Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Miles took off his reading glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes tired of re-reading over the case file before him. It was supposed to be an open-and-shut case, but something about it seemed off to him, and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

He had vowed to stay on the side of justice - true justice, and to protect those who were innocently incarcerated. That also meant that he had the fantastic job of reading over statements sixty times until the words no longer looked like English, and his brain swirled around in his skull. 

His watch told him it was almost two in the morning, which meant he had been sitting at his desk for nearly five hours. That would explain the pain in his back and his oncoming headache, as well as the cup of cold, forgotten tea next to him.

Miles sighed, slipping the papers back into their file and standing up, stretching before grabbing his forgotten tea and bringing it down to the kitchen. 

Pess was fast asleep in her bed, rolled up in a circle like a white cinnamon roll, and she didn't stir as he walked past her, which was good since the rain had gotten progressively worse, and he didn’t feel like drying off an energetic Borzoi puppy in the wee hours of the morning. 

He had adopted Pess after officially moving from his small apartment into his house, signifying that he was putting down roots in LA. Sure, he occasionally helped out Fran in Germany when she needed him, but he was now spending ninety-five percent of his time at home. 

He wanted to do his part in fixing the legal system. To ensure those who committed crimes were found guilty, and those who didn't were declared innocent. This hadn’t always been his philosophy, but he had done a lot of soul-searching over the past decade or so, and thanks to one person in particular, he found a new lease on life. 

That person? Phoenix Wright. 

Phoenix and Miles seemed destined to be intertwined in each other's lives. He defended Miles when nobody else would, not even Miles himself. He believed in him. He believed he could be better. And after a while, it started to affect Miles. 

After years of torment under Von Karma, he started to think for himself and redefined Miles Edgeworth. And for a while, it was great. He and Phoenix worked on both sides of the law to improve it and uphold a higher standard. 

And then Phoenix got disbarred.

Miles couldn't believe it when he first heard. Not that he actually submitted falsified evidence, that he had never considered, but that he lost his badge.  The great Phoenix Wright was disbarred and shunned over a mistake that should've been a suspension at most . 

Phoenix didn’t take it well. Miles didn’t even learn what happened from Phoenix; he saw it on the news later that night. After locking himself in his apartment and turning off his phone, he didn't talk to anyone for several days. Miles still tried, sitting outside his door and telling him they would find out what happened and get his badge back. Phoenix had been there when Miles was at his lowest; he couldn't call himself his friend if he weren't willing to do the same. 

He may still be there to this day, two years later, if it wasn’t for Trucy. 

After her father vanished out of thin air, poor eight-year-old Trucy was now essentially an orphan. She was about to be thrown into the subpar foster care system when, suddenly, Phoenix applied to adopt her. 

Maybe it was the similarity to her case and what happened to Miles - a young child suddenly orphaned after a tragedy, and their life gets thrown into turmoil. Typically, a recently unemployed, single, disbarred lawyer wouldn't pass the inspection for adoption. However, there may have been some string-pulling by a particular Chief Prosecutor and a certain police detective. 

Trucy had just turned ten, and her effect on Phoenix's life was evident. He smiled again, not shining as brightly as he used to, but slowly returning to normal. His job as a late-night pianist kept food on the table and the lights on in their apartment, although Miles had repeatedly offered to take the weight off their shoulders. 

Trucy was a great girl. She regularly did magic shows and would invite Miles (whom she called Uncle Miles) over to watch Signal Samurai at least once a week. She would call him when she got an A on a test, and he would then treat her and Phoenix to a ‘fancy’ dinner at the local burger place she and Maya loved. Sometimes, he imagined the three of them as their little family.  

But Phoenix was in a relationship, and it wasn't with Miles. 

As his thoughts bittered, Miles realized he had been running his teacup under the water for five minutes, and his fingers had begun to prune. He shook his head and dried his hands, placing the cup on the drying rack. Although he considered putting on his kettle for a moment, negativity buzzed around in his skull, making his skin feel cold and clammy. 

Regret was a strong emotion. Miles had never felt it in this intensity before. The regret of not acting on his feelings, being too cowardly, waiting for Phoenix to make the first move. His inaction resulted in Phoenix getting into a serious relationship with up-and-coming defense attorney Kristoph Gavin. 

He couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the thought of Phoenix’s new boyfriend. Miles didn’t like Kristoph for a variety of reasons. He suspected his methods weren’t wholly legal and that he had ulterior motives for dating Phoenix. However, he didn’t put it past himself to be motivated by jealousy. So, Miles never acted on any of his suspicions. 

It didn’t mean he liked being in the same room as him, though. 

Miles had walked up the stairs to his bedroom while his thoughts flittered about Phoenix and Kristoph, beginning his process of getting ready for bed. He had work in the morning and had resigned himself to being groggy and grumpy when he awoke. 

Then, he got a phone call. He assumed it was a colleague from overseas who forgot about time zones and answered it without looking at the caller ID. 

“Edgeworth. State your business.” 

“Hey Edgeworth, it's Wright. Are, uh, are you home right now?” Phoenix’s voice sounded… pained, as if he had been crying. Or hurt . 

“Wright? Is everything ok?”

“Um…not really, if I can be honest. Would it be ok if Trucy and I came over for a few hours? We won’t bother you-” 

“You and Trucy are always welcome here, Wright.” The words tumbled out of his mouth before Miles fully understood what he was saying, but he wasn’t lying.

“Thanks. We’ll be there in a few. See you then.” He hung up, and Miles stood in his bedroom, nightshirt in hand, for a moment. His heart pounded in his chest as he thought what could’ve happened. If Trucy was with him, then she presumably was fine. Maybe he had gotten fired? But then why would he and Trucy need refuge? 

To keep himself from spiraling into “What If’s,” Miles returned downstairs and put the kettle on, preparing tea for his incoming guests. He chose a lavender and chamomile blend for himself and Phoenix and a sweet lemon loaf blend for Trucy. He also put some towels and dry clothes near the door since he knew that Phoenix and Trucy would likely get soaked from their walk from the taxi to his house. 

A few minutes later, there was an urgent knock at his door. Miles took the kettle off the stove so it wouldn't scream at him and greeted his guests. And what he saw behind the door made his anxious heart drop like a stone. 

Phoenix was standing in a t-shirt and sweatpants, soaked to the bone. He was shaking, hair plastered to his forehead, and he had a mask over his mouth and nose. Phoenix wouldn’t look him in the eyes, either. 

Trucy was standing behind him, clinging to Phoenix’s leg. She was wearing the Steel Samurai pajamas Miles had bought her and was soaked and shivering.  

There wasn’t a taxi behind them, Miles realized. They must've walked from halfway across the city. 

“Come in before the two of you freeze on my doorstep.” He ushered both of them in, getting a small ‘thank you’ from Phoenix as he did so. Miles handed him and Trucy a towel, and while Trucy enthusiastically began to dry herself off, Phoenix stood there, dripping onto the foyer floor. 

He didn’t look right , and Miles knew Phoenix would make a pun if he said that out loud. He wasn’t breathing correctly, occasionally coughing into his arm and wincing when he moved. Eventually, he noticed Miles staring at him and started to dab at himself gently with the towel, but it was physically challenging for him. 

“Here, Trucy,” Miles said, handing Trucy a spare set of clothes he kept for when he babysat, “Why don’t you go get changed? You remember where the bathroom is, right?” She nodded, taking one last look at Phoenix before walking off. 

Now alone, Miles didn’t waste time.

“What the fuck happened, Wright?” He kept his voice low but sharp.

“It’s f-”

“Don’t you dare say, ‘It’s fine’. I know you. I know you aren’t fine.” He came face to face with Phoenix and made him look him right in his eyes, which he realized were bloodshot…was that a bruise? Did he have a black eye ?

“Take off the mask.” Phoenix hesitated momentarily before reaching up and removing his mask, wincing for a reason that would quickly become apparent. 

His nose had dried blood under it, possibly broken. His bottom lip was split, swollen, and bloody. Removing his mask had also removed the scab, making it bleed anew. As Miles looked down, he also noticed marks around Phoenix’s neck, and his heart nearly stopped when he realized they were from someone’s hand around his throat. 

They stared at each other for a heavy pause before Miles spoke.

“Who? Who did this to you?” Miles had to physically stop himself from touching the other man’s face, his concern momentarily overshadowing his fears. 

Phoenix didn’t respond. He broke eye contact and put the mask back on, returning to attempt to dry himself off. Miles wanted to press further, to get a confession, but he could tell that Phoenix was barely holding himself together. For Trucy’s sake, he put the matter to rest. But that didn’t mean he was going to let him bleed all over his floor. 

“Wait here, I’m getting the first aid kit. And don’t try to fight me; either you let me clean you up, or I’m calling a paramedic.” 

Phoenix acted as if he wanted to say something, but Miles was already hurrying down the hallway where he kept his extensive first aid kit. He grabbed some gauze, medical tape to help stop the bleeding, and a tube of antibiotic ointment. He didn't have anything to help with Phoenix’s possibly broken nose, but he grabbed an ice pack to help decrease swelling. 

He tucked the items under his arm and returned to the foyer, where Phoenix was waiting with Trucy. They were whispering to each other about something Miles couldn't make out, stopping abruptly when he approached. Trucy seemed more at ease now that she was in dry clothes, standing taller and giving Miles a small wave when he returned. Phoenix, unfortunately, was still staring off into the middle distance and jumping at shadows. 

Miles was starting to put the pieces together, making him sick to his stomach. 

Before he could do anything, the kettle whistled in the kitchen, causing Phoenix to jump. Miles hurried over and pulled it off the burner, setting the first aid items down on one of the counters as he passed. 

“Make yourselves comfortable in the living room; I'll bring the tea out.” He poured water into the cups he had set out, adding copious amounts of sugar to both Phoenix and Trucy’s. He looked up and saw Trucy gently leading Phoenix to the couch, where a now awake and excited Pess awaited them. The 10-year-old seemingly forgot all her worries and was distracted by the dog twice her size licking her face. Thankfully, Pess remembered her manners and didn't try to jump on either of them. 

Miles put the tea cups on a tray and brought them to the living room, narrowly avoiding spilling as Pess greeted him. 

“Pess, platz. ” She nudged his leg momentarily before obeying and returning to her bed, settling back down. 

“Thank you for the tea, Uncle Miles. It smells really nice.” Trucy said, taking a sip of her tea and smiling. 

“I’m glad you like it, Trucy. Tea always makes me feel better.” Miles could still feel his heart pound in his chest - he was glad to have calming tea of his own. He was thankful that being a prosecutor honed his ability to hide his anxiety. The last thing he needed to do was make Trucy uneasy. 

Phoenix, presumably on the same page, pulled his mask down just enough to take a drink, wincing as the hot liquid touched his split lip. 

“ Ah !”

“Are you ok, Daddy?” Trucy asked innocently.

“Yeah, I just burned my tongue.” From where Miles was sitting, across the two of them, he could see Phoenix wipe off the drops of blood using the back of his hand and then wipe that on his pants. To Trucy, he was cleaning his mouth. He was putting the infamous Wright bluffing skills to good use. 

They drank their tea in moderate silence, with Miles and Trucy exchanging occasional small talk. He asked her about school and her magic tricks, both topics he was well versed in, but they were familiar to both and distracted her from whatever had happened. 

Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned. 

Trucy was telling Miles about the new trick she had devised involving handkerchiefs and copious amounts of glitter, which sounded to Miles like an ill-advised idea in a small apartment. She waved her hands as she spoke, pretending to perform the trick.

“So I pull on the rope over and over, and then I reach into my bag and-” she suddenly stopped, and her face fell. 

“Trucy? What's wrong?” Phoenix asked, and he and Miles were now on edge. She responded in a small voice,

“I just realized I left all my magic stuff at home. And you said we couldn't go back there. So…now it's all gone .” She started to cry silently at first and then gradually got louder.

Phoenix’s reaction was immediate. He knelt before her, nearly spilling his tea as he haphazardly set it on the table and wrapped his arms around her, holding his daughter in a tight embrace. She returned the hug, sobbing into his shoulder and clutching at his still-damp t-shirt.

“Shh, it's ok. It's alright, sweetheart. It’s only for a few days.”

“But-”

“It'll all turn out ok. Once it's safe, we’ll get all your stuff back.” Miles knew where she was coming from. She had lost everything when her father abandoned her, only having the clothes on her back and a backpack full of toiletries. It wasn't dissimilar to his experience with Von Karma, although Phoenix did everything he could to provide for her, unlike his former mentor.

To Trucy, she was reliving a nightmare.

“But we’ll still have to move , won't we? And where will we live ? And what if-”

“You may stay here as long as you need.” Miles joined the two of them on the ground, making sure he was facing Trucy. “I have plenty of room and could use the company. And, I promise, I will do all I can to retrieve your belongings.” Trucy looked at Miles momentarily and then crashed into him, holding onto him as if for dear life.

At first, he didn't know what to do but brought one hand up to run through her hair and the other to rub comforting circles on her back like he remembered his father doing to him many years ago. 

Phoenix looked at him with such adoration, clearly smiling under the mask. This was the first emotion he showed, besides despair or fear, since he came in. He put his hand on Trucy’s shoulder, and she let go of Miles for a second, only to take one of their hands in her own and give them a gentle squeeze. 

