Chapter Text
When Simon left the noodle stand to return to Athena’s apartment, it was already beginning to get dark. All things considered, it had been a surprisingly amusing afternoon, even though the Wright girl had at some point managed to pull the soggy pasta out of her “magic panties” (which were really a pair of flower-patterned turquoise granny bloomers), causing a not inconsiderable mess which had ended up all over Justice’s pants. The conversation, while inconsequential, had been rather refreshing, and he had barely had to resort to Athena’s ability to conceal his true emotions.
I understand now why she likes working with these people, even though they are baffling at times.
Checking Athena’s phone for the time, he noticed that he had received a new message from his own, and he suddenly felt a little guilty.
I have been whiling the day away in the company of her colleagues, and she has been stuck in paperwork hell at the office downtown. I hope this isn’t something she didn’t know how to handle.
Pulling up the text and noting with relief that the text had only been sent within the last half hour, he read,
From: Simon Blackquill
To: Athena Cykes
I will be happy if I never see forms again. Give me a call when you get a chance.
Simon chuckled at her exasperation with his work while hitting the call button, lifting the phone to his ear.
Athena picked up after the third ring, and he could not help but once again be struck by an odd feeling at the sound of his own voice from the speaker.
“Yes?”
“It’s me,” he answered without any unnecessary introduction, considering that he did not know where or with whom she currently was. “You wanted me to call?”
“Oh, yeah… I’m just on my way home now, I was a little late today…overslept.”
And thus, it begins. He rolled his eyes at her admission, remembering that he had specifically told her when to appear at the office.
“How late are we talking?”
“…uh, about 11:30…?”
Keep yourself in check, Simon, we’ve both had a hard day yesterday. Unable to completely conceal the barb in his voice, he inquired, “Is there anything else I should know about?”
He could almost hear Athena cringing away from the phone, and felt an inexplicable stab of regret.
“I kind of had a little accident… fell down the stairs when I first got in…”
Simon sighed. There goes my reputation. I guess it was only to be expected. Still, antagonizing Athena for it would probably not serve any purpose, particularly since her tone told him that she was already beating herself up over it.
“Are you injured?”
The other end of the connection was silent for a long moment, to where he was almost wondering if they had been disconnected, when she finally answered, “I’m fine. I sent Taka after Payne since he had the gall to laugh.”
He grinned at that. “Well done, that little twerp deserves a lesson now and then.”
Her relief was audible even without enhanced hearing abilities.
“After that, Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth invited me for coffee, otherwise, I’ve been sitting in your office all day.”
Simon started. “What did he want?”
“Nothing in particular. Remember how you told me he worries about you? I think it was just one of those meetings again. Nothing consequential about the conversation, aside from the fact that, if I get another case, I figure I might want to go and do some investigating by myself, so I’m not ruining your track record.”
“Hm, not necessarily a bad idea,” he had to admit. “Odd Bird came to me fresh out of the police academy, and if the case yesterday is any indication, he still makes enough mistakes to where keeping him in check might be a prudent choice.”
“Glad you think so.” Once more, relief in her voice. Simon was beginning to assume that his lie to Justice about Athena being upset by his being overly harsh had more than a grain of truth to it, after all. She seems to just wait for me to bite her head off.
Dismayed at himself, he turned around a street corner, when she asked, “How was your day?”
“Slow, just as yours,” he replied. “There were no new clients, and since no cases were currently ongoing, Wright called it a day at three when his daughter came home, and dragged us to Eldoon’s Noodles. I am currently on my way back from there.”
“Sounds relaxing.”
Simon chuckled. “Not entirely, if you have to pretend to be someone you are not. Also, your colleague is terrible at poker.”
Athena laughed. “And I assume you aren’t. I guess it’d be too late to point out that I suck at poker.”
“He took his loss well enough, all things considered.”
Once more, the connection went silent for a moment, then she slowly said, “Taka took off a few minutes ago, probably to go hunting. I guess I’ll just turn in for the evening now.”
She sounded dreadfully lonely.
“Well, I guess I’ll talk to you later.”
“Hold on,” Simon found himself blurting out.
“Yes?” She was surprised, although there was also some happiness at not being cut off from the conversation just yet.
He licked his lips nervously, once again unsure as to how to say his piece, but he had promised Justice earlier, and he was a man of his word. Furthermore, now seemed as good an opportunity as any. She is despondent because of me. Maybe I can lift her spirits at least somewhat.
“Athena, it has come to my attention that, since you first returned to this country, I have been excessively rude to you on multiple occasions. I… sometimes get caught up in my primary objective, and when that happens, collateral damage does occur.”
That was probably the worst apology ever offered, he berated himself right after he had finished speaking.
This time, Athena did not respond for so long that he was sure she had hung up on him.
“Are you still there?”
Her sigh caused a few static noises in the connection.
“I appreciate you telling me that, Simon…”
The discord in her voice was clear as day. Regret, apprehension, and anger were mingled in her syllables. Realizing that he had somehow managed to make things even worse than they had been with his words, Simon made a decision.
“Would you mind if I imposed on you for a while tonight?”
Athena seemed surprised. “No, come on over.”
He took a deep breath. Maybe I will find the right things to say on the way. “I will be there in half an hour or so. See you then.”
Pushing the “End Call” button, he redirected his steps towards his own apartment.