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Some time in the night, the two had separated and when Phoenix drifted awake, Miles was resting with his back turned to Phoenix on the opposite side of the bed. The defense attorney smiled, sleep softening the expression, and did his best to keep from disturbing his partner as he rose to slip to Miles' master bathroom. This is what I get for drinking anything too close to when I fall asleep.
Some noises he couldn't soften, but he opted to keep the water running low as he washed his hands, and he'd leave the toilet for the morning after they were both awake. Glancing back in as he dried his hands, he was pleased to see Miles hadn't shifted.
Phoenix arched his back, stretching out kinked muscles from the unusual bed. Times that he'd stayed at Edgeworth's house he could count on one hand, and never before had he shared a bed with his partner. Given how many spare rooms he had and never used, Phoenix had never minded...well, not too much. But it was nice to finally spend his evening with Miles' body within an arm's reach of his own. They weren't quite skin to skin, but undershirt and boxers to like was close enough for a first night.
He held his breath, slipping back under the sheets, shivering at the chill his absence had left. When the other man still made no indication he'd woken, Phoenix breathed out and rested his head on the pillow, eyes staring blankly at Edgeworth's shoulder.
I'll admit, tonight didn't end the way I'd expected it to. It was like a flood wall had fallen somewhere in the back of Miles' mind, some barrier broken that let him actually enjoy his existence. It made Phoenix happy to see the change...but also, some piece of him was sad that the wall had been there in the first place. How long have the two of us walked around each other, never willing to cross the gap? How much sooner could we have reached the point?
As much as he didn't want to agree with it, the answer was still “this was when you could get here, no sooner.” Neither of them would have been prepared for this any earlier than now. Hell, Miles was still only just barely finding his footing. And even a year after he'd first wondered it, Phoenix hadn't come up with a single way to explain the relationship to the Feys. He didn't think Maya would mind, though she might be confused. And make fun of him. But then again, that was par for the course with Maya. It was Pearls he was really worried about. The last thing he wanted was Pearl Fey coming down on him for breaking “his” Mystic Maya's heart.
Maybe he could convince Maya to tell her. While they were in Kurain. Far away from him.
As for the rest of the Agency...? That was a mystery. Trucy would probably take it best. As long as Daddy was happy, Trucy was usually happy. And she knew Edgeworth, which would make it an easier transition. At least he wouldn't be introducing a stranger.
That, of course, was the problem that presented itself with Apollo and Athena; they knew Edgeworth. And they knew him fairly well, as they did Phoenix. He and his partner a more mismatched pair they could not be, and Phoenix had no clue how either of his associates would take it. Hell, he didn't know how they'd take him being in a relationship with another man. It wasn't something they'd ever had reason to speak about.
Stop making trouble for yourself before you have to, Wright, he chastised himself. He forced a slow breath in through his nose, and blew it out through his mouth. There was no reason to be driving himself crazy about this now. Now was a time for enjoying the fact that he was actually sharing a bed with the man he loved.
As much as Edgeworth envied Phoenix the way he could say those words, they still slipped oddly off his tongue to his ear. It wasn't that he didn't believe them; in fact, he wasn't more sure of anything else. But he'd never considered a relationship with a man, let alone one with Miles, until fairly recently. Growing up, Phoenix had always had crushes on the girls, like everyone else he knew—as far as he was aware, at least. He'd dated Dahlia, and been madly in love with her, much to his eventual dismay. Even now, there was a small twinge hidden deep in his heart that still hurt over her betrayal. It was puppy love and he knew it now, but it was love. And she'd tried to kill him.
And almost killed the love of someone else he cared for deeply.
That pain was still strong, and he closed his eyes at it. Mia. He'd never expected anything to come of that infatuation; she was his boss and he respected the distance that put between them. But it didn't stop him from fantasizing, from dreaming, from letting her become so much more than a friend in his heart. Few people in the world had been more important to him than Mia Fey.
And then she was gone.
True, he'd met Maya and the rest of the Fey family through her murder case, but there were nights when he still saw her crumpled body by the window in her office in front of him, Maya's named scrawled in blood next to her. He'd come so far since then, both for the better and the worse. I wonder what she'd make of me now. Of the Agency, of my time away from the courts, of any of the cases... Are you still proud of your stupid little rookie, Chief?
