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“Woah, Nick, look at this.”
Phoenix found himself rubbing his head, taking a breather on one of benches in the courthouse. He could feel the adrenaline of the case still wearing off, soothed by the open door at the end of the hallway, the pleasant spring breeze in the hallway. “We can head out for dinner soon, just give it a sec? That was an exhausting finish to a case.”
“No, but look – the deadline is today!”
“Deadline for what?”
He could practically see the stars twinkle in Maya’s eyes as she pointed to a poster right behind his head, plastered on to one of the notice boards in the long corridor. “The Los Angeles Bar Association’s Annual Charity Ball and Fundraiser Gala,” he read. “That’s a mouthful. Join us for an evening of dance, dinner, and auctions under the stars.” He scanned a bit further, then groaned. “$70 per attendee.”
“The deadline for registration’s today! I want to go! That would be so cool, I’ve never been to one of those fancy dinner balls before. Just imagine the food they would have there.”
“Uh, I don’t think that’s what you think it is. It’s not going to be burgers, more like, what do you call those appetizers? Hor d’ouevres? Little ham slices and olive skewers and things like that…”
“I love ham,” said Maya, indignant. “And olives, too, I guess.”
“Seventy dollars…”
“We just won a case! We don’t even have to go out tonight, I just want to go to this.”
Phoenix looked up at the ceiling. God help me. “I’m impressed by your newfound abilities to delay gratification.”
“Pleaase. I never get to go out and dress up and do things like this with you.”
He tried one last defense. “I don’t really…dance.”
Maya rolled her eyes. “I’ll teach you.”
“I mean, this is like, the formal stuff. I don’t really…”
“Or we can find someone. I don’t know. Come on, Nick…”
“Pulled through again by the skin of your teeth, Wright?”
Both Maya and Phoenix jumped at the sound of the familiar baritone voice, coming up from behind them. “Woah, what are you doing here, Edgeworth?”
“Is that any way to greet a fellow attorney at a courthouse?” Edgeworth shifted the folders from one hand to another and nodded to the younger woman. “Miss Fey.”
“I mean, are you prosecuting today? I didn’t see you up on the schedule.”
“I’ve been assigned some supervisory tasks, to fill in for the senior prosecutors who are on leave this year. One of them was Ms. Jenna Rick, who was the junior prosecutor opposite you this afternoon. I was to assess her performance. I must say, you are as theatrical and roundabout as always. Though I suppose you made your point in the end, and secured a deserved verdict. The evidence simply wasn’t thorough enough for a conviction.”
“Generous as always with your praise,” muttered Phoenix.
“Mr. Edgeworth, are you going to be at the ball?"
“Pardon me?”
Maya beamed up at him with the persuasive forces of a thousand lawyers, and Phoenix could see the prosecutor’s gaze soften a bit at the plea. Ever since the Engarde trial, he knew that Edgeworth taken a liking to the younger Fey, or at least was not as stiffly formal as he had been previously. “The charity ball and auction,” said Maya, pointing to the poster. “I’ve been trying to convince Nick to go, but he’s being a homebody as always.”
“Ah. Unfortunately, I have been compelled to attend, because of some obligations I have to the organizers.”
“Yay!” Maya looked elated. “If you’re going, then Nick’s definitely going to want to go.”
“What does that mean, Maya?” Phoenix said, exasperated. “I told you, I don’t think the food’s going to be the kind you want, I definitely don’t have enough money to participate in the auction, and I don’t really dance, so there’s nothing there for me.”
“Any food is good food for me,” said Maya. “And besides, I told you, I’ll teach you. It’ll be fun!” Her eyes then lit up. “Or, if anything, you can see Edgeworth dance.”
“Er,” Edgeworth said.
Phoenix smirked. “Come on, him? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a person more stiff than a statue than Edgeworth. Heck, I don’t know if he can do much beyond waggle a finger in court.”
Edgeworth unfroze himself from the position he had instinctively taken, which had him stiffly gripping his arm, and drew himself up with a haughty huff. “I’ll have you know, Wright, that I am proficient in many forms of ballroom dance.”
