Chapter Text
2004
“So, who are you guys hopin’ to get chocolates from this V-day?”
Larry poses this question to the group, causing Phoenix to groan and Miles to scowl. Out of the three of them, Larry’s the only one that actually gets excited about Valentine’s Day, which isn’t necessarily because Larry’s the sentimental romantic type, but more because he has a different crush every two weeks and he thinks he’s all that.
“I don’t think I’m gonna get chocolate from anybody,” Phoenix says, stabbing at his rice with his chopsticks, “I usually don’t.”
“Aw whatttt, but what about that one time from Lucy?”
“The ones she gave me was meant for Miles, and the ones I was supposed to get was given to YOU , and YOU ATE IT!!”
“You’re still sore about that?” Larry pouts.
“ Yes. ” Phoenix takes another stab at his lunch.
To say Phoenix was bitter about the idea of Valentine’s Day because of that incident was an understatement. He had really liked Lucy at the time, but knowing she gave chocolates to two other people and managed to mix up the seating placement was heartbreaking. And, when he eventually found out his chocolate ended up on Larry’s desk and Larry hadn’t even told Phoenix, he wouldn’t talk to Larry for the rest of the day. The only upside was that when Phoenix tried to give the chocolate he got to its rightful owner, Miles had just let him have it. Phoenix got chocolate that day, but it was by no means a good memory.
Larry harrumphs. “Well then, what about you, Edgey? Who do you wanna get chocolates from?”
Miles scoffs, “I don’t want chocolates from anybody. It’s a tiresome tradition, and all the chocolates I’ve ever gotten have been too sweet for my tastes.”
Larry rolls his eyes, “Right, you like icky old dark chocolate, like an old man… how does a guy like you always manage to get so many chocolates every year?”
“If I knew, I’d stop whatever it is immediately.”
Larry sighs dramatically, throwing up his arms and laying down onto his back. “You’re both such stinky party-poopers, I mean where’s the love?! And before you guys ask, I’ll tell you, the girl I wanna get chocolates from is—”
Phoenix and Miles start to tune out after that. There’s no stopping the Butz when he’s on one of his rants about romance—as if any 12 year old really knows anything about the “finer intricacies of love.” Besides Larry’s endless rambling in the background, they eat their lunches in silence.
…Though, Phoenix can’t help but look over at Miles every now and then. He sighs to himself. Miles is one of his best friends, and he thinks of Miles as his hero, embarrassingly enough, but Phoenix can’t help but feel a little jealous that Miles gets so much attention, however unwanted it is. Like, what does Miles have that Phoenix doesn’t?
Well, he’s super smart, for one thing. He has the best grade in all his classes, and if Miles isn’t hanging out with Larry and Phoenix, he probably has his nose in a law textbook. Phoenix isn’t really booksmart like that; his talents lie more in the fine arts. There’s also the fact that Miles is really growing into himself. Miles having the personality of a grandpa fits better the older he grows, and he isn’t exactly getting uglier. It also helps that he refuses to wear any kind of casual clothing—Miles’ entire wardrobe consists of dress shirts, blazers, sweater vests, bowties, slacks, and dress shoes. He always looks very prim and proper, with his hair neatly cropped and parted and his clothes clean and pressed. Meanwhile, Phoenix looks like the typical middle school boy: graphic t-shirt, cargo shorts, sneakers. It must look quite odd, to see fancy Miles Edgeworth hang out exclusively with two average pre-teens.
Phoenix realises he’s been staring at Miles for a while when he makes eye contact with him. Miles raises an eyebrow in question, something wrong? but Phoenix just shakes his head and looks away. Way to be weird, staring at your best friend like a creep … Phoenix thinks to himself. He sighs to himself and finishes his lunch.
Somehow, Larry ends up landing a date with the girl he likes before school ends, so he leaves Miles and Phoenix to walk home without him. It’s an increasingly occurring situation, so they’re used to it by now. Besides, in all honesty, Miles likes Phoenix’s sole company more than Larry’s—Phoenix is more supportive of his eccentricities, and as emotionally sensitive as he is, he’s not as whiny or demanding as Larry tends to be. While Miles does consider Larry to be one of his best friends, it’s a reprieve to be away from his obnoxiousness every now and then.