“See? I told you Uncle Miles would keep us safe.” He looked up at Miles, and there was a fierce sincerity in his eyes that he only ever saw in court, a passion that Miles hadn't seen since his disbarment. Phoenix trusted him wholeheartedly and wasn't hiding that fact.

There were so many unspoken feelings between them, but their trust in one another wasn't one of them.

Trucy nodded and then nuzzled into Miles’ shoulder, exhausted by the day’s events and her emotions. 

“I think it's bedtime for you; it's getting pretty late.” Phoenix brushed Trucy’s hair out of her face, with her sleepily leaning into the touch. However, she didn't move from Miles’ lap. 

“I want to stay with you guys.” She said, still holding Phoenix’s hand while snuggling into Miles’ shoulder. Her voice was muffled by his sleep shirt and her own exhaustion. 

“Well, you and I can sleep out here if you want. You can sleep on the loveseat, and I’ll take the couch.” Phoenix suggested. Realistically, sleeping on the couch would be about the worst thing for Phoenix’s back and overall skeleton, but he and Miles would gladly endure such a thing for Trucy. 

She approved of that idea, finally releasing Miles so he could grab a selection of spare blankets and pillows for them, setting up a comfy spot on the loveseat for Trucy. She laid down and soon began losing the fight against her drooping eyelids. 

“Miles and I are going to talk for a little bit, but we will be right here if you need us, ok?” Phoenix tucked his daughter in, waiting for her small ‘ok’ before kissing her forehead and walking a few steps away so he and Miles could whisper without her hearing. 

Miles immediately went to the kitchen and grabbed the first aid items he had brought out, still determined to patch Phoenix up even if he believed he didn’t need it. 

Thankfully, Phoenix cooperated, removing his mask and waiting patiently for Miles to return. The bleeding on his lip had stopped, but the scab was messy and likely contaminated by the tea and fibers of the mask. He dabbed some antiseptic on a gauze pad and brought it up to Phoenix’s face, pausing before making contact.

“Don’t worry,” Phoenix assured him, “I can take it.” With his consent, Miles began dabbing at the wound. Phoenix winced but otherwise remained still.

“Are you going to disclose what happened, or will you leave me to speculate?” 

“I…figured you already figured it out.”

“I have my theories, but I will need more information if you want me to help. That is, if you feel comfortable talking about it.” 

Phoenix sighed deeply before continuing, his shoulders visibly stiffening. “You know how I’ve been independently investigating that forged evidence, the one I unwittingly presented in court?” Miles nodded. He was also conducting his own investigation into the matter. “Well…two nights ago, I had a breakthrough. I found someone who claimed that they had handled money to produce a forgery for a major legal case, and they were willing to meet with me to give a statement on who paid them and what case it was for.” 

This was new to Miles. Such a statement would, at least, seed doubt that Phoenix was the culprit for the fraud. He could get his badge back if he managed to get such a thing. He didn’t fault Phoenix for jumping on such an opportunity. 

“I met them last night at the Borscht Bowl. They wore a mask to keep themselves a neutral party until they were required to testify. But they provided a folder of documents proving their claims. There were three photographs, a receipt, and a contract. The receipt was for the diary page and detailed what it was supposed to say and the materials needed to be used. One of the photographs was of the forger, the one who testified against me in court. But the other two and the contract were what I was looking for - what I needed to find. It named the person who paid for the forgery, and the contract entailed what the forger would say in court and their professional relationship.” 

Miles had finished cleaning Phoenix’s lip, placing a clean gauze pad over it so as not to undo his hard work. He then began cleaning up his nose, motioning for Phoenix to continue talking. But Phoenix stopped him, looking directly into his eyes.

“It was Kristoph , Miles. He paid for it. He was in on it the entire time. He was presumably the ringleader of all of it .” Phoenix said, sounding absolutely heartbroken and betrayed. 

The weight of what Phoenix was saying hit Miles like a truck. This man, this horrid man, not only conspired to trash Phoenix’s name and reputation and ultimately got him disbarred, but then pretended to be his friend and even entered a romantic relationship with the man whose life he had just destroyed. 

Tears began to form in Phoenix’s eyes, and he continued. “I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it. But I had paperwork with his signature on it proving it. The other photos in the file were of him by himself and one of him and the forger talking.” 

“Did your source say where they got these items?” 

Phoenix nodded solemnly. “They said they were brought on to witness the agreement, and while they disagreed with what was happening, they didn’t think it would affect me this badly.” He sighed, breaking eye contact, and stared at the ground. “So, they stole the file from Kristoph and contacted me.” 

“Why did they wait this long? Why keep this kind of information?” 

“They were afraid of Kristoph. And as I was about to learn that…they were right to be.” He turned away from Miles, and he saw a tear roll down his cheek. 

“I didn’t tell anyone about the file, or the meeting. I was planning on sending Trucy to Maya for a vacation before going to you and Gumshoe about it, just in case. Then, I came home tonight a few hours ago…and Kristoph was sitting in my living room, the file in his hand.” Another tear fell, and his hands began to shake. 

“I never gave him a key, Miles. I don’t know how he got in.” 

“But you gave me a key when you first moved in,” Miles responded quizzically. He had a key to Phoenix’s apartment and was recorded as his and Trucy’s emergency contact. He reasonably assumed Phoenix had extended the same courtesy to the man he considered his boyfriend . 

“Of course, I gave you a key. There was always something I couldn’t put my finger on that made me hesitant to do the same with Kristoph. I guess my gut was right, after all.” He laughed mirthlessly. “I didn’t even get time to process how or why he was in my living room before he began accusing me of conspiring against him. He kept trying to get me to answer questions, but I refused to say anything until he told me how he got in and how he knew I had the file in the first place. He got angrier and angrier, and then he…” Phoenix swallowed thickly, taking a shaky breath before adding, “he took out a gun.”

Oh, no.

“I didn't even know he had a gun. As far as I'm aware, it's unregistered. He held it and motioned with it for me to sit down, so I did. I was asked the same questions again, at gunpoint, but I deflected as much as I could. The entire time he held his finger against the trigger.”

Miles took a risk and placed his hands on top of Phoenix’s, silently reassuring him. He eagerly took Miles’ hands and squeezed them tightly. 

“I was so scared . I didn't know what he was going to do to me. Or to Trucy . He was talking about how he had his hands in the police department and the law system and how even if I managed to get someone who would represent a disbarred and disgraced lawyer, I could never do anything to him in court…especially if I’m dead .” 

Dread pooled in Miles’ stomach at the horrible thought of prosecuting Phoenix's murder. To think that instead of having him and Trucy next to him, warm and safe, he could've gotten a call from Gumshoe that Phoenix was found dead in his apartment. He looked over at the sleeping Trucy and thought about what would've happened to the poor girl after losing her father for the second time. 

Or even worse, if Kristoph had turned his attention to her when he was done with Phoenix.

“I don't remember what I told him, but it wasn't the truth. I was just trying to keep him calm until I came up with a plan to escape. He kept shouting at me until he got up from the table and grabbed me, pushing me against the wall. He still had the gun in his hand but the other one was around my throat. Then, Trucy woke up. I guess she heard the noise.” He squeezed Miles’ hands even tighter. “She asked us what was going on. I don't think she was awake enough to comprehend how dangerous the situation was.” 

“Did he try to hurt her?” Miles asked, tentatively.

“I never gave him the chance. Once he looked away, I rushed him and tried to wrestle the gun out of his hands. I managed to get it away from him, but once he was unarmed, he, uh, started doing this,” Phoenix motioned to his face. “I remember hearing Trucy scream and his hands around my throat, but the rest is a blur. The next thing I remember was him standing over me, threatening that if I ever told anyone about what happened or what I found out about him, he would come back and, I quote, ‘finish the job’.” 

Phoenix’s whole body was shaking now, and he wasn't hiding his tears anymore. Miles let go of one of his hands to offer him a rag to wipe his face, which Phoenix took. He had a mess of tears and blood running down his chin which was somehow more painful to look at than the blood on its own.

“How did you manage to escape?”

“He left after that, I guess to let his threat sink in. I waited until I heard him walk down the stairs and then I grabbed Trucy and went down the fire escape. I was so upset I didn't think about grabbing other clothes or packing a bag; I was only thinking of getting Trucy somewhere safe. Everything I have with me was in my pocket from work.” Phoenix grimaced. “I should've grabbed that file. He could've gone back for it or destroyed it by now, and then I would have nothing.” 

“But you don't have nothing . Even if that file is gone, which it may not be, you said your source had copied the information, correct? That means there is an original out there somewhere .” Miles wouldn't lie down and say all hope was lost, he was too stubborn for that. And he knew, deep down, so was Phoenix. “Where’s the man who wouldn't believe I was guilty, despite all the evidence against me and my own testimony? Where's the man who cross-examined a parrot and got himself tased to prove his case? That man wouldn't accept defeat, and I know he's still in there.” 

Phoenix stared at him with his mouth open, eyes wide and brimming with tears, but this time, for a different reason. He shifted his weight until he nearly touched Miles, his forehead a breath's distance from Miles’ shoulder, waiting for permission. Miles hesitated momentarily and then closed the gap between them, wrapping an arm around Phoenix’s back.

His shirt was still uncomfortably damp and smelled like sweat, rain, and blood. But he was warm and alive, and this comforted Miles. He held Phoenix close to him and tried to banish all the morbid thoughts and scenarios rolling around his head. Any worries about ruining their relationship were put aside when Phoenix held onto him as well, melting into the embrace. 

Miles couldn't say how long they stayed like that. Eventually, Phoenix broke away and wiped the tears off his face, not brushing too hard against his nose. 

“Thanks, Miles.” 

“You’re welcome, Phoenix.” First names didn't come out often between them, and it made Miles smile without realizing it. 

Phoenix cleared his throat and shuffled back to where he was sitting, so they had some distance between them now. 

“How does your nose feel?”

“It's sore, but I don't think it's broken. Does it look broken?” Miles shook his head. 

“But if you feel dizzy or faint, let me know. You may have a concussion as well.”

“Nah, I’d know if I got another concussion. I haven't lost my memory, so I should be fine.” Phoenix said with a hand wave. Miles stared at him, blinking, trying to figure out if he was joking. He determined that he was not. 

“I don't know how you're still alive,” Miles said, beginning to clean up the used gauze and antiseptic.

“If I can fall through a burning bridge into a raging river and end up fine-”

“You were hospitalized for a week , Wright. I wouldn't call that fine. ” 

“It was just a precautionary measure,” Phoenix said with a shrug. 

Miles remembered that night vividly, sometimes reliving it in his dreams. That event made him come to terms with how he felt about Phoenix. He was not just his closest and most trusted friend; Miles loved him. He didn't act on this love outwardly but, as Phoenix sat across from him after seeking Miles out in his time of need, he hoped it was at least understood between them. 

“You should get changed. Your back will be screaming at you by sleeping on the couch. We don't need to add sleeping in wet clothes into the mix.” Phoenix groaned.

“I'll probably take you up on that ice pack when I wake up.” He stood up and grabbed the spare set of clothes Miles had set out for him, heading to the bathroom to change. 

Miles had finished cleaning up the table when Phoenix came back out, wearing one of Miles’ old t-shirts and a pair of his sleep pants. 

“I can't tell you how much I appreciate this,” he said, rejoining Miles in the living room.

“I meant what I said, Wright. You and Trucy are always welcome here. And I'll make some phone calls in the morning to ensure that the two of you are safe and see what I can do about retrieving items from your apartment.” Phoenix stared at him, taken aback. 

“You…you don't have to. We can manage.” 

“Nonsense. This is what having connections is for. If you let me know what you and Trucy need, I can pick it up tomorrow.” He had already compiled a list of allies he could turn to, ones he was confident they weren't in Kristoph’s pocket. 

“Thank you. Thank you so much. I'll get that to you in the morning. I'd do it now, but I don't know how long I can stay awake. Not that I'm particularly thrilled at the idea of sleep now.” Phoenix yawned, scratching the back of his neck. He moved to the couch and began to get settled in. 

“You should get some sleep, too, Edgeworth.”

“I will. But I promise I won't go far.” 

“Ah, so both of our backs will be sore in the morning?” Phoenix said with a grin. 

“ Good night , Wright.” 

“Good night, Edgeworth.” Phoenix pulled the blanket over himself and closed his eyes. 

Miles stayed there for a few minutes until Phoenix’s breathing slowed down, and he was sleeping peacefully. Miles vowed to himself that he would keep Phoenix and Trucy safe, no matter what.  

Chapter Text

Miles woke up to his phone ringing. He blinked a couple of times, bringing the world into focus, and then wondered why he had fallen asleep in his living room. In a chair, no less.

Then, he saw Phoenix and Trucy's sleeping forms and was painfully reminded of what had transpired last night—or rather, three hours ago, as he checked his phone to answer it. 

“This is Edgeworth. State your business.”

“Mr. Edgeworth!” Gumshoe screamed into the phone, causing Miles to flinch and shove the phone away from his ear.

“Detective, do you happen to know what time it is? Why in the world are you calling me at this hour that loudly.”

