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If Phoenix knew this year was the first time Miles Edgeworth would ever show up to one of his holiday parties, he would have tried to salvage his signature hairstyle at least a little before answering the front door. He supposed the pink apron he was currently wearing also wasn’t doing him any favors, as far as first impressions go.
Edgeworth, of course, looked as regal as ever, even when dressed down in just a maroon cable-knit sweater and slacks. To Phoenix's surprise, he even seemed to have forgone the usual cravat. A black coat was folded neatly over one arm, not of much use in the mild Los Angeles winter. He gripped an expensive-looking bottle of wine, nervously worrying it between his hands.
"Apologies for my late arrival. If the party is already wrapping up for the evening, I can leave—"
"What? No, no, it just started half an hour ago! I just put dinner in the oven. Come on in," exclaimed Phoenix, moving out of the doorway and gesturing into the apartment.
Edgeworth briefly hesitated at the threshold, but when the inviting glow of the hallway illuminated his face, he stepped in. Phoenix took his coat as he entered and moved to toss it over the back of a chair where several other coats already rested, but a glare from Edgeworth stopped him. He delicately hung it on the doorknob instead. The prosecutor scowled, but his expression softened when he saw their only coat rack was currently occupied by assorted magician's attire.
"Um. Sorry about answering the door like this, you caught me in the middle of cooking. If I knew you were coming, I would have had Trucy get the door instead," Phoenix laughed, attempting to smooth back his unruly hair with one hand. Edgeworth nodded, curiously eyeing Phoenix's pink apron. "Papa" was scrawled across the front in Sharpie, and a colorful assortment of stains adorned the rest of the fabric.
"Gift from Trucy. Does the job well," he laughed, adjusting the front of the apron.
"I figured. It suits you," chuckled Edgeworth. Before Phoenix could respond, a familiar voice called from the other room.
"Nick? Who was at the door? Was it the Uber Eats guy?"
"What? No, it was— wait, why are you ordering food when I'm cooking dinner right now?"
"Me and Truce wanted fries."
"Maya, you know I just finished making the mashed potatoes."
"Those aren't fries! They're clearly different!"
"Yeah, Daddy!" A second, equally cheerful voice echoed from the same room. Phoenix sighed.
"I hope you tipped well, Nick. I— Edgeworth?!" The inquisitive head of Maya Fey poked around the corner. She froze immediately upon seeing the prosecutor standing in the hallway.
"Hello, Miss Fey. I hope I'm not intruding."
"Um, no, not at all! I just didn't expect to see you here! Come on in, we're all in the living room," she said, eyes flicking between Phoenix and Edgeworth. Her oversized holiday sweater, layered over her traditional robes, was positively garish in the bright hallway lights.
Edgeworth blinked and looked apprehensively at Phoenix, who met his gaze with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, it's just Maya, Pearls, and Trucy right now. No one you don't already know. Apollo, Klavier, and Ema are swinging by later. Athena stopped by a while ago, but I think she had plans with Simon, so she left early. Nothing to worry about."
Upon hearing familiar names, Edgeworth’s stiff posture relaxed slightly. "Alright. Do you… require any assistance with dinner?"
"Huh? No, I'm almost done, Truce was helping me earlier. Thank you, though. Go have some fun with the others," he coaxed, waving at the door to the living room. "Besides, you're mean enough in court. I'm not sure I want to find out what you have to say about my cooking abilities."
Edgeworth glanced at the stains on Phoenix's apron, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't worry, I promise I can follow a recipe. You'll see at dinner," the attorney said, rolling his eyes. He did, however, notice Edgeworth's subtle hesitation to follow Maya by himself. "Uh… but if you decide it is too crazy in there, just come back and hang out in the kitchen with me. It's no big deal."
That seemed to relieve enough of his nervous energy, and he nodded.
"...Thank you, Wright. Your hospitality is appreciated. I haven't seen Miss Fey in quite some time, so I do look forward to catching up with her."