Phoenix is also easier to talk to; Miles always feels like they’re on the same wavelength. He knows Phoenix doesn’t really consider himself to be a smart person, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. While Phoenix doesn’t have the best grades in school like Miles does, there’s a certain je ne sais quoi about how he thinks and analyzes things. He’s the only person besides Miles’ father that could win an argument against him, and Miles is not ashamed to say that Phoenix often does. In fact, he’s rather proud to have a best friend that can match him in such a way.
They usually walk home together deep in conversation, but Phoenix seems to be in a bit of a brooding mood. Another thing Miles likes about Phoenix is how he always wears his heart on his sleeve, and for the socially awkward Miles Edgeworth it’s a relief to know he doesn’t need to jump through hoops to figure out how Phoenix is feeling. However, it’s always disheartening when the emotions Phoenix unconsciously displays are negative.
After thinking of the right way to phrase it, Miles asks, “Is something the matter?”
Phoenix blinks, and turns to Miles with a confused look, as if he had just noticed Miles was right next to him. “Hm? No, I’m fine…”
Miles frowns. “You don’t seem fine. You’ve been silent this whole time.”
Phoenix looks away, looking like a kicked puppy. Miles immediately feels guilty. “I’m just thinking about stuff,” Phoenix says, pouting all the while.
“…What kind of stuff?”
“Just… you know… stuff…”
“How specific.”
“Ugh, I just…” Phoenix sighs, “I just… you know how we were talking about Valentine’s chocolate during lunch today?” Miles hums in affirmation. “Well… I was just thinking about how I haven’t gotten any like… special chocolates since that one time with Lucy…”
“‘Special’ chocolates?”
Phoenix blushes, “You know, like… fancy boxes… expensive chocolate… or homemade chocolate where the special ingredient is l-love… that kinda ‘special’… You’ve probably gotten some like a million times by now.”
“Certainly not a million times, we’ve only been in school for so long and there are only so many people in our classes.”
Phoenix rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean, you’re basically like the most popular guy in school, so all these girls have crushes on you and wanna give you chocolate and stuff.”
How I wish they didn’t , Miles thinks. “What’s ‘regular’ chocolate, then?”
“You mean ‘obligatory’ chocolates. It’s as the name implies, it’s just chocolate you get because the person giving it feels like they have to. Like back in elementary school when we’d have holiday parties and the teacher said if we wanted to give things to our friends, we’d have to give things to everyone in the class.”
Miles furrows his brow. What an unnecessarily complicated tradition. “Hm, well then, what about these ‘special’ chocolates have you so put out?”
“Well… there’s nobody I want to get chocolates from specifically, but… I don’t know, I think it’s just puberty or something, but… it’d be nice to know someone likes me enough to give me those kinds of chocolates…”
Phoenix starts to kick a pebble along as he walks. His gaze is fixed on the sidewalk in front of him. The pout never went away, and as far as Miles can see, his whole face seems downcast. It sends a pang through Miles’ heart. He huffs decisively, “Well, this year, for sure, you’ll get one of these ‘special’ chocolates.”
Phoenix laughs weakly, “You don’t have to cheer me up, Miles, I—”
“I’m not just cheering you up, I know for a fact you’ll get ‘special’ chocolate this year.”
“H-huh? Really? How?”
Miles sniffs, “You’ll see.”
Phoenix stares at Miles, then his face brightens considerably. With a newfound smile, Phoenix says, “Okay, I trust you. You’re not really one to lie, after all.”
Miles puffs his chest out. “Of course not. I can tell you, with one hundred percent confidence and honesty, that you’ll be receiving ‘special’ chocolates this Valentine’s Day.”
Phoenix laughs, this time sounding much more hopeful. Miles himself feels much better by proxy. His best friend’s happiness can be quite contagious, after all.
As they walk, they switch topics and start talking about the new sentai show Miles caught last night. Even when they reach their splitting point, they stand around just to talk. Phoenix listens intently as Miles explains his theories and hopes he has for the show, and when it finally gets too late for them to stay away from their respective homes, Miles thinks about how, if Larry was there, he wouldn’t get the chance to talk so openly about his affinity for such tv shows. Larry considers himself to be trendy, so he avoids anything that he deems childish. Phoenix is also starting to outgrow sentai shows, but the difference is that he still indulges Miles, encourages him to talk about it, and even engages in active conversation, asking questions and pointing out any inconsistencies Miles may have in his thorough analyses. He truly appreciates Phoenix as a friend, which is why he’s decided to give Phoenix the “special” chocolates he so desires himself.