“It’s Mr. Wright, sir! He's been reported missing! Miss Trucy, too!” Miles silently looked over at the people in question sleeping on his couch. “And worse, we’re at their apartment, and it's been broken into! Somebody trashed the place! There's blood on the ground, and forensics found a bullet in the wall-”

“A bullet ?” Miles asked, moving to the kitchen so he wouldn’t wake anyone up. Phoenix never mentioned the gun going off . 

“That's right, sir, but it doesn't look like anyone was hit. According to the forensics guys, at least. Mr. Gavin has been helping with the search-”

“And why have you decided to involve him?” Miles asked with a sneer, his lip curling unintentionally.

“He's the one who filed the missing person's report, sir. He said Mr. Wright asked him to help with Miss Trucy because he was working late, but when Mr. Gavin got here, they were both missing. He called us soon after.” 

Even without Phoenix sleeping in the other room, Miles knew that was a lie. Phoenix never asked for help with Trucy. He could have a hundred-and-two-degree fever and severe pneumonia, and yet he still tried to do everything himself. Phoenix felt that he was such an inadequate parent, regardless of what anyone told him, so he never admitted when he needed a hand. In fact, it was always Trucy who inevitably called Miles, asking him to bring over some cold medicine and get Phoenix to rest for once in his life. She was more or less self-sufficient - it was Phoenix who needed rescuing.

So, for Kristoph to say that Phoenix begged him for help because he was overworked... Well, that was a bold faced lie . 

There was sufficient evidence that Kristoph had something to hide, even excluding the fact that Miles knew where Trucy and Phoenix were. By properly filing a missing persons report the police were more or less legally obligated to find and disclose their whereabouts, and that could prove dangerous if Kristoph still had poor intentions. 

Miles needed to take control of the investigation, and soon.

“You’re still at the apartment, correct, detective?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And where is Gavin right now?”

“As far as I know, he's still at the station, giving his official statement.” 

Perfect. This gave Miles some time to enact his own little plan.

“I'll be right over, but I want my involvement to be secret. If someone knew his apartment number and knew to grab Miss Trucy, it's reasonable to assume they also know of me .” Miles hoped that spinning it that way made Gumshoe more likely to keep his mouth shut. “I also want you to let me know the second Gavin leaves the station, and to get a copy of his statement.”

“Will do, sir! We never had this conversation! And I will get you that statement!” And with that, Miles hung up. 

He ran his fingers through his hair afterward, still physically and emotionally exhausted. He figured he wouldn't get a good night's sleep until Kristoph was behind bars, or when they could get an official court order keeping him far, far away. It wouldn’t be his first several-day vigil, unfortunately.

However, he was so tired and out of it that he didn't even notice Trucy standing at the kitchen entrance, watching him. 

“What did Detective Gumshoe say, Uncle Miles?” she asked innocently, but Miles figured she had heard most, if not all, of their conversation. 

“Gavin reported you and your father missing, so it's safe to say he doesn't know where you are. And the Detective and I plan on keeping it that way.” If Trucy was nervous, she didn't show it. 

“When are you leaving?”

“As soon as your father wakes up. I don't want to surprise him with my absence.” 

“Yeah, that's probably a good idea. He's not doing too well.” She said sadly, looking back to the living room. 

“What about you? How are you doing?” She shrugged.

“Fine, I guess. I'm trying not to think about it too much.” Like her father, Trucy was very good at bluffing, so Miles had a hard time discerning if she was being truthful or not. She was very relaxed, and when she was done talking with Miles, she began rifling through his cabinets, searching for breakfast.

“I can cook you something if you like.” Miles offered but once Trucy found the box of her favorite cookies, which Miles just happened to always have on hand, he realized it was more or less futile to try and get her to eat a real meal.

“Oh and Pess wanted to go outside so I let her go out into the backyard, if that's ok.” She only took a break from shoving cookies in her mouth to speak, thankfully covering her mouth when she did.

“Thank you, I'm sure she appreciated it. I doubt she will get her daily walk today and-”

“I can run her in the backyard if you want! I can keep up with her better than you and my Daddy can. You know, cause I'm not old and my bones don't creak yet.” 

“Objection!” Phoenix came in from behind Trucy, his hair sticking up in all directions after sleeping on the couch, “Mid-thirties is not old. And even if it was , Pess can run like fifty miles per hour.” Miles was going to add onto that statement, but his brain began to process ‘Phoenix bedhead’ and it short-circuited. 

He still did not look well . He swayed on his feet and had to lean against the counter to keep himself from visibly stumbling. He still kept that dumb smile on his face the entire time, the one he used in court when he knew he was grasping at straws but couldn't let the opposing counsel know. There was a playful glint in his eyes as he teased Miles from across the room, knowing that he wasn’t the only one to enjoy the playful discourse. 

He looked like hell, but Miles still thought he was beautiful.

Whoa, he really was tired. Miles needed to change the subject before he did something stupid. 

"Did you want anything to eat, Wright?" 

"No, I'm good," Phoenix said, taking a cookie from Trucy and shoving the whole thing in his mouth in one motion.

"Can I interest either of you in actual food, or do you intend on only eating sugar all day?" Phoenix shrugged and ate another cookie. Miles sighed heavily, shaking his head, and began rummaging through his cabinets, pulling out a box.

"I'm making pancakes for both of you. Your stomachs will thank me later."

"Oh, I love pancakes!" Trucy exclaimed, her cookies suddenly forgotten. "Can I help make them?" She asked, her eyes wide as saucers. 

"Sure, let me grab the measuring cups." Miles took the rest of the necessary items out and turned around to see Phoenix holding several eggs in his hands, which was an accident waiting to happen, in his opinion. "You got it, Wright?" 

Phoenix opened his mouth to say something and immediately dropped an egg on the floor. It splattered and made a fairly large mess for a small egg. Phoenix sheepishly looked up at him and then gingerly put the rest of the eggs on the counter, only for another one to roll off and join its twin. Nobody said anything or moved for a moment, and Phoenix let out a defeated sigh.

"Don't worry, Daddy, it's just a mess. We can clean it up." Trucy said, smiling, repeating a line that she had likely heard before. She grabbed the last egg and cracked it into the bowl, and Miles noticed she did it the way he had shown her the last time they cooked together and managed to keep the bowl free of shells. 

"She's correct-"

"Don't you mean she's Wright ?" both said simultaneously while grinning from ear to ear. Miles rolled his eyes. He had done that to himself.

"I'm glad you enjoyed that so much. Now, let's try to make breakfast without any more casualties." 

Trucy was the main artist on the pancakes, although Miles handled the stovetop for the most part, other than letting her flip them under supervision. Phoenix stayed largely out of the whole thing, finding a good wall to lean on where he could see everything and respond to Trucy's questions and comments, but he wasn't required to do much other than stand there. Miles caught his eyes closing a few times, but he didn't say anything about it. Phoenix had worked a ten hour shift into a domestic fight and had only gotten a few measly hours of sleep. It would be worse if he weren’t about to fall over from exhaustion. 

Thankfully, pancakes don't take too long to make.

"How do you think they turned out, Daddy?" Trucy asked after she and Miles had dispersed them on plates. Miles was busy gathering the pancake toppings, hoping to find things that would please a child as well as his refined palate. He had barely registered that Trucy had something but judging by the sound Phoenix made, he hadn’t noticed either.

He jolted awake and then swiftly readjusted himself as if he had merely zoned out instead of drifting to sleep.

"Hmm? What was that sweetie?" Phoenix blinked forcefully a few times and tried forming a response with his fried brain. "Oh yeah, they look really nice. You and Miles can eat them; I'm not that hungry right now." 

Oh, that would not do. 

"What time did you eat dinner, Wright?" Miles asked, forming a case in his mind.

"Uh," his eyes darted around, "maybe like seven? I don't really remember."

"I have good reason to believe you are lying to me, and you haven't actually eaten anything in over 24 hours. Is that correct?" Phoenix looked from Miles to Trucy, who had her hands on her hips and a look on her face that mirrored her father's in court. 

"Well, Daddy? Answer the question . And remember, you can't lie during cross-examination." 

Realizing that he was no match for the combined forces of his daughter and Miles, Phoenix conceded.

"I had a bag of chips while I was working, but other than that, I haven't eaten anything in several hours."

"Does that mean you'll eat a pancake? You just have to eat one." Trucy scooped one pancake onto a separate plate and presented it to him, using her puppy dog eyes for added effect.

Thankfully, Phoenix took it without protest. 

Trucy did a little cheer and then grabbed her own plate after piling it high with syrup, strawberries, and powdered sugar, of course. The three of them reconvened in the dining room with their respective plates. 

Miles's pancakes were largely bare except for some mixed fruit and a small pad of butter. Phoenix only had butter, which was a little unusual for him, but Miles wasn't about to complain about getting him to eat something. 

Trucy was the only one with enough energy to engage in conversation, talking to Miles and Phoenix about things while they ate silently. Phoenix picked at his food but did manage to eat half of it before his eyelids began to droop again. Thankfully, Trucy cleared her plate and returned for seconds, which lifted a weight off Miles’ shoulders. 

She did manage to get syrup and powdered sugar all over herself, though, her face and hands caked in white powder and unbelievably sticky. 

“Trucy, why don’t you go get cleaned up? Once you’re done, you can see if Pess wants to play. She usually has a burst of energy in the mornings, and I won’t have time to walk her.” Trucy looked down at her hands and filthy pajamas and then nodded and walked off to the bathroom, being very careful not to touch anything. Once she left the room, Miles went over to Phoenix, hooked his arm under Phoenix’s shoulder, and lifted him to his feet. He held him in a way that he was taking all of Phoenix’s weight since he was mostly asleep at that point. The movement jostled him, and he nearly became lucid, but his head lolled on Miles’ shoulder instead. His body had hit the shut-off button. 

Miles gingerly led Phoenix back to the living room and guided him onto the couch. He only understood what was happening when Miles tried to get him to lie down. 

“No, no, I’m fine. Let me up.”

“You nearly passed out into your food. You need to rest .” 

“But Trucy-”

“Trucy will be fine for a few hours, and you’ll still be here if she needs you,” Miles offered, hoping that Phoenix was tired enough to listen to reason, but he underestimated how stubborn that man was. He pushed Miles aside and attempted to stand on his own, which ended with Phoenix immediately losing his balance and crashing into Miles’s chest. Miles grabbed onto him and kept Phoenix from completely falling over, gently pushing him back down on the couch. 

“You are operating on three hours of sleep and three-hundred calories. If you force yourself to keep going, you’re going to collapse. You’re also hurt .” Phoenix tried to stand up again, but Miles kept his hand on his shoulder, holding him in place. 

“Please, Wright. If not for my sake, then Trucy’s .” Miles pleaded, going for Phoenix’s soft spot. Thankfully, that seemed to get through his stubbornness and he allowed Miles to help him into a supine position, bringing the blanket up to his neck and adjusting the pillow behind his neck. 

“What time will you come back?” Phoenix asked, sleepily. 

“I am unsure, but I hope to be done by noon. I will have my cellphone on me the entire time if you or Trucy needs me. And please, call me if you need anything. I am here to help you, understand?” Miles added, looking Phoenix right in his eyes so he knew he meant it.

Phoenix, having expended all his energy, could only nod before he quickly drifted off to sleep, finally relaxing. 

Miles quickly wrote a note for Trucy with emergency phone numbers if anything happened, more for ease of mind rather than anything else. He also asked her to give him a list of items that she wanted from their apartment, both for herself and for Phoenix. With the note in hand and the mission clear in his mind, Miles said his goodbyes to Trucy and headed over to the Wright apartment, steeling his mind for what awaited him.

When Miles arrived at Phoenix’s apartment, it was half past seven, but there were still several police officers milling about. Miles knew most of them personally, and they acknowledged him half-heartedly when he walked up. The general vibe was a somber one, which made sense. To the rest of the world, Phoenix and Trucy were in the hands of some bastard and could even be near death instead of sleeping comfortably on Miles’ couch. However, he couldn’t be sure that it was safe to reveal that information to everyone. There was only one man he trusted, and he assumed he would find him inside. 

Ducking under the yellow police tape, he entered the apartment and was taken aback by how terrible it looked. Gumshoe said it had been trashed but he didn't think it meant this.

The dining room table had been flipped, and the chairs were strewn across the room as if they had been thrown. The living room had been torn basically apart. The couch cushions were overturned, and the coffee table was broken. Books and pictures had been torn off the shelf and scattered about, and broken glass littered the floor from the broken frames. He walked up to inspect one more closely.

It was from Miles’ trial, the one about DL-6, where they learned what Von Karma had done. Phoenix had insisted that they all go out to eat to celebrate, and this was the picture Maya had taken after they got to the restaurant. It was him, Phoenix, Maya, Larry, and Gumshoe, and everyone was smiling, even Miles. It was a small smile, but he was being hugged by Phoenix on one side and Larry on the other, so it was inevitable that their joy would rub off on him. 

He remembered this picture. Maya told him how when Miles was gone, Phoenix had thrown it in a drawer, refusing to look at it but also refusing to throw it away. She often found Phoenix staring at the picture in the drawer, talking to himself. He usually cried while he did so, heartbreaking as that was.

When the two of them had reconciled, the picture was put on his mantle alongside pictures of Maya and Trucy. It had made Miles feel like part of Phoenix’s family, even if it was only symbolically. 