After one last gesture of encouragement, Edgeworth followed Maya into the living room. As Phoenix stepped back into the kitchen, he heard a squeal of excitement from Trucy as soon as the prosecutor stepped into the other room, and his heart fluttered in his chest.
It was somewhat of an annual Wright tradition to host a holiday party, though the amount of attendees year-to-year was highly variable. This was the first Christmas after Phoenix had gotten his badge back, and with more cause to celebrate, his tiny apartment was expecting more visitors than usual.
However, the one visitor he didn't anticipate was Edgeworth. Phoenix had made it a habit every year he hosted to extend an invitation to the prosecutor, an action dating many years back to when they had first reunited in the courtroom. This time of year was difficult for Edgeworth— Phoenix would know, as the man's former defense attorney during that case — and he didn't want him to feel isolated. He assumed Edgeworth would never show to a holiday party of all things, and Phoenix never expected him to. He simply hoped the gesture let him know that he wasn't alone during this time of year, at the very least.
So Phoenix had texted his invitation, no different than any other year, and was met with the typical silence. And same as every year, he forgot about the invitation to Edgeworth, and moved on to coordinate when Maya could take a break from her medium training to come down with Pearl. So when Edgeworth had shown up at his door with no warning whatsoever, shocked was an understatement for what Phoenix had felt.
As he pulled the turkey out of the oven, he pondered his friend's unusual behavior, wondering what had changed this year. His traitorous thoughts also drifted to how good Edgeworth had looked in that sweater— had he ever seen him without his frilly cravat?
These weren't surprising thoughts to have. He had been harboring feelings for the other man since… well, since ever. But as life would have it, it always proved more convenient to repress that particular aspect of his emotions, especially as the two worked to rebuild their rocky friendship. However, Edgeworth's new position as Chief Prosecutor meant he was now permanently stateside, making it harder to ignore the more time they spent around each other.
His musing on Edgeworth's choice of dress was cut short by a loud knocking down the hall, and for the second time that night Phoenix smoothed down his apron to answer the door. This time, instead of the solitary prosecutor, three bickering individuals greeted him at the doorway.
"Hi Mr. Wright. Sorry we're late, we lost Ema at the grocery store earlier," scowled the shortest member of the group, crossing his arms over his bright red sweater vest.
"You did not lose me, Apollo. I was weighing my options on which baking soda brand to get, and you and Klavier wandered off somewhere. For the leavening reaction, you—"
"Oh my god. I am never baking with someone who took chemistry in college ever again. Mr. Wright, she had to measure every ingredient exactly ," groaned Apollo.
"Hey, baking is a science! And you picked the dish, I just went along with it," said Ema, sticking her tongue out. Perched on her head was a pair of felt reindeer antlers, taking the place of her usual glasses.
"Whatever. We brought fruitcake."
Klavier waved from behind Ema and Apollo.
"Not you, fop," said Ema, holding out a small, wrapped loaf to Phoenix. He gratefully accepted, taking note to hide the very dubious fruitcake Maya had attempted to bake earlier behind this new loaf.
"Miss Fey is requesting to know if the 'Uber Eats guy' is here," said Edgeworth, suddenly leaning out of the living room to join the conversation at the door.
"Whoa, Mr. Edgeworth, you have a neck!" Exclaimed Ema, pointing out the absence of his signature cravat. Edgeworth frowned.
"Uh, sorry Mr. Edgeworth! She's been… drinking," said Apollo, hastily cutting in.
"Nuh-uh, I'm completely sober! Apollo, I literally just drove you here."
"Great. I was trying to save you. Thanks," muttered Apollo, putting his face in his hands.
"Hey, is that Herr Edgeworth?" Said Klavier, peering down the hall. He lowered his voice, leaning down to Apollo's height. "Is it weird if my boss is at a party I'm attending?"
"Well, considering the host is my boss, I'd say you're fine," said Apollo, rolling his eyes.
"Ja , but—"
"Why don't you all come inside? You can talk in the living room where it's warmer," said Phoenix, opening the door wider. The trio gratefully obliged, and Klavier waved at Edgeworth. The older prosecutor greeted him with a demure nod before returning to the room.