“What? Where’d you learn to dance?”
“I practiced at our secondary school, for the Viennese Opera Ball.”
Both Phoenix and Maya gaped. “The Viennese Opera Ball?” said Maya. “Since when did you dance opera?”
“I didn’t dance in an opera. It was simply a rite-of-passage for the children of important figures in politics, media, and business in Central Europe. A debutante ball, of sorts. It was part of our training. Both Franziska and I participated the year we turned eighteen.”
“Wow, a debutante ball,” said Maya. “Wait, so that means…you can teach me and Nick?”
“…”
“Maya, really? Edgeworth is busy, he has a lot to do.”
“I…yes, I am…busy.”
“Just for half an hour sometime. Please?” Maya said. “Plus, I’ll cut you a deal. I’ve recently been able to get my hands on a limited-edition, hot-off-the-presses, secret episode of…”
“Please,” said Edgeworth, alternatively glaring daggers at Maya and casting a nervous glance at Phoenix. “Alright, I’ll do it. Saturday morning at ten o’clock. My office. We can discuss the terms of the trade later on.”
“Uh, am I missing something here…?” said Phoenix.
“Thanks, Mr. Edgeworth! I really appreciate it, you’re the best.”
Edgeworth let out a noncommittal grunt before raising a hand in farewell. “Evening.”
She turned back to Phoenix. “Now that we’ve gotten Mr. Edgeworth to help us, we can’t let it go to waste. Please?”
Saturday morning came and an entourage burst into the prosecutor’s office fifteen minutes past the agreed-upon time, and Edgeworth took in the frazzled party – Maya, bright and chipper, Phoenix, in a wrinkled t-shirt and jeans, looking like he didn’t want to be woken up early, and a third person, Larry Butz, grinning in his trademark orange jacket. “Yo, Edgey! So good to see you!”
Phoenix swore he could feel the skepticism emanating from the prosecutor.
“Why is…"
“I swear, wasn’t my idea,” said Phoenix.
“I decided to stop by,” said Larry, “to see my beautiful Selena while I was here. A real catch, she is, and she lives right there, right ten minutes from the beaches in Santa Monica. And I thought, jeez, it’s only a two hour drive from SLO, so we’re going to try to make it work. This is the one, boys, she’s going to be the one.”
“Larry called at 8pm last night,” explained Phoenix, apologetically. “Asked if he could come meet up with us.”
“And I heard that you all were doing a dance class with Edgey here. I want to watch, I want to take my girl out sometime and impress here with my moves in the club tonight.”
“We’re learning a classic Viennese waltz,” said Edgeworth, dryly.
“Oh,” said Larry, “well, either way.”
“Is he going to be your guest?” asked Edgeworth. “I presume Miss Fey will be your plus one.”
Maya nodded enthusiastically. “I mean, Mr. Edgeworth, if you don’t have a guest, we can have Larry tag along with you. Or maybe we can set you up with…”
“Please refrain,” said Edgeworth, massaging his temples.
“Ah, no need,” said Larry. “I’ll just be here for a weekend before I head up again. Plus, I’m sure Edgey here will have plenty of girls to choose from to be his guest. They’re always throwing themselves after him when we go out.”
“Hey,” said Phoenix. “Since when do you and Edgeworth go out?”
“I had drinks with you once. Please do not make the mistake of extrapolating from that single incident. In any case,” said Edgeworth, clearing his throat. “You all are late by twenty minutes now. I don’t have too much time to waste on your shenanigans. I’ll begin by demonstrating the basics of partnered dance.”
He took off the jacket he was wearing. “In waltz, there are two roles – the lead, and the follow, and in accordance on these roles, you will be performing certain steps, which are led by the former. I will begin by demonstrating the closed position, the foundation for the waltz.” He rolled up the shirtsleeves of his fitted white dress shirt to the forearm, offering a hand to Maya. “Miss Fey, may I have this dance?”
“Ooh, Mr. Edgeworth,” said Maya, smiling and taking his hand. “What should I do?”