Probably. She'd seen him at close to his worst, and she'd still left the agency to him. He hoped she didn't regret that from wherever she was.
A movement from the other side of the bed snapped him back from his reverie, eyes opening to look at his partner again. The prosecutor's form had gone stiff, muscles lining his arms with the tension. Non-verbal noises fell from his lips, and he curled tighter in on himself.
“Miles?” Phoenix ventured softly, leaning closer to Miles. The man's eyes were screwed up tight, a grimace twisting his lips. “Miles?” He set a hand on his partner's shoulder.
Miles flinched, pulling his shoulder away from Phoenix, making a soft whining sound as he did. Phoenix's heart wrenched.
“Miles, wake up.” Now his voice was a little louder, and he pulled at Miles' shoulder again, trying to roll him onto his back. “It's okay, it's just a—”
Phoenix's sentence got cut off as Miles lashed out with the arm Phoenix was tugging on, catching the attorney flush in the nose. Phoenix recoiled, hissing curses under his breath, and Miles swung his other arm over so he was now completely facing Phoenix.
The pain in his face was nothing compared to the agony etched all over Miles' face. Whatever this nightmare was, it was horrific. The man's mouth moved in words with no sound, just sharp gasps for breath that felt like holding back tears. Phoenix could catch the word “no” repeated over and over, sometimes “stop,” but when one word finally got voiced, it ripped Phoenix in two.
“Father...?” Miles' voice was weak, young, terrified.
How long is this going to haunt him? Crime scene photographs from the DL-6 incident flashed through Phoenix's mind, memories of a man he once knew now dead and gone, and the proof he'd unearthed to finally track down his rightful killer. And all the while, seeing his oldest friend's face try to desperately to hide the cracks threatening to shatter him into a million pieces, only held together by the guilt he felt at his believed crime.
Phoenix had hoped that all these years later, he'd have been able to put those pieces back together again. Easier said than done, apparently.
“Miles.” This time, Phoenix caught Miles' wrists with his hands, holding them to the bed so as to avoid any further injury. The prosecutor twitched again, the thrash held down by Phoenix's firm grip. “Miles, wake up. Miles.”
With a sharp gasp, Miles' eyes flew open and he jerked away from Phoenix. The defense attorney let go of Miles' wrists, let him orient himself, find where he was again. Phoenix just watched Miles' eyes flash back and forth, wildly looking for ghosts he wouldn't find. Looking for memories long gone.
When he finally looked up at Phoenix, eyes focused and lashes wet, all Miles could manage was a breath out, words lost in the torment in his eyes. Phoenix's breath wouldn't come naturally, and he forced the stutters to push in and out of his chest as he reached over to smooth Miles' hair away from his face. “It's okay. It's over. It was just a nightmare.”
Miles' hands were rubbing together, a nervous tic Phoenix wasn't sure Miles knew he was doing. “I...it was...” The man's shattered voice shredded Phoenix's heart.
“Shhh.” Phoenix took Miles' hands in his own, pulling them apart so he could thread their fingers together on both hands, Phoenix's palms resting on the backs of Miles' hands. “It's over. You're safe. No blood, no gun. No elevator.”
“I can hear it...” Miles whined, and Phoenix winced. “I can...I can feel...”
“Shhh,” Phoenix whispered again, tightening his grip on Miles' fingers. “I know. But it's over. You're safe, you're with me.” But he knew how Miles felt. The lamp shattered on the floor, the statue stained with blood...long brown hair hiding eyes that would never open again. I remember the feeling like blood was on my hands. “It's okay.”
“Phoenix...” Miles' voice barely managed to make the name more than a breath.
He couldn't stand it anymore. Phoenix loosened his grip on Miles' hands so that he could wedge an arm under Miles' neck and pull him over, wrapping his other arm around him in a tight hug. “It'll be okay,” he murmured into his partner's hair. Slowly, Miles brought his arm around Phoenix, holding onto his undershirt for dear life, while his other hand rested trapped against Phoenix's chest. “It'll be okay.”