The door is unlocked when Miles reaches his house—his father must be home early. He opens the door and, as expected, his father greets him as he enters.
“Welcome back, Miles,” his father says warmly, “how was school?”
“It was okay,” Miles answers honestly, “Most of my classes had study hall today, so I just did a lot of reading.”
“Hm… well, hopefully tomorrow your classes pick back up.”
“Yes, hopefully…” Miles suddenly feels nervous after putting his bag down. His father had recently picked up baking and cooking as a hobby, so Miles had planned to ask him if he would be willing to help Miles make homemade chocolate. However, in all of his bravado in front of Phoenix, he hadn’t considered the actual implication of giving “special” chocolate to someone. Of course, toward Phoenix, Miles’ feelings are completely platonic, but he wonders if his father would think that if Miles asked him about it. If he thought Miles had a crush on someone, especially Phoenix… it would be more than embarrassing.
Miles’ father notices him still standing in the entrance area. Miles gulps. He hasn’t been this nervous since he had brought Pess home after he, Larry, and Phoenix had found the dog abandoned in a box. He jumps when he hears his father’s voice, “Is something wrong, Miles?”
“Nnngh… well… I was just wondering… I, err, want to… make chocolates… for Valentine’s Day…” Miles looks up to see one of his father’s eyebrows raise and quickly tries to save himself, “I-it’s not what you think, it’s just for Phoenix!”
His father’s other eyebrow raises. “For Phoenix?”
Miles’ face feels very hot. He pushes himself to reply, “Y-yes… Larry had brought up Valentine’s Day today, asking us about whom we would like chocolates from, and so Phoenix seemed sad that he doesn’t get… err, ‘special’… chocolates every year, and so, as a good friend, I thought that I might… give him chocolates myself. As a friend, of course.”
His father blinks. He adjusts his glasses as a knowing smile grows on his face. “So, you’re asking for my help to make ‘special’ chocolates for… Phoenix? Just as a friend?”
The tension in Miles’ body leaves and he sags with relief. He understands, of course he does… “Yes, if you would, please.”
“Of course I would, Miles. Though, Valentine’s Day is a couple weeks away, any reason why you’d ask me so early?”
“The topic is fresh on my mind, for one thing. A fortnight’s notice also gives ample time for preparation and accounts for any errors we may make in our attempts.”
His father hums, “Valid points made in a clear, succinct response…” he walks up to Miles and ruffles his hair, which Miles squirms away from with a laugh, “I should’ve expected nothing less from you. How about we aim to start our first attempts this Saturday? You can give me a list of ingredients and I’ll buy them during the week while I’m out for work.”
Miles pats his hair back in place as he nods in affirmation. That was much easier than he thought it would be. Perhaps he should give his father more credit in understanding him. With a new sense of confidence, Miles goes up to his room and opens his laptop to search for chocolate recipes.
Phoenix doesn’t realise what day it is until he walks into his first period and notices the date on the whiteboard: February 14th, Valentine’s Day. There’s even hearts around it.
He sighs. When he turns around, he sees Miles across the room, staring right at him. Miles realises he’s been caught and looks this way and that before doing a “come hither” motion. He stands to meet Phoenix halfway. “Good morning, Phoenix,” he greets stiffly.
“Morning…” Phoenix replies cautiously.
“…It’s Valentine’s day.”
Phoenix’s eyebrows scrunch in confusion. “Uh… yeah, it is…”
“…Are you… excited, perhaps?”
“N-not really, why?”
Miles hums, “Well, I thought you would be, since you are going to get those ‘special’ chocolates you wanted so badly…”
Phoenix blinks, then remembers the conversation they had about this a long while ago. “You- you weren’t kidding?”
Miles huffs, “When do you ever know me to kid?”
