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Life had been quite uneventful lately.
Most of Phoenix’s recent cases were more lowkey, mostly petty crimes like vandalism or shoplifting. It was a nice break from the usual stressful and tedious trials Phoenix had the displeasure of going through. No kidnapping or murder? It was practically a dream. And he really thought that this day would be like all the others, go into the office, work on paperwork, maybe take a case or two from a desperate client. And really, it started that way, biking into the offices after a light breakfast of a toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwich. However, just as he walked up to the door, he noticed an envelope taped on the glass window of his office’s door.
Well, that was new.
“Huh? What’s this?” Phoenix wondered to himself aloud.
He took the envelope from the door, looking it over with a careful eye. It was light orange, with a dark red ornate wax seal, and delicate red and yellow leaf borders in the corners. It looked expensive as hell, textured paper in his hands, probably more than all of Phoenix’s cheap pens combined. What was it doing here? Maybe the writer of the letter got the wrong address? But…there wasn’t really an address on the letter, and it was taped on the door. He turned it over to the front, noticing neat cursive lettering in a dark brown ink, the words “To Phoenix Wright” written plainly. So this was for him. Though that begged the question…what was it for?
Phoenix opened the envelope as soon as he was inside the office, sitting in the sofa as he set his bag next to him. He took out the letter paper, with the same leaf border designs as the envelope. The paper was light and orange, thick and textured, elegant cursive handwriting that for some reason, looked familiar to him. Like he’d seen it before, but he couldn’t place where exactly he’d seen it. Phoenix started reading through the writing, soon realizing that it was a poem.
And boy, was it a poem.
“Falling Leaves”
Falling leaves in autumn air
Fluttering in nature’s graceful dance,
And amongst a field of blooming sunflowers
There you stand, determined, unashamed.In a moment as delicate as newly opened blossoms
As fickle as a dew drop after a rainy fall afternoon,
There, your smile shines through the fog of the night
A sight as radiant as the golden rays of a sunset.You never cease to amaze me so,
With all the little ways you catch my attention,
Every aspect of yours a fluttering leaf in the air,
Sunflowers’ florescence in the field of your heart.And in this moment we share, alone and quiet
As leaves fall from branches and dance around us,
All I can think about forever until the end of time
Is the heart that belongs to that radiant smile.- M.E
…What the fuck?
So this M.E, they sent him…a poem, a love poem to be specific. He wasn’t dense, and he’d seen his fair share of romantic poems, this poem had an air of affection and fondness that was obvious to even the densest of rocks. Phoenix remembered having to take some introductory literature classes in college, when he was first studying visual arts. But he’d never heard of this poem before, and the initials at the bottom weren’t much help, there were tons of writers who had the initials M.E. Curious, Phoenix took out his phone and searched the poem’s title and the initials, and as expected, nothing came up. He looked back at the letter, so this poem…it was an original work, by this mysterious M.E person, whoever they were.
So…he had a secret admirer. This was clearly what it was, there was no denying it. What kind of lunatic addresses a love poem to a specific person without romantic intent? It was kind of cryptic though, just leaving said love poem on his door. A poem as corny and cheesy as this one, but as Phoenix read it he couldn’t help but smile. Even if it was cheesy, corny, hopelessly too romantic for its own good…there was a charm to it. It sounded beautiful, even if it was riddled with clichés that a creative writing professor would catch in an instant. This M.E person poured their soul, their love and pining for him, uncaring what anyone else thought about it. Phoenix could practically feel the fondness leaping from the elegant words written on the paper.
And he had to admit, it was kind of nice having a secret admirer…
“Heya, Nick!”
Phoenix screamed.
“W-Woah!” Maya cried out. “What gives, Nick?”
“Scaring me, that’s what gives! You shouldn’t startle people like that, Maya! You almost gave me a heart attack!” Phoenix scolded.
Maya rolled her eyes. “Geez! Sorry.” She sat on the sofa next to him as she asked. “What’s that you’re holding?”
“…Honestly, I have no idea.” Phoenix replied.
Maya raised a brow.
Phoenix wordlessly handed Maya the envelope and letter, watching as she read through. Slowly, a grin made its way to her face.
“Aww! Nick! This is so romantic! Did you write it?”
“What? No, I’d never write something this corny.”
Maya frowned. “It’s not corny! It’s super romantic and dreamy!”
“Whatever you say…” Phoenix said.
“Ugh! Whatever, Nick!” Maya said, rolling her eyes at him with a scoff. She then asked. “Who wrote the poem, then?”
“I assume it’s this M.E person, I searched up the title and the initial, found literally nothing.” Phoenix answered.
“Oooh! Original romantic poetry…from a mysterious individual!” Maya was grinning excitedly. “You know what this means, right Nick? You have a secret admirer!”
Phoenix smiled a bit at that. “Yeah, I guess I do.”
“Admit it Nick, you’re flattered!” Maya teased with a giggle.
“I mean, wouldn’t you be?” Phoenix questioned.
“Yeah, I guess I would!” Maya replied, then pondering to herself. “But I wonder, who is this mysterious M.E?”
Phoenix shrugged. “No idea.”
