Chapter Text
It was that time of year again.
Now Miles Edgeworth wasn’t a full-blown Scrooge (as some might say), but he didn’t exactly go carolling on Christmas Eve either. The final third of the month of December had been a… difficult time of year for him for many years, only made worse by a certain trial that took place a few years prior.
But things had changed. The times had changed. People had changed. He had changed.
She had changed.
He knew he wanted to do it, he knew what he wanted to do, but just as the Grinch in the old, beloved Christmas tale did, Edgeworth found himself asking himself the question ‘but how?’
Then came a phone call.
His daydream-like pondering quickly dashed, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked to identify the number, which he quickly did.
What could he want?
Edgeworth picked up the phone.
“Wright? Can I help you?” It may have been the state of mind he always slipped into when in his office, or it may have just been force of habit, but his answer to the call was as businesslike as if he’d just started talking to the chief prosecutor.
“Hey, Edgeworth.” Wright’s greeting, by comparison, was much more relaxed, though he wouldn’t remain so for long as he then asked a somewhat unusual question. At least, unusual to ask Edgeworth: “are you, uh, busy around Christmas?”
“Quite so. Why do you ask?”
Where was he going with this? Edgeworth’s curiosity couldn’t help but be piqued.
“Ah, okay.” Wright’s voice deflated a bit. “I was just asking because I’m having a little Christmas dinner and I wanted to know if you were interested in coming.”
…
Perhaps this was the opportunity he’d been looking for.
That she’d been looking for.
Several beats of silence passed as Edgeworth mulled over the possibility, but they were broken when, upon hearing Wright take in a small breath to say something, Edgeworth seized his opportunity:
“Actually, I’d be delighted to go. Will it be on the 24th or the 25th?”
“W-w-wait; you really want to come over?!” Wright, evidently, wasn’t hiding his sudden burst of surprised excitement all that well.
“I do,” Edgeworth confirmed. “Again, though, I must ask; 24th or 25th? I’ll need to know so I can make time.”
“25th. I-is that alright? Would it be easier for you if I had it on the 24th? It doesn’t matter to me either way; whatever’s easier for your schedule-”
“The 25th is perfectly fine,” Edgeworth assured, the coolness of his voice forming a rather stark contrast to the hot excitement of Wright’s.
“Great! Looking forward to seeing you!”
“Likewise.”
Wright was likely then about to say a goodbye, when he was suddenly interrupted by Edgeworth once again before he could speak:
“Oh, one other thing,” he began. “Would you mind if I brought one other person with me?”
“Sure!” Wright replied immediately, hardly even considering the question. “Any friend of Miles Edgeworth is welcome to come.”
“Thank you, Wright. Would you have time to meet me relatively soon? I’d like to iron out some details about this event, as well as some… other things, and I’d prefer to do it in person. Would that be possible?”
Wright was quiet for a moment or two, likely thinking about his relatively new schedule, before giving a reply: “I’ve got tomorrow off. Does that work for you?”
“As a matter of fact, it does. What would be the ideal time and place to meet?”
“Oh, let’s say noon,” Wright responded, likely just thinking out loud. “As for the place, have you heard of Eldoon’s Noodles?”
“No, but I suspect it won’t take long to find out. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
“It’s a noodle stand in People Park. See you tomorrow.”
With that, the two hung up.
What dreadful singing.
After having spent a considerable amount of money to get a top-of-the-line vinyl record setup together and working, Franziska could only feel disappointed as the only recording she could find of the old music she wanted to hear was absolutely awful. It wasn’t the audio quality, that was fine, but the singer clearly didn’t know how to truly embody the spirit of the music, and the piano accompaniment was no better.
It wasn’t the same.
Defeated, she switched the singing record out for some Strauss. That was much better. With that, she walked to her desk to begin doing her morning’s work.
She wouldn’t have the opportunity to begin, though, as her phone rang.
It was him.
“What is it, Miles? I’m very busy. If you intend to waste my time, I shall be very cross,” Franziska grumbled.
“Very well, I’ll get straight to the point: Wright is hosting a Christmas dinner of sorts and I’ve been invited.”
“… And?”
“He permitted me to bring one other person.”
As Miles’ logic became clear, Franziska’s heart began to beat hard in her throat. “Y-you aren’t seriously suggesting-”
“It’s the perfect opportunity, Franziska. Wright will be there at the very least, and if he invites anyone else that we all know, then you can kill multiple birds with one stone.”
Franziska clenched her eyes shut at the rather insensitive mention of the word “kill”. “You might be right, but I don’t know if…” She swallowed hard and stopped speaking before she could go so far as to say ‘I could handle all that at once’.
“You aren’t intending to back away from this, are you?”
Franziska’s eyes shot back open with indignity. “I most certainly am not!”
When Miles didn’t respond, Franziska let out her breath in a great sigh as she thought a little more about his proposal.
“… Alright, I’ll go, but on one condition.”
“Yes?”
“Does he know that I’m the one who you intend to bring with you?”
“No. Not yet, at least.”
“Then do not tell him. Do not speak a word of this to anyone. Do I make myself clear?”
“Fine. It’s going to be on the 25th. I’m going to be meeting up with Wright tomorrow to discuss details. I’ll update you as I obtain more information.”
“Very well. Until then, leave me be; I’m extremely busy.”
“Until tomorrow, then.”
She hung up the phone.
Several hours passed and a number of records were swapped out, but in all that time, Franziska hardly got a single thing done.
The anxiety was just beginning to build.