A laugh tumbles out of Phoenix’s mouth. “You’re right, I even said that a few weeks ago… so, do you know who it is?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”
Phoenix’s mind begins to race. “A-are they cute? Or, actually, I should ask, do we know them? What grade are they in?” Miles tries to answer, but Phoenix stops him “—No no no, wait, don’t tell me, don’t tell me, I-I should find out for myself… when they give it to me…”
Phoenix’s cheeks grow hotter as he imagines a shy confession scene like the ones on TV, where he and the other person meet behind a school building, maybe behind the gym, and they’ll stand facing each other until that person finally gets the courage to talk and shyly hands Phoenix a heart-boxed shape of chocolates. F-for you , they’ll say, and Phoenix will have a cool, totally not-rehearsed response, like Thank you, sugar … No, no, no, that’s too cheesy and weird, not to mention old-fashioned—
“Phoenix—” Miles is shaking his shoulder “—class is about to start, stop daydreaming and go back to your seat.”
Phoenix stutters in an attempt to respond, but Miles has already turned away and gone back to his own seat. Phoenix forces himself to plop into his own, right before the teacher claps her hands and calls the class to attention. However, Phoenix has already gone back to daydreaming.
He spends most of his classes daydreaming, thinking about who it could be and what they would say and how Phoenix would respond and how they might fall in love… He thinks about it all the way through to lunch, and, of course, his friends notice.
“What’s got you so spacey, Nick?” Larry asks.
“Huh? Oh, nothing, I just…” Phoenix feels a dopey smile grow on his face before he can stop it. “I’m… gonna be getting special chocolates today.”
“WOAH!!” Larry nearly throws his lunch into the air, “ YOU’RE going to be getting special chocolates?? Never thought I’d live to see the day!”
Phoenix chokes, “W-what’s that supposed to mean?”
Larry forgoes answering and asks, “So who’re you getting chocolates from??”
“U-uh, well, I don’t know—”
“ YOU DON’T KNOW?? ”
“No, but you can ask Miles, he’s the one who told me.”
“ EDGEY TOLD YOU???? ” Larry whips his head toward Miles. “I thought you said you didn’t care about this kinda stuff!!”
Oddly, Miles looks really flushed. He clears his throat, “Ahem, I don’t, but… Phoenix does, so I did my due diligence and told him what I knew.”
Larry squints, “And how do you know about this but not me…?”
Somehow Miles’ face turns redder. “It- I can’t tell you that…”
Larry squints harder. Seeing Miles in distress, Phoenix quickly cuts in before Larry can continue badgering him, “The mystery of not knowing who it is is better than knowing, isn’t it? Here, why don’t I just tell you about how I think it’ll go down?”
Larry gasps and sidles up next to Phoenix, going “tellmetellmetellme.” Phoenix glances quickly at Miles, who sags in relief. When they make eye contact, Miles gives Phoenix a nod in thanks. Larry starts demanding Phoenix start telling him immediately, tugging at his arm and shaking him bodily, so Phoenix has to look away.
He’s a bit absentminded when he tells Larry about his daydreams, though. Miles seems fidgety throughout the rest of lunch, still as red as his sweater vest for the day, especially when Phoenix talks about the more romantic moments he had imagined. Maybe it was weird for him to think of Phoenix in a romantic light, seeing as they’ve been friends since elementary school. They’ve grown up together, and Larry was the only one between the three of them that ever really talks about romance. Phoenix doesn’t think too hard about it, though. It doesn’t seem like Miles is uncomfortable hearing them talk, just embarrassed. Embarrassment is a common emotion Miles seems to have whenever he’s around his two friends.
When the lunch bell rings, Phoenix can’t really ask Miles about anything since he and Larry have a different class than Miles. They go their separate ways, and during his last two classes, Phoenix begins to have a more thoughtful mindset toward the whole chocolate situation. With afternoon sun filtering through the classroom windows, it suddenly hits him—the realisation that he’s growing up.
It’s a very mindwracking idea, to suddenly be aware of himself. It feels like a punch to the brain and like goosebumps inside his skin. His earlier fantasies of suddenly falling in love with someone giving him chocolates is now daunting. He’s only in 7th grade right now, but he’s also in 7th grade . 4th grade—when he’d met Miles and he, Miles, and Larry all started hanging out together regularly—feels so long ago, but it was also only three years ago, and senior year of high school is five years from now, but it’s also only five years from now. Is love and romance going to become a more serious factor in his life? Will he have a girlfriend in high school? Will he have… a boyfriend?