“This man is head over heels in love with you Nick, that much is obvious! This poem oozes affection and pining!” Maya said.
“You know, this M.E can be a woman too.” Phoenix pointed out.
“Well, you wouldn’t care either way, you’re bi!”
“…Yeah, true.”
“Seriously, Nick. Whoever this M.E is, they are madly in love with you! I mean, just listen to these lines!” Maya cleared her throat, reading the lines in a deep dramatic voice. “There, your smile shines through the fog of the night, a sight as radiant as the golden rays of sunsets…You never cease to amaze me, with all the little ways you catch my attention…All I can think about forever until the end of time, is the heart that belongs to that radiant smile…” She giggled. “Geez! Hopeless romantic much?”
“I read the poem, Maya.” Phoenix said.
“Heh! Have some fun in life, Nick!” Maya said, then adding. “But seriously, I wanna know who this person is! Maybe you can get together with them. I mean, it’s about time you got a girlfriend or boyfriend!”
“I’m not getting with someone just cause they sent me a love letter, and I have no idea who this person even is.” Phoenix said.
“Then why don’t you try to find out? It couldn’t hurt! I mean, don’t you wanna know who it is? I don’t really know many people with…” Maya stopped, like a thought just hit her. “Wait, Nick…” She gasped. “What if M.E stands for Miles Edgeworth?”
Phoenix stared at Maya like she was insane.
“…What?”
“Maya, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
Maya frowned, crossing her arms as she demanded. “And why is it ridiculous?”
“Well, why would he send me love poems?” Phoenix asked.
“Because he’s madly in love with you?” Maya replied, like it was common sense.
Phoenix groaned. “Oh god, we are not talking about this again.”
“Come on, Nick! It all adds up! Who has the initial M.E? Miles Edgeworth! And hell, listen to the fancy ass language! This just screams Edgeworth!”
“First of all, tons of people have the initial M.E. Second, fancy wording isn’t out of place in a poem. And last of all, this isn’t Edgeworth!”
“Fine! Be in denial then!” Maya said, giggling at Phoenix when he rolled his eyes. “Can’t be angsting about love letters and secret admirers all day, let’s watch some Steel Samurai! And wanna order pizza? I want pizza!”
Phoenix raised a brow. “Not a burger?”
Maya glared at him. “Hey! I’m not that predictable!”
“You’re predictable enough to ask me to pay.” Phoenix retorted.
“…Will you?”
“No.”
“C’moooon, Nick!”
“No.”
Maya gave him puppy eyes. “…Please?”
Phoenix cursed to himself.
And in the end, he ended up paying for their pizza.
━━━━ ❰ · ❉ · ❱ ━━━━
That letter wasn’t the last one they’d send.
It was just the next day, Phoenix wondered briefly if there’d be another letter as he got ready for the morning. Brushing his teeth, taking a bath and getting dressed for work, eating some cereal for breakfast, before he went out of his house and biked to the offices. One thing he liked about biking was that he got to see the streets of Los Angeles, and though it was an every day sight for him, he still smiled at the little lives everyone lived, each person on the street with their own story, each building on the street with their own history. Phoenix soon arrived at the Wright & Co. Law Offices, parking his bike.
Though, he immediately noticed the lack of an envelope taped to the door. He couldn’t help but feel a little…disappointed. He knew it was stupid, it was such a small thing that anyone else wouldn’t have been bothered, but it was…nice, knowing that someone liked him enough to leave him a letter. Phoenix sighed as he entered the offices, mind still stuck on the absence of the envelope. Maybe it was a prank, or some quirky literary nerd who was weirdly fixated on personally mailing poetry to everyone. Or maybe it was a one time thing, and this secret admirer had moved on-
“Nick! There you are!” Maya said, who suddenly appeared behind him.
“A-ACK!” Phoenix yelped, glaring at Maya. “Stop scaring me like that!”
Maya giggled. “Sorry, Nick!”
“It’s fine, just don’t sneak up on people.” Phoenix said, then asking. “How did you get here first, anyhow? I usually come here before you do.”
“I woke up early! So why not come early, too?” Maya said with a shrug.
“Right…” Phoenix trailed off, then realizing Maya holding a black envelope in her hands. Slowly, he smiled. “Maya? What’s that?”
Maya grinned. “Guess! If you get it right, I’ll give it to you!”
“…Another poem, I assume?” Phoenix answered.
“Ding ding ding! You’re right!” Maya said, offering the envelope to Phoenix. “Here it is, my liege.”
Phoenix rolled his eyes, taking the envelope from Maya, it still wasn’t open, though it looked different from the last letter. A dark black envelope, with a star and crescent moon on the flap of it, “To Phoenix Wright” was once again written on it, but instead in white ink. What struck Phoenix the most was the dark blue wax seal, sealing the envelope shut. So Maya hadn’t opened it, which surprised him, nosy was that girl’s middle name. Opening the envelope, Phoenix saw that the letter paper was white, a black border with star designs on it. And it had the same elegant handwriting on it, so obviously it was from the same person.
He looked up at Maya, raising a brow at her practically buzzing in excitement, before he looked back down at the letter paper, starting to read.
