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“Maya, I’m gonna need your help for something. It’s kinda a big thing,” Phoenix says over the phone, hoping that his boyfriend can’t hear him in the shower. He hears the sound of crumpling plastic as Maya eats, then the sound of her swallowing.
“How big? Like co-counsel in a murder trial big or pranking the entire prosecutor’s office big?”
“Maybe not as much effort and stealth that April fools took, but way bigger emotionally,” He tried to describe it the best he can, which is not that well. Maya is silent for a moment- she’s throwing away her snack wrapper, Phoenix realizes - before she responds.
“Is this about your proposal? Are you listening to me and making it Steel Samurai themed?” She practically shouts, and for a second Phoenix is worried that Pearl heard her.
The proposal is going to be a surprise, he decided, and not just for Miles. If everyone knew, then the word would certainly get passed on and eventually make its way to the Chief Prosecutor. So Phoenix had only told a few people.
He had told Maya, because she was obviously going to be the first. She helped him pick out a ring and had practically started planning the wedding despite the fact that Phoenix hadn’t even asked yet. Then, he told Trucy. She would’ve figured it out eventually, so it was better that she learn sooner than later why her Daddy was so nervous around his boyfriend of over five years.
Next was Miles’ family. Call him old fashioned, but Phoenix had wanted their blessings. Kay and Sebastian had been nothing but ecstatic, delighted at the prospect of Miles finally marrying “That Man.” Sebastian had asked if Phoenix preferred the term Stepdad (since he would be marrying Miles after he adopted children) or just Dad. Phoenix had said he would be proud to be their Dad. Next was Franziska. She had grown to like Phoenix over the years, and despite their initial animosity, she called him a friend. She still had a haughty attitude and was slightly trigger happy, but hey, 7+ years of therapy and Maya Fey will soften any ice queen. Franziska had beamed when Phoenix said he intended to marry Miles, giving him a long speech about the way Miles looked at him and how happy he made Miles and how he would be a foolish fool if he didn’t marry her little brother after all this time.
But there was still one member of Miles’ family that Phoenix hadn’t asked yet. Which is why he called Maya in the first place before they got off track talking about work.
“Maya,” He takes a deep breath, “I’m asking you to channel Gregory.” He hears Maya’s soft gasp and feels sheepish. He knows she can do it, but it’s clear that she wasn’t expecting that. Then, he hears the water shut off. He has to end this conversation soon.
“Look, I can be in Kurain on Thursday,” The bathroom door opens, “We can talk more when I get there. Love you, bye!”
“Love you too-” Maya’s voice cuts off as the call disconnects. Phoenix pinches the bridge of his nose, hoping he hadn’t stressed her out with such a heavy request.
“What was that about?” Phoenix turns to the man behind him. Miles has thrown his robe on and is drying his hair with an old t-shirt, something that Klavier had apparently convinced him to start doing.
“Just Maya. She needs me to do some lawyer stuff,” He lies, thankful that Miles can’t see the chains that are crashing down on him in the spirit realm. His magatama is in the living room, too far away for either of them to be affected by its power.
“She hasn’t been accused of murder again, has she?” Miles quips, tossing the shirt into the clothes bin. He nearly misses.
Phoenix smiles, “No, thank God. It’s just some stuff about Pearls applying for college. You remember when one of her and Truce’s teachers got fired for discrimination because they dress coded her? We’re just trying to make sure Pearls knows her rights and all.” He is very thankful for improv classes and years of bluffing, because Miles buys it. He nods in understanding and begins a conversation about something that happened at the office that day, and Phoenix allows himself to relax.
On Thursday, Phoenix takes the train to Kurain village. He hugs Maya, asks her about her week, and tries not to freak out. Maya tells him that she meditated all day, but that she’s at ease knowing Gregory won’t do anything weird in her body, as so many spirits have done before. She leads Phoenix into the channeling chamber and relights the candles that have gone out. Phoenix wonders why they keep so many candles burning in a room with a paper screen. Maya tells him to sit. He knows that Miles wouldn’t approve of him kneeling on the floor in his nice slacks, but he refused to do this in casual clothes.
Phoenix sits down on the floor mat. He is no stranger to spirit channeling, but he’s never been a formal client like this. It’s almost eerie. Maya sits in front of him, on her knees, breathing deeply. After what feels like ages, she speaks.
