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As Franziska von Karma tries to read her notes for tomorrow’s trial, her foolish girlfriend shuffles closer to her in bed and kisses her cheek.
“What you doing?” Maya says.
“Reading case notes, as I thought was obvious from how ‘case notes’ is written on the front and I told you earlier I need to read my case notes,” Fran says.
Maya laughs. “So, what’s the case about?”
“Maya, do you really want to know, or are you just trying to make conversation?”
Her face flushing, Maya says, “The latter.”
“I thought so.” With some reluctance, Franziska closes her file and says, “So, what is on your mind?”
“I’ve just been thinking. I mean, we’ve been together for three years now, but I don’t think we’ve ever actually told anyone. We don’t live together and we’re not married and we aren’t affectionate in public, so no one could’ve worked it out. Anyway, what I wanted to say is… do you think we should come out?”
Fran looks at her. “Why, do you?”
Maya nods. “Yeah. It’d mean we could be open about our relationship and not feel like we have to hide our feelings for each other. it could be quite a scary thing to do, but I don’t think anyone we know would be a bigot, and then… we’d just get to be us all the time, Fran.” Her face still flushed, Maya smiles. “What do you think?”
“You have several good points,” she says. “Although I have to admit I feel a foolish sense of anxiety about it.”
“Don’t worry,” Maya says, sliding closer and putting her arm around Fran. She kisses her softly, her lips tasting of toothpaste. “It’ll be fine. I promise.”
Franziska kisses her back, and smiles. “All right, then. Let’s come out.”
---
Maya’s first stop is the Wright and Co Law Firm office, because that is where she works (if you can call following Nick around and annoying Detective Gumshoe at crime scenes working). Fran said it was fine for them to come out without the other around, so she prepares to tell Nick about her relationship even without her girlfriend by her side.
She wanders into the office, and finds Pearly sitting on the couch. “Hey, Pearly.”
“Mystic Maya!” Pearly cries, rushing across the room and hugging her.
“I thought you’d gone back to the village.”
“I was going to, but then I thought I’d stay another day. I love going around with Mr Nick and investigating.”
“Speaking of, where is Nick?” she asks.
“Oh, I think he’s cleaning the toilet,” Pearly says.
That makes sense. Finally breaking the hug with her excited cousin, Maya wanders through the office until she finds the bathroom door. She knocks twice, and calls, “Hey, Nick!”
She hears fumbling and the door opens. Nick looks at her, but smiles.
“Can we talk, Nick? There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Is it bad?” Nick says, obviously wondering if she has been framed for murder again as he follows her back into the office proper.
“No, it’s not bad. It’s awesome.”
Clearly confused, Nick sits down next to Pearly and says, “Right, I’ve got news for you.” Her face starts to go red now she’s actually thinking about this, and Maya’s voice ends up fumbling as she says, “W-Well, the thing is… I’m dating Franziska.”
Nick and Pearly look at each other.
“Yeah, I kind of figured, to be honest,” Nick says, smiling. “I mean, you’re always texting each other and you seemed like really close friends, except friends don’t blush like that when they see each other in the courthouse. So thanks for telling me, Maya, but I think I already sussed it.”
Maya stares at him. “Really?”
“You’re dating Miss von Karma?” Pearly says, and she smiles. “I thought— was it meant to be a secret, Mystic Maya?”
Maya stares at her too. Did they really work this out already? Are her feelings for Fran that obvious even when she’s trying to keep them hidden?
A smile twitches on her face, and she bursts out laughing and pulls the two of them into a hug.
---
Franziska arrives at the prosecutors’ office punctually, and immediately heads for Miles Edgeworth’s office. Other than Maya, her little brother is probably the person she is closest to, so it makes sense to tell him about her relationship with Maya first.
She walks through the building, whip in hand, and knocks on Miles Edgeworth’s office door.
“Come in,” Miles calls, and Franziska lets herself in.
She finds Miles sat on his couch drinking tea, whilst Scruffy looks through a case file. Of course Scruffy would be in here; he follows Miles around like a faithful dog. Although it is helpful for him to be here, as he is on the list of people she and Maya want to come out to, so she might as well tell them both at once.
“Hello, Miles Edgeworth, hello Scruffy,” she says. Miles tilts his head in acknowledgement, whilst Scruffy flinches as though expecting to be whipped. She doesn’t whip him (this time at least). “I have news for you. I am in a relationship with Maya Fey.”
She expects Miles to choke on his tea or Scruffy to fall off the couch or something like that, but nothing happens.
“I thought as much,” Miles says. “After all, you are only friendly with other women and you and Miss Fey have always seemed very… close.”
“So you weren’t out yet?” Scruffy says. “No offense, sir, but if it was meant to be a secret, I don’t think it went very well.”
This time, she does whip Scruffy. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Well, all of us in criminal affairs all thought you two have been dating for ages.”
“So not the best kept of secrets,” Miles says.
“Shut up, you fools,” Fran says, but she can’t quite keep the smile off of her face. “So even though neither of us told you, you already knew?”
“Basically, yes,” Miles says, smiling slightly.
Franziska sighs. “Fools.”
---
That night in bed, Franziska learns that Maya had exactly the same experience.
“So they had already worked it out despite not being told?”
Maya nods. “Yep. And yours did too?”
She sighs. “Yes, they did. The fools.”
Laughing, Maya says, “It’s funny, but I’m still glad we told them. Now we can be more open about our relationship.”
Franziska kisses her. “I know exactly what you mean.”