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On New Year’s Eve, Phoenix had expected himself to be anywhere but the Wright & Co. offices. He was sure he’d find a party in his apartment building, or maybe invited to one by the precinct. Alas, he found himself at his desk, the room only illuminated by a small lamp and the bright pink lights from the hotel across the street. He argued that being home was more pathetic than being at work on a holiday like this, so he watched the ball drop from the small TV set in the corner of the room. It was still twenty minutes to midnight though, so he tapped a pen against the side of his desk and waited.
A soft knock on the door put an end to his boredom. Who could be visiting the office this late at night? He walked up to the door and looked through the peephole. Is that… Edgeworth!?
“Hey!” Phoenix exclaimed as he opened the door, with much more excitement than intended. He cleared his throat and tried again. “E-edgeworth, uh, what’re you doing here so late?”
Edgeworth blinked. “May I come in?” He said, fidgeting where he stood.
“O-oh! Of course, please, come in.” Phoenix stood to the side, and Edgeworth cautiously entered the darkened office. He was holding something, a dark blue box with a ribbon tied around it. Phoenix noticed the way he nervously picked at the tape on the side of the box.
They stood in silence for a moment before Phoenix realized he’d probably have to initiate whatever Edgeworth had come there to do. “So, what brings you here on New Year’s Eve? I’m sure you had better options than what I’ve got going on here.”
Edgeworth looked lost in thought. “No… not quite.” He hesitated before shoving the box towards Phoenix. “For you.”
Phoenix stood for a moment before taking the box gently, taking notice of the delicate ribbon tied on the top. “For me?” He echoed, looking up at Edgeworth with a small smile, who nodded curtly. Edgeworth had his arms crossed and his usual sour look on his face, besides the subtle pink that dusted his cheeks. Phoenix sat down on the couch next to the door, with the box in his lap. He tapped the cushion next to him, and Edgeworth joined him, although sitting down didn’t seem to release any of the tension in his shoulders.
Phoenix unwrapped the gift carefully, leaving the ribbon tied as it seemed like it was done by Edgeworth himself, not just some store bought bow. When he opened the box, he was surprised.
“A suit jacket?” He asked, tracing the delicate seam with his finger. This was no second hand suit jacket, this was a top of the line, hand sewn jacket with silk lining and glass buttons. It must have cost a fortune. “Miles, I don’t know what to say. It’s beautiful,” Phoenix looked up at Edgeworth, who sat fidgeting with the hem of his shirt sleeve. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but… Why?”
Edgeworth huffed sarcastically, but did not make eye contact, instead looking down at the new jacket. “Don’t take it personally, Wright. Just sick of seeing you in that ratty old jacket.”
Phoenix laughed as he followed Edgeworth’s line of sight to the gift, with its hand tied ribbon and box that matched the hue of the jacket perfectly. “Seems pretty personal to me, Miles.” He admired the golden button on the cuff for a moment before looking up.
Edgeworth would have looked enamored, if not for his deeply furrowed brow. He seemed to look confused with whatever feelings were turning his face a nice shade of pink. They made eye contact for a moment, to which Edgeworth’s pink hue turned bright red. He tried to catch himself, scrambling to lean against the back of the couch with his gaze out the window, but Phoenix was already smiling wide.
“Hmph.” Edgeworth huffed with his arms crossed. “See things however you like.”
His cold exterior wouldn’t stop Phoenix so easily. He moved closer to rest his head gently on Edgeworth’s shoulder, who tensed upon contact but slowly relaxed into the touch. “Thank you, Miles. I really appreciate it.” Phoenix said quietly.
A comfortable silence hung in the air between them. The office was bathed in moonlight, stretching dark shadows across the walls and turning everything a desaturated blue. Edgeworth took a deep breath.
“Y-You're welcome… Phoenix.”