The frame was broken now. Snapped across the top as if someone had purposely stepped on it. There was glass scattered on the photo, tearing it in a few places. He reached out to touch it on reflex before realizing that touching broken glass wasn’t a good idea, regardless of how emotional he felt. The picture would be even more ruined if he got blood on it. 

He looked at the other scattered pictures, noting that none were as damaged as the one at his feet. Other than the old one of Phoenix, Larry, and him as kids, which also had a decimated frame and broken glass. It was damaged very similarly to the other one, which he noted were the only two pictures with Miles in them. Of course, Phoenix had a recent photo of Miles, but he carried it with him in his wallet (since Miles couldn't get him to upgrade his phone to a model with a camera). Only a few select people knew about that photo, since he didn’t show it off. Miles only knew of it because Phoenix took the photo with him at one of those cheesy carnival picture booths that Trucy thought were adorably retro. They took a round with just Phoenix and Trucy, and then she pushed them in to take their own. 

It was a simple set of three pictures, which were certainly candid . Phoenix looked them over afterward and then tore off the one he liked the most, handing the other two to Miles. He would never admit to having them in his own wallet, but that’s where they sat. 

He stood up after reminiscing over pictures and memories to look at the rest of the apartment. A part of the dining room was sectioned off, numbered, and labeled. This was the blood Gumshoe mentioned, which he assumed belonged to Phoenix. Miles grimaced, looking at it. He was used to looking at blood and pictures of gruesome murder scenes, but it was different when he knew who the blood belonged to. 

Miles looked around for a few more moments before he found the bullet hole Gumshoe had mentioned. It was on the wall across the kitchen, about where the dining room table had sat. From where Miles was standing, it looked as if the shot was fired by someone sitting at the table before it had been turned over. The height was too low to have been shot by someone standing up, and it would’ve caused more damage if it had been shot from further away. 

The evidence conflicted with what Phoenix told him. 

He needed to find Gumshoe.

Thankfully, it wasn't too hard to find the scruffy detective. Miles spotted his trademark beige coat in Phoenix’s bedroom, and when he had collected all of the information he could, he made his way over to him. 

Gumshoe was talking with one of the other officers, notebook in hand, looking even more unkempt than usual. His hair was definitely unbrushed, and he had a dark five o’clock shadow, even though it was early morning. Miles cleared his throat in an attempt to get his attention but was flatly ignored. So he resorted to tapping on the detective’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, pal, what do you want? Can’t you see I’m busy here?!” He shouted, speaking before turning around and finding himself face to face with Miles. Realizing who he was talking to and what he just said, Gumshoe tried to backpedal, muttering several apologies, which Miles hand-waved away. 

“It’s alright, Detective. I understand that tensions are high around here.” Gumshoe sighed heavily, nodding his head.

“You said it. None of my team’s gotten much rest since the call came in. Most of us have known Mr. Wright for years, and it broke our hearts when we heard what happened. But don’t you worry, Mr. Edgeworth, we’ll find ‘em. We’ll find ‘em even if I have to search the whole city by myself!” 

Miles didn’t say anything. He stood there, biting his tongue and focusing on keeping his face neutral. 

“May I speak with you, Detective. In private?” 

He walked past Gumshoe into Phoenix’s bedroom and waited for him to follow. It did cross his mind that it was a little weird to be here without Phoenix, but his discomfort was negligible in the grand scheme of things. Soon, Gumshoe finished talking with the officer and closed the door, walking over to where Miles stood in the middle of the room. 

“What did you want to talk about? Do you know something about the case?” Gumshoe looked up at him expectantly, full of hope. 

Well, Miles figured he should just rip the bandaid off, so to speak.

“Wright and Miss Trucy are fine; they’re at my house.” Gumshoe stared at him, mouth agape. “And I will need you to keep that between us, for their own safety.” 

“But…why? What’s going on? Are they ok?”

“Wright is… fine . He’s hurt , but I don’t think any of it is life-threatening. His nose may be broken, and he's got some bad bruising. Trucy is shaken up but unharmed.” 

Gumshoe sighed in relief, his shoulders releasing much of the tension he had stored there.  

“I’m glad they’re ok. I was really worried this would turn into a murder investigation.” 

A shiver went down Miles’ spine at that harrowing thought, but he fought to keep his face neutral. 

“Did Mr. Wright say what happened to him?” 

Miles nodded solemnly. 

“It was Gavin. Wright discovered something about him in his investigation, and before he had a chance to confront Gavin about it, Gavin broke in and threatened him.” He couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice, having to take a deep breath to keep his emotions in control. 

“When Wright didn’t cave to the threats, Gavin physically assaulted him. Judging by his injuries, the blood on the carpet came from Wright’s busted nose during this event. I…I am thankful that was the worst of it.” 

Gumshoe nodded, his face now pale. He dragged his hand across his face and sat down on the bed. 

“You’re talking about the gun, aren’t you?” 

“Yes. Wright said Gavin threatened him with it, but the gun never went off while he was there, which, I understand, is contradictory to the bullet hole outside. I trust Wright with my life, and Gavin is a dastard , so I am inclined to believe Wright’s account of events.” 

“Mr. Wright said that Mr. Gavin had the gun?”

“Yes, that’s correct.” Gumshoe reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, reading it for a second and then handing it over to Miles. 

Miles reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his reading glasses, squinting at the page until it came into focus. And he nearly fell over once he read it. 

It was a ballistics report on the bullet that had fired into the wall. They had found who owned the gun. It was registered to Phoenix Wright . 

“ No .” He said, pulling the paper away from himself as if that would change what was written on it. “No. He would never own a gun. I know Wright and he would never -”

“I hear you sir, I didn’t believe it neither. But the forensics guys ran the test twice, and it came back just the same.” He shrugged and threw his hands in the air, a defeated look on his face. 

Miles put his hand under his chin and began to think. He wouldn't concede that Phoenix had bought a gun, not now, not ever . And yet, someone had registered one to him. 

Wait. 

“Detective, is it at all possible to register a gun in someone else's name?”

Gumshoe paused for a second, scratching his head. 

“I mean… possibly ? It wouldn't be easy, and I don't know anyone who would think of doing so. You'd have to be pretty scummy to even attempt such a thing-”

“So if, for instance, someone knew a forger and already had a rapport with him, it could be done?” 

Miles felt like things had fallen into place, at least slightly. If Kristoph was responsible for Phoenix’s disbarment, then he might have arranged something like this. It made Phoenix look a lot worse to have a gun, especially after a fight had broken out and people were missing.

“I will need to speak to Gavin, in private. And I need a copy of his testimony.” 

“You gonna interrogate him?” 

Miles nodded. 

“Good. I hope you show him what for, sir. I will, uh, need my report back, though. Evidence and all.” 

Miles handed him the crumpled paper and then reached into his own pocket and brought out the paper that Trucy had written on that morning. It had taken him a second to read her handwriting, but he got enough of it to understand.

“What's that?” Gumshoe asked, standing up to look at it over Miles’ shoulder. 

“Some things Trucy asked me to get, for herself and for Wright. I also want to ask you this, Detective: did you or any of your people find a manilla folder in the apartment? Eleven inches by eight inches, with a few documents and pictures inside.” 

Gumshoe shook his head. 

“Sorry, pal. Everything we found was already accounted for or collected into evidence.” 

Miles furrowed his brow. That was another thing pointing to Kristoph being more involved in this than he previously stated. But it would also be quite difficult to retrieve if Kristoph now possessed it. 

Gumshoe seemed to have noticed his change in disposition and added, 

“But we can keep looking, sir! I'm sure we’ll find it around here someplace!” 

Miles shook his head. 

“That won't be necessary. I have a good idea where it ended up. But I will need your help with the rest of these items. I know I have a bit of a reputation , but I'm sure that removing several personal articles from an active crime scene will turn some heads.” 

Gumshoe chuckled a little at that and then motioned to see the paper. He read it for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah, I can get you this stuff. I can put it in an evidence box and hand it to you outside. Did you need anything else from me or the department?” 

Miles didn't respond for a second due to him being deep in his own thoughts. Gumshoe asked his question a second time and that got his attention. 

“Hmm? Oh, will they have Gavin’s statement at the precinct for me?”

“Yes…but aren't you gonna interrogate him yourself? What do you need his statement for?” 

“The man has made a life and career out of lying. I need to know what his first take of his story was before I can start combing through it.” Miles had years of experience getting information out of people who refused to say anything, so he wasn't worried about his ability to cross-examine. He was worried about Gavin for other reasons, but he would cross that bridge when he got there. 

He and Gumshoe then left and we went their separate ways; Miles walked back down where his car was parked and began waiting for Gumshoe to arrive with the things he had asked him to grab. Quickly, he sent a text to Phoenix.

M: I have finished my investigation at your apartment. I am on my way to speak with Gavin.

M: and tell Trucy I got her things

He wasn't expecting an answer right away, or even in the same hour, but his phone vibrated within a few minutes, with a series of texts from Phoenix.

P: oh thank you. trucy will be happy to hear that. what did you find? 

P: was gunshoe there? did you tell him about us?

P: what about Kristoph?

Miles responded, the best he could.

M: I found out a few things. There's a bullet hole in your wall now.

P: fuck I think that invalidates my security deposit 

M: Wright. Focus.

P: right, sorry. my brain is still all over the place.

M: They ran a forensics report on the bullet. And they found who owns the gun.

P: it's Kristophs isnt it?

Miles took a deep breath and then replied.

M: No. It's registered to you.

There was a tense moment afterward where he could see Phoenix typing but he didn't send anything. Instead, after several minutes of typing and pausing, Phoenix called him.

“Wri-” 

“It's not mine! I swear !” Phoenix pleaded. He was breathing frantically into the phone. 

“I know-”

“I would never -”

“Wright, I believe you. The Detective believes you. We are on your side. It's ok. It's ok. ” Miles reassured him, hoping to stop the disaster before it reached its boiling point. 

“I-I-” Phoenix stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence over his rapid breathing. He was hyperventilating at this point; the only other sounds he could make were half-choked sobs. Miles recognized these behaviors, as he had experienced them himself many times before.

“Phoenix, listen to me. You are having a panic attack. It's going to be ok. Where are you right now? Are you somewhere alone, away from Trucy?” 

There was a pause. Then Phoenix mumbled a response.

“I…I’m in the up…upstairs bathroom. Alone .”

“Good. Can you sit down?”

“Mhm.” 

“Good. Now I want you to breathe with me, do you think you can do that?” Hearing Phoenix suffer on the other end was heartbreaking for Miles. He didn't respond, leaving only sobs and panting to fill the silence. 

Miles wished he was there with Phoenix right now. He wished he could be physically there and physically reassure his closest friend while he relieved one of his worst nightmares. 

But he would do what he could. He began to take deep breaths, holding them for a second or two and then audibly exhaling into the phone. 

Eventually, he could hear Phoenix copy him. Slowly, the sobs stopped, and he seemed to calm down, sighing heavily.

“How are you feeling now?” Miles asked, keeping his voice low.

“Better. Thank you.” His voice was still shaking a little bit but it was coherent at least. He blew his nose and cleared his throat before speaking again.

“What, uh, what else did you learn?”

“If my presumption is correct and Gavin was the one who trashed your apartment, then he seems to have a personal vendetta against me. All the pictures on your mantle were knocked over, but only the ones I was in were smashed.” Phoenix groaned and huffed when Miles said that. 

“Of course, he did that little-” He growled, disdain and hatred dripping from his words. He sighed, grumbling under his breath.

“I'm sorry, Edgeworth.” Miles was confused. 

“What are you apologizing for?”

“Well, those were your pictures.… Are they still ok or are they completely ruined?” Phoenix sounded a little heartbroken, which made sense since he was probably the last person in existence who only carried physical copies of photos.

“Don't worry, they looked acceptable to me. And even if they weren't, I have copies myself so I could replace them for you.” 

“Thanks, Edgeworth, I-wait! What do you mean you have copies ?” 

“Unlike you , I have moved onto the digital age. I have copies of all of my photos saved digitally, just in case something like this happened.” Maya had texted him the case photo right after she took it and he had the one of him, Phoenix, and Larry ever since he got out from under the thumb of Von Karma. That one was quite special to him, for obvious reasons.

“Once this is all over I will print new ones for you, if we are unable to salvage the ones in your apartment that is.” 

“Good, good. Well, at least that’s one less thing I’ll need to worry about.” Phoenix said, sighing heavily. There was a lot of pressure on his shoulders at the moment, and he could feel every ounce.

“What, uh, what is your plan now? Will you be back soon?” 

“Unfortunately, I will be busy for the next few hours. There is food in the pantry if you or Trucy get hungry, or I can pick something up for us on my way home. However, I don’t know how long this is going to take.” Miles frowned, not looking forward to the arduous task ahead of him. Talking to Kristoph without losing his temper was always a challenge for Miles, since the man seemed to delight in pushing his buttons. And he would definitely try and derail his investigation but preying on Miles’ emotions which could be an issue if they were working against the clock. 

“Is everything ok? I hope you’re not having to go too far out of your way for us, I’m really sorry if that’s the case.” Miles considered telling Phoenix that he was going to speak to Kristoph but he was worried that would send him spiriling again, so he deflected.

