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When Miles arrives home for the evening, Phoenix is stretched out on the sofa, Languishing. Miles takes one look, ascertains it isn’t anything serious with the critical eye of someone well accustomed to dealing with Phoenix Wright, and pivots on his heel to go upstairs to shed his suit for something more comfortable for a night in before he returns to the living room. Phoenix shifts his legs without otherwise moving so Miles can settle on the couch, and once he has, he asks, “What’s wrong?”
Phoenix heaves a massive, only slightly melodramatic sigh, and motions vaguely to a book open on the coffee table. “Athena brought it for me to see. It’s Themis’ newest textbook.”
Miles leans forward, tugging the book closer, and before he’s even read a word, he knows what the problem is, because there’s a picture of Phoenix and a parrot that’s unfamiliar only in the angle it was taken. “Ah.”
“I mean, not to brag or anything, but I think I’ve had a pretty amazing career so far,” Phoenix laments. “Hell, even the outcome of that case was incredible. But it seems like I’m destined to go down in history as ‘that guy that cross-examined a parrot.’ I’m surprised you aren’t ashamed to be seen in public with me.”
“I don’t mind it, honestly,” Miles says. “You being known as ‘the guy that cross-examined a parrot’, that is.” Phoenix gives him an aggrieved look.
“Betrayal,” he says, and Miles chuckles, petting Phoenix’s knee as his eyes settle on the photo once again. He’s in the background of it, out of focus but still very obviously staring at Phoenix.
“That moment changed my life,” Miles says, softly. “And I don’t mean in simply the obvious ways. But - right then, watching you - I realized you were so scared, so desperate to save me, so sure that I was innocent even when I didn’t trust myself, that you would throw yourself into the sheer lunacy of a stunt that you would, yes, most likely never live down if there was even the possibility of it helping me. And that’s when I knew that even if I got out of that trial with my life, I wouldn’t be leaving with my heart.”
Phoenix pushes himself up on his elbows so he can stare at his husband, a muddled mess of bemusement and sheer, impossible affection. “You fell in love with me when I was cross-examining a parrot,” he says, and Miles laughs.
“That’s when I realized the inevitability of it,” Miles clarifies, and shifts to stretch out on the couch, settling comfortably against Phoenix. “But that wasn’t the moment I fell in love, because there was no singular moment. I fell in love with you over the course of years, and I continue falling deeper in love with you every day.” He presses a kiss to Phoenix’s jaw. “You are, far and away, the best thing that ever happened to me, and I will never be anything but proud to have you at my side.”
“Miles, oh my God,” Phoenix moans, even as he’s wrapping his arms around Miles and hugging him tight. “You can’t do this to me. I can’t be okay with being the parrot guy because it reminds me of how much my husband loves me.”
“Well,” Miles says, eyes dancing. “That’s what it reminds me of.”
“And people think I’m a menace,” Phoenix says, sliding his hands up the broad sweep of Miles’ back to slip into the prosecutor’s hair, and then Phoenix kisses him, because he can’t stand to not be kissing Miles for even a moment longer.