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Phoenix could barely contain his grin as he rode the elevator up to Edgeworth’s apartment. He clutched his backpack straps in nervousness. Phoenix and Miles had known each other for most of their lives, but they had only been trying things out for a little bit. Actually, they had only been on two dates so far. Both of them were at nice restaurants and ended with nothing more than a chaste kiss as Edgeworth dropped Phoenix off at the office. Phoenix didn’t mind; they were pleasant.
But there was something far more intimate about being invited for a date at Edgeworth’s own house. It was stepping into his personal life, which was saying something for a man so distant, both in and out of the courtroom. There was also the implication of spending more time in private, where maybe the night wouldn’t end with just a small kiss…
Phoenix’s romantic thoughts were interrupted by the beep of his cell phone. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket and realized it was a message from Maya.
[TXT] Maya Fey: pearly and i got home safe. when will ur apartment be done?
Phoenix sighed as he moved to reply. That’s right, there was a “practical” reason he was here. The front of his apartment building was being redone, and they needed a night to work on the frame of the place. He didn’t have to leave, but they were going to be loud all night, banging and sawing and the like. It was really sweet of Edgeworth to offer a place to sleep for the evening.
[TXT]: Tmrw at 1 pm. Heading to Edgeworth’s now. Glad u r safe.
[TXT] Maya Fey: Have fun ;) <333 ( ˘ ³˘)♥
Phoenix groaned. Maya had been teasing him ever since Miles and Phoenix made a date of it. The emoticons were not helping matters. He quickly walked down the hall to the correct door, rang the doorbell, and took a moment to take off his back pack and straighten out his suit.
It was barely a quarter of a minute before the door opened. Edgeworth stood in front of Phoenix, pocketing his cell phone. Phoenix had to take a moment to process the man standing there. Edgeworth had obviously just gotten back home from work as well, but he was missing his usual coat and cravat. He still had his vest on, and Phoenix liked the vest. Yes… yes, he absolutely liked the vest.
“Hello, Wright.” The voice broke Phoenix out of his thoughts. Edgeworth didn’t look quite as intimidating as he did in the courtroom, but he still looked slightly nervous. Phoenix frowned a bit.
“Hi, Edgeworth. Everything alright?”
Edgeworth pressed his lips together, not looking at Phoenix. Before he could speak, his phone beeped from his pants pocket. “Yes. Franziska is in town, you see…”
“Aah, of course.” Phoenix smiled to offer a little comfort. “Uh, may I come in?”
Edgeworth stepped out of the way. “Of course.”
Phoenix stepped into the apartment, although it was probably larger than some of the houses in town. Everything was immaculately arranged; tasteful yet homely. The atmosphere of the place screamed Edgeworth, from the ornate furniture, to the bookshelves filled with law books, to the Steel Samurai figurine on the mantle.
Phoenix turned to face Edgeworth, who was quickly replying to the text, concentrating on it. When Edgeworth pocketed the offending device, Phoenix leaned forward and kissed his boyfriend. No matter how many times he did this, his heart beat just a little harder when his lips touched Edgeworth’s. Every kiss was exhilarating in its own way. When he pulled back, Edgeworth had a light blush and hesitant smile.
“How was work today?” Phoenix smiled as he put down his backpack and took off his blazer.
“Good. I finished the paperwork on the Smith case. I’ll receive a new case on Monday.” Edgeworth carefully took Phoenix’s jacket and put it on a hanger to place on a coat rack by the door. His blush started to fade, but his smile remained. Phoenix was delighted he could make the normally cold prosecutor relax a little. “How is your work going? Did you come here straight from the office?”
“It’s fine. Maya’s been helping me look into a case. And yeah. I dropped Maya and Pearls off at the train station and then came right over.”
Edgeworth nodded. “I see. You must be tired. Let me show you the guest room and then we can eat dinner.”
Phoenix grabbed his stuff and followed his boyfriend. He was partially disappointed they wouldn’t share a bed, but whatever made Miles comfortable. Phoenix knew Miles didn’t open up very often, and when he did it was a rare event. They were taking things slow, and that was okay. Phoenix didn’t want to upset Miles, just as much as he knew Miles didn’t want to hurt him.
