his left was fairly contagious. And in the end he even ended up enjoying the place they were at.
The bench wasn't exactly comfortable and it was still stupidly cold but the warmth of the kitchen spread just far enough to engulf them in a pleasant atmosphere that catered to almost all senses.
The sun had already disappeared behind the buildings surrounding them but it wasn't completely dark yet. The reddish hues the evening sun painted the environment in made Apollo feel like he had been thrown into some romantic movie he'd only ever watch at night without anyone else knowing.
“Thanks for inviting me here,” he eventually said after a brief pause, “I really appreciate it.”
“My pleasure!” Wocky answered with a pleased grin on his face.
It was only when he felt Wocky's shoulder lightly touching his own yet again that Apollo noticed they had been gradually moving closer. He considered moving to an appropriate distance again before deciding against it.
It felt kind of nice.
“Here you go, fine sirs. Made with tears, sweat, and tradition: The saltiest noodles in the whole prefecture, no in the whole country! Please enjoy the meal to your hearts content!” Placing two bowls in front of them nephew Eldoon pulled Apollo out of his thoughts.
“Aw yiss!! I'm starving!”
Wocky barely managed to hold off on eating until Apollo was about to dig in himself. He didn't have to wait was a thought that crossed the attorney's mind. But those few seconds of hesitation still made him smile.
The moment his tongue got in contact with the food didn't leave him as pained as he had feared.
Maybe it was because his expectations made him prepare for the worst or maybe the Kid's Meal really was gentler than what he usually had, but Apollo barely even suffered through this bowl of noodles. He still took significantly longer than Wocky who really did eat like he was about to starve. But it didn't matter to him.
Some of his previous experiences dating had led to situations where the meal was practically the beginning of the end. It put a halt to the conversation and it never quite picked up again afterward.
This time was different.
It would have never occurred to him back in June but Wocky was actually a really pleasant person to be around. Maybe it was connected to his change of heart regarding the family business but he was emanating an almost carefree sense of positivity that even Apollo's deepest worries couldn't win against.
It had been a while since the attorney last spent an evening this relaxed and stress-free. And he was enjoying every moment of it.
“...and then I said 'No, seriously it's not just a name! Just try it!' at which she glanced at me kind of weird but she still bought a whole three! Seriously, old people I tell ya!”
Wocky laughed. And Apollo did his best not to as he drank the last bit of soup remaining in his bowl.
“You should come around some time. I can show you around the store and the kitchen and everything!”
Were they at the end already? They wouldn't be able to stay here much longer now that both had finished eating and there probably wasn't much else to do on a Sunday. Not to mention the weather that made being outside less than appealing...
Apollo tried to shove these thoughts far away for the moment.
“Y-yeah, that sounds nice!”
He answered without thinking again. Or rather he answered without thinking about his response.
But just judging from the feeling in his stomach and his prominently quickened heartbeat he most likely wouldn't have answered any differently even if he had thought about it.
There was a pause. But not an uncomfortable one. Apollo just now noticed how much time had passed already since he arrived here.
“So um, doesn't it bother you to come back here? I mean with all those memories connected to this place?”
For a second Wocky's smile disappeared leaving Apollo slightly terrified he just ruined what would have been a more than enjoyable evening otherwise.
But the other man's expression only turned thoughtful without any trace of hurt.
“Memories? You mean that doctor and Alita? Not really. I mean at least not that much...”
The atmosphere changed ever so slightly and Apollo quietly listened as Wocky continued talking.
“It took a while but I think I've moved on. I never really dwelled on the past for too long but sometimes it's just as with these noodles: even if it hurts pushing, through can be super cathartic.”
Looking in the distance he smiled softly.
“I mean I'll probably always be hurt. But I can't let that keep me from going forward.”
Wocky's words echoed through Apollo's mind. This was so much more grown up than he had ever expected him to be.
“I get what you mean. It's easy to just be stuck in the past. Especially if it's painful. But moving on can be so much harder.”
Trying to push away the images his words conjured in his mind Apollo continued.
“I'm just surprised you're doing so well after such a short time...”
Apollo felt Wocky's leg lightly brushing against his own.
“Thanks for sharing this with me.”
Uncharacteristically quiet Wocky just smiled bashfully.
It wasn't too long until they slowly started getting ready to leave. Against all protests from Apollo Wocky payed for both of their meals.
Muttering a coy “Thank you” the attorney got up and turned around only to be interrupted by a voice sounding from the other side of the counter.
“Um, excuse me sir. I completely forgot about it earlier but we are usually giving out toys and such with our Kid's Meals. Although I don't think we have a policy regarding adults who order it. Would you like to have yours?”
He was holding out an exceptionally ugly key chain of what was probably supposed to be a tanuki.
For a brief moment Apollo wasn't quite sure how to respond. Just as he was mentally forming a sentence to politely decline, the loud exclamation of “Oh man, free swag!” to his left ultimately made the decision for him.