“Put your left hand on my shoulder,” said Edgeworth, guiding them to the center of the carpet. “There, a little higher, perfect.” He adjusted her hand, and then placed his gently but firmly on her waist.
“Woah, we’re so close together,” said Maya, giggling a little. “I’m so short, I can barely reach your shoulders.” Maya’s head was, indeed, a little below Edgeworth’s shoulders.
“No need to worry,” said Edgeworth. “Now, I will begin by demonstrating the basic box step. Miss Fey, when I step forward first with my left foot, you will step backwards with the right foot.”
They walked through the basic steps of the box step, Maya apologizing and giggling nervously a little every time she stepped on Edgeworth’s foot. “We won’t be doing too much more, in a social setting, than this, although if you ever wished to progress to a more advanced ballroom setting there will be more choreography to learn. Now, let us try some of this with music.”
He set up the sound as the opening chords of a Strauss piece floated through the air, and both Larry and Phoenix watched in amusement and partial awe as Edgeworth guided Maya through the basic steps with a practiced and steady hand, adjusting his movements to her fumbles and missteps. As the music came to a climax, he held their hands above Maya’s head, and Maya gazed at him curiously. “May I?”
“Go on,” he said, and gave their hands a small twist so that Maya twirled, the lavender and royal purple of her robes lifting gently in an floral imitation, before settling down and Edgeworth gathered her against his chest, their arms intertwined, before spinning her out again in a flourish. Maya smiled mischievously, then, at the final beat of the song, stuck their hands out and whipped her head so that she was looking the opposite direction, dramatically dropping her body and lifting her leg against Edgeworth, tango-style.
Edgeworth looked a bit confused, but caught her, but then smiled, bowing to Maya as the girl gave a curtsy. “A different kind of dance entirely, Miss Fey, but you’re a quick learner.”
“Thanks! You smell really good, Mr. Edgeworth.”
“I, ah,” said Edgeworth. “Er, thank you.”
There was still a light luminescent blush on her cheeks as she bounded back to the waiting men, at the opposite side of the room. “Your turn, Nick!”
“Damn,” whistled Larry. “No wonder the girls go after him.”
“We have no chance,” said Phoenix, in mock commiseration. “Who would’ve thought ol’ awkward Edgeworth would be so smooth on the dance floor.”
“Speak for yourself,” said Edgeworth. “Somehow I have a suspicion that you won’t be half as quick a student as Miss Fey here.”
“That’s right,” said Maya, happily. “Nick is hopeless whenever I try to have dance parties in the office. Isn’t that right?”
“Jeez,” grumbled Phoenix. “Alright, what do you want me to do?” He walked up to the center of the carpet.
“Since you will be, presumably, dancing with Miss Fey here, I will show you the lead position and the steps. I will be the follow in this situation. Now, do you remember what closed position looks like?"
“Um,” said Phoenix. He suddenly realized he’d never touched Edgeworth before apart from the occasional handshake—neither of them were people who were particularly prone to physical affection, unlike Maya’s hugs and Gumshoe’s affectionate way of throwing his arm around his friends’ shoulders. “I take your hand.” He reached out for Edgeworth’s hand and took it in his own, then awkwardly brushed his fingertips on his side. “I put my hand here.”
“Not quite,” said Edgeworth, taking Phoenix’s free hand, placing it right above small of his back, where there was a cut on the dark waistcoat. “And don’t let your hand hang so limply like that. You have to support your follow, so put a bit more pressure, a bit more grip.”
He flattened out his hand, pressing it into Edgeworth’s back.
“There you go,” said Edgeworth. He placed his own free hand on Phoenix’s shoulder, a gentle but firm touch, suddenly sending a shiver down Phoenix’s spine. “Alright, you’re the lead. You’re going to tell me how to start the box step.”
“I, uh,” said Phoenix. Maya was a whole head shorter than Edgeworth, but Phoenix was nearly the same height as him and found himself looking him directly in the eyes, a mere few inches apart from him. “I forgot, sorry.”