When they entered the guest room, Phoenix’s jaw dropped. He was pretty sure the room was bigger than the master bedroom at his apartment, and it was just as beautifully decorated as the rest of the house. He immediately gawked at the soft sheets and huge vanity.
“I hope the room is to your liking. I set out everything you might need. The bathroom is attached, but I must apologize. There is no walk-in closet.” Edgeworth readjusted the towel set on the bed before standing up with perfect posture.
Phoenix grinned. “This is great. Thanks so much for letting me stay over.”
“It’s no problem.” Edgeworth looked at the clock on the wall and turned back to Phoenix. “Dinner should be ready. Excuse me as I go get it. Would you like to eat in the dining room or at the breakfast table?”
Phoenix shrugged. “The breakfast table is fine with me. It’s just the two of us.” He winked. Edgeworth blushed and rushed out of the room to the kitchen. Making his boyfriend blush was still one of his favorite activities. He just never got to do it that often, either because they were in public or because Maya or Pearls was there. On second thought, he only really got to do it in the car or in the stolen moments in the courthouse.
He dropped his stuff off at the foot of the bed and quickly washed up. He decided the tie was a little much for a casual home dinner, so he whipped it off and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. By the time he reached the kitchen, Edgeworth was in the middle of setting the table and putting out the food.
Phoenix took a deep breath and sighed happily. “This smells amazing, Miles.”
“Thank you, Wright.”
Phoenix sat down at one of the place settings and looked up at Edgeworth’s face. His boyfriend looked… tense. That wasn’t good. Phoenix frowned in confusion. Was Edgeworth alright? Was this too much for him? Maybe Phoenix should have stayed with Maya for the evening, or gotten a hotel room.
“Would you like some wine? I bought a good merlot yesterday.”
Phoenix expression softened, but kept an eye on Edgeworth for any other signs distress. “Yes, of course.”
The defense lawyer watched as his boyfriend poured two glasses and walk back to the table. He was still concerned, but didn’t really know how to bring it up. It was obvious Edgeworth was really trying to be romantic.
The prosecutor set Phoenix’s glass down on the table and kept his own in his hand. He then gracefully moved to sit on Phoenix’s lap.
Phoenix’s heart practically stopped. He didn’t know what to do. Why…why was Edgeworth sitting on his lap? From the looks of it, Edgeworth didn’t know why either. Miles’ lips were tight and he looked as if he was going to faint.
“Um…M-Miles?”
“Y-yes?”
“It’s, uh, a little difficult to eat with you on my lap.”
“…Right.” Edgeworth slid off and went to his own seat, still looking concerned. Phoenix considered himself to be decently well versed in dating, but he was at a total loss for what to say. Nothing like this happened with any of his other dates. He was still contemplating a good reaction as Edgeworth served him a slice of the homemade quiche.
“…Wright?”
Phoenix brought his glass up to his lips for a sip of wine. “Yeah?”
“I think you have a cute posterior.”
The defense lawyer choked on the wine. What was happening? Edgeworth never said anything like this before. He felt lucky last date that Edgeworth complimented his eyes. The man himself was bright red as he put down the serving knife. He looked so nervous Phoenix thought he might fall over.
Phoenix’s brain scrambled for a reaction. “Uh…t-thank you,” he squeaked out. Phoenix picked up his fork and took a smile bite, knowing the only way to get away from this awkwardness was to control the conversation. “This tastes wonderful.”
Edgeworth only made a small noise of acknowledgement before he took a bite. He did not look well; he couldn’t keep eye contact, and he was still blushing and sweating. Normally Phoenix would try and comfort him, but the situation was so strange the words weren’t forming. The two ate in an extremely uncomfortable silence. Edgeworth refused to look at Phoenix, and Phoenix couldn’t think of anything to say.
It was only after Edgeworth finished his slice that he cleared his throat to speak.
Phoenix’s attention was solely on Edgeworth. The prosecutor’s bangs fell in front of his eyes, making him a little hard to read. “I-I would like to ask you if you would do… do the butt stuff with me.”