Phoenix followed them into the living room. Trucy, Maya, and Pearl occupied the couch, engrossed in a game of Mario Kart— probably why Edgeworth had been coerced into checking the door for Maya’s order. Pearl waved at the newcomers from where she sat, attentively watching Trucy and Maya battle for first place. Ema immediately tossed her keys on the coffee table and went to join the game, pulling her own controller out of her bag and beckoning Apollo and Klavier over.
"You try a round yet?" Teased Phoenix, turning to Edgeworth. He was standing quietly next to the door, observing the festivities.
"Yes, actually. Trucy insisted. I thought I was doing quite well, but it turns out I was staring at the wrong car on the screen the whole time," he grumbled. Phoenix chuckled at Edgeworth, who was clearly miffed his driving prowess did not seem to extend to video games.
"If it makes you feel any better, you're one of two people with a driver's license at this whole party. Klavier's motorcycle doesn't count," smirked Phoenix. "I'm close to finishing up dinner, so just hang on a little bit longer."
Edgeworth nodded, eyeing the crowd warily before walking closer to watch the game. Trucy shifted on the sofa and patted the armrest for Edgeworth to sit. He perched awkwardly on the edge of the sofa, leaning more than sitting. Satisfied, Phoenix returned to the kitchen, ready to put the finishing touches on dinner.
There was no way eight people could fit at Phoenix and Trucy's modest dining table, so everyone spread out around the living room, balancing a plate in their lap. Regardless of the cramped setup, dinner was delicious, and the atmosphere was relaxed. Phoenix gave Maya a look when Klavier passed her a paper bag of fries, claiming a delivery man caught him out front before they entered the apartment. She merely shrugged, popping a fry into her mouth and passing one to an eager Trucy.
Eventually, the evening grew late, and the adults brought the alcohol out. Phoenix politely declined, not much of a drinker anymore, and Edgeworth followed suit, citing that he needed to drive himself home. When he said this, Apollo stared wide-eyed at Ema, who was swirling a glass of wine in her hand.
"Not to worry. I'm just having a few sips. We're not leaving for a few hours. Also, I brought this," she said, pulling a breathalyzer out of her bag. "Just in case. But for real, the liver metabolizes alcohol at a rate of—"
"Wait, I’m sorry, where did you get a breathalyzer?" Said Apollo, squinting. "You just… have that on you?"
"I was a police detective until a few months ago, dweeb. When I moved to forensics, they never asked for their toys back— um, please pretend you didn't hear that, Mr. Edgeworth."
Edgeworth grimaced and shook his head. "Not my department. That's your own business, Miss Skye."
She beamed. "Good. As I was saying…"
She launched into a ramble about how breathalyzers work. Phoenix chuckled as she explained the concept of chemical oxidation to Apollo, now downing wine, and Klavier, who smiled with a vacant expression. Maya nodded enthusiastically, not understanding but excited to hype someone up.
The party only grew more raucous as more alcohol was consumed. It didn't take long for Phoenix to notice Edgeworth was looking more tense than usual, gripping his sweater sleeve on the couch where they were sitting.
He had a nervous energy about him the whole evening, but had been fine around just Trucy, Maya, and Pearls. When more guests arrived, he had slowly become more withdrawn. The added loudness this late at night seemed to be pushing his limits.
Phoenix gently nudged him with his elbow.
"You okay?" He mouthed.
Edgeworth nodded, mouth drawn into a terse line. He swallowed, as if to speak, when a loud shattering noise startled them both. Ema had accidentally knocked a glass off the coffee table, and she pointed at Klavier, who threw his hands up in protest. Apollo sighed, reaching for the paper towels Trucy helpfully passed to him.
"Sorry Mr. Wright, I— hey, Mr. Edgeworth, are you alright? " Said Ema, tilting her head to one side. Everyone turned to look at the prosecutor, who was looking incredibly pale. Maya peered at him confusedly, before her eyes widened. Phoenix followed her gaze to the clock on the wall above them. It was nearly midnight. On Christmas Eve. He and Maya exchanged a look, realization dawning on them as unpleasant memories from a case many years ago flooded in.