Edgeworth made a slight tsking noise of disapproval in the back of his throat. “Left foot, forward. Guide me back.”
The entire endeavor turned out to be more difficult than expected, not quite on par with the semi-coordinated attempts between Edgeworth and Maya. As they attempted to dance, Edgeworth spoke. “As the lead, your job is to initiate movement, and the follow will work to coordinate and maintain the movement so that the entire process will look like the effort of a single unit. Back with the right foot. Now to the side, transfer your weight. Bring me in closer, it will be easier to gauge the movement of your partner. Ow!”
“Sorry! I really have two left feet, I swear…”
“Let’s just try this simple pattern for now, shall we? Play the music.”
The same Viennese waltz. He found himself facing Edgeworth again, and Maya was right – from this close he could really take in the scent of the other man, woodsy, but fresh, the kind of expensive cologne from the department stores with a hint of something that was just Edgeworth himself. Edgeworth’s hand was perched on Phoenix’s shoulder delicately, and he initiated hesitantly, feeling the acquiescence of his partner accommodating to the movement.
He felt the practiced but pliable, fluid movements of the other man asserting his own place in the dance while accommodating for Phoenix’s own mistakes when he stepped too wide or far, encouraging him to lead. “Don’t rush it,” murmured Edgeworth, low near his ear, fully focused on the movements. “Guide me to you. You’re stepping a bit far, try taking smaller steps.”
“Yeah,” he breathed. Growing emboldened, he tried a new step he had seen Edgeworth do with Maya. He felt Edgeworth’s breath next to his slightly hitch in surprise, and then follow him, the approval unspoken but understood in the way that he felt their movements meld into one, his hand in Edgeworth’s as it was the most natural thing in the world. He could feel the warmth of Edgeworth’s body, supple and yielding, mere inches from his own, willing him to guide him, ready for the next instruction transmitted not through speech, but through movement.
And then he stepped a little too small, and felt Edgeworth’s momentum carrying him straight into him, feeling his body crash into his own, before the other man caught his balance and gripped him tight to pull him up.
“Oh, Wright,” he said, with a smirk. “Aside from that little mishap at the end, that was better than I expected.”
He remembered Maya and Larry watching now, the soundtrack playing from the computer coming to an end, and the sunlight of the mid-morning coming through the windowpanes of the office. Edgeworth smirking as usual, but his grey eyes studying him, almost fondly. “I swear,” grumbled Phoenix. “I don’t think you’re capable of giving a compliment without being underhanded in some way.”
“Can’t let you get complacent,” said Edgeworth. “The future of our legal system depends on it.”
“Hey Nick,” called Maya, “I’m running off to dance with Edgeworth at the ball if you aren’t as good as him at leading.”
“It’s my turn,” said Larry, pouting. “I want to try too. You guys look so cool.”
Edgeworth sighed, before putting on his jacket. “I think that’s enough instruction for today, and besides, Larry, my suspicion is that you’ll be even more of a nightmare student than Wright here.”
“Hey, you said I wasn’t that bad!”
The night had gone better than he expected, and there were a surprising number of people that recognized him, from the high-profile Engarde case, that inquired after his business. The mid-May evening a perfect time to host an evening gala, as well—the faintly sweet smell of night-blooming spring jasmine warmed the air, a light breeze passing through, mixed with the sights and sounds of the Hollywood Hills, the twinkling lights of the downtown district rising up hazy and indistinct in the distance. The faint sounds of the live band and orchestra played from inside the ballroom, the chatter of various groups floating from various parts of the balcony, the tinkling of glasses, the fizzing of champagne.
“I found sliders.” Maya slid by onto the seat next to him, a devilish grin on her face. Phoenix gazed at his friend, framed by the setting sun, as beautiful as always, in a sparkly purple dress she had picked for herself, and smiled.
“Sliders, yeah? Any for me?”
“Don’t worry,” said Maya, “I got you covered.” From behind her back, she set an entire tray onto the tiny circular table in front of them.