“Be careful, he might be a bit jumpy considering his last channeling was a failure,” She takes a deep breath, and closes her eyes. A beat.
Gregory Edgeworth sat before him. He looked… strange, to say the least. In Maya’s clothes, with Maya’s hair. He had no glasses, but he didn’t need them like this. But other than the effects of being channeled, he looked exactly the same as he had looked the last time Phoenix saw him. Sharp jaw and chiseled features, with steely grey eyes.
The first thing Phoenix notices is that he looks strikingly similar to Miles. It made sense, of course, but it still surprised him. He hadn’t seen much resemblence besides hair and eye colour when he and Miles were children, but now that Miles has grown into his features Phoenix realizes that they look exactly the same.
The second thing he notices is that Gregory is around the same age as him. When Phoenix last saw him, he seemed so old. He was like a towering beacon of wisdom, the all-powerful grownup. But he died at thirty-five, so he hasn’t aged since. It was weird, looking at a man who could easily be one of his drinking buddies. Someone Phoenix could have a friendly conversation with.
Gregory blinks in confusion, then looks around the room. His eyes widen and he looks down at his hands, taking in the sight of Maya’s clothes. Once he seems to realize where he is and what’s happening, he turns to Phoenix. Phoenix suddenly feels very, very nervous. Gregory says nothing as he studies him, which is very unsettling. Phoenix feels like he should break the silence, but he can’t think of anything to say. Before he gets the chance to even squeak out a hello, Gregory gasps.
“Phoenix Wright?” He looks as though he’s unsure of his own words.
Phoenix nods, “You recognise me?”
“You’ve got a very distinctive look, I’d recognise that hair and those eyes anywhere,” He smiles, and it’s the same smile that Phoenix remembers from his childhood. The same smile that Miles has.
“Well, I’m glad I don’t have to explain who I am,” Phoenix laughs softly, the air in the room feels stale.
“Phoenix, I’m going to cut to the chase. Why on Earth did you have me channeled?” Blunt and to the point instead of dancing around feelings or bluffs. Phoenix sighs, he doesn’t want to spring this on him with zero backstory. Gregory deserves to know about his son’s life.
“There’s some stuff that you should know first.”
He recounts the tale of DL-6, tells Gregory who his true killer is and what became of his son after his death. Gregory is somewhere between distraught and furious when he learns of the way Von Karma corrupted Miles. Phoenix tells him how Miles blamed himself for Gregory’s death for years, and Gregory cries. He shows Gregory his attorney’s badge and recounts why he became a lawyer, and Gregory looks fond through his tears. He tells him about that fateful trial, about how Von Karma was defeated. Gregory laughs when he hears about the parrot taking the stand. Phoenix tells him about Miles faking his death, and Gregory hangs his head in his hands.
“Of course,” He says, “Of course he did. I’m not even surprised.”
Phoenix tells him about Franziska, and he smiles again, says he’s glad that Miles has someone like that in his life. Says he’s glad that Miles was there for her, glad that the terrible circumstances at least led to that bond. Phoenix focuses solely on Miles’ story, not mentioning his own role in it except that he was the defense in the DL-6 conclusion. Gregory isn’t here for his tale, he thinks. He tells him about Miles becoming Chief Prosecutor, and Gregory looks so proud. Eventually he’s finished talking, and Gregory nods, taking it all in. Then he speaks.
“And what about you, Phoenix? What have you been up to?”
“You want to know about my life?” He asks in disbelief.
“Of course I do. And I get the feeling that it’s a very interesting life. How’d you get that scar?” He motions towards the ice burn on Phoenix’s neck, faint but there.
So Phoenix tells him. He tells him about Dahlia Hawthorne, about how she tried to kill him and the framed him for her other murder. He tells him about the bridge, about how he got the scar from the freezing river. He tells him about Kristoph Gavin, about Zak Gramarye, about the Wright Anything Agency. He tells him about Khura’in, about how he risked his life. Gregory keeps his hand over his mouth the whole time, disturbed by all the things that Phoenix has been through.
“It’s not all bad, though. The dark age of the law is over, Khura’in is being reformed, and I have a daughter now.” Gregory perks up at the mention of Trucy, and it’s only when Phoenix opens his locket to show him a picture of her that he realizes he forgot a very important detail about Miles.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry- I almost forgot-” He tucks his locket away and looks Gregory in the eyes, “Miles… Miles has children. They’re adopted, and they’re both adults now but they’re his kids nonetheless,” Phoenix never would’ve forgiven himself if he didn’t say that. Gregory’s eyes widen, and he smiles bigger than he has the whole time.