Phoenix was so shocked he dropped his fork, letting it clatter against his plate. Miles looked like he was about to cry. He covered his face with his hands and ran down the hall. Wright heard running feet and then a door slam shut.
Phoenix took a second to take a few deep breaths and organize his thoughts. What on earth was going on? This was so unlike the refined Edgeworth. Phoenix knew he had to get up and ask, but he felt glued to his seat at the table. He looked around for something, anything that would give him a clue to this awkward situation and help with the awkward conversation they were about to have.
Edgeworth left his phone on the kitchen table. Phoenix grabbed it, happy to find it didn’t have a lock code. A text conversation with Franziska Von Karma opened. Would this be the clue he needed? Honestly, he felt more as if he was at a crime scene looking around for clues than on a date. Unfortunately, Maya wasn’t there to make a witty comment. Phoenix sighed. He didn’t have any other leads and… well, Miles was on his phone when Phoenix arrived.
[TXT]: Franziska, I require your assistance.
[TXT] Franziska Von Karma: Ja?
[TXT]: I have a date with Wright tonight at my house. What are some romantic things I can do?
[TXT] Franziska Von Karma: …You are a grown man, Miles Edgeworth.
[TXT]: I don’t see how that changes anything. Please, he’s arriving any minute.
[TXT] Franziska Von Karma: …
[TXT] Franziska Von Karma: Sit on his lap.
[TXT] Franziska Von Karma: Ask him to do ‘butt stuff’.
[TXT] Franziska Von Karma: Compliment his posterior.
[TXT]: Do you really think that will work?
[TXT] Franziska Von Karma: …Sure.
If Edgeworth wasn’t a mess in the other room, Phoenix would have laughed. Of course Edgeworth wouldn’t do these things of his own accord. Well this explained a lot. Phoenix quickly typed to Franziska.
[TXT]: Franziska? This is Phoenix Wright. What is Edgeworth’s past romantic life?
The reply came much faster than Phoenix expected.
[TXT] Franziska Von Karma: Hello Phoenix Wright. He once kissed a girl at a dance and had a crush on the boy next door for a year. Why do you ask? And why do you have his phone?
[TXT]: Because we’re on a date and he took your advice at face value.
[TXT] Franziska Von Karma: … That fool.
Phoenix put down the phone and finally got up to follow Edgeworth. He felt much calmer knowing it was a misunderstanding. Not that he didn’t want to do, uh, “butt stuff” with his boyfriend, but Phoenix wanted to take it slow. Sometimes it really was weird dating his best friend turned rival.
He walked down the silent hall to the master bedroom. When he knocked and there wasn’t a reply, he opened the door, peeking into the dark room. The room itself was large, yet it felt somehow different than the rest of the apartment. While most of the apartment looked like an extension of the prosecutor’s office, the bedroom felt more like Miles Edgeworth. There was a rack of clothes hanging to dry, a bookshelf with movies and box sets of samurai television shows, and a very large, very soft looking bed right in the middle. In the bed was a lump under a comforter. The window was open, and every time a cool nighttime breeze entered, the lump on the bed shivered a bit. Phoenix sat on the edge of the bed.
“…Miles?”
There was a beat that felt like an eternity. “…Go away, Wright.”
“Miles, you can talk to me.”
“I feel like my words have gotten me into enough trouble tonight.” Edgeworth peeked out from the blanket, so just his eyes and tufts of sliver hair showed. “I can call for a cab to pick you up and take you to a hotel for the evening.”
Phoenix looked away, fiddling with the cuff of his shirt. “I don’t want to leave.” His voice was low, barely above a whisper.
Edgeworth looked confused, eyebrows furrowing and his eyes focused on Phoenix. For a minute, there was only the sound of their breathing and the wind rustling Mile’s lace curtains. Eventually, slowly, Edgeworth sat up, uncovering himself from the blanket. He sat upright with the comforter on his lap, but he still crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked away.
“I…I don’t understand.” In some ways, he looked more like a prosecutor than boyfriend at that moment. The detail didn’t escape Phoenix.
“I want to stay and spend the night with you, Miles.”
“But why? I offended you.”
Phoenix didn’t hide the confusion from his face. “What? No you didn’t.”
