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Edgeworth was in a coffee shop. He was seating by the window, watching the street. That street was really special. He used to live there with him.
Phoenix. Edgeworth starts wondering about him. What he was doing at the moment... If he was alright...
A taxi parked outside the coffee shop. The prosecutor started looking at it. A man and a woman came out of the vehicle. They were holding hands. Edgeworth's mind was immediately taken to that moment.
They were in the backseat of a taxi, coming from a party.
"Oh, man. I shouldn't have drunk that green thing" said Phoenix.
Edgeworth wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. His mind was somewhere else.
"I tried to warn you" Edgeworth said without a trace of emotion in his tone.
Phoenix looked at his boyfriend. He was very confused, but still noticed that something was wrong.
"You've been strange lately" said Phoenix.
"It's nothing"
"Is it the Riviera case? You'll be alright, Miles. You're the best Prosecutor in the world, you know that. You-"
"It's not it!" Miles interrupted him.
"What is it then?"
"I rented a place on Cornelia Street" said Edgeworth trying to sound as casual as possible.
Phoenix didn't know what to say.
"Nice?" He said after a minute.
Edgeworth rolled his eyes.
"I rented it for us, Phoenix"
"Oh".
The taxi stopped. They were outside Phoenix's apartment. They paid the driver and got out of the car.
When the taxi disappeared from his view, Wright turned to his boyfriend, who was still looking at the end of the street.
"You know you shouldn't have done that" said Phoenix.
"You always said you didn't want to live with me in the mansion, so I bought an apartment for us"
"Miles... Isn't Cornelia Street that street with fancy buildings?"
"It's very small, Phoenix. I swear. It's basic and cozy. It's perfect, you'll see".
"Miles..."
"And you can take Trucy with you, of course. There are three bedrooms, we could even make one as a guest room".
"You know this isn't the problem".
"Then what is it?"
"I'm sure I can't afford this apartment. I know you. And I don't want you to pay everything for me. I wouldn't feel comfortable".
"You're being stupid. Stop acting like a child, Phoenix. I have more money than you do, so what? This shouldn't be a problem. My money is your money".
"We've been together for what? Six months? Don't you think it's too early? I'm pretty sure everyone will say I'm with you because I want your money".
"I don't care about that, Phoenix".
"But I do. And if you were in my position, You would too".
Edgeworth decided that the best thing he could do at the moment was just stop insisting. He pulled his boyfriend for a kiss and their lips locked for 30 seconds. When they pulled away, Miles noticed a single tear streaming down Phoenix's face.
"I know you have good intentions, but can you just give me some time?"
"Okay, I'm sorry". Edgeworth held his boyfriend in his arms.
"Thank you..."
"I love you, Phoenix".
"Yeah, I love you too".
They held hands and started walking towards Phoenix's apartment.
"Hey... can you at least visit the apartment with me?" Asked Edgeworth.
"Okay". Phoenix said smiling.
"Sir!"
Edgeworth looked around. He was in the cafeteria. A woman holding a tray with a cup of coffee and some cookies was staring at him. She seemed impatient.
"I'm sorry" said Edgeworth. "My mind wasn't really here"
"Okay" she said clearly uninterested. "A caramel latte and cinnamon cookies, right?"
"Yes. You can leave it there, thank you".
The waitress left his order on the table and moved away.
Edgeworth started remembering the first day he brought Phoenix and Trucy to the apartment at Cornelia Street. Both Phoenix and his daughter loved the place and in the end Edgeworth won (with a little help from Trucy). The three of them started living together at Cornelia Street.
They lived happily for two months there. But there was a point when things started to get complicated.
They were walking down the street on their way to the apartment. It had just rained and everything was very cold because of the autumn air. They were holding hands.
"I should've brought a jacket" said Phoenix. "I'm freezing"
"There" Edgeworth took off his own jacket and gave it to his boyfriend. Normally, Phoenix would deny it. But he was just so cold. He reached for the jacket and wore it very quickly.
"Thank you. I'm feeling better already".
"That's good". Edgeworth smiled. Wright reached for his boyfriend hand and in a matter of seconds they were holding hands again.
They continued walking. Cornelia Street was a very beautiful place and there were many things to do there. The rain made the street look even more gorgeous.
Edgeworth looked at a creak on the floor.
"Hey... doesn't that creak look like steel samurai?"
"What?"
Phoenix looked at the portion of water.
"Sorry, Miles. I don't see it. I don't think this looks like steel samurai".
" Of course it does. Just the head".
"Oh... yeah. Maybe. But... Look! I think that one looks like an elephant".
Edgeworth looked at the creak Phoenix was pointing to.
"Indeed" said Miles.
They kept memorising the creeks on floor for minutes, not paying attention to anything else.
"...And that looks just like my attorney badge" said Phoenix smiling like a little kid.
"I believe all creaks have a round-like shape. So pretty much all of them is likely to look like your badge". Miles said in a monotonous tone.
Phoenix rolled his eyes.
"You started off this and in the end, you found a way to make it sound boring".