“It’s fine, I just need to grab something from my office, that’s all. I will call you once I’ve finished. Does that sound alright?” It wasn’t technically a lie. He did need to briefly visit his office to retrieve some files but he would be spending most of his time at the precinct. Not that Phoenix could tell that from only hearing his voice over the phone. 

“Ok…well I’ll let you get back to it. I need to get myself cleaned up and get back downstairs before Trucy gets worried about me.” 

“Take it easy, Wright. I’ll talk to you again soon.” He hung up, hoping that he could get the information he needed soon so he could get back to Phoenix and Trucy. He wouldn’t rest until they were safe.

Chapter Text

Once Miles got confirmation that Kristoph was still at the police precinct, he drove over as fast as he legally could. His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel tightly, but otherwise, he kept his nerves in check. He had gone over what he was going to ask several times at this point, but it was still quite a daunting task ahead of him. He somehow had to get usable information out of a man who absolutely despised him, and try not to strangle said man in the process. 

The latter of which would likely be the more difficult task to complete successfully. 

When he arrived, one of the officers greeted him at the door and led him to Gumshoe’s office, where he received a copy of not only Kristoph’s statement and testimony, but the entire case file. Well, it was less of a case file and more a collection of unrelated photographs and a statement from one of Phoenix's neighbors. 

His neighbor, a sweet older woman who often took pity on Phoenix, said that she heard a fight break out around three-thirty am, and then shortly after the sounds of the fight quieted down, she heard a gunshot. She then tried to reach Phoenix by knocking on his door but there was no response. When she went back to her room to call the police, she ran into “the German man with the nice hair” in the stairwell. He was going up to the apartment, and when she told him that she had heard of a fight, he told her that he would call the police,  and they would handle it. She stayed awake for a while after that just to make sure the police were actually on their way and so she could talk to them. That's when she gave her statement. 

Miles found several contradictions in that statement, not as the fault of the neighbor but it was more evidence that Kristoph had staged most of it. Phoenix called him shortly after two-thirty, an hour before she said she heard the gunshot(which he already knew didn't happen during the fight with Phoenix) and he was in Miles’ house when three am rolled around. 

But that did beg the question: Why was Kristoph seen? Was it just to give himself an alibi? Phoenix said he left the apartment before he did, and then Phoenix slipped out via the fire escape, which happened an hour earlier. Miles’ security cameras and phone logs would break that argument wide open in court. So why the discrepancies in time?

Unless Kristoph did actually leave the apartment complex at 2 and came back at 3. But for what purpose? From what Phoenix had told him, and what Miles observed as an outsider, this was the first time their relationship had turned physical. So maybe he just needed time to collect himself and get his story straight? But that wouldn't make sense, considering the state of the apartment when he came back and the elaborate cover-up. This wasn't an act of unbridled rage; this was cold, calculated. This was a full-on plot against Phoenix. 

What if then, this wasn't the first instance of things getting physical between them? 

The thought made Miles’ stomach turn, but his mind supplied him with substantial evidence. Phoenix wearing turtlenecks or long-sleeved shirts when the weather didn’t require them. The time where he broke his wrist in a ‘biking accident’ but wouldn’t talk about it in detail. The fact that he refused to sit with his back to a door, even in his own home. How Pheonix seemed to tense up whenever Kristoph walked into the room. And ultimately, why he didn’t give Kirstoph a key or trust him with Trucy. 

How long had this been going on? A few months ? A year ? Was it happening the entire time they were in a relationship? There was also the possibility that Pheonix was coerced into making the relationship official. 

The paper in his hands crumpled as he clenched his fists involuntarily. Why didn't Phoenix say anything? Go to the police? Go to Miles ?

Phoenix said almost the exact same things when Miles told him about his years under Von Karma and his year abroad after the DL-6 case. He had felt angry and betrayed at Miles for not turning to him or others for help and instead trying to handle it all on his own. But there was also an underlying sense of guilt; the feeling that if Phoenix had just done something, he could've saved Miles all that pain. 

Miles now understood what Phoenix was feeling in those moments. He sighed, breathing deeply through his nose to calm his nerves and regain control. He couldn't change the past, but he could change the future and keep Kristoph from hurting Phoenix ever again. 

Miles steeled himself before moving on to Kristoph’s statement.

Kristoph’s official statement was basically what Gumshoe had told him. He had gotten a call from Phoenix at around midnight asking him to come over and help with Trucy. He came over around 3 am when he talked to the neighbor about the fight she overheard. He told her he would call the police and then ran up to check on Phoenix, opening the door with his key and discovering the trashed area. Kristoph then called out for Phoenix and Trucy and, after finding them gone, called the police and reported them missing.

There wasn't much there. It was pretty cut and dry in terms of statements, other than the fact that Miles knew the time was incorrect and that Kristoph wasn't supposed to have a key. These were areas he knew he needed to press when he did his own interrogation. 

After re-reading both statements over again and shaking himself off, Miles returned the file to the officer and asked to see Kristoph. Thankfully, he was still in the building, having remained there “just in case they needed him again”. 

He was led to one of the interrogation rooms and was sitting down at the table with the customary glass of water and a smug look on his face. He narrowed his eyes when Miles walked in, holding the case file. 

“Well, well, you finally showed up.” Kristoph crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, as if this was a casual chat instead of an intense interrogation. His hair was brushed and styled like it always was and he wore his iconic suit, without a hair or crease out of place. 

“Good morning, Gavin. You look remarkably well for your boyfriend of two years being declared missing only a few hours ago.” Miles said with a sneer, sitting down and preparing himself for what came next.

Kristoph laughed dryly. 

“Oh, so that's your angle? That I should be disheveled and sleep-deprived like you or I didn't actually love him or something like that?” Kristoph readjusted himself and leaned over the table, curling his lip. 

It was starting alright. Well, two can play at that game.

“What time did you arrive at Wright’s apartment?”

“Around 3.” 

Miles shook his head.

“No, you didn't. So try again.” 

“Oh, so I'm being cross-examined now?” 

Miles kept his face neutral and shrugged. 

“Perhaps. But I'm sure you know it's better to tell the truth now rather than when I have you on the witness stand.” Miles smiled, but it looked more like a cat who had just cornered its elusive mouse. 

The two men stared at each other for a tense few moments before Kristoph leaned back in his chair again and put his finger under his chin. 

“They didn't make you the chief prosecutor for nothing, huh?” 

Miles didn’t respond. 

“Fine, I'll admit. I wasn't entirely truthful in my original statement. But I knew you would be on this case and I didn't want to say anything that upset you,” Kristoph said in mock concern, sighing heavily. At least Miles would get some more information out of him; maybe not the truth yet, but something.

“You are right, I was at Phoenix’s apartment earlier than I originally said. I arrived just after 2, actually. I knew Phoenix gets off work around that time so I met him at his apartment to speak with him about something.”

“How did you get in the apartment?” Miles interjected.

“Phoenix let me in. I had to knock on the door a few times but eventually, he answered it. He was angry at me for being there, and told me to go away, but I refused.” 

Miles raised an eyebrow. 

“Do you know why he was angry at you?” 

Kristoph nodded, smiling.

“I got a call from that seedy bar he works at. Turns out, our favorite little ex-lawyer has been looking into alternative methods of employment.” His lips curled over his teeth like a shark, grinning, “Our boy has been working with the mob for the past couple of months.” 

Miles made no movement or change in expression, but his blood ran cold when such a dire accusation came out of Kristoph’s mouth. Something like that would be detrimental to ever getting Phoenix’s badge back. Or worse, threaten his position as Trucy’s legal guardian. 

“Did you believe these accusations?” 

“Of course, why wouldn't I? Because I'm ‘blinded by love’? Because I ‘believe in justice’? Like you?” 

Miles inhaled sharply. 

“That is quite a peculiar stance for a defense attorney to have.” 

Kristoph laughed at him. 

“I can see why you like Phoenix so much. You're practically made for each other. Blind faith got him disbarred and your name tarnished, and yet, you still push on.” 

He was attempting to get under Miles’ skin, he was aware of that, but even knowing that didn't make the words sting less. They pinched and scraped against his soul like the fangs of a snake. Kristoph was using his closeness to Phoenix against him in an attempt to distract and derail his interrogation. No matter, Miles had endured worse from scarier persons. 

He inhaled slowly through his nose, clearing himself of any tenseness. 

“What did he say when you accused him?” He asked, making a sharp turn back in the conversation. Kristoph stared at him for a second, studying him.

“He denied it, demanding that I needed to provide proof before trying to, quote, ‘Ruin his life.’ He then got angry, and we began shouting at each other. I'll admit, I lost my temper. But I was only trying to help him,” He sighed, sitting up straight in his chair and clearing his throat. 

“That’s when he pulled a gun on me.” 

“The gun that eventually went off and was registered to Wright.” 

Kristoph nodded solemnly. 

“I'm guessing he bought it to protect himself from the other dangerous criminals he associated with. Although this was the first time I had seen it in person.” 

“Why did the gun go off? Did Wright fire at you?” Miles made mental notes for future reference. Phoenix rarely lost his temper and it was never unprovoked. It was one of the several inconsistencies in his testimony. Knowing all of this would help if they ever needed to go to court. 

“We struggled. I tried to disarm him and that's when the gun went off. It didn't hit anything, just the wall.” 

“What happened after that?” 

“Oh you'll love this. He punched me. Not hard, but that wasn't for a lack of effort. Right here, in my lower jaw.” He motioned to the underside of his jaw where Miles could see the faintest of bruises forming. It was absolutely nothing compared to Phoenix's black eye or bloody nose, but it was enough to argue that Phoenix had hit him.

And regardless, if Phoenix had struck first, it would look bad if Miles wished to argue that Phoenix had been abused. Kristoph could easily claim self-defense.

“Did you strike Wright at all?” Miles asked, crossing his arms.

“Yes, but only in self-defense. After all, he was coming after me with a loaded gun. I may have hit him in the face a bit and a couple times in the chest, but only to get him off of me.” 

Miles hadn't even considered that Phoenix had more injuries than what was visible. His stiff movements made a lot more sense under the lens of him having bruises on his arms or torso.

“Understood. What happened next, after the fight?”

“Trucy woke up, came out, and asked what was going on. In her mind I was beating up her dad for no apparent reason, so she was pretty upset. I tried explaining to her what was going on but before I could, he grabbed Trucy by the arm and started trying to drag her out of the apartment. I guess he realized he was losing. He grabbed Trucy, and the gun, and told me not to follow him. Then he went down the fire escape.” 

“He grabbed Trucy and ran off with her? Just grabbed her and dragged her off? That doesn't sound like Wright to me.” Miles clenched his jaw, puffing air through his nose. It was starting to become difficult to keep himself from giving into Kristoph’s poking and prodding, but he was somehow managing to keep hismelf under control. He was a seasoned prosecutor after all, he could handle a little ribbing and teasing. 

“No offense, but I do know Phoenix better than you. You may have been kids together but only one of us has had him in bed and it sure isn't you .” 

The final straw holding Miles’ composure fractured as he stood up from the table and turned around to face the wall. Because if he looked at Kristoph’s grinning face for one more second he was going to smash it in. 

He heard the other man chuckle behind him. Miles clenched his fists a few times and focused on his breathing to calm himself down. 

But Kristoph wasn't done yet. 

“Now, Edgeworth, let’s not let our personal feelings get in the way of our investigation. The important thing is we need to find where Phoenix and Trucy are right now, before he tries to do something stupid.” 

Miles didn't turn around or respond. 

“You don't believe my story, do you?” 

“Not. One. Word. I know you were there before 2, left, and came back at 3. I know that the gun went off at 3:30, as Wright’s neighbor stated. And…I know what you were doing to him.” Miles turned his head a little to see Kristoph’s reaction but he was still just smiling at him. 

“That’s quite an accusation there, Edgeworth. Do you have any proof, other than the fact that you and I don't get along?”

“I can request medical records-”

“You mean the medical records on the insurance I pay for and therefore have complete control over? Because we both know Phoenix doesn't visit a doctor unless someone else is footing the bill. So, you theoretically could request those records, but all they would show are a series of sports accidents and Phoenix being, well, Phoenix. Do you really think a judge will believe that Phoenix Wright didn't slip while riding his bike in the rain?” His voice dripped with thinly veiled malice and Miles again contemplated smacking him, but somehow remained calm. On the outside at least. On the inside, he was more or less completely freaking out.

There were cameras in the interrogation room but Kristoph was skilled enough at lying that even him more or less admitting he was hiding something, would be utterly unacceptable in court. 

“There is another way to get your proof, Chief Prosecutor. Let's say if you knew where Phoenix was right now. You could potentially take him to a hospital and get his hypothetical injuries analyzed and documented. Unfortunately, that does mean you run the risk of one of the many people I have loyal to me seeing that and reporting back to me. After all, he is my boyfriend, and he has been declared missing, so anyone found withholding information about his whereabouts could be charged with kidnapping. Or at least obstruction of justice. And that's assuming that he's willing to go to a hospital in the first place. Like I said, I've got people in a lot of places.” 

Miles turned to face Kristoph now, his arms crossed and his fingers digging deep into his forearm. 

“Is that a threat, Gavin?”