Edgeworth made a pained noise. “You…you don’t have to lie for my sake, Wright. I am a grown man. I can handle the consequences of my actions.”
Phoenix cracked a little smile. “Franziska thinks you’re still her little brother.” The glare Edgeworth gave Phoenix could cut through stone, but Phoenix only gave a small, embarrassed chuckle and continued on. “I, uh, was worried about you. I looked at your phone and saw the advice she gave you.”
Edgeworth groaned and covered his face with his hands. “…I’m sorry. I didn’t…I…I just wanted us to enjoy our night together.” He exhaled in defeat. “P-please don’t leave me.”
Phoenix gasped and scooted closer to Edgeworth, his heartbeat increasing with panic. Did Edgeworth think they would break up because of this? No wonder the man was so scared. Phoenix gently placed a hand on his love’s shoulder. “Miles? Miles… I won’t leave you. I promise.”
Edgeworth peeked out between his fingers, and Phoenix could tell his eyes were wet with tears. Phoenix scooted more onto the bed, closer to Edgeworth. This was apparently the right thing to do, because Edgeworth spoke in nothing louder than a whisper. “Phoenix, I just… I just thought I pushed you too far. That I was going too fast.” Miles reached out and pulled Phoenix into a tight hug.
Phoenix hugged back, rubbing comforting circles on his back. Miles practically melted against him, clinging on for dear life. “Miles, I’ll always be here for you. You weren’t going too fast. I promise. I understand.” The defense lawyer felt the words ‘thank you’ against his skin and a loving kiss on his neck.
The two held each other for what felt like a blissful eternity, but probably only lasted a few minutes. Still, it was enough for Edgeworth to calm down and relax in Phoenix’s arms. Much to Phoenix’s surprise, it was Miles that spoke first.
“Phoenix?”
“Yeah?”
“W…what do we do now? I’ve never…”
Phoenix smiled and separated themselves. He had a light blush on his face, not really sure what to say. “Uh, well….How about we change into our pajamas? I can make some tea and we can watch and an episode of Steel Samurai together.”
Miles smiled back at Phoenix, making the man’s heart flutter. Miles swallowed, “I… like that idea.”
Phoenix removed himself from the bed, saying he would meet Edgeworth in the sitting room. He quickly ran over to the guest room. Phoenix stripped down to his boxers and grabbed his night shirt, which was really just a Steel Samurai t-shirt from Pearls. Unfortunately for Phoenix, she had no idea how men’s clothes sizing worked, so the shirt went past his knees and engulfed him. The only reason he wore it was because it was super soft.
Phoenix exited the guest room. From the sound of it, Edgeworth was still changing. Phoenix made his way to the kitchen, quickly wrapping up the leftover dinner and putting it in the refrigerator. Despite the awkward conversation, the meal was absolutely delicious. He would have to ask where Edgeworth learned how to cook later. In the meantime, Phoenix quickly found the kettle and the tea cabinet. He put some water on to boil, and opened the cabinet doors to pick out a tea. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the selection. There had to be at least ninety different types, and they were all immaculately organized by type and caffeine level.
Phoenix really didn’t know the first thing about tea. He definitely was more of a coffee drinker. He picked out one on the bottom shelf that had a somewhat low caffeine level. He stared at the tin, confused. He didn’t even know there was a market for loose-leaf rose and strawberry tea. Thankfully the tea infusers were easy enough to find, and he just finished pouring the boiling water into the mugs when Edgeworth came out of his room.
Phoenix heard the sound of slippers padding on over to the living room. He followed quietly carrying the two mugs.
“Good lord, Wright!” Edgeworth hid his face. Phoenix was so surprised by the exclamation that he almost spilled hot tea on himself. Phoenix decided to put the mugs down on coasters before something dangerous happened.
“W-what? What did I do wrong?!”
“Do you normally sleep with just a shirt? I-I mean I know what I said earlier about… um… but I think it would be beneficial to both of us if we w-wait a while.”
Phoenix felt all the blood rush to his face. “Edgeworth, what are you talking about? I’m wearing boxers.”
