Work Text:
Miles Edgeworth freezes as he walks around the crime scene, but he won’t let himself shiver. He is the only one who knows about his fever, and it is going to stay that way. He is a prosecutor, and he can’t show weakness.
“Are you okay, sir?” Gumshoe asks when Edgeworth finishes interviewing a witness and learns a lot about the case.
“Of course I am,” he says. “It’s just rather cold today.”
“Well then would you like to wear my scarf?”
“I appreciate the offer, but keep your scarf, detective,” Edgeworth says.
After all, the scarf won’t warm him up when it is simply his fever causing him to shiver. Still, the offer is nice; maybe Gumshoe needs a pay rise.
---
In the courthouse, Edgeworth faces off with a young defence attorney who doesn’t seem very good at his job. Several times throughout the trial, the attorney, the Judge and even the members of the gallery keep looking at him, but Edgeworth will not let on that he feels unwell.
He is a prosecutor, a strong, intelligent man, and he will not let a simple fever cause everyone to treat him differently.
In the end, being ill doesn’t prevent him from being the skilled prosecutor everyone knows him to be, and he gets a guilty verdict.
If only the fever would stop alternating between making him shiver and making his skin burn with heat, and then he could properly enjoy his victory.
---
Edgeworth wraps his arms around himself as he sits on the couch in his office, shivering openly. Kay places a blanket around his shoulders, whilst Gumshoe brews some tea.
“You should’ve said, Mr Edgeworth,” Kay says.
“No I shouldn’t have said. Everyone would have thought me weak and you two would’ve tried to make me stay off of work today.”
“No we wouldn’t!”
“To be fair, we probably would’ve, pal,” Gumshoe says, smiling sheepishly.
“Yes, you certainly would,” Edgeworth mutters, knowing just how clingy his detective and assistant can be. “Still, I have told you now. And you now have permission to fuss over me.”
Kay grins and Gumshoe hands him a cup of tea… and Edgeworth smiles.