“I don't know Edgeworth. Do you feel threatened?” 

The two men scowled at each other, the tension in the room thick enough to cut it with a knife. 

Miles, who felt as if he was about to explode from all the anxiety he was keeping under wraps, abruptly broke their stalemate by storming back over to the table and hastily grabbing his things. 

“What’s wrong? Did I strike a nerve ?” Kristoph asked innocently, leaning back in his chair.

“You will never hurt him again. I swear it,” Miles growled, no longer caring about controlling his temper at this point. 

Kristoph just laughed. 

“I'm sure he told you what he ‘found out’ about me. I could very well do the same thing to you . It would be so easy. And then what do you have?” Miles bit his tongue to keep from responding, tasting blood. 

“My advice? Walk away from Phoenix Wright while you can. Leave him to his demons, or the devil will come for you too, Miles Edgeworth.” 

Miles didn't even dignify that with a response. He sped out the door and out of the police precinct, only stopping to return the case file. He made it to his car before he noticed that his hands were shaking and that he was holding his breath. 

He hated that Kristoph had gotten to him. Miles had been cursed at, threatened, gotten things thrown at him, and various other upsetting things in court. And yet, an interrogation was getting under his skin this much. 

But he knew why. This wasn't about Miles ; this was about Phoenix . The man that he had loved for years, that he still loved. To know that there was someone who abused him and intended to continue to abuse him was quite unnerving. 

Miles didn't give much thought into his own life, not enough to cut it short by his own means or anything along those lines, but he couldn't care less about if someone wanted to hurt him - it came with the territory. You put enough hardened murderers behind bars, then there's going to be someone who wants revenge on you.

Images of various murder scenes flashed through Miles’s mind involuntarily, except instead of the real corpse being there, it was Phoenix. Would Kristoph have killed Phoenix last night under different circumstances? What turn of events led to the Wrights safe in his home instead? 

Miles sighed and put his head on the steering wheel. This was quickly becoming a lot more than he expected. He now had to not only find the missing file that proved Phoenix didn't forge evidence, but now he also needed to find a gun, a doctor, and do all of that without letting anyone other than Gumshoe know where Phoenix and Trucy were.

And there was also the fact that he was subsisting off of three hours of sleep. 

He decided to text Phoenix.

M: I am done with my errands, so to speak, and will be bringing food home for lunch and dinner. What would you and Trucy like?

There was a pause before Phoenix sent a reply, although Miles understood why when he read it.

P: trucy tried to make lunch by herself while I was sleeping. she made a huge mess. don't worry i cleaned it all up but you are now out of eggs.

Miles thought of the horrors of what an unsupervised Trucy could do with a dozen eggs and found himself laughing. 

M: I'll buy some more eggs, as long as both of you promise to not touch them. What was she trying to make?

P: oh she was making sandwiches but she wanted to see how many eggs she could juggle and then she sneezed 

She sure was her father’s daughter, alright.

P: im really sorry about that

M: Don't worry about it, Wright. It was an accident. Is there anything other than eggs that you need? I will be buying both you and Trucy the necessary toiletries as well.

Phoenix took a few minutes to respond and Miles thought he was simply thinking of a response. 

P: im guessing that your investigation didnt go well

P: how long do you think we will need to stay here

M: I don't know. I want to play it safe for now, just in case.

Miles made a mental note to contact Gumshoe once he had the chance to check Kristoph’s claims about the police department. He didn't want to get Phoenix and Trucy under police protection if the cops themselves were corrupted. 

P: did you talk to kristoph

P: is that why its not going well

Miles paused for a moment before deciding to come clean.

M: Yes, I interrogated him just now. I needed to know what his story was so I could tear it apart in court. 

P: did he threaten you

M: Threats to myself I can handle. But I don't appreciate him threatening you or Trucy. 

P: do you think he knows where we are?

M: Yes.

Miles quickly added, 

M: But we don't need to worry about him showing up at the house just yet, I don't think. There's not much he can do. I have security cameras inside and outside the property and the Detective is on our side. 

M: Even if he were to show up, he would have to either break into the house or commit trespass. Both of which would be grounds for any non corrupt police to question him.  

P: oh good so the police could be against us too

M: Potentially. I plan on conducting my investigation into the department. If we gain proof of bribing, then that's another crime we can charge him with. And it will ultimately be good for the health of the law. 

P: this seems to be a lot more complicated than we thought 

Miles nodded to himself, even though he knew Phoenix had no idea what he was doing on the other end. He was already sleep-deprived and mentally exhausted and it had only been a day. This may take weeks . 

P: when do you think you'll be back?

M: I should be done with shopping in an hour or so, depending on what you and Trucy wish to eat.

P: how about burgers? or is that too low class

M: Burgers are fine. Do you want that place you and Maya always ate at?

P: im surprised you remember that place 

M: The two of you dragged me there so often that it's been ingrained into my memory. 

Phoenix was right that Miles typically didn't eat greasy street food but the good memories of hanging out with him, Maya, Pearl, and Gumshoe overrode his personal tastes. Trucy inherited the Wright family snacking habits so Miles got to reintroduce such items to his diet. 

P: sure. you know what we like. thanks for this miles. 

M: Of course. I will see you in a few hours then. 

Miles then turned his phone off, turned the radio onto classical music, and then drove off, taking one last long look at the police precinct. 

Chapter Text

Miles returned home roughly when he approximated, with groceries and Phoenix and Trucy’s personal effects safely hidden in evidence boxes. Pess greeted him when he came in, eagerly sniffing the bags and Miles with her tail wagging high. 

“Wright?” he called out into the hallway, closing the garage door. Phoenix did not answer, but Trucy came running up soon after. 

“He fell asleep again. I don't think he's been sleeping well the past couple of weeks, and his body is trying to make up for it.” That tracked. Phoenix had probably been worried about Kristoph and what he could do, and Miles personally knew how nightmares could affect one's sleep. 

“I’m glad he's getting rest. Since he's out of the picture for right now, do you think you can help me carry some of this inside?” Trucy nodded enthusiastically. Miles handed her the lighter bags and then double-backed to his car to grab the rest of the items. 

He passed the sleeping Phoenix on the couch on his way to the kitchen. It looked like he fell asleep while watching TV, judging from the children’s cartoon playing and the fact that Phoenix was sleeping in quite an uncomfortable-looking position. Trucy had thrown a blanket over him at some point, removed his trademark beanie, and placed it on the table next to him. 

Phoenix at least looked at peace, back pain notwithstanding. The injuries on his face looked a little better. His nose wasn't as swollen, at least. 

But then Miles looked down and saw the clear bruises around Phoenix’s throat and felt his stomach flip. Soon, he would need to talk to him about all the abuse Kristoph put him through, which would not be a fun conversation. Especially if his theory was correct and there were more bruises in places he couldn't see. 

He shook his head and continued walking to the kitchen, where Trucy was busy putting the groceries away. 

“You didn't need to do that, Trucy. I can manage.”

“Well, I thought since you were already doing so much for me and my Daddy, I could do something for you.” She said, shrugging. “Besides, I'm the one that puts the groceries away at our house. Daddy just shoves it all in at random, and then he can't find anything.”

“I appreciate your help, then. And I did bring burgers for dinner if you're hungry.” Her eyes lit up when he said the word ‘burger’. Miles was glad he made the right choice then. 

“Why don't you finish up with the fridge and then we can sit down and eat. And don't worry about your father, it’ll keep until he wakes up. I don't want to bother him at the moment.” Miles looked back over at Phoenix, who was still quite asleep. 

“Okie dokie.”

“Oh, and I got you some things from your apartment. I left the box in the living room-” Trucy immediately ran out of the kitchen, all but shoving Miles aside as she made her way out of the room. She opened one of the evidence boxes and gasped, before covering her mouth with her hand in order to not wake Phoenix. 

“What is it?” Miles asked in a whisper, peering over the side of the kitchen counter. 

 “You brought my hat! And my cape!” She exclaimed quietly, putting her trademark red top hat on her head and throwing on her cape, twirling around. She was smiling from ear to ear, taking a bow for Miles and showing off her outfit to him. The box also contained most of her magic items, which she quickly cataloged.

“Did I miss anything?” Miles asked, coming out into the room.

“I don't think so. I wish I had Mr. Hat, but I understand he's hard to fit in a box like this. Well, unless you're a master magician like me.” 

“My apologies. I am only a humble prosecutor.” Miles said, smiling. 

She smiled back and then ran to him and gave Miles a big hug. Miles, who had more physical contact in the past 48 hours than he had in a decade, needed a moment to process what was happening. He stood there awkwardly for a moment before returning the affectionate gesture and patting her on the head. 

“You're the best , Uncle Miles.” She smiled up at him with indescribable fondness. Miles felt his heart warm, and he found himself smiling subconsciously. 

“You’re welcome, Trucy.” 

“You know,” she said, grabbing her box and walking out of the living room, “I really wish you were my Daddy’s boyfriend instead of Mr. Gavin.” That caught Miles’ attention. He turned so fast that he nearly walked head-first into a wall. 

“I-uh-” 

“Why haven’t you and Daddy gotten together yet?”

“Trucy, dear, I’m afraid that’s rather personal.” Miles offered, trying to figure out a way to change the subject without revealing too much information. Trucy was remarkably perceptive. 

“You do love him, don’t you?” 

“Trucy-” 

She put her hands on her hips and turned around to face him. “ Well ?”

Miles sighed, shaking his head. There was little chance of him winning this quickly. 

“Currently, your father is taken, romantically speaking.” 

Trucy scoffed. 

“Yeah, by a guy who hits him.” She scowled and kicked her foot. “Mr. Gavin doesn’t love him like you do. He’s mean, cruel, and…” She sighed and looked down at her feet, “I’m not supposed to know about it. Daddy has tried his best to keep it a secret, but I’ve known. I’ve always known.” 

Miles knelt down in front of Trucy, saddened by what she was telling him. 

“I think he only stays with Mr. Gavin because he’s scared . I’ve heard what he’s said. He takes my Daddy’s paychecks and only gives us enough for groceries, unless Daddy fights back, then we get nothing . That’s usually why he sends me over to you, so I don’t have to eat ramen for two weeks like he does.” 

Miles put two and two together and shuddered. He remembered how thin and boney Pheonix had felt when they had hugged and made a personal goal to make sure something like that never happened again. 

“Thankfully, Mr. Gavin’s never tried to directly hurt me, well, other than last night.” 

Miles’ heart stopped.

“I’m sorry, can you elaborate?”

“They were fighting, again, but Mr. Gavin usually leaves his face alone. He doesn’t like to leave marks where people can see. So when I came out of my room and saw him with his hands around my Daddy’s throat, I got really scared . I screamed and asked him to stop. And he did, to his credit. But then he…” she swallowed thickly, curling in on herself, “he ran over to me and grabbed my arm.” She pulled up her pajama shirt sleeve and showed Miles the faint bruises on her wrist. 

“That’s when my Daddy punched him. I’ve never seen him like that. He grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him away from me, punching him in the jaw. He was so angry, throwing himself in between me and Mr. Gavin. He was saying that Mr. Gavin was no longer welcome in our house and that he needed to leave immediately. But he still had the gun, and he kept waving it around.” 

Miles put his hand on Trucy’s shoulder, and she pressed into him, holding onto him tightly. She was shaking a little now.

“Shh, it’s ok. He can’t hurt you anymore. You’re safe here.” 

“I believe you, but I’m still scared. He seems to be everywhere . Last summer, when my Daddy broke his arm, we went to the hospital to get a cast. They tried to convince him that it wasn’t broken and that he just needed ice. They wouldn’t even report to the police that he was hurt. I thought about telling you, but I was worried you’d also get hurt!” She cried, snuggling closer to Miles. 

“I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with this on your own. But we’ll make it better.” Miles promised. 

Trucy sniffled. “How?” 

Miles didn’t know, to be honest. But he wouldn’t let that stop him.

“We’ll figure it out. The three of us.” 

Trucy cleared her throat and wiped her tears on her sleeve. 

“You’ll destroy him in court, won’t you, Uncle Miles?” 

“Of course I will.” 

She pulled away from him, giving him a small smile. 

“You know, Mr. Gavin kept trying to get me to not call him Mr. Gavin. He really wanted me to call him Papa, but he didn’t deserve it. But do you know who does deserve it?” 

“Hmm?” 

She poked Miles in the chest. 

“Me?” 

Trucy nodded. 

“You love me and my Daddy, you both trust each other implicitly, and you have helped us so much. That’s what a papa does, right?” 

“Yes, but-”

“But what?” 

“This isn’t something that can be decided without your father’s input.” Miles looked back to the sleeping Phoenix on the couch. He had wanted to say something to Phoenix for years but always ended up talking himself out of it. He didn’t think that it was the right time anyway, with all the mess with Kristoph going on. Phoenix was going through a bit too much to deal with Miles’ unnecessary feelings. 

“What if I ask him for you?”

“Trucy…”

“Fine, fine. But you’ll have to say something at some point. One day, you’ll lose the chance,” Trucy said solemnly, “You’re already part of this family, but I really want you to be official.” Miles knew she was right, but he still was nervous about the whole thing.

“Once Kristoph is behind bars and far away from the two of you, then I’ll talk to your father about it.” 

“ Promise ?”