Miles removed his hand and stared at Phoenix in bewilderment. Phoenix bit his lip. “Uh, P-pearls got it for me but she doesn’t quite understand how men’s sizes work. She didn’t know that there is a big and tall section and…” His words trailed off into apprehension as Edgeworth scanned him up and down.
“…Did you not see the set of pajamas I laid out for you?”
“Well, I mean, yeah? But I brought my own so…” Phoenix shrugged. “And uh, no offense, but you’re in red satin with gold lotus flowers on it.”
Edgeworth crossed his arms and looked away. “It’s silk, not satin.” He huffed. Phoenix guessed he was still tense, which made sense. You don’t get over that kind of embarrassment that quickly. “The set I laid out is silk as well. In case you wanted something soft while you sleep.”
“This shirt is soft.”
Edgeworth gave Wright a glare of total disbelief.
“It’s vintage soft.” Phoenix put on his best puppy dog eyes. “You can touch it if you want.”
Edgeworth still didn’t look convinced, but he slowly walked over and placed his hand on the sleeve of the shirt. His face instantly changed to one of surprise as he felt how soft the fabric was. His other hand moved to the other sleeve, and Phoenix awkwardly laughed. Phoenix placed his hands on Edgeworth’s hips.
Miles smiled a bit and looked at Phoenix. “I guess you’ve proven your point.”
Seeing Miles smile made Phoenix smile. It was obvious he was uneasy, but at least they were at a point where the silence was comfortable and their love for each other filled the atmosphere. Phoenix leaned in for a kiss, careful not to get carried away. He sighed in relief when he felt Edgeworth kiss back. The kiss was much like their first; slow and gentle and earnest.
Phoenix’s eyes were half lidded when they pulled apart. “You’re wonderful.”
Miles looked away from Phoenix, but he had a pleasant smile on his face. “So are you.”
Without another word, Edgeworth broke away and picked out a DVD. Phoenix settled on the couch with his tea. He took a sip and winced, the liquid being far too hot to drink. Thankfully Edgeworth was facing away and couldn’t see his mistake.
As ridiculous as Edgeworth’s pajamas were, and they absolutely were ridiculous, Phoenix liked them. They seemed to fit the man. It draped on him without being too loose, and its ridiculousness matched the rest of Edgeworth’s clothes. Phoenix would feel out of place in that ensemble, but it fit perfectly with Miles.
Phoenix spent so much time admiring the pajamas he didn’t notice when Edgeworth turned around. Edgeworth looked at him, suddenly becoming self-conscious and folding his arms. Edgeworth frowned.
“O-Oh! I’m sorry. I-I was just looking at the pattern on your pajamas.” Phoenix nervously smiled. Miles was still a little on edge. He really had to watch his actions.
Edgeworth gave a tiny grunt and sat on the other side of the couch. He turned on an episode and took a sip of his own tea.
Phoenix was able to recognize the episode; it was one of Maya’s favorites. He guessed it was a season finale episode, because the action was intense, even compared to the rest of the fight scenes. Someday he was going to have to get Maya and Edgeworth together to watch some episodes together. Maya always got on Phoenix for not offering ‘good enough’ commentary.
Miles’ attention was solely on the episode and the tea, but Phoenix watched Miles. He saw him slowly start to relax a little, although he still did seem stiff. As the episode dragged on and Miles relaxed more and more, Phoenix started to scoot closer and closer. When their sides were practically touching, Phoenix pretended to stretch and wrapped an arm around Edgeworth’s shoulders.
The touch broke Edgeworth’s focus from the show. He turned his head to face Phoenix. “Isn’t that move a little cliché?”
Phoenix turned a light pink and chuckled. “Yeah, I guess, but I mean, it worked.”
For the first time that night, Miles Edgeworth gave Phoenix a huge smile. His face turned the same shade of pink, but he didn’t complain or refute what Phoenix said. He just giggled and rested his head on Phoenix’s shoulder. It was these small, fleeting moments that Phoenix looked forward to. Between coldness of the courtroom and the talks of murder, Phoenix lived for the moments where the two could surround themselves with joy.
The pair watched some more of the show. Phoenix decided to pay attention to the end, mostly because it had a pretty cool fight sequence. When the episode ended, he looked down. He noticed Miles wasn’t paying attention, and his smile had faded.
