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It’s late when the doorbell rings at a building that used to be Wright & Co. Law Offices. “It’s late.” Complains the man standing at the door says when it swings open. “You’re late.” Said the exhausted man in the doorway as he let in the other. “Where is she?” Said the first man, not bothering to simply turn his head to see the girl on the couch. He hears the door close behind him. “Turn your head Kristoph. She’s on the couch.” Kristoph does turn once directed and sees the poor child of Phoenix Wright shivering on the couch, a heap of thick blankets atop her. Kristoph rolls his eyes behind his glasses and moves to pull the blankets off.
Before her father can voice concern, he speaks. “If she’s still cold under all of this, she doesn’t need all these.” He drops them on the floor carelessly and reaches his hand to feel the child’s temperature. Phoenix sits on the pile of blankets on the floor., watching them closely. “A fever, Wright. It’s just a fever.” Phoenix frowned. “Why though? She seemed fine yesterday.” The defense attorney reached over with a wet hand and tugged the father’s beanie over his eyes, before continuing to refresh the rag on the girl’s forehead. “When children bottle up their strongest emotions, they can get overwhelmed and thus…”He sat himself on the end of the couch not occupied by a Wright. “A fever.” He watched Phoenix watch his daughter and worry.
“What was her name again?”
”Trucy.” He said, not taking his eyes off the small frame of the girl. “Didn’t you already know that? You helped me adopt her.”
”No.” He lied. His hand throbbed.
Instead of saying nothing, Phoenix hummed. “Alright.” Kristoph frowned. “What is it?” Too quickly, the man shook his head. “Nothing. This just reminds me of another time this happened.” The attorney raised an eyebrow. “She’s been sick before?” Phoenix paused.
“Not Trucy, no. A different kid. You don’t know her.” Kristoph glowered at the insinuation that he didn’t know everything about the man he was tailing. “Was it Maya Fey?” Phoenix laughed, something quick and more of a breath than a laugh. “No, no. Her cousin. Pearls.” Kristoph remembered Pearl Fey. He’d never met her in the flesh, but she was recorded as a Judicial assistant and Phoenix had a whole drawer in the storage room full of her visitor passes.
“You saying that makes sense now though.” He turned his head to look up at the blonde man to his right. “Pearls probably was bottling stuff up. Her mother, Maya, growing up too fast…” Kristoph had a brief flash of his brother texting him a picture of his new prosecutor badge and the million messages after, a thinly veiled beg for validation. “You take too many traumatized girls as Judicial Assistants, Wright.” Phoenix was quiet for a moment, before laughing just a little too stiffly. “Yeah, well I used to.” He turned around to look at him again, this time leaning his cheek against Kristoph’s thigh. “I’ll be your traumatized judicial assistant next time. I’m not a girl, but hey- I’m more qualified than any of mine were in the eyes of the law at least.”
Something red hot simmered a little harder in Kristoph. He tamped it down. It continued to simmer anyway. “Maybe next time.” he scoffed. As if he’d ever let Phoenix Wright, the disbarred Turnabout Terror take his spotlight in the courtroom.
Trucy, awakened by their conversation, rolled over weakly and cracked open her eyes. “Daddy..?” Immediately, she had Phoenix’s full attention. “Trucy, I’m here, what is it baby?” The simmering grew to a slow broil. “I wanna go to bed…” She said quietly, a rasp detectable. Her father stood and carefully picked up her frail body. “Okay sweetie, Hold on.” Trucy flinched when the air hit the small part of her that wasn’t coated in blankets. “Cold…” She mumbled into his chest. Phoenix pressed his temple to her forehead gently. “Almost there Trucy, don’t worry.” Kristoph stayed seated on the couch and was left in the living room without so much as a “Sit tight.” Or “I’ll be back.” He didn’t like feeling so unimportant, but he understood why.
He sat there stiffly and irritated for about thirty minutes before he checked his watch.
“00:14”
”Sorry about that, I’m back.” Said a sheepish voice. “Why’d you call me so late if you didn’t really need me?” Kristoph demanded. Phoenix paused, clearly taken aback. “Well… I’m not really sure why. Last time- with Pearls-I had Maya and…someone else with me to help.” He glanced around looking guilty. Kristoph raised a cool eyebrow. “I just… wasn’t sure I could do it alone is all. Would you rather I hadn’t called you?” Turnabout Terror indeed.