Miles couldn't help but smile. They looked at each other and his smile grew larger. He didn't know if it was possible to love Phoenix more. Wright faced the path in front of him and Edgeworth continued looking at the creaks on the floor. Suddenly, the prosecutor felt his boyfriend letting go of his hand gently. That bothered him for some reason. Miles looked at Phoenix and noticed that he was staring at a woman that was approaching them with a smile on her face. She'd just left a drugstore.
"Sonata!" Phoenix practically screamed.
"Hey, Phoenix!" She exclaimed in a happy tone.
He approached the woman and they shared a quick hug. Miles faced "Sonata" trying to remember if he knew her.
"Miles!" She said in a not-so-happy tone. Suddenly he remembered. The three of them studied together when they were kids. But why was she talking to them? They were never friends in the first place.
Her gaze went from Miles to Phoenix again. The prosecutor could notice strong undertones of curiosity on her attitude.
"Apparently that's the only way to see the two of you" She said in a complaining voice "You never come to our reunions".
Miles wanted to say "It's because we're not interested", but he let Phoenix be his too-nice-to-be-rude self and give some generic excuse. He didn't know if Sonata believed but suddenly her eyes grew and she stared intensely at them.
"What are you guys doing here?" She asked. This time she didn't bother to hide her curiosity. It was very clear now.
Before Miles could say anything, Phoenix just said "We live together". Edgeworth didn't really enjoy the way his boyfriend pronounced those words. It just sounded so... casual. In his head, Phoenix didn't pronounce "we live together" as in "we're in love", but instead he said "we live together" as in "we're just roommates".
They just kept some small talk for a few minutes and then the two of them headed back to their apartment. This time they weren't holding hands.
Trucy was playing video games in her bedroom when they arrived.
"Why didn't you tell Sonata that we're a couple?" That was the first thing Edgeworth asked Wright as soon as they entered their bedroom. He closed the door.
"What are you talking about?" Asked Phoenix with a playful smile. But Miles wasn't smiling.
"Are you ashamed of me? Are you ashamed of being with another man?"
"Miles, what? Are you crazy?"
"You said we lived together. You should've told her we're a couple. Don't you think?"
"But it is implied, isn't it?"
"It isn't, Phoenix. I'm sorry".
"Okay, then I'll just go back to that fucking drugstore and tell her that we're together". Phoenix started walking towards the door.
"Phoenix..." said Edgeworth, making the defense attorney stop in front of the door.
"What?"
"Are you really in love with me?"
Phoenix felt like a rock was being thrown at him. He didn't know what to say.
"Why would you ask something like that?"
"I think if you were in love with me, you wouldn't feel ashamed of me".
"What makes you think that, Miles? For God's sake! I'm completely in love with you! Why do you think I would go through all that embarrassment confessing my feelings for you in front of a court room if I weren't in love with you?! Why would I lie about that? I..." but Phoenix didn't continue. It was like he found an answer to those questions. "Oh my God..." he murmured.
"What?" asked Miles. Suddenly, he wasn't feeling anger anymore, just worry.
"You think I'm with you because of your money..." Phoenix's voice was distant, like he was somewhere else.
"What?! I never said that!"
"But you thought!" Phoenix headed towards the wardrobe and took off a suitcase out of it. He started throwing his clothes inside it.
"What are you doing?" Asked Miles.
"That's why I didn't want to move in with you! I was worried other people would think I'm only with you because of your money. But I never thought this would come from you!" Phoenix screamed. He was trying to swipe his tears and pack his things at the same time.
Miles approached his boyfriend and tried to comfort him, but Phoenix moved away and left the room. Miles heard him saying something to Trucy. He heard the girl scream "what?!". Phoenix only came back to their bedroom to pick up his suit case.
"Where are you going?" Asked Miles. He was now very worried.
"It's not your business" said Phoenix, rudely.
"You're my boyfriend". Edgeworth didn't have any confidence on his tone. It was like he was giving a statement and asking a question at the same time. Like he was waiting for Phoenix's confirmation.
"No, Miles. We're not. We just broke up".
And that was the moment that everything fell apart for Edgeworth. Before he even knew, Phoenix was gone. The prosecutor didn't even have the opportunity to say goodbye to Trucy.
"Mister...?" A sweet voice took Miles out of his daydream. He was at the cafeteria again.
"What is it?" He asked.
The owner of the voice was a redheaded woman.
"Are you using that chair? Would you mind if I took it?"
Miles looked at the three empty chair on his table.
"No, it's okay. You can take them. I'm not waiting for anyone".
"Thanks! I'll just need one anyway!" The woman picked up a chair and took it to her table where she was sitting with her family.
Miles looked at the family. A wave of unknown feelings invaded him. He never thought he would want to build a family with someone one day. But Phoenix made everything change. Again, Miles started wondering where the defense attorney was at that moment.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of the front door opening and he couldn't believe his eyes. A man with spiky hair, a spiky hair Miles would recognize anywhere, entered the cafeteria. He stopped at the entrance and looked around the tables. Their eyes met.