“Ocean Star”
My words flowing in the gentle ocean breeze,
Waves gentle in the waters of the seas,
Shadows that dance from the tall palm trees,
There you are, shining, eyes like a star.On the shores with waves of crashing sensations,
I am hit with the weight of my recollections,
Reminiscing with a great lifting elation,
Of you, your voice faint and far,A melancholic longing when you are away,
Words of yearning that I struggle to say,
Heart in turmoil with sway after sway,
No longer can I hide my heart’s scars.But even in the darkest of nightfall,
You shine bright above every and all,
A comfort like a warm wool shawl,
In the presence of the man that you are.And here, in the gentle comfort of the sea,
I am the most joyous that I can be,
When your smiling face is next to me,
Everything about you an ocean star.- M.E
So…it seemed this mysterious M.E themed his envelopes and letter papers after his poetry.
That was dramatic as hell.
But something about it was…touching, the way this secret admirer put so much thought into everything about this letter, the poems. And really, this poem was just as corny and cheesy as the last one, but again, there was an earnestness in it that Phoenix found endearing. This person, whoever they were, they really were laying out every thought and feeling they had, in the beautiful yet fickle art of poetry. And really, even with all the clichés and the tired tropes, he couldn’t deny that the imagery was beautiful. Affection with every word that he read, he could almost hear the voice of the writer, the quivering love that would come with every word as they read the poet to him, like he were the only thing that mattered.
Phoenix found that a small smile was creeping its way to his face.
“Oooh! There’s a smile on your face! Lemme read!” Maya cried out in delight, snatching the letter out of his hands.
“H-Hey! You can’t just take stuff out of people’s hands!” Phoenix protested.
“Random people’s hands.” Maya corrected. “You’re a friend, so I can do that to you!”
“Maya, I don’t think that’s how it works.”
“Yes it does! Now shhh, lemme read!” Maya stood there and read the poem, her face lighting up into a smile. “Aw! This one is even more romantic! And it’s rhyming!”
“It’s kind of…bittersweet in a way, too.” Phoenix said. “Like, the persona obviously longs for the reader the most when they’re gone, but that makes the moments together even sweeter.”
“Oooh! Persona? When did you get all literary fancy?”
“…It’s basic poetry interpretation, Maya.”
“Alright, nerd!” Maya giggled when Phoenix rolled his eyes. “But gaaah! I wanna know who this M.E is! I mean, they’re hopelessly in love with you.” She grinned. “Like a certain brooding prosecutor…”
Phoenix groaned. “Not this again.”
“C’mon! It’s totally Edgeworth, Nick!”
“It is not.”
“Well, whatever! If they’re not Edgeworth, I still wanna see who they are!” Maya rolled her sleeves like Pearls did whenever she was upset. “I wanna see if they’re good enough for you! If they ever break your heart, I’ll kick their butt!”
Phoenix raised a brow. “I’m a grown man, Maya. I don’t need my assistant trying to fight anyone who’s interested in me.”
“I won’t fight anyone who’s interested in you! Just the dicks who wanna break your heart.” Maya said.
“Yeah, sure. I’d totally love that.” Phoenix said sarcastically.
Maya wagged an angry finger at Phoenix. “I won’t be having that tone, young man!”
“I’m literally older than you!”
“So? Wisdom doesn’t come with age!”
Phoenix scoffed, though he ended up laughing when Maya had burst into a fit of giggles.
Maya eventually ended up watching more Steel Samurai episodes as Phoenix sat at his desk, working on his paperwork. But as he listed in information he’d forget only minutes later, he glanced at the black envelope. And it seemed to be yelling to catch his attention, the elegant cursive words reading “To Phoenix Wright”, like a constellation on a black, velvet night sky.
Slowly, Phoenix smiled.
━━━━ ❰ · ❉ · ❱ ━━━━
Phoenix smiled as he walked into the prosecutor’s office, holding a plastic bag of food.
He frequented the prosecutor’s office a lot more now, he had found. It wasn’t his second home or anything, like the Wright & Co. Law Offices, but as he visited more and more, the office had become a familiar sight to him. The secretary started recognizing him at some point, he even knew her name. Anita Turney, and he almost laughed in her face when he heard that name, which he thankfully didn’t. That would’ve been rude. She simply smiled at him, not asking why he was here and letting him walk directly to the elevator. He rolled his eyes at the infuriatingly catchy elevator music, what did a place as serious as a prosecutor’s office need elevator music, anyhow?
The prosecutor Phoenix most often visited was Miles. It had started small, Phoenix dropping off papers at his office, but then he started staying inside for a few minutes, where they’d chat before he eventually excused himself and left. One time, he had bought lunch and went to drop off some papers along the way, but when Miles, who was obviously hungry, eyed the food with a sense of disappointment, Phoenix started bringing him food. And then one rainy noon he went to spend lunch with Miles, and now, they had regular lunches together, where they would talk about work, their personal lives, and whatever caught their fancies. It was nice, how their hostile relationship had developed into a cordial and pleasant friendship.