"I'm perfectly fine," said Edgeworth, voice strained in a way Phoenix recognized as absolutely not fine. Apollo's hand reflexively went to his bracelet at the lie, but he said nothing. Of course, Trucy also seemed to notice something was off, and she shot Phoenix a questioning glance. Phoenix's eyes flicked to Edgeworth and then back to Trucy, seemingly imploring for a distraction. Perceptive as ever, the young magician picked up immediately, and hopped down from her perch on the side of an armchair.
"Hey, want to see a new magic trick I've been working on?"
Trucy pulled a clean glass from out of her top hat, and placed it on the table where Ema's glass had been moments before. She continued to pull random objects from her hat, comedically increasing in size. Ema, Pearl, and Klavier watched, transfixed, and Apollo muttered something about there still being broken glass on the floor to clean up.
With the attention on Trucy, Phoenix took the moment to gently bump Edgeworth's shoulder.
"Hey, you want to get some fresh air?"
The prosecutor nodded, and followed Phoenix to the door. On the way out, Maya gave them a sympathetic look, and pointed to her phone, a gesture indicating she was reachable if they needed anything. Phoenix gave her a small smile, thankful for her loyal friendship.
Although the weather was fairly mild, the night breeze seemed to cut through Phoenix's thin sweater. He had forgone a jacket in favor of getting Edgeworth out of the apartment as quickly as possible. Thankfully, the prosecutor had enough sense to grab his own jacket off the doorknob before they left, putting it on with little preamble and stuffing his hands in his pockets.
They didn't make it far. The side of Phoenix's apartment building had a small alley, blessedly quiet despite the chaos happening upstairs. Edgeworth sat on the steps leading to the unused back entrance to the building, and Phoenix joined him.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
"I'm… sorry," he muttered.
"What for?"
"You left your own party because of me."
Phoenix chuckled. "I see half the people there at work every day, I'm not missing anything. Besides, they were getting a little too loud for my tastes. You think this means we're finally getting old?"
Edgeworth didn't smile at the jab like he normally would, and Phoenix's face fell.
Another beat of silence passed, and Edgeworth continued pointedly staring at the cracked cement of the alley ground.
"Wright… do you know why I came to your party this year?"
Phoenix turned to look at him, brows furrowing. Edgeworth kept his gaze fixed firmly on the ground.
"You were always there for me in the lowest points of my life, even when I wished you weren't," he said, the ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. "But… I wasn't there for you in return. We barely talked during those seven years. When I moved back to Los Angeles, and you got your badge back, I had hoped it had been long enough that maybe you would forgive my neglect."
He looked up above the buildings, power lines crisscrossing the cloudy sky. "The very least I could do as your friend, especially after your return to law, was to spend Christmas Eve with you. Like you'd invited me so many times before. But I couldn't even do that. Forgive my cowardice."
"Hey… I never expected you to come all these years, you know. I know how bad this time of year is for you. Both as your former defense attorney, and as your friend. I wanted you to know that you always had people who cared about you, even during Christmas," said Phoenix gently. "You don't need to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation to prove our friendship. We've been through enough together already."
"You think I don't know that?" He snapped, before trailing off. "I… forgive me, Wright. It's been years, and somehow past trauma still has a hold on me. I'm in my thirties. I should have been able to move on by now."
"You're one of the strongest people I've ever met, Edgeworth. But you've also been through a lot more than most other people. Faltering a little here and there doesn't negate any of your growth over the years."
Edgeworth slouched forward, as if trying to disappear into his dark jacket. Vulnerability painted his face years younger in the pale light of the streetlamps.
"The nightmares still come back around Christmas," he mumbled.
Phoenix bit his lip, not knowing what to say. He racked his brain for anything that could help.
"Hey… this is going to sound weird, but have you ever… visited your dad?"
Edgeworth looked at him, unsure of whether or not to be shocked or offended.
"I don't mean like, having Maya channel him or anything! You know… visiting his memorial. He was buried here in Los Angeles, right?"
