Work Text:
The sun set as the two men walked briskly to the entrance, neither looking at the other. Miles Edgeworth knew for certain that he spent far too long catching flights in this particular airport. He could never be lost here, he thought, having memorized possibly the entire building's structure. He didn't consider himself an unproductive man, but the hours lost due to a delayed flight often struck him with the inability to even think about his work. At those times, all he wanted to do was wander back and forth, observe incoming flights through the windows, and, sometimes, consider his purpose compared to the vastness of the cosmos.
Today, however, was not one of those days. Wright's darling and freshly adopted progeny had chosen that very afternoon to test out her disappearing act on a very important piece of paperwork. Oh, it had disappeared all right. Never to come back. That would definitely come back to haunt him during his work hours.
"She's really sorry, you know," Phoenix said suddenly as they stopped at the luggage station. They hadn't spoken at all since they left the newly named Wright Anything Agency, even in the taxi over. "I can tell you're a little bummed that she wouldn't say goodbye to you."
"I am not," scoffed Miles, not meeting the other man's eyes.
"She's just... scared, is all," said Phoenix, apparently disregarding him. "I mean for the first couple weeks she thought you were actually pretty cool, but then-"
"Oh, really?" mumbled the other.
"...Yes," replied Phoenix, amused. "But then, you went, for lack of a better word, apeshit."
"They were immensely important documents," argued Miles, his face beginning to fade to red. "And- and- I said I was sorry for raising my voice when I tried to say goodbye, but she wouldn't open the office door! And I- I didn't go 'apeshit' as you say, no, I'd say I was... 'terse'."
"Very 'terse'," said Phoenix, trying to avoid a laugh.
Miles Edgeworth felt like he had the worst luck today, even besides losing his paperwork. With a flight scheduled directly after, there would be no time to let the stubborn feelings in both Miles and Trucy die down. No time to apologize, no hard feelings on the other part. Miles felt he had reacted reasonably. Okay, perhaps not logically, but understandably. Surely Trucy understood too?
"What did you do to it?" he muttered breathlessly, after watching the paperwork disappear expertly before his eyes.
"A magician never reveals their secrets," said Trucy, to almost every question he asked about the paperwork for nearly an hour on. Eventually, enough was enough.
"My flight leaves in an hour, Trucy. I need it back."
"I said I would make it disappear," she said brightly. "So I did for good." The rest was history.
With heavy heart and a giant headache, Miles Edgeworth continued on with his flight to Germany. With all the time he spent there, he couldn't say whether today he was leaving home or going home. Franziska no longer lived there permanently. She chose Los Angeles, even after all that had happened a couple years ago. Miles felt trapped between with all the work he juggled between countries. What was his real "home" anymore?
"I guess I'll be off then," said Phoenix gently, when all of Edgeworth's luggage had been checked in. He packed for the long term, probably several months. "I'll just be here, doing whatever Phoenix Wrights do."
"Are you sure you'll be alright?" murmured Miles. The events of today seemed to fade and become less painful. "I mean with everything? If you ever need any money just know I'll-"
"I'm okay, really," replied the other man firmly. "I can take care of Trucy and I can find some way to make money. I mean... I barely made money as a lawyer, so I won't have to deal with any major lifestyle changes, you know?"
Miles did not find this very funny at all.
"I'll see you then," he added, eyeing the entrance to the airport as if he was ready to sprint out at a moment's notice.
Miles Edgeworth was not sure what compelled him to close the distance between and wrap his arms around Phoenix Wright. He bent down his head onto Phoenix's shoulder momentarily, and Phoenix emitted a little nervous noise before reciprocating clumsily.
After more than a few seconds, Miles suddenly felt incredibly aware and internally horrified of what he was doing. He pulled away quickly, muttered a flustered "I'm running late. I'll be home soon. Goodbye, Wright", and made his escape towards the security checkpoint, not daring to look back.
After that, he wasted no time. He prepared himself well for this part of travel. The only carry-on he permitted was his laptop, phone, badge, and keys. He opened his laptop case at the request of an officer and allowed her to inspect it with the machine.
He noticed a small stack of papers in his laptop case. Strange. He wasn't usually disorganized like this. Eventually, after having all of his belongings violated in many creative ways and constantly praising his good luck that he wouldn't get some awkward random inspection, he would finally be able to board his flight. Only...
"Delayed," he muttered, seeing his planned flight scheduled as such. It'd only be an hour. Still.
He took a seat near where he was to board. Maybe he'd get work done... maybe... not. He investigated his laptop case and removed the stack of papers. He peered at its contents. "Uh oh."
It was the documents. The documents Trucy had made disappear "forever". Miles contemplated this piece of evidence. How did they get here in his case? His case was not anywhere nearby Trucy's location when she was showing him the trick!
He noticed a little sticky note peeping out of the second page. Miles Edgeworth did not care much for sticky notes. He examined the haphazard handwriting.
"Gotcha!"
He decided he liked Trucy much better as a magician than a prankster.
With nowhere else to store the paperwork, Miles stowed it away in the case again, keeping the no-longer-sticky note in his pocket with his badge. He felt he would have that note with him for a very long time. He was certain Franziska would tease him about it if he told her the entire story. Perhaps call him "foolishly sentimental" or, just as likely, a "hoarder". However, he knew Franziska wouldn't be in Germany when he landed nor would she ever bother asking about the note in the first place.
No, she'd be home in Los Angeles and so would Phoenix Wright... and Miles Edgeworth would be somewhere else. He stood up and watched outside as a jet arrived and was lead to another terminal. The sun was now below the horizon which met an orange sky highlighted with brilliant and gleaming pink clouds.
He worked in many countries and cities around the world, but in his heart, Los Angeles was the only place he called his own. He could live in Germany for the rest of his life, he reasoned, but as long as Franziska von Karma, Maya Fey, Trucy Wright, Kay Faraday, Dick Gumshoe, and especially Phoenix Wright remained in Los Angeles, he wouldn't really be "home".
Expecting a long hour of wandering the airport once again and a long, sleepless flight, Miles took another look at the jet that had recently arrived. There was no backing out of his professional responsibilities, he thought somewhat reluctantly. He had to go, but he wouldn't be gone forever.
"I'll be home soon. Goodbye, Wright."