Their relationship…it’d been through a lot over the years. From their brief yet blissful friendship as a kid, the rivalry between the two, saving Miles…and now, they were friends again. More mature, back in each other’s lives like they had never left each other. And still it stayed, the affection Phoenix had for him, the small crush they had as children blossoming into a flower field as they got to know each other more and more. Phoenix was falling in love all over again, falling helplessly for a man he’d longed to see again. There were problems, storms over the flower fields of their friendship, but without rain…blossoms couldn’t grow.
Geez, metaphoric much?
Maybe the poems were getting to him.
Since Maya had taken a few days off to visit Pearl in Kurain Village, he decided to visit Miles in his office. He was sure the boredom would get to him if he stayed by himself. Though, the letter that predictably showed up taped to his letter made him smile a little, putting it in his bag before he went to a newly opened Thai restaurant that he’d talked to Miles about.
Phoenix soon arrived at the door to Miles’ office, knocking on it, waiting for him to reply.
“Come in.”
With that, Phoenix opened the door and walked in.
“Hey, Edgeworth!” He greeted Miles as he stepped into the room. He sat on the sofa, placing the plastic bags on the coffee table. “Here’s some food from that new Thai place, like I promised I’d get you.”
“Why thank you, Wright.” Miles said. “I have heard of this Thai place from a few of my coworkers, but I never had the time to try it. I really must expand my palate.”
“Well, that’s what I’m here for, aren’t I? Getting you food that you’d never try in your own.” Phoenix said.
“And it is appreciated, Wright.” Miles said with a smile.
Really, that smile on Miles’ face was rare. This wasn’t a smug smirk he wore in court, whenever he backed Phoenix up in a corner. No, it was a genuine smile, when he let his guard down, letting himself laugh and snicker at Phoenix’s jokes. He was used to the perpetual glare in Miles’ eyes, taking in the entire world with a calculated eye. So when that glare was gone, replaced with a joyous twinkle that seemed to shine brighter than even the rays of the sun, it had Phoenix smiling in turn. And knowing that he was the reason Miles was smiling? Well…it made his heart race, gave him hope that Miles loved him just as much as he did Miles.
“Well uh geez, thanks! I appreciate you too.” Phoenix said, then adding. “Well, let’s eat! Do you know how torturous it was walking with this food? Man, I was tempted to sit down and eat it all!”
Miles raised a brow. “…That’s concerning.”
“Oh, shut up.” Phoenix snapped, though his tone was playful.
Miles chuckled, it was the most beautiful sound Phoenix had ever heard.
They soon got to eating and talking, and Miles seemed to enjoy the food, even making a comment of the two of them eating in the restaurant next time. Phoenix just smiled at that, he would’ve enjoyed any time he spent with Miles. Even after they had finished eating lunch, Phoenix throwing away the bags and paper food containers in the trash can in the hallway, still he stayed in the office.
At some point, Miles was typing away at his laptop on his desk, and the silence that permeated through the room…it was comfortable. The kind of silence where you were close enough with someone to just sit in each other’s presence, knowing that nothing was wrong. Phoenix was glad they were that close. He reached into his bag to take out his phone, but instead, his fingers felt at a thick textured sheet of paper. Phoenix knew what it was without even looking, taking out the envelope from his bag. He smiled at the sight of it, and the colorful floral designs on the envelope, the ornate pink wax seal, “To Phoenix Wright” written in the familiar cursive handwriting.
It had been days since the first letter came, and they showed up taped to the door almost every day. At some point, Phoenix started looking forward to it, even when Maya teased him about being a hopeless romantic. He opened the envelope, talking out the letter and reading the poem he had just read this morning, thankfully without Maya’s teasing.
“Wildflower”
A field with bursting colors of blooms,
Grass swaying in the gentle summer breeze,
But nothing could ever compare
To your heart’s colorful wildflowers.Fluffy clouds float in the velvet of the heavens,
And with the clouds came the drizzle of rain,
But with each raindrop that falls from the skies
Comes the blooming of your heart’s wildflowers.And even when the rain washes the petals away,
What was once fluffy white now a gloomy gray,
Still standing proud, bright and full of color
Are the blossoms of your heart’s wildflowers.- M.E
Just as he was rereading the poem again, he heard the sound of Miles’ voice.
“Wright? What are you reading?”
Phoenix looked up at Miles. “Huh?”
“That letter…” Miles trailed off.
“Oh, this? It’s a poem.” Phoenix said. He then added. “These envelopes with poetry started showing up taped to my door one day. Maya thinks it’s a secret admirer.”
Miles was quiet for a moment, before he asked. “Do you think it’s a secret admirer, though?”
“Yeah, I do. It’s a love poem, you don’t really leave that on the door of some random person.”
“…And what makes you think this is a love poem?”
Phoenix let out an exasperated huff, handing Miles the letter. “Read the poem and tell me it isn’t a love poem.”
Miles grumbled as he took the paper, reading it through. And then…his cheeks reddened a bit, like he were embarrassed.
What?
Why would he be embarrassed? The poem wasn’t directed at him.
“Ah, it does have a romantic tone to it.” Miles admitted, handing it back.
“That’s an understatement.” Phoenix said with a snicker.
“So…these letters started to appear at your offices?” Miles asked, and when Phoenix nodded, he asked. “Why did you not throw these letters away? It’s quite…odd to leave love poems to someone anonymously.”