“What? A whole tray? Is this even legal? God, Maya, I didn’t mean it literally when I told you to eat your seventy dollars worth…”
“They have…” Maya rummaged around for the menu she kept folded up in her pocket. “Black truffle in them. And garlic aioli, whatever that means, so you know it’s got to be the fancy kind. And plus, I need to save my energy for when we go dancing later. I’m expecting a lot from you, Nick!”
It was a good hour later when he saw Edgeworth for the first time. It was after the sweeping excitement of the first waltzes, the giggling and fumbling half steps that he took with Maya at the corner of the ballroom as they attempted to cover up their own lack of experience, ducking away whenever he saw someone approach him that might ask him for a dance. Maya was at the chocolate fountain, now, enraptured by the curtains of chocolate that fell endlessly, and perhaps the steep entrance price was worth it to see the sparkle in her eyes as she carefully arranged the different types of dark, milk, and white chocolate dipped strawberries on a plate.
Edgeworth had been speaking among a throng of older lawyers, looking serious and engaged in some debate about the state of public funding in Los Angeles. He nodded when he made eye contact with Phoenix, before returning to his conversation, and Phoenix suddenly felt shy, hearing snatches of the conversation drifting towards him. “And if we allow these lobbying groups to capture city interests for Measure C, then that means no end of…”
But then a couple minutes later, he saw Edgeworth heading towards him as he finished a somewhat uncomfortable conversation with a well-meaning older lawyer curious about the case with Gant. He bade a polite goodbye to his current conversation partner. “Edgeworth.”
“You’re looking sharper than usual, today, Wright,” said Edgeworth. “Though I guess there wasn’t much of a standard there in the first place.”
Phoenix smiled. “And you’re looking as frilly as always.” Edgeworth was wearing his typical cravat, with a dark velvet burgundy suit that was well-tailored to his frame, an upgraded version of his typical ensemble. “It’s good to see you."
“Likewise, I suppose,” said Edgeworth. “How was the first waltz session? Did my instruction pay off, or have you forgotten everything?”
“Dancing is surprisingly more fun when you’re slightly tipsy and don’t know the exact steps. You should try it sometime.”
“Hmph,” said Edgeworth. “Seems to me like merely an excuse for incompetence.”
“Maya wants you to teach me how to spin, though.”
“Spin?”
“You know,” said Phoenix. “That little spinny thing you did with her. She really liked it. Wants me to do it with her too.”
“Ah, well, strictly speaking, the element I performed with her wasn’t part of a waltz repertoire. I added my own spin on it, so to speak.”
“Show me, then.”
Edgeworth sighed. “If you must. Follow me. I wish to save the masses from grand displays of your incompetence.”
He led him into a side hallway, dimly-lit, tall and draped with curtains. From the other end, he could still hear the sounds of the party in the distance, the laughter and the chatter. “Now,” said Edgeworth, “I believe it may be easier simply do demonstrate on you, instead of drafting a third party into this nonsense. And after I demonstrate, you can do it on me. Assume your starting position.”
He stood face-to-face with Edgeworth now, and took his hand, but this time, he felt Edgeworth’s hand on his waist confidently assert its place. “Your left hand,” said Edgeworth.
“Oh, uh, right.” He placed his left hand on Edgeworth’s shoulder.
“I’ll count the steps. I’ll be leading, so just follow my movements.”
He felt Edgeworth step forward, and he acquiesced by stepping back, then the gentle pressure on his back and his hip as Edgeworth guided him to the side, to the quiet whispered rhythms of “one-two-three” that he was counting in his ear. Again, the strange thrill of being so close to him, feeling the luxurious velvet of his suit on his fingertips and the clean, woodsy scent he always associated with Edgeworth, mixed with just a little bit of wine. In the relative silence, he could hear the scuffling of their shoes upon the wooden floor, the quiet breaths his partner drew in between counts, Edgeworth’s focus on the unified movement of their bodies.