“I don’t mind helping a… friend, Wright.” He sniffed and Phoenix grinned. “I might've had prior engagements.” Phoenix actually laughed this time. Kristoph’s blood boiled. “Right.” He reached forward and took Kristoph’s well manicured hand. “Like what? Got a boyfriend now? Dinner date with the Judge?” The defense attorney resisted knocking all of Wright’s teeth out. “No, but some of us have jobs in the morning.” Phoenix blinked. “Ah, right. Early bird gets the stick up its ass.”
Kristoph shut him up by tugging him close and kissing him hard enough to bruise. The other man reciprocated and the broil increased to a boil. Phoenix pulled him to the bedroom and helped Kristoph out of his stuffy suit before showing him down on the bed, bottom lip bleeding and neck bruised. “Your child is in the other room, Wright.” Kristoph said, not necessarily in protest. Phoenix followed him onto he bed and kissed him again, a little softer this time, but no less painful. He ran his fingers through Kristoph’s twist, unraveling it before bringing the ends up to his lips to kiss it.
“I know. I wasn’t going to. Not tonight anyway.” He grinned mischievously and fell onto his side next to him. They contrasted strangely, Phoenix, in just a white t-shirt and his boxers and Kristoph, still in his dress shirt with his glasses still on, but no pants, just his boxers as well. “Phoenix…” Kristoph began to say as the man pulled the covers over them, and wrapped his sturdy arms around his slim frame. “I know, Just humor me Kris… Please.” Kristoph was still for a minute before easing down into the bed. He hated everything about it. The cheap sheets, the indent of where Phoenix usually slept, the fact that he was still wearing his good shirt.
…
He didn’t hate when his fingers drifted through Phoenix’s limp spikes, somehow still smooth even with that atrocious 14-in-1 he used. Hours Passed and soon Phoenix’s stitled breaths became slower and softer against Kristoph’s neck, and his fingers kept idly brushing through the black hair. The red hot boiling in him had been doused in something cool and blue instead. Like the boiling in a pot subsiding when you put noodles in.
Kristoph moved his cool blue eyes to trace Phoenix’s face in the dark with the aid of the moonlight that seeped through the blinds. A soft cheek led to a strong nose and softly closed eyes. Tan skin that complimented his jet black hair. “He’s not too awful to look at…” He conceded, pausing his hand on its projected path. Phoenix frowned and wriggled a little closer into his side. Kristoph caught himself breathing out a fond laugh. He could feel his palms begin to sweat. He looked at the man clinging to him. “…What are you dreaming about?”
”Mystic Maya, Mystic Mayaaa!! Where is Mystic Maya!?”
Phoenix slumped, absolutely exhausted. He wasn’t made for chasing an eight year old around the office. Even if the eight year old had a massive fever after playing in the snow for too long yesterday. “She's just in the kitchen Pearls, She’s making you Okayu or something. But she can’t cook with you hanging off of her!” If he thought this would make her feel better, he was sorely mistaken. “No, Mr. Nick, I want MYSTIC MAYAAA!!!” The young girl screamed and wailed and kicked for her beloved cousin.
“Pearls don’t scream, you’ll only make your throat worse!” He chided. She paid him no mind however, and kept screaming until she lost her voice. A few minutes later, Maya arrived with a tray. “How is she?” Phoenix glowered at her. ”You didn’t hear the screaming?” Maya frowned and shook her head. “No. Sis soundproofed the main office so clients could talk to her in confidence.” Phoenix groaned. “Of course.” Mia had thought of everything. Pearl squawked at Maya, now red in the face. “Oh Pearly! You shouldn’t have screamed so much! Now it might take you even longer to get better!”
Pearl glanced down, guiltily and sadly. She opened her mouth to voice what might’ve been an apology, but nothing came out. She turned to face Phoenix and he bent down to pick her up to lay her on the couch. She settled into the blankets and coughed horribly. Maya and Phoenix frowned at each other, worried. She had screamed herself to silence and now wouldn’t be able to say if something was wrong.
