Chapter Text
The flight was relatively uneventful, despite the ten minute retreat to the lavatory due to an untimely panic attack on Miles’s part. At least, he thinks it was a panic attack, that’s what his therapist called them anyway.
Eventually, he returned to his seat after getting his heart rate back to a reasonable level. Pheonix had noted his absence, and as Miles lowered himself onto the plush first class chair beside him, he mouthed:
“You okay?”
Miles glared at the man and swiftly readjusted the cuffs on his suit. He was just fine. This was a personal problem that no one needed to know about. Especially not-
“I’m fine Wright. Keep watching your cartoons.”
He internally winced at the frown that painted over Phoenix’s face. The other man seemed unfazed, placing his headphones back over his ears and pulling his focus back onto whatever colorful nonsense he was watching.
Miles didn’t mean for his tone to slip that low. He needed to shut him up before he started talking about personal things where others could hear. Lest it reveal anything about his unprofessional life.
His heart still fluttered erratically in his chest. He tried to casually wipe his clammy palms onto his suit pants, this earned a quick glance from Pheonix. Miles sighed and looked towards the window. He assumed they were close to landing as the greenery of the earth became visible past the clouds.
Miles hated flying.
It must have been a control thing. Putting his life in the hands of others was never something he was fully comfortable with. No matter how many breathing exercises or distraction techniques he tried, nothing could seperate him from the inevitable fact that he was thousands of feet in the air with no way to-
Miles clasped his trembling hands together. He heard Pheonix shift in his seat and prayed that he wasn’t raising any suspicion about his totally-not panic attack.
“Did you even sleep at all Miles?”
Pheonix’s soft voice came through the static of Miles’s mind. Come to think of it, he never really fell asleep, did he? It was a 10 hour overnight flight to Germany, nothing he couldn’t handle. He spent his time doing what he always did on flights: read, work, read some more, and panic.
Miles scoffed.
“Not at all, what about you?”
Pheonix rubbed his hand on the back of his neck.
“That’s not important.”
Pheonix removed his cheap earbuds and turned his torso to face Miles, his eyebrows knitted together in worry.
“Miles, you’ve been freaking out for the last nine hours. And every time I ask you what’s wrong you either roll your eyes or bark at me.”
Miles pinched the bridge of his nose, shifting his glasses slightly. He was not about to have this conversation with Pheonix on a plane while running on absolutely zero sleep.
“Wright. I’m not having this conversation right now…”
Pheonix placed a hand on top of Miles’s. Miles instinctively tried to pull away, but Pheonix’s warm grip kept him stuck in place. Miles desperately tried not to make eye contact with the other man.
“Please, just talk to me Miles. This isn’t something you have to deal with alone. I help Maya when she’s anxious all the time!”
Miles eyes darted to where Pheonix’s warm hand was gently laid atop his own. His cheeks burned as the embarrassment of the conversation set deep into his chest.
“Wright, I assure you I’ll be alright. This is something I can deal with on my own.”
Miles felt as Pheonix released his hand from his own. His mind was racing as he desperately tried to find a way to act like he wasn’t about to have a full on breakdown. Miles decided to redirect the conversation in order to distract his mind for a brief while.
“We’re almost there, only a few more minutes and we’ll be in Germany.”
The uncomfortable silence between the two was over as soon as it had started. Pheonix tilted his head towards Miles, noticing how the other had dug his fingernails into the soft plastic of the armrest beside him.
“Hmm. I’m excited to see it.”
As the plane began to descend. Miles kept mulling over what Pheonix had said. His mind was running in a million different directions. He had the heel of his hand pressing against his forehead
I shouldn’t have shut him out like that. He was only trying to help.
“Hey Edgeworth, we landed. You can get up now.”
Oh shit.
This had happened before. Usually after an all nighter or a long period of time without proper rest, food or water. It was a weird blip in time where one moment he would be lost in thought and the next moment he’d realize that it had been minutes, sometimes hours.
“C’mon, let’s get through customs.”
Pheonix reached out a hand, but Miles decided to pretend like he didn’t see it. He quickly threw his items into his carry on bag and began making his way to the front of the plane.