"What are you doing here, Wright?" asked Miles.
Miles was in front of his apartment. He had just left it when he saw Phoenix standing there in the cold.
"I wanted to talk to you" said Phoenix in a low tone.
"Oh, really? And why did you ignore my three hundred phone calls then?" The irony on Edgeworth's tone bothered Wright.
"Measure that irony and anger, Sir". Said Phoenix. "Anyway, I'm not here to fight. May I come in?"
"Sure".
Unexpectedly, Phoenix's right hand reached out for Miles' left hand. In a few seconds, they were inside the apartment. It wasn't cold inside. That made Phoenix feel good. He even took off his shoes, so he could feel the warmth of Miles' carpet.
"Do you want something? Tea, maybe?" Asked Miles.
"Yea... Tea would be good". said Phoenix.
Miles let go of Phoenix's hand and walked towards the kitchen. Wright followed him.
Now they were both in the kitchen. Barefoot. Phoenix was thinking that the kitchen floor wasn't like the rest of the house. It was very cold, but even when he felt the wooden surface under his foot again, he felt good.
Miles opened one of the cupboards and started asking questions and Phoenix just kept saying "yes" to all of them.
"Phoenix? I asked you a question!" Said Miles.
"Humm...?"
"I asked you what flavor you want and you said 'yes'."
"Just do whatever you want. I... I'm not here to drink tea, Miles".
"Then why are you here?"
Wright moved closer to Edgeworth. The room became even warmer.
"We need to talk" said Phoenix.
"I agree".
"I have a lot to tell you".
"So do I".
They kept staring at each other for 13 seconds. Exactly 13 seconds. They couldn't tell who made the first move, but after those 13 seconds their lips were together. It was a very gentle kiss initially. Phoenix put his hands on Miles' face so he could feel the warmth of his skin. Miles closed his eyes and flavored every bit of that kiss because he knew that it could be the last time he was doing it.
Surprisingly, Phoenix put his hand behind Miles' head and deepened the kiss. Wright lifted Edgeworth's leg and put his on the counter. The prosecutor got lost in the moment. He wasn't sure if that was reality or if he was just dreaming. But he was there. On the counter. Kissing his ex-boyfriend passionately.
Phoenix moved away from the kiss, making Edgeworth let out a frustrated sound.
"Is that what you wanted to say?" Asked Miles.
"Yes. That's what I wanted to say". Answered Phoenix with a smile.
"So... what now?"
"What?"
"What does it mean?"
"It means that we're together again..." Phoenix couldn't complete his sentence with 'if you want' because Miles attacked his lips. They kept kissing and making out until the room was dark. Miles didn't know how much time he spent there with Phoenix.
"What made you come here?" Asked Edgeworth while he was making dinner.
"I just realized that I can't live without you". Answered Phoenix.
Miles felt like melting.
"Phoenix ... I love you so much... You have no idea. I... When you went away I didn't know what to do. I felt my world falling apart".
"It was very difficult for me too, Miles"
"I even thought about moving out from this apartment. Actually, I'll do it. I'm going to start everything tomorrow".
"And where are you going to go?"
"You mean where we are going to go"
"Still haven't given up on that stupid idea of living together?"
"Never"
"Alright. But I would prefer if you moved to a cheaper place this time. One I could afford".
Miles smiled.
"I would live under a bridge for you, Phoenix"
"No, you wouldn't"
"Yeah, you're probably right"
Both of them started laughing at the same time. Phoenix with his explosive laugh and Miles with his gentle and cold one.
"May we never break up again" said Edgeworth in a solemn tone.
"Amen"
"What are you doing here, Wright?" asked Edgeworth when his boyfriend sat in front of him. They were both in the cafeteria. "Shouldn't you be on your way to that lawyer's conference?"
Phoenix laughed.
"They just called me. It got rescheduled. Aren't you happy to see me?" Phoenix faked an offended expression.
"Of course I am. I'm just... surprised. That's all" said Miles.
"What were you thinking of?" Asked Phoenix.
"What?"
"I don't know. You had a strange look on your face. Like you weren't here on planet earth"
"I was remembering our time here at Cornelia Street".
Phoenix smiled at the memory.
"You really enjoyed living in that fancy apartment huh"
Miles laughed.
"That was a good thing too. But I love where we live now"
"Good"
Phoenix stared at the street. He kept looking at people passing by.
"But it was a very good time, indeed" said Phoenix in a dreamy voice.
"Yes, it was"
"And that fancy apartment wasn't that bad" Phoenix giggled.
The waitress came to their table and took note of Phoenix's order. Miles kept looking outside the window.
"You know what..." murmured Edgeworth when the waitress was gone.
"Hum...?"
"If we break up, I will never walk Cornelia Street again"
"Don't be dramatic, Miles"
"I mean it, Phoenix. It... This place just screams your name. Every part of it. I just... I don't know if it makes sense for you, but I wouldn't be able to come here. I hope I never lose you, Phoenix"
"Don't worry, Miles. I won't go anywhere".