“I have grandkids?” He sounds ecstatic,”How many, tell me everything about them!”
“Two. Their names are Kay and Sebastian, they’re both twenty-six. Miles adopted them when they were seventeen. Kay is a private investigator and Sebastian is a prosecutor- he was already a prosecutor when he met Miles- They don’t live with us but they visit a lot. Sebastian works at the prosecutor’s office and Kay has her own little building that she runs by herself. They work on a lot of cases together, which I don’t really understand because Kay isn’t affiliated with the police like the other detectives are, but what do I know, I’m just an attorney,” He laughs. Gregory is dead silent for almost a whole minute, thinking.
“Phoenix, are you aware that you said you were living with Miles? Or was that a slip of the tongue?” He says it calmly, and Phoenix flushes.
“Uh, yeah. I mean, I didn’t realize I said it but- but yeah we uh. We live together. With my daughter,” He rubs the back of his head like he always does when he’s embarrassed.
“Phoenix,” Gregory shifts in place, “Are you talking to me because you’re dating my son?”
Phoenix sputters, the ring box in his pocket suddenly feeling like it weighs a thousand pounds.
“You don’t have to answer that. The way you talk about him says everything,” He sees the look on Phoenix’s face and continues, “Also, you have a picture of him in your locket next to your daughter. That pretty much solidified it.” He looked down at Phoenix’s hands. “No ring, though, and you talk about his kids like they aren’t yours.” He raised an eyebrow. Phoenix took a deep breath and tried to ease his nerves the best he could.
“That’s why I’m here, sir. I wanted to get your blessing,” Phoenix reaches inside his blazer and pulls the box out of his pocket. It’s just a simple blue box with the ring inside. The ring itself isn’t that special, just a rose gold band with a small diamond, he wanted to put more effort into the wedding rings than the engagement ring. Miles isn’t really a jewelry guy, so he doesn’t want to get him anything too blingy.
“Of course, Phoenix,” Gregory is beaming, “Of course you have my blessing. I can tell you love him, and he’s loved you since you were children.”
“He what.”
Gregory laughs, “Has he not told you? He had a crush on you when you were children. God, it feels just like it was yesterday that he got all embarrassed about holding your hand at school.”
“Oh wow, that’s- that’s adorable,” Phoenix remembers that day. He hadn’t thought much about it then, but now it seems like the cutest thing.
“He told me that he wanted to marry you. I asked him what he wanted to do in the future, expecting him to just say that he wanted to be a lawyer. But he always was an overachiever and a stickler for the details,” They shared a knowing smile, “He said that first he would go to college, then he would become a lawyer, then he would marry you.”
“Awwwwwww,” Phoenix’s heart melts. To think that Miles knew their future before he knew long division.
Gregory held his hand out, and Phoenix hesitated for a second before taking it, assuming he was going for a handshake. He let out an undignified noise of surprise when he was pulled in for a hug, but quickly accepted despite their awkward position on the floor.
“Promise me you’ll have me at the wedding?” Gregory said when they pulled away.
“The medium,” Phoenix gestured towards Gregory, “Has already appointed herself as my best woman, so I’m sure we can work something out.”
“Speaking of the medium, I should probably give her body back.”
As much as Phoenix wanted to keep talking, he knew this was true. Maya was good at her job but she still got tired after long channelings.
“Well, goodbye. Try and get Miles to talk to me, I know he’s probably just scared.”
Then he was gone. Maya toppled over a bit before catching herself and looking around. Phoenix picked the ring box up from where he had dropped it during the hug and put it in his pocket. He stood up and held out a hand for Maya to take, which she quickly accepted. Once he was sure Maya could walk on her own, they began their walk back to Maya’s living room for tea.
“So, how’d it go?”
“Really good. I got his blessing, I told him Miles’ life story, and I found out that Miles has been planning to marry me since we were in third grade,” Phoenix can’t stop his smile.
“Oh my God, Nick, what ? You have to tell me everything.”
------
Phoenix ended up spending the night in Kurain, making use of the overnight bag and extra clothes he left there just in case. He called Miles and Trucy to let them know, and the next day he had breakfast with Maya and Pearl.