“…Miles?”
“…Phoenix.”
“Y-yes?”
“Y-you’re so kind to me.” Edgeworth broke contact with Phoenix to put his mug down. Phoenix withdrew his arm, wanting to give Edgeworth some space.
Phoenix watched Edgeworth’s movements. “You’re kind to me as well.”
Edgeworth made a strained noise as he sat back down. “I…I’m sorry. I just wanted us to have a romantic evening.”
Phoenix shrugged. “I enjoyed it.”
Miles looked uneasy. “I…” He abruptly grabbed the mugs and stood up. Phoenix stood up as well in worry. “Let’s go get some sleep.”
Edgeworth walked briskly to the kitchen, putting the mugs in the dishwasher. Phoenix watched from a distance before going to brush his teeth. Did…did he do something wrong? True, Miles was awkward on pretty much every date, but since they had been seeing each other the man had slowly begun to loosen up. He even started to really connect with Maya. It probably was a mistake to stay the night. Coming into Edgeworth’s apartment was entering his personal life very, very quickly. Phoenix should have just stayed with Maya. He should apologize to Miles for intruding…
By the time he freshened up, Edgeworth was already in his own room, closing the windows.
“Uh, Edgeworth…”
“Good night!” Miles practically yelled. When the sentence hung in the air between them, Edgeworth’s face filled with dread. He covered his mouth with his hands.
Phoenix didn’t know what to do. He stayed in the doorframe until he realized Edgeworth was trembling. Phoenix ran over, panicked, and pulled Edgeworth into his arms.
Phoenix took a deep breath. “Miles…I’m here, Miles. It’s okay. Take… Take some deep breaths. It’s okay.”
Edgeworth leaned into Phoenix, pressing his body against his boyfriend. Phoenix carded one hand through the silvery locks in front of him. After a while, his breathing was back to a somewhat normal rate. Phoenix guided them both to sit on the bed, cross-legged and facing each other.
“Miles? Miles. Are you feeling any better?”
Miles nodded. He didn’t look Phoenix in the eye. Phoenix took Edgeworth’s hands.
“Good. I’m glad.” Wright swallowed, not really wanting to confront the problem, but seeing no alternative. “Please, tell me what’s freaking you out.”
Phoenix felt Edgeworth grip on to his hands more tightly. He just rubbed the back of Edgeworth’s hands with his thumbs. When the response came, it was barely choked out. “I-I don’t w-want to lose you, Phoenix.”
“…I don’t quite understand.” Phoenix spoke low. He was genuinely confused.
Fresh tears formed at the corners of Edgeworth’s eyes. “I’m… afraid. Afraid you’ll leave me.”
“I’ve told you before, I’ll always stay-”
“But how can I know that?!” Edgeworth snapped and glared at Wright with red, wet eyes. “I can’t romance like you do, I embarrass myself, I can’t even give you a date at my house where I don’t mess it up!” Tears started falling down Edgeworth’s cheeks. “You could have anyone, Phoenix. What motivation do you have to stay with an imperfect prosecutor?”
Phoenix listened to every word. All he wanted to do was hug and kiss his boyfriend through the night, but he held back. “Miles, I knew what I was getting into. But… that’s also the reason why I stay. I love you because you are you. Faults and all. I mean, it’s not like I’m perfect, and you still like me.”
Miles glanced up. He looked miserable, defeated, and scared, but he didn’t seem broken like before. Phoenix took this as his opportunity. He scooted closer. “Miles, I’ve dated more people than you. I’m used to flirting and cheesy pick-up lines. And I know you haven’t dated all that much. And you’ve never come across as the more romantic type anyway.”
“But… you seem to enjoy it.”
Phoenix shrugged. “I do. But I think I prefer when you’re just yourself. I’m happy when you’re happy.”
Edgeworth looked away, mulling over the words. His hair gently covered his eyes. Sometimes, when Edgeworth dropped him off after a date, Phoenix would spend a minute just watching his boyfriend’s hair in the soft night breezes. It framed Miles’ face so nicely. Even now, Phoenix wanted to reach out and touch it.