“Why would I throw them away? I mean, they’re kinda cheesy and cliché, but whoever wrote them obviously put effort in them. I’d feel mean if I threw them away.” Phoenix said with a shrug. “And besides, people leave love letters anonymously all the time. Secret admirers wouldn’t be secret if you knew them, you know?”
Miles had reddened even more, though Phoenix was confused why. “True…”
“Honestly…” Phoenix slowly smiled. “I like these poems, and the fact that I mean something to this person. It’s nice, knowing that someone likes me.” He then let out a snicker. “Can you believe that Maya thinks it’s you?”
“Sh-She does?!” Miles spluttered.
Well, that was a weird reaction.
“Uh…yeah.” Phoenix said, shooting Miles a strange look. “She said it’s cause of the initials M.E. Miles Edgeworth, M.E. I mean, it does make sense, I guess…”
“W-Well! That’s jumping to conclusions, isn’t it?” Miles said, though he sounded uncertain.
“Yeah, exactly. I mean, tons of people have the initials M.E.” Phoenix then narrowed his eyes at Miles, gaging his reaction. “I mean…imagine if it was you. What would I do then?”
“Ah yes, imagine…” Miles trailed off, going red as a tomato.
“Well, you or not, these poems are still nice. I like them, so I keep them. Maya has been grilling my ass about finding out who this person is, and honestly I’m a little curious about who it is…” Phoenix trailed off, examining Miles closely.
“Ah, well…whoever this person is, they’d be very lucky to have you.” Miles smiled. “You’re a…remarkable man, Wright.”
…Interesting.
“Aw, thanks Edgeworth! You’re not so bad yourself.” Phoenix said with a grin.
“Wright.”
“I’m just kidding, Edgeworth.”
Miles scoffed.
The two carried on talking about different things, but Miles’s odd reactions, it stayed in Phoenix’s mind. The way he reddened, stammered like he was a witness caught red handed, it was suspicious as hell. With the way he was acting…it was almost like he wrote it. The poems, filled with love and adoration, affection and fondness, for him. And if Miles wrote all that about him, that would mean he…
It couldn’t be him, could it?
No no, it couldn’t. It really couldn’t. Why would Miles like him of all people?
But as Phoenix glanced at the letter on the sofa, the handwriting painfully familiar, he found that he wasn’t sure.
━━━━ ❰ · ❉ · ❱ ━━━━
“…See! I told you it was him, Nick!”
Phoenix sighed.
It was a few days after Phoenix’s lunch with Miles, and he only had the opportunity to tell Maya now, after she returned from her visit to Kurain Village, promising that Pearl would visit them. The entire time she was gone, Phoenix could only think about Miles, and the way he reacted, the way he spluttered and how red his face had gotten as he read the poem. Even when they hadn’t brought up the poems since, on the other lunches they had together, still Phoenix thought about it, especially when he saw the eerily similar handwriting on Miles’ paperwork. The evidence was all right there, laid on the paperwork on his desk and the expressions on his face.
And the thought of Miles, writing those poems for him, feeling the things he wrote in his poems about him…it made Phoenix smile. That Miles felt the same way about him, that he occupied his mind as much as Miles did his. Maybe there was a chance, maybe Phoenix had a chance to love him with all of his heart, of the two of them being together. If this was Miles, of course. And as soon as Maya had heard, she agreed. When she was back she had barged into the offices like she owned the place, a grin on her face as she immediately asked about the poems.
Of course, Phoenix knew he couldn’t lie to her, so he told her everything,
“Maya.”
“C’mon, Nick! You said it yourself, Edgeworth was acting really weird when you brought it up! And that means…?”
“…He probably wrote those letters.” Phoenix finished for her.
“See? Simple!” Maya said.
“But I’m just confused why he’d send those letters in the first place! Why would he send me love poems?”
“Because he’s-”
Phoenix cut her off. “Yeah yeah, madly in love with me.”
“It’s true, Nick!” Maya said.
“Well, if he is…then why wouldn’t he tell me?” Phoenix said. “Why is he going out of his way to write corny love poems instead of, I dunno, telling me he likes me?”
Maya stared at Phoenix like he was stupid. “Nick, this is Miles Edgeworth we’re talking about. You know, the guy who’ll angst and brood about his feelings instead of acknowledging them? Fucking hell, he won’t even admit that he likes the Steel Samurai! Even when we’ve had dozens of Steel Samurai binges. Do you think he’d actually tell you about his undying love for you?”
Phoenix frowned, he hated how much sense Maya was making.
“Seriously, listen to these lines!” Maya picked up the poem taped to the door today, not even bothering to read them in a dramatic voice. “Your eyes hold the secrets to the world, vast as the oceans of clear sapphire water…And yet the sensations of my heart refuse to be buried, stubborn and relentless as your infuriating determination…For the oceans are forever changing, yet my fondness for you will never cease to be…” She gave him an exasperated look. “It’s so romantic that it’s sickening! I seriously think it’s him, Nick.”
“I do too! I mean, he was acting really weird, but I’m just not 100% sure. He could just be writing it for someone else, but I’m not sure who.” Phoenix said.
“He literally put his initials in it.” Maya said, raising a brow. “Who else could it be? Gumshoe?”
