Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Phoenix was bored. Very bored. As it turns out, researching in a court library can get dull very quickly.

(I just need a break. I'll go stretch my legs and come back with a fresh mind!)

He had just gone up the basement steps from the library when one of the doors to a courtroom burst open, and an angry looking young woman charged out.

The first thing Phoenix noticed was that she was beautiful. She had lovely silver hair and a pretty face and she looked great in her outfit and…

And…

(Crap! I spaced out again…)

The second thing he noticed was that despite her obvious bad mood, nobody was trying to calm her down or console her. In fact, everyone looked almost… afraid to approach her.

(Well she's clearly not doing well… I should go check up on her. Just to make sure she's alright!)

So Phoenix took a deep breath and walked towards her, not noticing the "he's a dead man" expression on everyone's face.

Franziska was angry. Very angry. She'd just gotten out of a trial which she won by the skin of her teeth.

(That foolish trial with those foolish witnesses and that foolish judge and that foolish attorney and his foolish, irritating grin!)

The case itself was nothing special. The real problem was that annoying lawyer who acted like he owned the court and kept talking down to her.

Her! Franziska von Karma, prosecuting prodigy. She started her career at the age of 13 and hasn't lost once in all 6 years of it. And yet, that damn defence attorney felt like he had the right to talk to her like a child!

She would be savouring his expression of defeat, but she was too angry!

(He's lucky he can hide from me…)

"Excuse me, miss…?"

(If I found him, if I got my hands on him…)

"Miss? Can you hear me?"

(The crack of the whip would still echo for hours!)

"Miss! Are you ok!?"

Franziska was jolted out of her thoughts by a loud, but worried, voice.

She spun around and her eyes found a young man standing in front of her, with his hand half reached out and a concerned look in his eyes.

As she looked over him, she found his appearance to be quite unique.

His spiky black hair, his kind looking brown and blue eyes, his skinny frame, his perfect jawline, his well defined muscles…

He backed away a little bit when he noticed her staring. (Wait. Was I staring at him?) "I'm sorry, did I scare you?"

As Phoenix was backing away from the girl he took the chance to get a better look at her.

(She looks… really cute…)

She looked about a year younger than him. He had to suppress a smile from crawling across his face when he saw her distracted expression and the way she was staring at him. He wouldn't smile unless he knew she was feeling alright.

He had to suppress it even harder when her face turned into an even cuter pout as she started speaking.

"No. You did not scare me. And why are you asking if I am ok?" Her voice gave off a feeling of elegance and maturity that Phoenix wasn't expecting.

"Oh, uh… You just looked a little upset, and nobody seemed to want to check up on you, so I thought… I should do it."

"Nobody 'checked up on me' as you say because they did not need to. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Who do you think I am?"

Now that she had asked him, Phoenix felt like this girl was somewhat familiar. He couldn't quite remember who she was though.

"Uh… A cute girl that I thought could do with a mood boost?"

Phoenix's idiot mouth had formed the words and said them out loud without consulting his brain first, and he felt like smacking himself.

The girl was very shocked by this, and her face quickly became a deep red.

"Wh-Wh-WHAT?! You think that I'm… that I'm… I'm… cute?!"

"Crap, I'm sorry! I kinda said that without thinking."

"I AM FRANZISKA VON KARMA! The youngest person to become a prosecutor! I have been called a genius, a prodigy, a force to be reckoned with, but nobody… nobody has ever called me cute before!"

When Phoenix heard her name, he was even more shocked than before. He had just called a von Karma, a legendary prosecutor, someone who is recognized as being feared and respected in their profession, cute.

Phoenix still didn't notice the onlookers who had already decided he wouldn't walk again after making Franziska von Karma so upset.

Of all the praise Franziska had received throughout her life, she didn't think that being called cute by this random boy she has never met before would have such an impact on her.

She was also very conflicted about her feelings. She felt disrespected, but, for some reason, being called cute by this boy felt so nice. It felt so right.

She squashed those thoughts down as quickly as she could.

"Just who are you!?" She shouted, louder and more accusatory than she would have liked.

"Me? I'm… My name is Phoenix Wright. It's, uh… lovely to meet you, Ms. Von Karma!"

He was rubbing the back of his neck and his head with a bashful look on his face.

(This foolish fool should be bashful with how much he embarrassed me!)

Franziska paused to compose herself before speaking again.

"Well, Mr. Phoenix Wright, I accept your apology." Franziska had to be calm and collected, lest she humiliate herself further.

Phoenix Wright breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok, ok. Thank you."

A small smirk found its way to Franziska's lips, and she noticed Phoenix's lips lifting into a smile when he saw hers.

"You know, Phoenix Wright, you should be glad that you are lucky enough to have not been whipped yet."

Confusion was etched across his face, until he noticed, likely for the first time, the whip she had bundled up in her hand.

"Woah! You just carry that thing everywhere? And you whip people with it?" Phoenix's shock could be heard loud and clear in his voice.

"You seem surprised. Didn't you notice it yet?"

"Well," Phoenix said, sheepishly, "I was a little distracted. Making sure you were alright, and all that…"

Franziska did her best to keep up her dignified appearance, no matter how endearing this sweet boy being worried about her was. "I am perfectly fine. Just an annoying trial. I still won, of course."

Phoenix looked happy now that she seemed to be in higher spirits. "Well, if you say so. I'll, uh, I'll see you later!"

"Goodbye, Mr. Phoenix Wright," Franziska said, thinking it unlikely she would see him again.

Still, A part of her hoped that wouldn't be the case.

(She was nice. Definitely not a "demon" or anything.)

Phoenix found himself still thinking about Franziska von Karma, even as he was back at his dorm room.

(I hope I see her again…)

Phoenix found himself very much liking that scenario.