So, today is Justicykes day, which means I HAVE to make a story for my favourite pairing (alongside Phaya) This WOULD go in the drabbles series I have, but I decided I should make it seperate.

Happy Justicykes day to all!

April 17, 2028

"It was one year ago. Right here."

Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes stood in the Yokai Lane in Nine-Tails Vale. Exactly one year ago, Apollo first met Athena here in the most unexpected of ways.

By having her throw a security guard right in his direction.

"I remember, Apollo..." Athena sighed. Apollo had invited Athena to talk here. Athena curiously accepted, wondering what this guy was up to.

"I remember getting the phone call, telling me about you... How you rushed all the way over here when Mr. Wright told you to come here... I remember standing on the sidelines as you argued with that guard..." Apollo started.

"Then I threw him at you... I remember, Apollo. I'm still sorry about that."

"Don't be sorry. It's how I first met you, and that's what made it so special... I worked on two cases in a row with you, and... I started to become your friend. You were... One of the greatest people I knew. I thought that you, me and Clay could be one group, and that we'd all be so well together..."

Athena knew what was coming next. She gave a concerned look towards Apollo, and he crossed his arms, looking at the ground, sighing.

"Then... I got the call that Clay... He'd been..."

Athena silenced him with a hug, in which he returned. "You don't need to say, Apollo... It's alright..." She rubbed his back in a circular motion.

"And then... I found that twitch in you when I asked about the weapon. I didn't want to believe it. I never wanted to believe it, and as much as it seemed like I wanted to get you guilty... You need to believe me that I never really wanted you gone... But, how could I fully trust you if there was doubt? I was friends with Clay because we hid nothing from each other... No secrets, no gossip... We basically knew everything about each other. I was your friend because I trusted you... And when I have doubt, I can never call myself your friend."

Athena almost felt as if she was going to cry. Apollo was recalling every single hurt memory of his. She hated hearing the pain in his heart, and almost wanted to sew his lips so he couldn't speak about it.

"Athena, I don't think I've ever felt as bad in my life as when I accused you... And yet, somehow, someway... You forgave me. I... I almost didn't believe it, but when you hit me, and when you said that I was your true friend... I started to realize that I..."

Athena was wondering what he was going to say next, but the strain on his heart was stopping him. She put her hands on his shoulder, smiling at him.

"Go ahead. I won't judge you." She whispered. He sighed, a deep heavy sigh, and looked up at her.

"I started to realize that I loved you."

Apollo expected a slap. A scowl. A lecture.

He instead received a blank stare from her. As if she had been struck by something. He decided to keep going.

"And after all that, I got more and more attached to you... We've gone out to dinner, we've seen movies together... We've worked on plenty of cases together, and yet... I've never told you my true feelings until now. So there they are.

Athena Cykes, I love you."

She stared at him blankly. Never, in her entire life, has anyone told her they loved her. She barely remembered times her mother had told her, and she thinks Simon said it once when she was young, but she had never been told that someone romantically loved her. All the boys at her academy where she studied to be a lawyer thought she was too weird. Too out there. Not normal enough. No one wanted her, because she wasn't anyone's type. That's what she thought.

And yet, Apollo is saying he now loves her. She never thought she would have someone love her. She even had times where she thought Apollo hated her.

"Athena? You alright?"

Athena's stare returned to Apollo, and she still had her mouth gaping open like a fish.

"I... I understand if you don't return the feelings. I mean-"

Apollo was silenced by Athena clashing her lips against his, kissing him deeply, closing her eyes. His eyes widened for a second, before he returned the kiss. Her lips were... Perfect. Apollo had only kissed two girls in his life, and that was mostly at his orphanage and one was a dare and the other was in a game of 'Spin The Bottle.'

Athena, however, had never kissed a boy in her entire life. She honestly had no idea if she was doing it right, but if this is what kisses felt like every time, she could get used to this.

Then she realized. During that kiss, that one year ago wasn't the first time she met Apollo.

It was brief, but she had seen him before.

June 4, 2020

Eleven year old Athena Cykes kneeled before the broken Ponco. She had stayed home from school yet again at the Cosmos Space Center. She had been playing a game of tag with Ponco, when it seemed to have fallen down the stairs. It was now in pieces at the bottom of those stairs.

She had no idea what to do. How would she tell mom about it? She had never broken one of the robots before, and she was terrified as to how she would react. Would she get mad? Did she even care about the robots?

Athena tried to put the pieces together, but to no result. She started losing hope. Ponco was an amazing friend. Athena's only other friend, apart from Juniper and Clonco.

"Hey, what's happened here?"

Athena jumped at the voice. She turned around to see a sixteen year old boy with strong arms and a black waistcoat and black jeans. He had his arms crossed, and had the weirdest hair in the world. It was done up in two horns, like TV antennas. She scrambled away from this boy, afraid he might get mad at her. The boy looked at the broken Ponco, and slightly smiled.

"Had a little slip, didn't he?" The boy started. He kneeled down to Athena, who had backed away as far as possible, laying on the ground, against the bottom stair.

"What's your name? Mines Apollo." He smiled. Athena was panting in rapid breaths, looking away from him. She slowly turned her head to him, her big eyes staring at his. He looked quite handsome. Puberty had defiantly been kind to him. He looked like he wasn't going to be mad.

"A-A-Athena..." She squeaked out softly, barely speaking.