Phoenix shook his head. “Nope, he’s straight.”
Maya’s nose scrunched in disgust. “Mr. Payne?”
“What? No! Why would you even think that?!” Phoenix said, aghast.
“He makes as much sense as Detective Gumshoe!” Maya replied.
“Hey, I just don’t wanna jump to conclusions! It could just be a weird misunderstanding, or maybe Edgeworth knows this M.E person and just has second hand embarrassment.” Phoenix said.
“Keep living in denial, Nick.” Maya teased playfully.
Phoenix groaned.
The two thankfully moved on from that painful conversation, and Maya babbled on about some Steel Samurai comic she had borrowed from Miles. He always enjoyed his conversations with Maya, she was bubbly and easy to talk to, even managing to get Miles and Franziska into conversations with her. She was animated as she talked, asking Phoenix if he wanted to go to some anime convention before they were interrupted by the door practically barging open. The two turned to the door, and standing underneath the doorway was Franziska von Karma, holding her whip like it was her prized possession. She was also holding a folder with papers, which Phoenix assumed to be paperwork.
“Hi Franziska!” Maya greeted her.
“Hey, Franziska.” Phoenix greeted her too.
“Maya Fey, Phoenix Wright. The chief prosecutor demanded I bring you these papers.” Franziska said, taking the folder and handing it to Phoenix.
“Oh uh, thanks Franziska.” Phoenix said, taking the papers. He then added, a little awkwardly. “Um…having a nice day today?”
Franziska scoffed. “I have no time for your foolish small talk, fool.”
“Uh, sure…”
“I will leave now, goodbye.” Franziska said, turning her heels to leave the offices.
“Wait, Franzy!” Maya called out to her, and when Franziska turned to her curiously, she asked. “Weird question I know, but do you know anyone with the initials M.E?”
Phoenix shot Maya a glare, and he just knew she held in her giggle.
“The only individual I know with those initials is Miles Edgeworth.” Franziska said, then asking. “What prompted this question, Maya Fey?”
“Nick would know.” Maya said, giving him a smug smirk.
Ugh, he hated her.
Franziska directed her questioning gaze at Phoenix.
“Well…” Phoenix sighed, might as well get it over with. “I’ve been getting love letters.”
Franziska scoffed. “The idea that anyone would be romantically interested in you is foolish.”
“This person is, M.E. They’ve been sending me love poems for like, two whole weeks! I can show you, I kept them all. Hold on…” Phoenix fished through the drawers of his desk, searching for the folder he kept the poems in.
“Of course you kept those love poems, you foolishly romantic fool.” Franziska said with a scoff, taking the letter that Phoenix had handed to her. Immediately, her eyes widened. “Wait, is this what he was…”
Phoenix and Maya looked at each other. Finally! A clue!
“You know who wrote it, Franzy?” Maya asked.
Franziska was legitimately caught off guard for a moment. “I-I, huh? What?” She composed herself quickly, simply scoffing and shoving the letter back in Phoenix’s hands. “That is ridiculous, Maya Fey. What use would I have associating with a man who writes poetry this foolishly melodramatic?”
“…Franziska, we never said he was a man.” Phoenix said.
“WH-WHAT?! Y-You fool!” Franziska glared at him. “That…that means nothing! How dare you point out a contradiction? We aren’t in court, fool!” She cracked her whip at Phoenix as a warning. “If we were in a courtroom, I would’ve already whipped your foolishly foolish ass for your foolishly foolish foolishness!”
Phoenix jumped in surprise. “G-Geez! Sorry!”
“He’s just pointing out the obvious, Franzy!” Maya added defensively. “I mean, M.E can be anyone!” She then raised a brow at Franziska. “But with the way you’re acting…it’s like you know this person.”
“Wh-What? That’s ridiculous- why would I-” Franziska was stammering. “W-Well err, verily I say! Perhaps yes or no, or the fact that…”
The two stared at Franziska with questioning glares, who looked like an elementary student put on the spot with a hard question. They were so close, they both knew it. They’d soon find out who this M.E person was, and if it really was Miles Edgeworth-
“LOOK! ICE CREAM TRUCK!” Franziska suddenly screamed, pointing at the window.
“Where?!”
“Maya, no! It’s a distraction!”
Before they could do anything else, Franziska practically bolted out of the offices. They had never seen Franziska run that fast before, she had ran like her life depended on it. Maya and Phoenix were flabbergasted, the two of them in a stunned silence, and after a few moments, Maya finally spoke up.
“…So we agree that it’s Edgeworth?” Maya said.
“Yep.” Phoenix replied.
“We should do something about! You’re both madly in love! We can’t just sit back and do nothing!” Maya said, leaping up from the sofa, a determined expression on her face.
“And…what are gonna do, exactly?” Phoenix questioned. “We can’t just go barging in his office and accuse him of leaving these letters here.”
“I mean…we can!”
“Maya.”
“Nick, I do not wanna deal with more of your hopeless pining.” Maya shook her head. “Think of me, Nick! I’ve been through enough torture!”
“My love life is not torture!” Phoenix replied, indignant.