Everything suddenly seems so possible, like anything could happen. Maybe Phoenix will up his study game and become valedictorian in high school. He’ll be a part of all these clubs and sports and be such a well-rounded individual he’ll get offers from college, and he’ll be so figured out that he’ll accept whichever one’s right for him, or maybe he won’t go to college at all. Or, maybe it’ll go the opposite way—maybe he’ll become a cool delinquent, and he’ll start smoking—which sounds gross—and he’ll start drinking—but he’d still be underage, so that would be illegal, and Miles would probably stop him from doing either of those things, and—
Oh god, his friends, what are his best friends gonna be like in high school? Larry… Larry is more likely to be a delinquent, in all honesty, but at the same time, Phoenix can’t see him pulling off a leather jacket. Or smoking, or drinking. It’s hard to imagine him any different than he is now: girl-crazy, obnoxious, always looking for fun rather than doing whatever he thinks is “nerdy,” which is usually whatever Miles does. And Miles… Phoenix can only imagine him becoming even more popular than he already is, with all the people that’ll be in high school. He would be valedictorian without even trying, and he would be a part of all those clubs and sports and be such a well-rounded individual colleges would be begging to have him, and Miles is already so figured out he’ll probably go to Harvard for Law and become a defence attorney like his dad. Or, maybe he’ll pass through school so fast he graduates early and goes to college early and becomes a famous defence attorney at the ripe age of 20, where he’ll spend the next forty years having a spotless record of winning cases before he retires and comes back to their hometown to mentor rising defence attorneys just like him…
Phoenix wonders if Miles would still be his best friend in high school. Would he move on and find friends that better share his interests? Friends just as smart and cool as he is? Phoenix knows he’d always be grateful to Miles for defending him in grade school, but will Miles remember how significant that moment was? Would he still be encouraging Phoenix and reassuring him during his more emotional moments when they’re older?
The bell rings and shakes him out of his reverie. Phoenix packs up as quickly as he can. If it’s not guaranteed that Miles, or even Larry, will be his friends three or four years from now, then he should probably enjoy as much time as he can with them now.
He rushes over to where they usually meet to go home together and finds Miles, but not Larry. When Phoenix raises his brows in question, Miles just says, “Larry managed to find another date just in time for Valentine’s.”
Though it’s not all that surprising, Phoenix is inclined to ask, “Really? Even though he broke up with Clarissa two days ago?”
Miles just shrugs. “In any case…” He looks like he’s about to say something else, but closes his mouth abruptly. He examines their surroundings before grabbing Phoenix’s arm and pulling him back onto campus.
Phoenix is eventually led to the back of the gym. Miles looks around both corners, still tugging Phoenix along. “Um, Miles…” Phoenix calls him.
Miles jumps and looks back at Phoenix. He finally notices his grip around Phoenix’s arm and quickly lets go. “Sorry…”
“No worries, just… what are we doing here?”
Miles raises an eyebrow at him. “Don’t tell me you forgot?”
Phoenix’s face scrunches as he tries to remember what Miles is talking about. When he looks back at the gym, it clicks. “OH! CHOCOLATE!”
Miles sighs and shakes his head. “You were excited all day and then you end up forgetting all about it once school ends. Will you ever change, Phoenix?”
Phoenix blushes and rubs the back of his neck, embarrassed. Thinking about changing is what made me forget in the first place , he thinks to himself.
“Well… I guess it’s time for you to get what you’ve been waiting for…”
“Huh? But—”
Phoenix cuts himself as he watches Miles turn around. Miles takes off his backpack, neatly takes something out, then puts it back on. He takes a deep breath before turning back around. With closed eyes and pink cheeks, Miles sticks his arms out. “H-happy Valentine’s Day… Phoenix…”
Phoenix’s eyes widen. He stares at the heart shaped box in Miles’ hands. It’s blue—Phoenix’s favourite colour—wrapped diagonally with a single fancy red ribbon. He tries to say something, but no words come out. What???
“Are you going to take it, or what?”
Miles’ voice startles Phoenix. Phoenix looks up at Miles’ face and sees that he’s extremely red, eyes still closed and though his voice sounded steady, his lips are trembling. Phoenix looks at the box, then at Miles, then back at the box, then at Miles again. His mouth flaps open and closed like a fish. He can feel his own face growing hot.