Pearl had seemed… off the whole time. Like she was judging both Phoenix and Maya. Maya didn’t seem to notice the way her cousin studied her suspiciously. The train ride home was uneventful, just Phoenix all alone with his thoughts. Now that the blessings were taken care of, he could plan the actual proposal. Miles wouldn’t want a huge public one, so a restaurant was out of the question. He couldn’t do it at work, because that just wasn’t romantic. Maybe he should get flowers? Maybe he could involve one of Trucy’s tricks?
His mind was still racing when he got home, so much so that he didn’t even notice that Miles was sitting on the couch until he had hung his coat up. He wasn’t just sitting on the couch, he was sitting up straight in the center of it with his legs crossed and his hands clasped over his knee. The tv wasn’t on, and his phone was nowhere to be seen. No books, no case files. He was just sitting in silence. It was odd. He was still in his suit, too. His jacket was folded over the arm of the couch but the rest of it was immaculate. Usually when Miles wasn’t at work he would change, if he was going out he’d wear a button up (sometimes with a sweater vest) and some chinos or nice jeans but when he was just planning on staying home he’d wear sweatpants like any other respectable person. He claimed it wasn’t because of Phoenix’s influence or a change in his personality but simply a desire to preserve his nicer clothes. Phoenix knew better.
“I thought you had work today?” Phoenix broke the silence.
“I left early,” Was all he got in response. No explanation. Something was wrong. Phoenix nudged him over so that he could sit on the couch next to him.
“Why are you upset?” He asked softly, concerned about what would cause Miles to come home and sit in silence.
“I’m not upset.”
CLANG
A single red psychelock.
“Miles…” He placed a hand on his boyfriend’s leg, reassuringly. Miles paused for a beat, knowing that Phoenix saw right through him.
“Nick, why were you really in Kurain Village?”
The question catches Phoenix off guard. He wasn’t expecting that. He pauses for a moment before he remembers what he told Miles he was doing.
“I already told you, I was helping Pearls with college stuff,” He smiles sheepishly, and he knows Miles sees right through him. Miles looks him over, stopping his eyes at the center of Phoenix’s chest, and he realizes. Anybody can use the magatama if they’re holding it, but someone who has been soul bonded to it can use it regardless of if they’re touching it, within a certain distance. Only two people are soul bonded to the magatama, one of them being Phoenix.
The other person is Miles.
“I talked to Pearls earlier. I found an obscure law regarding Khura’inism in Arizona, I figured she should know it in case she decides to study there,” Miles wasn’t looking Phoenix in the eyes, “She said that she had done her own research, and that she didn’t even know you were in Kurain until I told her. She had no idea why you were there.”
That explained why she was acting weird at breakfast. Miles continued.
“I figure I should take care of my own lie first. I admit that I am upset,” The chains rattled, “And I’m sorry that I tried to hide it, that was immature of me. I’m upset that you lied to me. If you had said that you were just hanging out with Maya, then I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. But you came up with a fake story.” Miles took a deep breath.
“I trust you with my life, and I know you trust me too. You tell me so often that I can tell you anything, that I don’t have to hide things from you. We both know how important honesty is in a relationship, especially for our relationship. I just don’t understand why you felt the need to hide something from me and make up a story about it,” Miles looked like he was about to cry, “Phoenix, the last time you seriously lied to me it was because you had put yourself in danger. So I’m upset that you’re hiding something from me, but mostly I’m worried that you’ve put yourself in danger again and that I won’t know until it’s too late.”
The lock shattered.
Phoenix felt his heart break. He tentatively wrapped an arm around Miles’ shoulder, fully prepared to pull away if he didn’t want to be touched. Miles leaned into the touch, so Phoenix took that as an okay to pull him close. Miles buried his face in Phoenix’s shoulder, clearly too fragile to make eye contact.
“Oh, Miles…” Phoenix tried to make his voice as soft and sweet and reassuring as he could, “I’m so sorry, Baby. I promise you I didn’t mean for this to happen. I wasn’t thinking right. I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you-” He caught himself in his own lie, “Well, I wasn’t trying to hide anything bad. I promise I wasn’t trying to lie to you, Miles, and I’m so so sorry that I made you feel that way.”
He punctuates his sentence by kissing the top of Miles’ head. He feels Miles smiling against his collarbone.
“You’re still hiding something, though. From me specifically, and it has to do with Maya.”