“Now, pay attention to me,” said Edgeworth, and Phoenix could understand what Maya liked so much about dancing with Edgeworth, the firm support of the hand on his back guiding him forward and back, along with the synchronization of their lower bodies. “I’m going to let you spin now, clockwise, and then counterclockwise, back to me. Ready?”
“Yeah,” he whispered in reply. Edgeworth held their intertwined hands aloft, and then Phoenix spun – it was a little awkward, given the lack of height difference. Then he spun back, and he found himself in Edgeworth’s arms, and perhaps it was his imagination, but the second seemed to last longer than he had imagined, their quiet breaths held and released in unison, before he spun him back out again, to resume the usual rhythm.
“Not terrible,” said Edgeworth, after a moment.
“Someday, I’m going to get an actual compliment from you.”
“We’ll see when that happens,” said Edgeworth, and Phoenix could hear the smirk in his voice.
Two beats later, and Edgeworth said, “I want to try something else. We’re going to spin again, but I’m going to dip you afterwards.”
“Dip?”
“Just relax,” said Edgeworth. “And trust me.”
He held his arm aloft and Phoenix spun again, slower this time, and when he came back he felt Edgeworth’s hand on his back firmly, then dropping a bit, as Phoenix tried to lean into the dip before feeling terribly vulnerable as he felt his weight being increasingly supported solely by Edgeworth’s hand. Edgeworth was lunging now, his face inches from Phoenix’s as their eyes met. “Trust me,” said Edgeworth.
“I do,” said Phoenix, rapt.
They held that position, their eyes locked, until Phoenix remembered to breath again, and Edgeworth helped Phoenix up, guided him back into position.
And then the lights flickered on.
“Oh, Prosecutor! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
Edgeworth straightened, suddenly all formal and stiff, quickly pulling his hand away from Phoenix’s back. “Mrs. Tivoli. You must accept my deepest apologies. This has just been such a splendid evening, I nearly lost track of time.”
“Oh, not at all, Miles! I simply wished to introduce you to my friend, Dr. Vaughn, an expert in comparative law, particularly between Germany and the United States. I know from your background that you may be interested in such a field. Though I’m afraid I may be interrupting something?
“Not at all, not at all. I’m very pleased to meet you, Doctor.” He shook the hand of the blonde woman next to the older lady, Mrs. Tivoli. “I would certainly love to discuss when we have a moment.”
“And who is this, Miles? Dancing alone with a new boyfriend, perhaps?”
Even merely from seeing him from the side, Phoenix could suddenly see Edgeworth stiffen up and his face redden, the tips of his fingers grasping nervously at his sleeve. “I, uh, sorry, no, this is my colleague…er, friend, Phoenix Wright, who is a defense attorney. Wright, this is Ana Tivoli, who happened to be a friend of my mentor, who has been an invaluable resource and help to me in my career development here in Los Angeles. She is also one of the key organizers of this gala.”
“No need to be shy!” said Mrs. Tivoli, laughing. “I’ve certainly heard about you, Mr. Wright! A deeply admirable performance you put on for the DL-6 case, however regrettable the circumstances. I’ve known Miles since he was a boy. And,” she chastised, lightly, “he was no friend of mine, merely a colleague I had to repay a debt to.”
“No, of course not,” said Edgeworth, still pink.
“Shall we return to the ballroom?” asked Dr. Vaughn. “There are some events beginning shortly.”
“Certainly, of course,” said Edgeworth. As Phoenix followed them out of the room, Edgeworth was still not looking at him.
He ended up being the one to find Edgeworth, as the gala was about to draw to a close. “I need to talk to Edgeworth, before I leave,” he told Maya.
She nodded in understanding. “Of course. And thank him for me, for whipping you into shape in the second round of dancing.”
This time, though, he was the one to stride up to Edgeworth, as the other man was closing up a conversation, and touched him lightly on the arm. “Hey, Edgeworth.”
Edgeworth seemed to jump at the light contact. “Oh!”
“I brought you a glass. Maya wants to thank you for teaching me how to do the spinny-thing. Though I’m not sure it was quite as textbook, she had fun doing the dips.”
