Chapter Text
“How long till sundown?”
Miles took a gander out of the window at the dimming evening sky.
“A quarter-hour, twenty minutes at most.”
Phoenix groaned.
“Pardon my tactlessness but…”, he searched for Phoenix’ eyes with his own, “the process is not exactly pleasant, is it?” The other man huffed. “Nope, it’s not.” He shifted under the blankets and sighed. “Imagine the feeling of…”, he paused to think of a fitting simile.
“Imagine what it feels like to get all your bones broken, only to then experience them getting…rearranged and put together in a whole new way, then your organs shift and-“, he cut himself off after seeing the anguished expression Miles gave him.
“And don’t get me started on the fur, you won’t believe how much it itches to have that stuff growing in”, he added, laughing.
Miles answered with a light smile, but there was an undertone of agony. “I’m glad you can joke about it, still…”, now it was Miles’ turn to sigh, “Will you be all right?”
“Sure.” Phoenix twinkled, although it was obvious something worried him too. “I mean…”, he needed another moment.
“Miles?”
“Yes?”
“Will you be there when I wake up?”
“Oh, Phoenix.” Miles gave Phoenix the same look Gregory Edgeworth had always given his son when Miles had been scared of getting scolded for something insignificant out of self-doubting, which his father would never have done, of course.
He carefully wrapped his arms around Phoenix and placed a tender kiss on his chin.
“I will. And I will stay.” While his shoulders received gentle strokes from Miles’ thumbs, Phoenix snuggled his head against his boyfriend’s throat, just beneath the other’s chin.
“Thank you”, he whispered.
“No need to thank me, you know that.”
“Actually, I don’t.” The words had just slid out of his mouth, Phoenix wouldn’t even have noticed he had been thinking aloud hadn’t it been for Miles refraining from stroking him further.
“I don’t know, that is, I- um…”, he sighed, looking for the right words. “I have to thank you, you see? What you’re putting yourself through for me is not that natural, and I’m…I’m just…not used to that anymore. It’s not your fault, I’m so sorry, please, I-“
“Phoenix.” Miles averted his gaze in an attempt not to startle the shaking man in his arms even further and swallowed a sigh. “…Be honest with me. Do you, by any means, feel something such as dread towards me?”
“…what?” Phoenix winked at the question, shaking his head. “Miles, no. That’s…that’s not it, I swear. On the contrary, you-…Miles, you are the one person in this world I am not scared of.” Speaking of this topic was beyond difficult for him, that much was clear.
“Kristoph had been telling me for years that I was damned to lead a life in loneliness forever, that nobody would ever accept me again. Because they would…because every person I had ever loved wouldn’t recognize me as a man, but as a monster. That they would kill me on the spot should I try to make them understand. And yet, when you found me down in his hole, you didn’t even consider hurting me, even though I hurt you. And then, you were just so…Miles, do you have any idea what you did that day? You didn’t run from me, you protected me. From myself. The things you said and did- I thought I would…never experience something like that again.”
Edgeworth was unable to say anything. Phoenix nestled himself closer against Miles’ chest, when suddenly, he thought of something.
“…By the way…why…didn’t you run from me?”
“Well, for starters”, he pushed himself back and upright against the pillows, “you don’t just leave an abandoned dog to rot away in a conman’s cellar.” Phoenix pouted at Miles for being called a ‘dog’. “Remind me to growl at you for that one later.” “Mhm.” Miles chuckled. He knew the other was just teasing, Phoenix didn’t really mind being called a dog by Miles, as long as he got a couple of pats out of it.
“And in addition to that…”, a warm hand slid into Phoenix mane of black hair. No doubt of it, it had already gotten thicker. It wouldn’t take long until his curse would take its toll on him.
“…You didn’t seem frightening to me. You did surprise me, yes, but it was clear that you were the one who was frightened.”
“But you never were one to care for strangers, were you?”
“That’s the point, you didn’t seem strange to me, quite the opposite actually. I didn’t know what it was at first, but for some reason I got a sense of familiarity when we looked into each other’s eyes, and by making use of a slight bit of logic, I was able to add one and one together.” The prosecutor smiled complacently. Phoenix grinned at the sight. “Still the same proud prodigy, aren’t you?” This time, Miles scrunched his eyebrows at his boyfriend’s statement. “You know how much I dislike being referred to as a ‘prodigy’.” Phoenix’ grin grew even wider. He kissed Miles on the cheek. “Yeah, I know- argh!” Suddenly, he pulled away from Miles, convulsed with pain. Miles was quick to attempt comforting his partner, but the pain seemingly disappeared as quickly as it had come. “My God, are you all right?”
“Hey, don’t worry about me.” Phoenix squinted, reclaiming his spot on Miles’ chest. “I will be fine.” He had to yawn before being able to continue. “Thanks to you.”
Instead of a spoken answer, Miles fondled with Phoenix hair, causing him to practically melt under the touch.
“…But save some of that for later as well, ok?”
“I take it you have made plans for tonight, then?”
“Not exactly. I can’t exactly plan those things, you know?”
“Yes, I am aware of that…but you do have better control over yourself under the full moon now, have you not?”
“Actually…no. But you don’t let me starve for days prior to full moon nights so I guess there’s no reason for me to get all blood-thirsty anymore.”
The stroking motion he felt against his head’s back continued, yet Miles remained silent. He simply didn’t know what to say. All he knew was how much he despised the man who had put his loved one through all that suffering.
“Yeah, I guess that’s a first…I have absolutely no idea how you managed to do it, but now that you are here, it’s almost like I don’t have to be scared anymore.” It escaped Phoenix’ field of vision, but Miles smiled gladly. All he wanted was for Phoenix to be as unharmed as somewhat possible.
“Even though I suppose it has its side effects.” A tired grin hushed over Phoenix’ face.
“Believe me, you needn’t worry about that.”
“Yeah, I know.” Leaning against Miles even tighter, he yawned again, exposing his teeth.
Phoenix poked at one of his fangs with his tongue, yelping at their sharpness.
“Guess it’s almost time...”
“Hey now.” A gentle kiss tickled his forehead. “Try…not to worry about it too much, yes? It’s going to be all right.”
“True that. …You know…I’ve only turned three or four times before, and believe me, it was…painful.” He sighed deeply. “But the worst part was Kristoph.”
Miles peeked down at him.
“He always stood by and watched. And he enjoyed it. And if what he saw didn’t entertain him enough…well. Oh.”
Silk-black fur creeped over his wrists and up to his elbows. He scratched himself.
“Argh, itchy. Anyway. There is one thing I want you to know.
Kristoph had a bunch of ways to…awake the monster in me. One of them was to tell me that…”
When Phoenix didn’t continue, Miles gave him a worried look.
“You don’t have to, you know that-“
“He told me that you would kill me if you’d ever learn what had happened to me. And that I wouldn’t have to fear death by your hands...
…because I would kill you first.
And Miles, that had always been my greatest fear.” He shook his head.
“But you idiot had nothing better to do than take me in and remind me of just how much I love you.
You saved me. From both Kristoph and myself.”
They shared a kiss which mirrored all the affection the two felt for each other.
“We’ll never leave each other again, right?”
“I promise.”
A silver beam of light found its way through the bedroom’s window.
Both men glanced out into the night.
“All right then…”
A speck of yellow flared up in his irises.
“Ready to get your puppy back?”
Miles just huffed at him.
“You’re unbelievable.”