The prosecutor continued staring at him warily.
Phoenix sighed. "I… bring it up because sometimes Maya and I visit Mia's grave. In Kurain Village. It… um, seems silly, to talk to a headstone, but it does help. I don't know if you've ever been, but I'd be happy to go with you if you want someone there with you. I know it helps Maya and I to have each other. But if that's a silly suggestion, I—"
"Wright. Do you know the cemetery near our old elementary school? The one just down the road? He's buried there, apparently. I've been meaning to go but I… haven't," he murmured, brushing his silvery hair behind his ears. "I'm a little apprehensive of going on Christmas Eve of all days, but…"
"No, seriously, we don't have to if you don't want to. I was just throwing out random suggestions. We could also stay out here—"
"I want to go. I haven't, all these years, but… I trust you, Wright. I think I'd be comfortable if you were there," he said softly.
"…Only if you're completely sure. Of course, you'll have to drive though," said Phoenix. He caught a muttered complaint from Edgeworth as he dug in his coat pocket for his keys.
Thankfully, the usual traffic was nonexistent, owing to the late hour and impending holiday. It was a relatively quick drive out of their neighborhood, past the skyscrapers, to the nearby suburb where they had lived decades prior.
Phoenix hastily texted Maya letting her know he and Edgeworth were going for a quick drive, and that they'd be back soon. He rolled his eyes at her cheeky ";) " reply, but smiled when another text came in moments later, saying she'd hold down the fort and make sure everyone got home safely.
The cemetery, quaint and nestled behind a residential neighborhood, was as empty as the roads when they arrived. They pulled over and hopped out, Phoenix shining a flashlight in Edgeworth’s face. The prosecutor rolled his eyes.
"Hey, I just wanted to say, what helps me and Maya might not be for everyone. You and I are pretty different, as I'm sure you've noticed. If this doesn’t help at all… we can just head back. At least you got some fresh air," said Phoenix. Edgeworth nodded, expression resolute.
It took a little while of searching, but eventually Phoenix turned to find Edgeworth frozen, staring at a modest headstone at the end of a row. The hazy moonlight filtered through the tree above them, dappling the surface of the stone.
Edgeworth leaned down, hesitating, before gently touching his fingers to the engraving. In loving memory of Gregory Edgeworth.
His fingers lingered, and Phoenix stood behind him, shivering in the night breeze. For a moment, he wondered if the man was going to get up and leave. He seemed profoundly still. Maybe this was a silly suggestion after all.
Until he noticed Edgeworth's hand, pressed lightly to the stone, was trembling. Phoenix stood, transfixed.
"…Hello, Father," he said softly, breath misting in the cool air. "I apologize for how long it took me to visit... You'd be happy to know it was none other than Phoenix Wright who finally convinced me to stop by. I recall you always did like him."
Edgeworth took a deep breath, and continued. Although he knew the defense attorney was standing behind him, he made no move to acknowledge Phoenix's presence. "I'm… not really sure what to say, honestly. Wright told me that this can help with closure. And it's Christmas now so… anything is appreciated. I hate this time of year, and I think that's understandable," he chuckled darkly.
"We… have a lot to catch up on. A lot has happened, and a lot has changed. We'd be here all night if I recounted the ups and downs of the past few decades. But even after all this time… I still think of you. I think about what you would think of me, and the choices I've made. I'd like to think you'd be proud of me now, even as I've chosen the path of a prosecutor… but it's thanks to Wright I'm the man I am standing before your grave now. In fact, he's the reason your killer was finally apprehended," he continued, voice cracking slightly.
"So… I suppose I finally gathered the courage to say hello to you again. And I hope the time between the next time we meet isn't nearly as long. I… I miss you. And I apologize for my cowardice."
There was a long beat of silence, as Edgeworth stood from where he knelt. The wind whistled through the cemetery, cutting through Phoenix’s thin sweater and biting at his skin.
He took a few steps back from the headstone and turned to Phoenix, bangs shadowing a lot of his expression. For a moment, Phoenix was surprised at how stoic he had remained.