"Athena? That's a nice name," Apollo complimented. She slightly blushed, still panting.

"Apollo?! C'mon, where are you?" Athena heard another teen voice call from down the hallway.

"I'll be there in a sec, Clay!" Apollo replied to the voice. He got up, and walked over to the broken Ponco, picking it up in one arm. "I know a place where you can fix him. Follow me." Apollo told the young Athena. She looked him up and down, before slowly getting up, and tiptoeing over to him slowly. She felt a small sense of trust with him. She felt afraid, but she slowly placed her hand in his. He looked down at her, and he squeezed her soft, small hand, and started to lead her to somewhere. As he walked, he tried to talk to her.

"So, where are your parents?" Apollo asked. She still didn't know what to say to this boy, but she felt some trust towards him.

"M-my mom... She's somewhere, i-in the center..." Athena whispered out.

"And your dad?"

Athena squeezed her eyes shut, looking away from Apollo at the mention of 'dad'. From what she could gather, her dad left as soon as she was born. It was almost as if he was so disappointed in her, that he didn't want her.

"Touchy subject, huh?" Apollo said. "I know what it feels like to lose parents as well. I've lost both of mine..."

Athena looked up at the teenager, who looked sadly at the floor. "I-I'm so sorry..." She stuttered out.

"It's okay." Apollo said with a smile.

He eventually led her to the Robotics Lab. Apollo let go of Athena's hand, and placed the broken Ponco on an operating table. He worked around with a control pad for a bit, before he watched the machine contraption spring to life, and start to work on Ponco. Athena's eyes widened, and she looked away, terrified.

"What's wrong?!" Apollo asked in panic as he ran over to Athena.

"It-It's hurting him! S-stop it!" Athena screamed. Apollo put his hands on Athena's shoulders, smiling at her.

"I promise, he's not feeling a thing. In fact... I reckon you should take a look at him now."

Athena slowly looked towards the operating table, and saw a now repaired Ponco.

"P-Ponco! Y-you're okay!" Athena chanted in relief. She started to run towards him, but Athena turned around to face Apollo. Apollo squatted down to her height.

"Pretty cool, huh? If Ponco or Clonco get hurt again, just take them here, and they'll be fixed!" Apollo said, smiling. Athena looked at the teen, before throwing her arms around his shoulder, hugging him.

"Th-thank you..."

Apollo returned the hug. She wrapped her arms tighter around him, before letting go of him.

"You go have fun with Ponco now, okay? I've gotta meet with a friend," Apollo said.

"O-okay! Bye, Mr. Apollo!" Athena called out as Apollo walked away. He looked back at her as he stood at the door.

"Y'know... Your hair kinda reminds me of a tiger... Would it be okay if I called you 'tiger'?" Apollo asked. Athena thought for a bit, before slightly smiling.

"S-sure!"

Apollo smiled, before walking out of the room, saying one last thing.

"See ya... Tiger."

April 17, 2028

Tiger...

Athena's lips separated from Apollos, and she smiled at him.

"I... I remember..."

"Remember what?"

"I remember meeting you... All those years ago at the center... When Ponco was broken, and you helped me fix him..." Athena said. Apollo's eyes widened.

"Oh, yeah... I remember that... You were the cutest little thing, I hope you know that." Apollo complimented. Athena blushed, smiling at him.

"I... I love you, Apollo."

Apollo felt a massive rush of joy at those words, and pulled her in for a hug.

"There's... One more place I wanna go to." Apollo said.

Apollo and Athena approached the cemetery, hand in hand. The rows of stone graves were spread out, some small and some big. The two approached Metis' grave. It was a normal arch stone, with Metis' name printed on it. It still had the flowers on it that Athena had planted on it a couple of weeks ago. Athena knelt down to the grave, speaking to it.

"Hey, mom... I'm... I'm doing alright... I hope you are too. I still hope that you can forgive me for... Hating you when I was young... I love you, mom... And I'm sorry I never got to tell you that." Athena spoke to the grave. Apollo stood behind Athena as she placed a hand on the stone, her head hanging low. Apollo could hear her sobs, and he saw the wetness of her tears against the dirt below her. Apollo knelt down besides Athena, and placed an arm around her.

"I'm here, Athena... It's okay... She loves you, Athena..." Apollo whispered soothingly to her. She eventually stood up, and slowly walked away from the grave.

They both knew where to go to next.

Clay.

"Apollo, will... You be alright?" Athena asked.

"Yeah... It won't be long."

Apollo walked up to the grave, hands in pockets.

"Hey, man... Y'know how you said I'd never get a girlfriend? Well... If you were still alive, you'd now owe me twenty bucks..." Apollo laughed slightly. There was some pain in that laugh that Athena heard.

"I miss you... What's it like in the stars? I know it's... Not exactly the way you wanted to see them, but... I hope you're having fun up there." Apollo looked up at the sky, a tear flowing down his cheeks and hitting the ground. He turned around, and walked away from the grave.

"Apollo..?"

"I... I'll be okay..."

Apollo immediately took Athena's hand, locking his fingers with hers. And as they walked away, he reminded her of one last thing.

"I love you, Athena..."

So, I hope this is enjoyable. For those wondering, I'm hoping to get the next chapter of Maya Fey: Ace Attorney out either tonight or tomorrow. I apologise for the wait.