Phoenix shifts their positions, he leans back a bit against the arm of the couch and pulls Miles up on his lap to hold him close. Miles still isn’t looking him in the eyes, but that’s alright.
“I’m going to be honest. I’ve been hiding this from you for a few weeks now,” Miles’ eyes widen at his words and he quickly scrambles to reassure him, “But only because it wasn’t ready yet. I promise you that I was never trying to hurt you, Miles. I was just worried about spoiling something before I could do what I needed to do.”
Phoenix realized that there was no better time to ask then right then. He cupped Miles’ face with one hand, stroking his cheekbone with his thumb.
“Miles Edgeworth, you are the most wonderful person that I’ve ever known. Every day I wonder how I got so lucky as to have you in my life,” Phoenix removes his hand from Miles’ face and instead takes Miles’ hand and pulls it to his own face. He presses a kiss onto Miles’ inner wrist, a simple gesture of affection that held so much weight for them. There are days in which Miles is far too overwhelmed to be kissed on the lips, but still wants to receive and/or give affection. And so, a kiss on the wrist became their thing.
“Nick, what-” Miles tries to ask, but Phoenix cuts him off by raising his hand in protest.
“I promise, I’m going somewhere with this,” He smiles at the other man, “Miles, you are so amazing. You’re strong willed, you’re determined, you’re incredibly smart. You’re the perfect guy, and that’s not even mentioning how handsome you are. You’re kind, but you don’t take bullshit from anybody. You always try to do the right thing. I know you worry about being a bad person, but that in itself says that you are good . I am so so so lucky that I get to call you mine. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Every day, I am so thankful that I saw that newspaper that day and decided that I wanted to see you again, no matter the cost. I would follow you to the ends of the Earth and back. I love you so much, I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I know that we’ve both had pretty tough lives, and chances are it’s never going to get easy for us,” Phoenix intertwines his fingers with Miles’ and squeezes.
“But I know that whatever happens, I will be happy as long as you’re by my side. We’ve been through so many highs and lows but we’ve done it all together. My life without you isn’t a life worth living,” Phoenix looks up at Miles, and the other man is clearly stunned speechless. He’s making eye contact now, and Phoenix can only smile as he continues, “When I was a kid, I asked my parents about their relationship constantly. I always dreamed of having something like that. One part of my parents’ love story that I always loved was the tale of my Dad asking my Grandma for her blessing. I always thought it was the most romantic thing. So, I told myself that if I ever got married, I would ask their family for their blessing beforehand.”
“Phoenix…” Miles covers his mouth with his hand, the same way Gregory did.
“The reason that I went to Kurain was to fulfill that childhood dream. That’s what I was talking to Maya about. I wanted your Father’s blessing, so I went and got it.” Phoenix sees the look on Miles’ face, and he knows that his psychelock has shattered, “Here, get off me for a sec, I gotta grab something.” Miles is speechless as he nods and scrambles off of Phoenix’s lap, seating himself on the sofa and trying his best to smooth out his waistcoat.
Phoenix pulls himself off the couch as best he can without hurting his back, and nearly jogs over to where he left his bag because of how eager he is. He grabs the ring box as quickly as he can before making his way back over to Miles.
“Hold on, I’m pretty sure I should be kneeling for this,” He sinks to the floor as gracefully as he can, and opens the box, “Miles Edgeworth, will you do me the honour of becoming my husband?” Miles finally removes his hand from over his mouth, and Phoenix can see the tears threatening to run down his face.
He throws himself onto the ground, pulls Phoenix in by the collar of his shirt, and kisses him passionately. He wraps his arms around Phoenix’s shoulders and tries his absolute best to get him as close as humanly possible. They pull away only when they’re desperate for air.
“I take it that’s a yes?” Phoenix smirks.
“As if it would be anything else. Christ, Phoenix, I’ve been wanting to hear you say those words since we were children!” Miles is beaming with joy, his eyes unwavering from Phoenix’s.
“Yeah, your Dad said something like that,” Phoenix laughed. Miles’ ears went red. Phoenix pulled the ring out of the box and slid it onto Miles’ hand. The tears that had been pricking at Miles’ eyes finally fell, and Phoenix never thought that watching the love of his life cry could make him feel so ecstatic.
“You know Maya’s gonna make you talk to him the next time she visits, right?” He got up, ignoring the cracks in his back. Miles rose to meet him.
“That’s probably for the best.”