Maya glared at Phoenix. “Say that the next time you and Edgeworth say the most homoerotic shit ever to each other, I dare you.”
“Oh god.” Phoenix said with a groan.
“You better oh god, Nick!” Maya said, wagging her finger at Phoenix. She then hummed. “But…I guess you have a point. We need to come up with a plan to catch Edgeworth!”
“You have fun with that. Me, on the other hand? Well…I’m gonna clean the toilets. I need to destress.” Phoenix said.
Maya giggled. “Of course you’d find toilet cleaning relaxing, Nick!”
Phoenix groaned, Maya laughed.
━━━━ ❰ · ❉ · ❱ ━━━━
“Hi, Mr. Nick!”
Phoenix, who was sat at the desk in his office, turned to Pearl, smiling at the sight of her. He remembered Maya mentioning that she was visiting one of these days, guess today was that day. And really, he was pretty glad, it’d been a few months since he’d last seen the young girl. They’d had a few video calls and even exchanged a few letters, but this was the first time they’ve seen each other in a little over three months. He always liked seeing her, Pearl was always a delight to be around, especially after she was done with her “special someone” phase with him and Maya.
“Heya, Pearls!” Phoenix said. “Wow! You’ve grown a lot. Geez, were you always this tall?”
“Mr. Nick!” Pearl said, giggling.
“You’re even starting to talk like a grandpa, Nick.” Maya teased.
Phoenix rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Maya.”
They soon settled into the office, Pearl watching the Steel Samurai rerun along with Maya. The sounds of hammy voice acting and swords clashing filling the air. It was almost comforting, in a way. They had become familiar to him at this point, an everyday thing he always took for granted. But sometimes, in some moments where Phoenix simply took the world in, he could appreciate it. They’d been through a lot, he and Maya and Pearl. And yet, they were still here, having found each other and now closer like ever before. His greatest friends, people he loved with all of his heart for what he was sure was for his entire life.
Phoenix glanced at the letter that had arrived today. This M.E person, they were really committed to leaving a poem on his door every day. It had started to become the highlight of his day, especially with the thought that Miles was the one writing them. This particular poem had a dessert theme, pink flap with sprinkles acting as the frosting of the cupcake envelope. It was thoughtful, how every envelope matched the poem, a bit of personal intimacy that had Phoenix smiling every time. They thought highly of him, showcased in every single poem that was filled to the brim with overwhelming adoration and revering praise. And the thought that Miles wrote them? Well, it put a smile on Phoenix’s face every single time. Pearl must have noticed Phoenix staring at the letter.
“What’s that, Mr. Nick?” Pearl asked, picking up the letter. She had gotten better at reading, but she still struggled with some words. “Uh…what’s si-ri-nay-tye?”
“Serenity.” Phoenix corrected.
“Ohhh!” Pearl nodded, then holding up the letter. “But what is this paper?”
“It’s a love poem.” Maya said.
“A love poem, Mystic Maya?! Yay, a love poem!” Pearl cried out in delight. “Do you already have a special someone, Mr. Nick?”
“What? No!” Phoenix said, adding at Pearl’s confused face. “It’s a secret admirer.”
“Oh! How romantic! Do you know who it is, Mr. Nick?” Pearl asked.
Phoenix raised a brow. “It wouldn’t be secret if I knew who they were, Pearls.”
“Ah, true!” Pearl said.
“But it’s probably Edgeworth.” Maya said with a grin.
“…Yeah, it probably is.” Phoenix conceded.
Pear gasped. “Mr. Eh-ji-worth?!”
“We don’t know that, Maya!” Phoenix hissed at Maya.
“That’s why we need to find out who it is, Nick!” Maya said.
Phoenix groaned. “Maya.”
“What? Don’t say you’re not curious, too!”
“Of course I’m curious! But how the hell are we gonna find out it’s him?!”
“I dunno! You come up with the plan, you’re the lawyer! Problem solving is like, more than half of your job!”
Phoenix facepalmed.
Pearl was quiet, biting her nails in thought. She then spoke up. “Is the poem there by morning, Mr. Nick?”
“Yeah.” Phoenix replied.
“And it doesn’t come at night?”
“Nope, I stayed here late one night and I didn’t see anyone come in.”
“So why don’t you come early in the morning and wait to catch them?” Pearl suggested. “It might work, Mr. Nick.”
Phoenix and Maya were silent for a moment, looking at each other, before turning back to Pearl.
…How the hell did they not think of that?
“How did we not think of that?” Maya said, stunned.
Exactly!
Pearl shrugged. “I don’t know, Mystic Maya.”
“Well either way Pearly, it’s a great idea!” Maya exclaimed, turning to Phoenix. “Let’s do it, Nick!”
“…What?”
“Catch Edgeworth giving the poems! We go here early and pretend that we’re not here, and then when he comes, BAM! We surprise him!”
“Maya, don’t be ridiculous! We can’t come here early in the morning just to catch my secret admirer!” Phoenix said.
“And why not?” Maya demanded, crossing her arms.
“Be real Maya, that’s just ridiculous!”
“Just like your trials?”
“Maya.”
“But wouldn’t that mean you’d find out, Mr. Nick?” Pearl asked.