Miles opens his eyes after continued silence from Phoenix. When he sees Phoenix’s face, he starts to retract his arms. “If you don’t want it then—”
“NO—” Phoenix grabs Miles hands and pulls them and the box back toward himself. He ends up pulling Miles along too, as Miles stumbles forward with a surprised expression “—NO, I- uh, I just… D-did you- Are these- uh, um, I, uh…”
Phoenix is absolutely tongue-tied. He knows Miles likes verbal responses and affirmations, but he’s just so… speechless! He stutters some more as he wracks his brain for something, anything to say, and ends up blurting out, “MILES DO YOU LIKE ME??”
Miles visibly tenses and turns even redder than before. “W-W-W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!”
“JUST- JUST…” Phoenix’s own face feels like a furnace now “—YOU- SPECIAL CHOCOLATES ARE USUALLY GIVEN TO PEOPLE YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON, SO THAT MEANS- NO, I MEAN DO YOU- DID YOU… ARE THESE…FROM YOU?”
“YES!! YOU WERE SO SAD ABOUT NOT GETTING ‘SPECIAL’ CHOCOLATES THAT I MADE SOME FOR YOU MYSELF, A-AS A FRIEND!! SO- SO… TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT!!”
Neither of them move, instead just staring at each other. Miles’ pupils are shaking despite his expression being a mix of frustration and determination, and Phoenix is sure his own face looks like a mix of constipation and bewilderment. With a gulp, Phoenix clumsily slides his hands away from Miles’ and onto the box. He slowly takes it from Miles’ hands. As soon as it’s completely in Phoenix’s possession, Miles grabs one arm with the opposite hand and kneads his elbow with his fingers—a nervous tic he has.
Phoenix turns the box around so that the bottom point is facing him. His shaky hands untie the ribbon and open the box. Inside the box are a variety of chocolates. They look very lumpy, but Phoenix can make out the general shapes for the most part, like hearts and squares. The center of the heart has white chocolate, while the surrounding chocolate seems to be regular milk chocolate. He glances up at Miles, who’s glaring holes into the blacktop. Phoenix looks back at the chocolate. He picks up one of the milk chocolate ones. He licks his lips and takes a bite into it. In an instant, he tastes a sweet, rich chocolate taste on the front end, and then… apple on the back end? As odd as it is, it’s super tasty.
“You- you made these?” Phoenix asks.
Miles nods, “Well… my father helped a lot, but… yes, I did.”
“Are they all… combo flavours?”
Miles’s mouth twitches up. “Most of them are, but some are just plain chocolate. With the milk chocolate, there’s strawberry, orange, and apple flavours, and with the white chocolate, there’s a cookie ‘n’ cream one, an orange one, and a peanut butter one.”
Phoenix’s jaw drops. “You’re kidding…”
“As I told you earlier today, I’m not one to kid.” A small smirk has found his way onto Miles’ face. His hand loosens his grip from his elbow.
“…And you did this just for me? Just- just as a friend?”
“As… as your best friend.”
“Right…”
Phoenix’s eyes flick back and forth between Miles—his best friend—and the chocolate. He swallows against the lump in his throat. Slowly, he puts the lid back on the box and sets it on the ground. He only has to take a couple strides to reach his best friend and pull him into a hug. Miles makes a surprised noise, but otherwise doesn’t pull away. Phoenix buries his face into Miles’ shoulder. He feels Miles’ sweater vest getting wet, but he can’t really think about that right now, because, god, they’re best friends. They’ve been best friends for long enough that Phoenix can’t actually imagine high school or beyond without him. Not only that, but Miles is his hero . Ever since the day Miles had stood up for Phoenix when the entire class falsely accused him of being a thief, he’s been Phoenix’s saviour, and even now, with just a box of homemade chocolates—where Phoenix can just tell the special ingredient was love—he’s saved Phoenix again, from Phoenix’s own brain.
Phoenix realises they’ve been hugging for a while when he feels a stiff pat on his back, and that is just so Miles . Socially awkward, smart, talented, amazing, sincere Miles. Phoenix sniffles and laughs into Miles’ shoulder. “Thank you, Miles…” he says, his words muffled by a sweater vest, “This is the best chocolate I could’ve gotten today.”
Another awkward pat, with an added hovering that Phoenix knows is Miles’ indecision to rub Phoenix’s back or just rest his hand there. “A- hem , hm, yes, verily…”
Phoenix laughs again, and with one last sniffle, he raises his head and looks Miles in the eyes. “Happy Valentine’s Day, best friend.”
Miles looks a bit shocked at first, then a smile spreads warmly across his face. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”