Miles shook with tears he couldn't shed, face pressed against Phoenix's shoulder. His breaths came in gasps, each one racked with silent sobs. Neither of them tried to speak, just letting the weights of their pain and memories sit between them, a blanket in commiseration.
It was a long moment before Miles evened his breath, able to lift his head and match bloodshot eyes with Phoenix...and a confused flicker shot through them. “Your...what happened?” One hand traced gently up, brushing fingertips just under Phoenix's nose, and pulling them back tinged with red.
“Don't worry about me.” Phoenix brushed the question aside, trying to do the same to the throbbing behind his eye. Didn't know I was bleeding. You clocked me good, Miles.
“You're bleeding.” Even through a devastated mangle of his voice, Miles managed to sound affronted that Phoenix was avoiding this. “Did I...?”
“You've got a hell of an accidental right hook. But I'm telling you, don't worry about it.” He pressed a kiss against Miles' forehead. “My nose will be fine. I want to make sure you are. Does this happen a lot?”
“It...” Miles shivered in Phoenix's arms. “Not as much as it used to.” He swallowed hard. “It's been at least a month or two.”
“Miles...” Phoenix breathed the name, pulling his partner closer. “I wish you'd told me sooner.”
“What can you do?” Miles' voice was soft. “What can be done that hasn't already? I know the truth, but it hurts no less.”
“That's because pain from that long ago takes a while to heal. I...” Phoenix's voice hitched this time, and he cleared his throat. “I still have dreams about Dahlia. And about Mia.” Miles fell still, but said nothing. “It's not going to just go away, not even after all these years, just because we know it wasn't you. Just because the real killer is behind bars. Just because the case is closed.”
“I'm so tired of hurting, Phoenix.” And he sounded every inch of it.
Phoenix took a deep, steadying breath. “I believe it. And you will. But until you do, let me know when you're hurting, so I can at least be here for you. I can't help if I don't know.”
It took a moment, but Miles finally nodded against Phoenix's shoulder and let out a soft breath. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” Phoenix pulled back enough so that he could tilt Miles' face up to press a gentle kiss to his lips, then rested his forehead on Miles'. “Now, turn around so I can properly spoon you like a good boyfriend.”
Garnering exactly the reaction he wanted, Miles' face flushed so much that Phoenix could see the red even in the dark. However, he didn't turn immediately, instead watching Phoenix's eyes. Eventually, the attorney raised an eyebrow in question. “That's...it's the first time you've called yourself that,” Miles murmured back.
Phoenix blinked. I guess that's true. “Well...yeah, I guess. Am...am I wrong?”
Miles didn't react for a moment, brows furrowed in thought, but slowly shook his head. “I...suppose not. I simply never thought of it that way.”
“I wonder what what you do think of things sometimes, Miles,” Phoenix sighed and brushed a hand down the side of Miles' face. “What would you have said was going on?”
“I...” Miles' voice faltered. “I don't know. I don't think I could have come up with a term.”
“You know what that makes you then.” Miles glanced up at Phoenix's question, and the attorney gave him a sly smile. “Quite the foolish fool.”
Finally, Miles' mood snapped and he groaned, smiling in spite of himself. “Please refrain from sounding like my sister while lying in bed with me half-dressed.”
“You mean whips aren't your thing? Damn, and I had the perfect one picked out.”
“Mmmm.” Miles turned his back to Phoenix, but this time leaned back into Phoenix, the two fitting together—honestly—better than Phoenix feared they might. Phoenix threaded his fingers through Miles' and pulled their joined hands up to Miles' shoulder, arm wrapped around the prosecutor tightly. “Do not force me to use one of your many nicknames against you, Wright.”
“You can call me whatever you want to, Miles.” Phoenix smiled into his partner's shoulder, closing his eyes with a sigh.
He barely caught Miles' next comment. “And if that's 'mine'?”
Phoenix's breath caught in his throat, his eyes snapping open for the briefest of seconds...and then the breath released and his eyes slowly closed again, a satisfied smile resting on his lips.
“Always.”
It didn't take long for either of them to drift to sleep.