"For what it's worth, you're not a coward, Miles. Your father would be so proud of you," he murmured.
Edgeworth looked up, and Phoenix could see he was not unaffected after all. He thought he glimpsed wetness on his cheeks before he was enveloped in a hug, Edgeworth clasping his arms behind Phoenix's back tightly.
Personal boundaries had always been firmly established in their relationship. Edgeworth generally did not like to be touched, and Phoenix respected that. Even at Hazakura, during that dreadful trial, Edgeworth did not want to be hugged even after an earthquake. So now, Phoenix found himself at a loss, with the prosecutor's face firmly buried in his shoulder and hands clutching his back. He gently wrapped his arms around the other man in return, trying to ignore the heat rushing to his face. He was unsure if Edgeworth was crying, but he lightly stroked his back anyways, trying to make his touch as reassuring as possible.
He realized it was the first time in recent memory they had ever truly hugged, perhaps since they were children. He wished it was under better circumstances.
They stayed like that for a moment, holding each other, until Edgeworth pulled away.
"I… apologize. I don't know what came over me. I was just talking to a rock, for God's sake," he muttered, avoiding eye contact and rubbing at his face with a sleeve.
"Don't worry about it. Seriously. It can be… weirdly emotional," said Phoenix, thinking about the times he and Maya had cried at the foot of Mia's grave. A shiver wracked through him, both at the memory and the cold air.
Edgeworth's guarded expression softened at Phoenix’s shiver, and he shrugged his arms out of his jacket. He tentatively walked closer to Phoenix, and when the other man made no indication of backing away, he placed his jacket around both of their shoulders. His distinct cologne immediately wrapped around Phoenix, and the attorney found himself relaxing into the familiar scent.
"You… looked cold. Please don't freeze on my behalf," he said. "Although it evades me why you wouldn't think to grab a jacket before walking outside. In December."
Phoenix chuckled softly. "I had other priorities. Besides, it's Los Angeles. It's usually not that cold." He ground out the assertion through chattering teeth, which did little for his argument.
He figured if Edgeworth was starting to make jabs at his expense again, he was starting to feel a little better. He pressed closer to the prosecutor, enjoying the warmth. Edgeworth surprisingly made no move to back away.
They stood in silence, watching the wind rustle the boughs of the tree above, enjoying each other's presence and shared warmth in the cold heart of the cemetery.
Phoenix wasn't sure how much time had passed, but they eventually made their way back to Edgeworth's car. He wasted no time in turning up the heat to high once he put the keys in the ignition. However, Edgeworth made no move to drive away just yet.
"Before we leave… I wanted to thank you. Again. It seems I owe you debt after insurmountable debt."
Phoenix opened his mouth to protest, but Edgeworth held up his hand.
"As… vulnerable and overwhelming as it was, I felt safer this Christmas Eve than I have in a very long time. I'm sure this time of year will always pose its own difficulties for me… but maybe companionship can help alleviate some of that. You are truly an invaluable friend, Phoenix. I look forward to spending many more holidays with you and your family. If you'd have me."
Phoenix’s heart pounded in his chest at the rare usage of his first name.
"No problem, Miles. You're welcome for any holidays. I'm sure Truce and Maya wouldn't object to having you around more anyways," he said. "I'm glad you're back."
Edgeworth smiled, expression more peaceful than Phoenix had seen all evening. He reversed the car into the quiet residential streets, the city skyline slowly becoming more prominent as they crept back towards the apartment. The defense attorney managed to send a text to Maya and Trucy, letting them know he was heading back. As soon as they replied letting him know everyone had made it safely home from the party, he began to drift off into a light sleep. He reclined slightly in the passenger's seat, arms crossed tightly over his chest. He shivered lightly, even with the heat in the car on full blast.
At the next red light, the prosecutor gently pulled his jacket over the man in the passenger's seat. The barely-conscious attorney turned and buried his face into the side of the fabric, softly breathing in the familiar scent.
Edgeworth’s heart fluttered, traitorous as ever.