“Promise.” 

Satisfied, Trucy gave him one last squeeze and then took her box and ran upstairs with it to the spare room. 

“I’m gonna get my room all set up. I’ll be back down for dinner soon!” 

Miles envied her childish spirit. She bounced back from things a lot quicker than he or Pheonix, not weighed down by the adult ramifications of things. It was better for her. 

He went back to the kitchen and finished putting things away, setting the burgers in the fridge until everyone was ready to eat. He also set aside the box with Phoenix’s items - mostly clothes, but he had also grabbed the photos Phoenix had talked about. He hoped it was enough for him.

After he was finished, Miles went back out to the living room with his sleeping ‘friend’ on the couch. Phoenix was snoring softly now, still in an incredibly uncomfortable position. He sat down next to him, being very careful not to jostle the cushions as he did so. 

Miles didn't know if it was his exhaustion or the stresses of the day but he found his mind wandering. He imagined what life could be with Phoenix as his partner. Miles would come home after work to Phoenix and Trucy, Trucy excitedly telling him about what happened at school that day and Phoenix asking him how his current case was going. They’d talk over cooking dinner, which would probably end in a bit of a mess, and then afterward, they would put on an episode of Steel Samurai and then sit together on the couch. Phoenix would put his arm around Miles and pull him close, putting his head on Miles’ shoulder, soon falling asleep. He would soon follow suit in the gentle embrace of his lover, feeling more relaxed than he had in years. 

Miles woke up sometime later. 

He was still on the couch, still in his suit, with Phoenix's head still on his shoulder. This was…unexpected. He froze for a second, not really sure what to do. He didn’t want to wake him but was also worried about Phoenix waking up to this and freaking out. 

At the same time, he couldn't say he didn’t enjoy this. Phoenix was warm and comforting, and even now, Miles could feel the pull of sleep tugging at him. 

That was, until his blasted cell phone started ringing again. Phoenix immediately woke up, his face an inch away from Miles’. The two of them made eye contact, realized what kind of situation they were in, and quickly separated. Phoenix’s face was bright red all the way up to his ears, and he was making a pointed effort to not look at Miles. Miles also refused to look at him until his face stopped feeling so warm and uncomfortable, so he took the easy way out and answered his phone, assuming it was Gumshoe.

“Edgeworth-”

“NICK IS MISSING?! AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME?!” Maya screamed, blowing out poor Miles’ ears. It seemed to be a trend with him at this point. 

“Maya, if you would just let me explain-”

“Explain what!? Nick and Trucy are missing and for some reason I had to find out about this on the news and not from you or Gumshoe! And the news is saying that he's involved with the mob and a gun, and there was a fight-”

“Maya, please—” Miles tried to interject, but she started rambling again, and he couldn't get a word in edgewise. Phoenix was standing next to him with a bewildered look on his face. Miles didn't fault him for that. He had only been awake for two minutes, and he dealt with being basically on top of Miles and then being indirectly scolded by his sister.  

Miles tried talking to Maya once more before giving up and handing the phone to Phoenix while sighing, 

“Here, this is your problem now.” 

He took the phone, put it on speaker, and tentatively said, 

“Hi, Maya.” There was a tense moment of silence where nobody moved, waiting for Maya’s response. 

And oh, she responded . 

“Give me one good reason that I shouldn't get on the first train there and kick both your asses.” Miles had a lot of experience with angry sisters - hell, he could argue he has the world’s angriest sister, so he was quite aware of the ramifications of that tone of voice. He was sure that if Maya was in the room with the two of them and not two hours away they would be feeling her wrath personally.

“Do we get a chance to speak now?” Miles asked, hoping to calm the flames down a little bit.

“I would love an explanation.” Maya sassed.

“First off, Trucy and I are safe. We’re staying at Miles’ house for a while. There was a fight, and I did get hurt-I’m fine, I swear, Maya- and there was a gun involved, but it’s all ok.  Nobody got shot.” 

“Who hurt you?” 

Phoenix didn’t answer for a moment. He winced and looked away from the phone, biting his lip. Miles understood, he had to jump the same hurdle with Von Karma. Finally admitting to an outsider, and by proxy yourself, that your supposed loved one was, in fact, your abuser all along wasn’t an easy feat. 

It was also slightly different to tell Maya than it was to tell Miles. She and Phoenix were still incredibly close, but Phoenix didn’t tell her bad news. He didn’t tell her about the depressive state he ended up in when Miles ‘chose death’, he didn’t tell her about Dahlia and the anxieties he had around being poisoned, and he didn’t even tell her about his disbarment, which in turn was likely part of why she was so angry at the moment. He and Miles were best friends, and you can lean on your best friends when you need someone to lean on. But you don’t lean on your little sister. 

So, when Phoenix made eye-contact with Miles, he decided to help him out a bit.

“It was Gavin. There were some threats made, and he did injure Phoenix, but not anything that would require a hospital. However, he is not finished, and he is still dangerous. I interrogated him earlier today and got some new information, and he also told me several dozen lies of various levels of severity.” 

Miles left out the part of Kristoph having been beating Phoenix for close to two years, as well as the other abuse, as he wanted to talk to Phoenix one-on-one beforehand on the matter. At least Miles had ripped the bandaid off for him, which he appreciated by mouthing a silent ‘thank you’.

“I’m assuming the lies about the mob and the gun are included in that?”

“The gun is real. It belongs to Gavin in all ways but legally. I knew about the mob story, but I had hoped he wouldn’t put it out there just yet.” 

“He’s trying to say the gun is mine,” Phoenix said dejectedly. 

“You would never own a gun, though, not after DL-6 and especially not with Trucy there,” Maya argued.

“We know, but he has his hands in a frightening number of pockets, some of which are on the police force. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hand-delivered a story to the news,” Miles grumbled, regretting that he didn’t think this was a possibility. Next to him, Phoenix deflated even more. 

“How is the investigation going? You said you interrogated Gavin, right? Did he tell you anything we can use against him in court? Do we have enough for a case?” Maya asked, trying to sound hopeful.

“Yes…and no. We will need to gather some official proof to dissolve his statements, even though we know that they are false.” Miles pinched the bridge of his nose, his headache coming back when he attempted to gather all the facts together in his brain. 

“And Maya, just so you know, this happened at 2 am this morning,” interjected Phoenix, “I think Edgeworth and I are working on like 6 hours of sleep, him a little less than me,” he added, stifling a yawn. “We actually both fell asleep on the couch just before you called, and I don’t really know what time it is.” 

“All the more reason for me to head over there as well. One of us needs to be a functional human being, and I know it's not going to be either of you.” 

Phoenix smiled and laughed a little at that, but it was ultimately a hollow laugh. He was barely held together at this point. Maybe having Maya here would help him feel more stable. 

“You are welcome here as well. I have plenty of space. That is, as long as Wright is alright with it as well…?” He added, looking to Phoenix. 

“Do you think it’s safe?” Phoenix asked, his voice soft. 

“I don’t have any reason to think that it wouldn’t be.” 

“But he’s coming after me, and Trucy, and he’s threatened you and he controls everything-” Phoenix began to panic again, pacing back and forth with his hands tightly gripping his arms. His breath began to quicken, and Miles could tell from his eyes that he was far, far away. 

“I’m going to have to call you back, Maya. Let me know when your train gets here, and I can pick you up from the station myself.” 

“Ok, I will. Take care of him for me, ok?” Maya was smart enough to pick up on what was happening, thankfully. Miles hoped that didn’t mean she had seen Phoenix have panic attacks before, but this wasn’t the time to worry about that. 

“I will.” 

He hung up the phone and put it on the coffee table, walking over to Phoenix. He was still pacing frantically, muttering to himself. Miles couldn't understand what he was saying, but he could tell it wasn’t good. 

He approached Phoenix from the front and kept his voice low.

“Phoenix, can you hear me?” No response. “I’m going to get closer to you, ok?” Miles took a step closer, watching Phoenix intensely for any signs of distress. He took a second step, and then a third, until he was right in front of him. Phoenix had yet to acknowledge his presence, still staring off into nothing. 

“I’m going to touch your arm now, ok?” Miles slowly reached up and brushed against the side of Phoenix’s arm, not grabbing, but just a gentle brush. Phoenix did jump a little at the contact but didn’t try to move away. His entire body was shaking.

Miles started rubbing gentle circles on his arm, whispering reassurances to him. He then worked on removing Phoenix’s clenched fingers from his arm, taking his hand in his and continuing to rub circles with his thumb. Thankfully he felt Phoenix squeeze his hand, so he got through to him a little at least.

“Can you hear me?” Phoenix nodded. 

“I-I-” 

“You don’t have to speak right now, it’s ok. Can you sit down? That might be easier on you.” 

He led Phoenix back to the couch and they both sat down, still holding hands. 

“I need you to breathe with me, slowly,” Miles began, taking deep breaths like he had done over the phone earlier, hoping that Phoenix would follow suit. The other man tried to, settling his shoulders back and releasing Miles’ hand from the death grip he had on it, but when he tried to breathe, only sobs came out. He tried to speak, to do anything other than scream or cry, but failed. He choked and sputtered, making horrible sounds in his throat that absolutely crushed Miles. 

“Shh, it’s alright. You’re safe. It’s ok.” 

“He’s-he-”

“Kristoph isn’t here. He can’t hurt you.”

“But-”

“Phoenix,” Miles reached up and touched Phoenix’s face, turning it so he was facing Miles, “I won’t let him hurt you. I won’t let him hurt Trucy, or Maya, either. We will stop him. We will. I won’t stop fighting until we do. I won’t stop until you are all safe. He will never touch you again.” His hand was against Phoenix’s face the entire time, and he absent-mindedly wiped away a tear with his thumb while he spoke, not breaking eye contact the entire time. Miles wanted Phoenix to know that he meant what he was saying, that this was as much of a vow to Miles as it was to Phoenix. He wouldn’t leave. He would stay. Miles would stay with Phoenix as long as he wished him to. As long as he and Trucy needed him. 

Phoenix still couldn’t speak, with tears silently streaming down his face. Then, he did something that surprised Miles. He pressed his forehead against Miles’, and brought his arms around him, one hand brushing against Miles’ hair and face before settling on his shoulder, squeezing gently. 

Miles could feel Phoenix’s breath. He could feel his tears. He could feel the warmth of Phoenix’s body. This was the closest they had ever been to one another, brows pressed together and Miles’ hand against his face. Tentatively, Miles reached his other hand up and began running it through his hair, absent-mindedly noting how it felt against his fingers. 

Phoenix leaned into his touch ever so slightly, his breathing beginning to slow and calm as Miles continued to caress his face. He was still crying, but was no longer sobbing. 

“Is this…is this ok?” Phoenix asked, his voice rough and low. Miles didn’t even think before responding.

“Yes…is it ok for you?” 

“Yeah. This is… nice . I like this,” Phoenix pulled back a little bit, still basically touching noses with Miles, and he brought his hand up into Miles’ hair. 

Miles had no idea how it would feel, that type of physical affection. It was so heartwarming, so pure. Phoenix brushed Miles’ hair out of his eyes and ran his fingers over his scalp. He had to fight his instinct to melt under the touch, but every stroke was rapidly committed to memory. 

“I know we’ll have to talk about this but for right now…can we just stay here? For a little while?” 

“As long as you need, Phoenix.” 

After several moments of embrace, Miles and Phoenix separated, but not before giving each other one last long look. Trucy was still busy setting up her room, having eaten her food while Miles and Phoenix took their nap on the couch. She told Miles that they looked adorable, and he had to quickly excuse himself from the room before his face turned the color of his suit. 

When he came back in, Phoenix was sitting at the dining room table with his reheated burger and a large glass of water. He was picking away at his food, but at least he was drinking something. He was probably dehydrated after all that crying.

“Did you need anything else?” Phoenix shook his head.

“I’m still not very hungry, but I’m trying,” Phoenix said, taking another small bite. 

“I’m proud of you for trying but don’t make yourself sick. There’s also rice and pasta in the pantry if you need something easier on your stomach than greasy fast food.” Miles’ stomach growled as he got closer, reminding him that he also needed to eat something. He took his food out of the fridge and threw it in the microwave, hoping to make it a bit more palatable. Pess at least thought it smelled good, following Miles around in the kitchen and giving him the biggest puppy dog eyes she could. 

“No, not for you.” He shooed her away and returned to the dining room.

“The poor baby. Don’t you know she’s never been fed in her entire life?” Phoenix joked, his voice full of mock sympathy.

“Trucy fed her an hour ago.” 

“She is skin and bones!”

“She is a borzoi; she is mostly bone, statistically speaking. Pess will be fine without table scraps, not that I think this is safe for dogs anyways. I still have my doubts if this can legally be classified as meat .” He squinted at his burger, trying to ignore the slight grayish tint the patty had. His stomach was less concerned than he was, grumbling loudly again. So, he took a bite. 

It honestly wasn't as bad as it looked, all things considered. Maybe it was the fact he hadn’t eaten all day, but it was enjoyable to some extent. 

“Maya will be happy you bought burgers for dinner. I’m pretty sure that’s all she eats, to be honest,” Phoenix said, making small talk. He was talking with his mouth full but at least covered his mouth while doing so. 

“Do they even have burgers up there?” 