Maya kneeled and began to feed her cousin spoonfuls of Okayu slowly. Phoenix watched them carefully, but everything seemed okay now. With each bite, the young girl got drowsier and sleepier, falling asleep with the last bite. They both sighed carefully. Maya glanced at Phoenix. “Sorry, Nick. I didn’t think she’d be so mad…” He rubbed his temples gently. “Don’t worry about it, Maya. It’s not like we could’ve traded places.” He smiled at her sideways. “I can’t cook with anything.” Maya giggled softly as to not wake Pearl. “Come on, let’s put her to bed. I don’t think Edgeworth is gonna come back with that medicine anytime soon.” Maya pressed a finger to her mouth. “I wonder what could be taking him so long?” Phoenix shrugged. “Who knows.”
He laid Pearl carefully on a bed in the overnight room just off the side of the office. Maya usually stayed there when she was in town, and a smaller futon had been added for Pearl. Once he was sure the girls were alright, he carefully closed the door and went back to the main office. Just then, a knock was heard from the door.
Opening the door, He saw Miles Edgeworth, looking wildly out of his depth, carrying an absurd amount of pharmacy bags. Phoenix raised an eyebrow and Edgeworth slipped in past him, without a word. “Why so many bags?” He asked, attempting to take one, but being batted away. “I didn’t know which one to get.” Edgeworth grumbled. “So you bought the store?” Phoenix jokes. Edgeworth dropped the bags on the table and whirled around to lecture him. “Wright, You really have no idea how delicate this situation is! Children can fall ill and take weeks to get better! Then you have to figure out the reason for the sickness and then if she’s allergic to any medications!” Phoenix scratched his nape sheepishly. “I’m not really sure to be honest. Kurain village doesn’t really use modern medicine.” Edgeworth raised his eyebrows.
“Well then we must figure out what medicines they do use! We can’t risk resetting what her immune system is used to! I doubt you know what they use though, Where is Maya? I’m sure she’d know-“ Edgeworth! Calm down! Maya and Pearls are asleep in the other room right now! They’ve eaten and Pearls seems fine.” A moment passed where Edgeworth simply stood there before sagging down into the chair. “Oh.” Phoenix nodded. “Yeah. Oh.”
He sat down next to Edgeworth and bumped their shoulders. “Hey, I didn’t know you cared that much.” The prosecutor turned his head to look at him as if he had two heads. “Of course I do.” Phoenix smiled. “Good. Great. Thanks.” It was quiet for a moment before Edgeworth said bitterly, "I don't think I can return all that children’s medicine without getting arrested for buying en mass and then returning them seemingly unopened.” Phoenix smacked a hand over his mouth to cover his laugh. Edgeworth was smiling too, closed lip, but just as joyful.
Phoenix was dreaming something that had been uncomfortable and disturbing, but seemed to have turned pleasant if the small smile that graced his lips was any indication. The sensation that was making his palms sweat intensified. Kristoph wasn’t stupid, he knew attraction when he felt it, but this was… deeper somehow. It didn’t just spark and flame and spit, it mostly simmered until Phoenix did something particularly interesting. Then it fanned and brightened and boiled, molecules dancing fervently. That is until he is reminded of something. Then it calms, and the boiling calms too, but it is still boiling. And when it boils over you will get burned.
Phoenix murmured in his sleep and clings closer. This directs Kristoph’s attention back to him. He watches him a bit longer before the inevitable happens.
”Miles…”
Of course.
Everyone who knew their names knew how Phoenix Wright and the demon prosecutor Miles Edgeworth seemed to be inextricably linked. Kristoph had thought since he had planted the idea in Phoenix’s head that a lawyer disbarred for forging evidence should avoid fraternizing with a newly instated lieutenant prosecutor who had, in the past, been rumored to have forged evidence. When Edgeworth had insisted how that was ridiculous, Phoenix countered with a well spoken and bitter line that Kristoph would insist he had not fed him earlier. That night, Phoenix had finally come to Kristoph instead of him appearing before Phoenix, and he had ‘comforted’ him all night.
Even now that he had severed that link between them, Phoenix still couldn’t just drop that man. Phoenix, still asleep, was unaware of how the man his arms were wound around seethed with absolute fury. He would make sure Phoenix never got his badge back, and worse. He would be sure to bring Miles Edgeworth down with him. In hell together but kept apart.
He clenched his fingers in the black hair and fought the urge to pull it out. “You dream of him with me in your arms… One day I won’t be just some second choice. Not for long.”