Miles sighed. “But I still embarrass myself. More than I would like to admit.”
Phoenix focused on Miles’ face gave a little chuckle, instantly getting the other’s attention. “Well, I’ve embarrassed myself more than enough in the court room.”
“That’s very true.”
“Hey!”
Miles didn’t respond. He drew little patterns with his finger on the blanket. Phoenix watched him. The silence, thankfully, was comfortable. It gave Phoenix an opportunity to think things over. The relief of seeing Edgeworth calm nearly engulfed him, like the balance of the world was restored. Ever since everything with DL-6, all Phoenix wanted was to see Edgeworth happy. He deserved some happiness.
The events of the day continued to churn in Phoenix’s head. The fear of being left alone, the horrible advice from Franziska, the awkwardness… it soon all clicked together. “Miles, did you ask Franziska for help because you thought I would leave you?”
Edgeworth paused his pattern and flicked his eyes up. He nodded, pulling his lips taut.
Phoenix cracked a smile. “You know, you can just ask me next time. I know what I like better than anyone.”
Edgeworth didn’t respond, but his face softened.
“I enjoy flowers, ya know.”
Edgeworth finally smiled back, quietly laughing to himself. “I’ll make a note of that.”
Phoenix laughed. He scooted forward so their knees touched. Miles looked up. Phoenix felt his breath catch at the sight of Miles’ eyes. Out of all the relationships he had, none of them made him feel as wonderful and loved as being with Miles did.
“Wright… I should probably tell you something.”
“Huh?”
“… You still have to sleep in the guest room.”
Phoenix resisted the urge to groan in disappointment. After this whole talk, after everything, Miles still didn’t trust him enough to share a bed. Without thinking, he blurted out, “Are you kidding me, Edgeworth? You won’t even give me a reason why! Are you going to do this to me on our wedding night?”
Edgeworth turned bright red, and Phoenix slapped his hand over his mouth after he realized what he said.
“Uh…”
Much to his surprise (and relief), Miles just started to laugh. “I think it’s a bit early to think about that, don’t you, Mr. Wright?”
Phoenix gave a nervous chuckle, his heart only half into it. At least Edgeworth wasn’t the only one embarrassed tonight. “Y-yeah. You have a point.” He cleared his throat. “B-but really. I-if something’s bothering you, please tell me.”
Mile’s face instantly grew dark, and Phoenix became scared he said something really wrong. “Demons are difficult to get rid of.”
“… What…what do you mean? I mean I know that shady metaphors are sometimes necessary in court for your argument but you don’t have to use them no--” The realization hit Phoenix like a brick. “...You still have nightmares, don’t you?”
Edgeworth let out a sigh and nodded. He wrapped his arms around himself. “Not as often anymore, but… but after so many years…”
Phoenix leaned in and kissed Edgeworth on the forehead. “It’s okay, I understand. It’s a lot to deal with.”
“I don’t want you to see me so... You shouldn’t have to deal with that.”
Phoenix reached out and grabbed Edgeworth’s hands. “You’re not a burden, Miles. If you’re having nightmares, I want to be there for you.”
Edgeworth bit his lip, thinking. Phoenix felt his heart race as he waited for an answer.
“Alright, Wright. We can share a bed. But if I disturb your sleep too much, you have to go back to the guest roo—OOMFF-”
Miles was cut off by Phoenix tackling him and kissing him all over his nose and cheeks and neck.
“Oh thank you, thank you!” Phoenix said between kisses, “You won’t wake me up much,” Phoenix held Edgeworth tighter as he rested on top of his boyfriend. “I’ll always stay with you.”
Edgeworth looked around the room before cautiously petting Phoenix’s hair. “Uhh, were you planning on sleeping like this?”
Phoenix closed his eyes and didn’t even look up. “Yeah. Why?”
“It’s a little difficult to breathe…”
“Oh!” Phoenix moved off his boyfriend to lie next to him, resting only his head on Edgeworth’s chest. “Better?”
Phoenix looked up and saw Edgeworth smile. He wrapped his arms around Phoenix and gave him a peck on the head. “Much. Thanks for everything, Phoenix.”