“Oh, yes,” said Edgeworth, quickly. He still was not meeting Phoenix’s eyes. “I apologize about earlier.”
Phoenix looked at him quizzically. “Apologize? For what?”
Edgeworth turned away. “I guess it’s nothing, really.”
They were on the balcony now, the guests slowly filtering out of the room, the last vestiges of the conversation and music coming to an end. He looked around for a second, dropped his voice an octave. “If this is about you being gay, I’ve, well, suspected. And it’s 2019, Edgeworth, nobody cares.”
There was a beat as Edgeworth chose his next words, his fingers fiddling with the buttons on his jacket. “It’s not exactly that,” said Edgeworth. “Though I do usually prefer to keep my personal life and…preferences separate from my professional endeavors.”
“And me and Maya and Larry are just part of the professional?”
Grey eyes quickly met his, a flash of hurt quickly concealed. “I didn’t mean it that way. I just never found an opportune moment, that is all.”
Phoenix bit his lip. “…I’m sorry. I promise, I would never out you if you don’t want it, or want you to feel uncomfortable, no matter the circumstance.”
“Mm.”
They stood in silence for a moment. “Though, ‘new boyfriend’?” he teased. “And here we were, thinking you were eternally married to your work.”
“I am,” said Edgeworth, deadpan. “Nothing thrills me, or moves me, nearly as much as standing at the prosecutor’s desk, uncovering the truth about a case by seeing through a complex web of lies and deception.”
Phoenix snorted. “If that was coming from anyone except you, I would have thought they were joking.”
“Prosecution, to me, is no mere job, but my vocation.” Edgeworth paused for a second, thoughtfully. “Though, in either case, it appears that my capabilities to inspire interest and devotion in the female masses has gone to waste.”
“A true tragedy. Anyways, knowing you, there’ll be plenty of men throwing themselves after you too,” said Phoenix, then ducked his head a little, realizing what he said. “I mean, because the girls do too. Like Larry said. I wouldn’t know. I mean, I don’t know if I know.”
Edgeworth smirked a little, then turned to face the cityscape. “Jealous?”
Phoenix opened his mouth to retort, but then realized the unspoken question that suddenly hung in the air. Of who? He turned to the glittering night panorama before them, and they sat in silence for a moment, before Phoenix spoke. “No, just curious. Have been for awhile. About what it’d be like.”
This time he heard Edgeworth turn to look at him, his breath hitch for a second, studying him to probe at the murky meaning in his own words. He could feel the questions forming beneath the surface as Edgeworth struggled to voice one, before Edgeworth simply sighed and smiled. “You’re impossible, Wright.”
“And you know you love it,” said Phoenix, teasingly. They settled into a comfortable silence, watching the endless stream of glowing traffic below them, the dark outline of Catalina Island in the distance, the breeze on their faces. A momentary respite from the push and pull of the currents of their conversation, like a dance, trying to test the limits of the other, trying carefully not to step on toes. But for the first time in a long while, Phoenix thought that he felt perfectly content right at that moment, perfectly happy with where he was. He closed his eyes and wished this moment could last forever, the effervescent joy of the gathering and his recent professional successes, the sweet, warm springtime air, his head light from the wine, Edgeworth close by his side, looking pensive.
“You should probably go find Miss Fey,” Edgeworth said, quietly. “The evening is almost over.”
“Hm?” Phoenix was awoken from his reverie, “Oh, yeah.”
"Goodnight, Wright."
“I’ll see you around.” And this time, when he touched Edgeworth on the shoulder in farewell, the other man didn’t tense or flinch.
In the rideshare back to their apartment and offices (Maya determined that Wright was a little too buzzed to drive), Maya leaned on his shoulder and yawned, drowsy from the evening’s events, and Phoenix smiled at her. “Thanks for coming with me, Nick. I’ve definitely eaten my money’s worth. And it was fun dancing with you.”
“Same,” said Phoenix, watching the passing scenery of the city beside the highway, feeling satisfied and warm. “Thanks, Maya, I had fun too.”