He shrugged,

“She’s been trying to modernize the area, but I don't know if they've gotten to that point yet. Remember, it was only a few years ago that they installed cell towers. We used to have to communicate exclusively via the one payphone on the edge of town.” He took another small bite of food, chewing thoughtfully. 

“I remember that, yes,” Miles grimaced at the memory of being awoken by a frantic call from Larry, saying that Phoenix was on his deathbed after falling off a bridge, and the call disconnecting before he could get any more answers. It was a tense and stressful few hours that he occasionally had nightmares over, even several years later.

Miles thought it best to change the subject.

“Trucy has gotten settled in the guest room where she usually stays. I was thinking that Maya takes Fran’s room, and you can take mine.” 

“And what, you sleep on the couch and kill your back? No way,” Phoenix replied, shaking his head. 

“I can put a cot in my office and sleep there,” Not that Miles would get much sleep anyways. 

Phoenix shook his head again. 

“Objection! I should be on the cot. If you're letting me and Trucy essentially live in your house for the foreseeable future you should at least get to sleep in your own bed.”

“Overruled.” Oh, two could play at this game, “This is not a child's sleepover. I am harboring you and your daughter to ensure your safety. Therefore, the standard rules around guest and host hospitality do not apply. Plus, it is my duty to ensure your overall comfort.” Miles crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow, taunting Phoenix to come up with a counterargument. 

Phoenix narrowed his eyes, thinking hard. 

“Or, hear me out, you could both sleep in the bed,” Trucy offered, walking into the dining room. Pess eagerly greeted her as she walked by, finally giving up on begging for table scrap, “I mean the two of you did just fall asleep on top of each other on the couch so sharing a bed can't be that big of a jump.” 

Phoenix sputtered, reaching for his water to save himself from choking, his whole face bright red. Miles was likewise speechless, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. 

Trucy, seemingly satisfied with the chaos she created, sat down at the table with them and immediately began stealing some of Miles’ fries. He was too busy trying to process the thought of ‘ Phoenix Wright in my bed. With me ’ to notice. 

He didn’t mind per say, but he had already tempted fate once by the couch incident and Miles feared that he would overstep his boundaries and drive Phoenix away. 

Plus, Phoenix was healing from months of abuse. He may need some time before entering a new romantic relationship, even if he did return Miles’ feelings. 

Phoenix looked over at Miles, his face still red as a tomato, and then looked back at the table. 

“I’ll…I’ll take the bed. Thank you, Edgeworth.” 

Trucy frowned and grumbled to herself, seemingly annoyed that her attempt to get the two of them together failed. 

“You’re welcome, Wright.” Miles replied, glad that they were able to come to an agreement without them dying of embarrassment. 

Chapter Text

Miles knew he was having a nightmare right after it started. He had the same nightmare just about every night for 15 years, although it had been a few years since it came around. He was in that damned elevator, his chest tight from the lack of air, and he knew that in a few moments, he would hear the gunshot and wake up in a cold sweat. It didn’t make it any less stressful, but it had become more or less routine. 

That was until he heard a different voice.

“Miles! Miles, help me!” He turned to find Phoenix crumpled on the elevator floor, clutching his throat. 

“Phoenix?!”

“Help me, Miles! I can’t breathe!” he begged, barely able to speak. He reached out for Miles with his other hand, but when Miles tried to grab it, he found that he was unable to move. He could only stand and watch.

“Why won’t you help me?!” 

“I’m trying !” He screamed, tears falling down his face as he struggled to move his body. Phoenix was dying, and he was doing nothing.  

“Miles! Please !” 

Then, there was a gunshot. Phoenix recoiled, taking the shot in the heart. He cried out in pain, the sound warped by the blood filling his mouth and dripping down his chin. He coughed once, twice, before slumping against the wall, lifeless. 

Miles still could not move. He was forced to stand there and watch the love of his life bleed to death before his eyes. Then he turned his head to look at the shooter, and his blood ran cold when he came face to face with Kristoph Gavin himself. 

“What a shame,” he said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders as if he hadn’t just killed a man, “you could’ve done something to save him. And yet, you let him die .” 

“I tried-”

“Oh, you tried ? Evidently, not hard enough. And you know what the worst part of this is?” He walked over to Miles with a scary smile on his face, flashing the gun still in his hand.

“This could’ve happened at any. Point. Maybe you get the call that he’s in his apartment,” The scene shifted, and suddenly, they were in Phoenix’s apartment, still in its ransacked state. And lying on the floor, in a pool of blood, was Phoenix. 

He had been shot twice this time, once in the stomach and once in the head. There was so much blood . It made Miles feel queasy, even with all the murder scenes he had seen in his career. He could tell that Phoenix had put up a fight by the state of his clothes and some bruises on his body. Did he suffer? The shot to the head would’ve been instantly fatal, so that at least made it easy on him. But Miles could hear him screaming for help, begging for someone to come. Anyone.

“Or maybe he just goes ‘missing’,” Kristoph appeared behind him, still grinning. The scene changed again and Miles was at a very familiar cliff overlooking a very familiar river. He had been here right after the DL-6 trial, shortly after writing his ‘Chooses death’ note. It was not a good memory for Miles. If things had been slightly different, then he wouldn’t have stopped himself and lept into the river below. 

And now, Phoenix was standing there at the precipice. Kristoph was there, too, about ten or so feet away from Miles. They were arguing about something he couldn’t hear. Then, Kristoph grabbed Phoenix by the neck and held him in the air before throwing him off the cliff and into the river. Miles could run this time, sprinting past and diving in an attempt to grab Phoenix before he fell, but he missed his hand by mere inches. 

“Miles!” Phoenix screamed his last words before being consumed by the river. 

“His body won’t be found for three months,” Kristoph whispered in Miles’ ear, startling him. 

“Stop this! This isn’t real!” Miles shouted, closing his eyes and trying to will himself awake. 

“But it could have been real.” 

Miles opened his eyes and he was back in his house, in his office. It was raining and late at night, very similar to when Phoenix called him. Before he could figure anything out, there was a knock on his front door. Miles ran downstairs and threw open the door to find Phoenix. 

But this was different. He was clutching his side, groaning and incredibly pale. 

“M…Miles. Hel-” He fell forward, unconscious. Miles caught him before he hit the ground, his hands instantly becoming wet and sticky with blood. He turned Phoenix over and found several deep wounds on his chest that had bled through his shirt. 

“Phoenix, just hang on. We…we can fix this. You’re going to be ok.” 

“Wishful thinking,” Kristoph stood in front of them now, gun pointed at Miles’ head, “But ultimately pointless .” He pulled the trigger, and the sound of the gunshot rang through Miles’ ears just like that horrible day.

Miles awoke with a start, all but launching himself off the cot he had brought into his office. His nightshirt was stuck to his back with sweat, and he was panting. He could swear he could still smell Phoenix’s blood in his nose and feel it soaking his hands. He may have been crying as well. 

“Hey, Miles, just breathe. It's ok. It was just a dream.” 

Miles was startled a bit, having somehow completely missed the fact that Phoenix had been kneeling next to him the entire time. His hair was tousled from sleep, and he was wearing one of the sleep shirts Miles had brought back from his apartment, signaling that he had gotten some sleep at some point in the night. If he wasn't still consumed by panic Miles would've worried that he had woken Phoenix up. 

But as it was, all he could think about was how Phoenix was here and alive . 

He reached out to touch Phoenix but stopped just before he reached his face, unsure how that contact would be received. His hand fell back to his side, and he curled into himself, closing his eyes and trying to banish the images from his mind. 

He was largely unsuccessful. Between the sounds of the gunshots, the smell of blood, and the image of Phoenix’s lifeless eyes staring back at him, Miles couldn't stop the ensuing panic attack, no matter how hard he tried. 

Distantly, he could hear a voice reassuring him, telling him it would be ok and reminding him to breathe. It was comforting, and he found himself drawn to the voice. He leaned into it, feeling the warmth of another body next to him. They held onto Miles, breathing slowly and instructing him to follow along. It was easy, all things considered. Miles could feel them inhale and exhale against his own body, so he just mirrored what he felt.

Soon, the world started to come back into focus. 

Miles wasn't in that dreaded elevator or standing above that cliff. He was safe at home, sitting on a cot in his office. Phoenix was next to him, his arm around Miles, and he was speaking softly in his ear. 

“Can you hear me now?” 

He nodded, only vaguely concerned with being so close and vulnerable with Phoenix. He had helped Miles before with his nightmares, but it was always over the phone and across the world. This was the first time he actually saw one in person.

And Phoenix’s first instinct was to reassure Miles and make sure he was alright. 

“Thank…thank you,” He mumbled, his voice raw from sleep and crying. 

“You’ve helped me with two panic attacks in the last twenty-four hours. I'm not going to leave you to deal with this on your own.” He ran his hand through Miles’ hair as he had done earlier, and that made him all but melt into Phoenix’s shoulder. He wanted to stay there forever, safe and warm, with Phoenix next to him. 

A yawn from Phoenix shook him from his thoughts.

“I didn't wake you, did I?” 

Phoenix sheepishly shook his head.

“No. You, uh, aren't the only one who was woken up by a bad dream,” He said solemnly, “I've been up for about an hour. I heard you struggling and knew you were having one of your nightmares…did you want to talk about it?” Phoenix always asked, and Miles knew he never expected him to answer. Sometimes, he did, and talking about what he saw made him feel a little more at ease. Other times, he found it easier to never speak of those images again. 

He wasn’t sure what would be best for this time, especially considering it involved Phoenix dying over and over. It probably was best that Miles didn’t talk about finding his corpse and holding him as he bled out and-

“Miles? Stay with me, ok?” Phoenix brought him out of his spiral, thankfully, before it got past the point of no return.

“Sorry,” He said, shuddering. 

“You don’t need to apologize. We’re both having a really hard time, and like I said, you’re not the only one who had a terrible nightmare tonight,” Phoenix sighed, looking away. The hand that was in Miles’ hair stilled. “Is it ok if I talk about mine?” Phoenix asked tentatively. 

Miles nodded.

“I was sitting at home when Kristoph came through. He started shouting at me about something, I don’t remember what, and then he started,” Phoenix paused for a moment and took a deep breath, “hitting me. I took it for a while, and then I tried to fight back. When I did, he told me that I would be sorry I ever defied him. And then, you appeared. And he started hurting you .” 

Miles leaned into Phoenix, hoping to bring him comfort. 

“I couldn’t stop him. I couldn’t move. I could only watch and scream…I felt so helpless.” A tear fell from his face, and he sniffled, wiping his face on his sleeve.
“If it’s any consolation…my nightmare was not too dissimilar,” Miles turned to look at Phoenix, hoping that recounting his dream wouldn’t bring about another panic attack,

“I came to your apartment, and you were already dead. And another scene where you showed up to my house gravely injured. All the while, I was being tormented and teased by Gavin.” 

Phoenix took one of Miles’ hands and squeezed it. “I’m sorry you went through that.”

“It’s passed. I am only glad that none of those scenarios have the chance to become real.” Because I won’t let them , he thought to himself. 

Phoenix smiled a little and nodded, leaning his head on Miles’ shoulder. Miles returned the affection and leaned over as well. The sheer fact that Phoenix was physically there in front of him calmed him down immensely, and he guessed it was similar for Phoenix as well. 

“Hey, I don’t want to overstep, but…would you mind coming back to bed with me?” 

Miles was startled a little bit by Phoenix’s question, so he clarified.

“I mean to share the bed! If we’re both having nightmares about the other ones’ safety then it should help if we’re right next to each other, right?” 

He couldn’t argue with that logic, and frankly, after the day he had and the fact that Phoenix himself was offering, he wouldn’t want to argue anyway. So he nodded and, with Phoenix’s hand still in his, walked to his bedroom. 

The sheets and pillows were in disarray, no doubt due to Phoenix thrashing around during his sleep, but Miles found that he really couldn’t care less. He was tired, physically and emotionally. If sleeping next to Phoenix Wright was what it took for him to get a full night’s sleep,  then so be it. 

They settled down on their respective sides, keeping a reasonable distance between themselves under the covers, and bid each other good night. 

It was maybe ten minutes or so later that Phoenix slowly made his way to Miles, his back pressing against his. Miles could feel his body heat through his shirt, and his face flushed. He knew it really didn’t mean anything…right? They were just very close friends who held each other tenderly and comforted each other and now were sharing a bed and touching each other’s bodies and-

Miles bit his tongue to stop that train of thought. So what if there was something there, it wasn’t like he could act on it right now. And yet…Phoenix was , sort of. He was the one who was initiating contact and trying to reach out to Miles, reaching for him. 

If Phoenix really wanted this… no. This was not the time. There was a madman with a sinister plot to defraud, frame, and persecute Phoenix running around, and he needed to stop him before they could have any sort of future together. 

 But then, Phoenix began to whimper in his sleep. He was shaking, curling in on himself and gripping the sheets. 

Ah fuck it.

Miles turned around and fully closed the distance between them, Phoenix’s back flush against his front and his chin resting on Phoenix’s shoulder, right next to his neck. 

Phoenix relaxed almost immediately, quieting down and becoming still and pliant. 

Miles fell asleep himself soon after, no nightmares tormenting him this time.