Blushing intensely he took it and gave it to Wocky who surprisingly enough didn't seem to mind the way it looked in the slightest.
“H-here. It doesn't quite compare to the rose but...”
'I think it suits you' was what he almost said before realizing that it would probably sound rather rude said out lout. In his defense he meant the tanuki. Not how ugly this rendition of it was...
“Sweet! That'll fit great with my work uniform!”
Eying the rose he received earlier Apollo tried hard not to feel cheap. He didn't quite succeed.
“Um, I'm glad you like it.”
Wocky smiled and took a step closer to Apollo before they started walking away from the noodle stand.
“Want me to walk you home? I mean it's the least I can do after not picking you up!”
“You don't have to,” was how Apollo tried to be considerate but seeing hints of a pout beginning to form on Wocky's face Apollo quickly appended “But sure! I'd like that.”
They took their time. It wasn't too far to walk to Apollo's home from here but it wasn't exactly close either. They spent a good portion of the way silent but neither of them seemed to mind or to worry about it.
Shortly after they passed the Anything Agency their conversation was rekindled. It was a pleasant distraction and Apollo felt like it breathed some warmth into him again.
They took the long way, around People Park. Wocky said it wasn't necessary but Apollo wasn't too keen to go from one former scene of the crime to another with someone who had even worse memories of those places.
It didn't take long for them to reach the southern entrance of the park and as the two of them were walking past the Kitaki mansion Apollo tried to be considerate one last time, “You really don't need to go out of your way if you don't want to, you know.”
Wocky didn't answer. Instead he carefully took the attorney's hand into his own and warmly smiled at him.
Apollo felt his face heat up. But he gently squeezed the hand that was suddenly holding his, feeling the warmth that seemed ever so pleasant in this cold night.
A short while later they arrived at Apollo's front door. Despite the warmth still lingering in his palm after letting go, Apollo felt the effects the cold autumn air has had on his exposed hand.
“I feel kind of bad about having you walk back all this way in this weather,” the attorney said after shuddering at a light breeze reminding him of the lack of a scarf around his neck.
Wocky smiled sheepishly.
“Well you could invite me in,” was his response that left Apollo blushing once more.
“O-oh, um... If you want to?”
Wocky laughed.
“Thanks but I'll be fine! Next time I might take you up on that offer though~”
For the first time in a while Apollo had trouble deciphering an expression. Mostly due to the fact that he couldn't concentrate on it long enough.
Nonetheless he wasn't sure if what he saw was really there or if he was just seeing what he wanted to see...
“A-alright,” was his answer that didn't even come close to conveying his thoughts.
Wocky smiled warmly. After a brief pause in which the two of them were silently looking at each other the younger took a step backwards indicating that he was about to leave.
Apollo subconsciously bit his lip. He didn't want him to leave. Not just like that.
But he couldn't move. He felt the desire to do so many things this very moment but he simply couldn't move.
Instead he just said “Let's do this again some time!”
He felt anxious. Was this enough? Did Wocky really enjoy it, too?
But once again the man in front of him was radiating a gentle warmth you wouldn't expect to find in an ex-gangster.
“Definitely! I'd like that a lot.”
Looking at Wocky's face Apollo remembered the very first time he saw him. Not in the detention center. He remembered the photo Alita brought with her when she asked him for help.
And part of him wished it wasn't locked away in some folder he didn't have access to anymore.
“We don't have any big cases right now so I'm usually free in the evening...”
“Awesome! I'll get my plan for this month tomorrow so I'll call ya once I know more!”
Hesitant to be the first to leave neither of them made a move. But before too long the cold got the better of them.
Apollo was in the process of forming a not too sudden goodbye that went along with the way he felt at the moment but before he even finished saying the first word of what he found to be a sub-par result Wocky hugged him briefly but tightly.
“I can't wait for next time!”
Wanting to answer, Apollo quickly realized that thinking about what to say wouldn't get him anywhere. At least not fast enough.
He looked at the smiling figure only inches away from him, causing his stomach to feel much lighter than usual.
Forgetting his typical ways of thinking, his anxiousness, and his worries Apollo leaned in watching Wocky's eyes go wide before closing his own.
He enjoyed this kiss a lot more than their last. There was no point denying that he had developed some sort of feelings. And maybe that was part of it. In just a matter of days it had stopped being one sided. It probably still wasn't on the same level but for the moment he didn't care.
When they let go of each other Apollo noticed that Wocky's cheeks were ever so slightly redder than before. And it probably wasn't related to the cold.
“I'll call you!” was the unusually quiet but pleased response he got before they said their goodbyes and Apollo watched Wocky walk out of sight.
His heart was still beating fast. And thinking about tonight Apollo couldn't help but smile.
He felt excitement at the thought that there could be more to his life than work.
That he could actually enjoy not being in control for once.
And he was looking forward to whatever their next encounter would bring.
Fumbling for his keys the attorney wondered what he wanted from their future.
But just calling it their future was already enough to make his heart skip a beat.
To be continued.