“Yeah, but like…I don’t wanna find out that much!” Phoenix said.
Maya gave him puppy eyes.
“…That’s not gonna work on me, Maya.”
Maya looked to Pearl.
“What is it, Mystic Maya?” One look from Maya told her what she wanted. “Oh! Okay!”
The two girls turned to Phoenix, their puppy eyes in full force.
…Goddamit.
They were good.
“…Fine.”
“YAY! Secret mission!”
Maya did a victory dance, Pearl cheered, and Phoenix wondered what the hell he had just gotten himself into.
━━━━ ❰ · ❉ · ❱ ━━━━
“I can’t believe you talked me into this, Maya.”
“Shhh! He’ll be coming any moment now!”
Really, Phoenix would rather be anywhere than in his office at the crack of dawn, just to catch a secret admirer sending him love poems. He still remembered, with a grimace, Maya screaming in his ear in his bedroom in the early mornings. He wasn’t even sure his she’d gotten into his apartment. Before he knew it, he was already dressed for the day with Maya practically dragging him to their office. She was ecstatic when they had made it to the offices, with no letter taped to the door. “That means M.E hasn’t come, yet!” Maya had said to him excitedly, before dragging him to under the desk.
And that’s how they found themselves here now, hiding underneath Phoenix’s desk as they pretended that the offices were empty.
It really was remarkable how still the world was in the early morning, especially in such a busy city like Los Angeles. The air was quiet, there were hardly any cars outside, unlike the infuriating traffic often held up the roads during the late mornings. He’d never seen the office like this, rays from early dawn filtering through the windows, bathing the office in a gentle but beautiful light. He didn’t like going early to the offices, he was the boss and he was going to decide the times, dammit! Though, it would be nice to see the offices like this more, it really was pretty…
“Nick! Nick, he’s here!” Maya exclaimed, shaking Phoenix. “He’s fucking here, Nick!”
Phoenix barely suppressed a yelp. “H-Huh? Where?!”
The two peeked out of the desk, and lo and behold, the Miles Edgeworth was taping an envelope on his door. Phoenix’s jaw almost dropped, having to rub his eyes to believe that, yes, he was seeing this shit right now. Miles Edgeworth, his dear friend, the man that he’d been in love with for years, was dressed in his usual fancy clothes at the crack of dawn, writing him love poems and sending them to him anonymously. It was unbelievable, it really was fucking unbelievable, and had he not seen it with his own two eyes right now, he wouldn’t have believed it.
“…Holy fuck.” Phoenix whispered, stunned.
“See! I told you so, Nick!” Maya whispered to him excitedly.
“Yeah, I definitely believe it now.” Phoenix frowned. “What am I supposed to do?”
“This!”
“Maya, what are you planning-”
Before Phoenix could stop her, Maya leapt out of the desk and ran towards the door, practically slamming the door open and startling the poor guy.
“MILES EDGEWORTH!” She screamed, pointing an accusatory finger at him like he murdered someone. “WE CAUGHT YOU, BITCH!”
Poor Miles looked terrified out of his mind, his eyes wide and his face going red from embarrassment as he held the roll of tape in his hands.
…Welp, subtlety wasn’t Maya’s method, that’s for sure.
“Wh-What in the hell?!” Miles cried out.
“We should be saying that to you, Edgeworth! What are you even doing here?” Maya asked with a smirk on her face. She already knew the answer, she was just fucking with him.
“I-I was, well verily I say…ergo therefore! Perhaps one way or another-” Miles was stammering and spluttering all over the place, caught off guard.
“Maya, stop interrogating the poor guy!” Phoenix called out to her as he went to them two. “Seriously, you’re not even a lawyer!” He then glanced at Miles, who looked absolutely mortified. “Even if I am a little curious why he’s here…”
“Th-That’s none of your business!” Miles said, though the poor guy was red as a tomato.
Maya raised a brow. “Edgeworth, you’re taping an envelope to our office’s door! I think it’s our business.”
Miles was silent for a moment, before he said with a sigh, a little defeated. “…You know, don’t you?”
“It was kinda obvious when we had lunch together.” Phoenix replied.
Miles cursed to himself.
So it was obvious, Miles liked him, and he’d been sending him love poems. This just confirmed his suspicions, no matter how unbelievable it was. And if they liked each other…what were they supposed to do? How was Phoenix supposed to tell him that he felt the same way?
…Well, he couldn’t tell him with Maya there.
“Hey Maya…mind giving us some privacy?” Phoenix asked.
“So you can kiss?”
“Maya.”
“Alright alright! Geez!” Maya giggled, saying before she left. “Have fun, you two lovebirds!”
After Maya left, they were left alone outside the office. The two were standing in silence for a moment, a little awkward, before Phoenix spoke up.
“So…you’ve been sending me love poems.” He said.
“Yes.” Miles replied.
“I mean…why, though?” Phoenix asked, and when Miles raised a brow, he added. “Look, these letters obviously mean you like me, like that, even if I don’t believe it. But like, why send the letters in the first place?”
Miles sighed, silent for a moment, as though searching for the words. It was a little ironic, how someone as straightforward as Miles was struggling to say his feelings in direct words when he seemed to so easily put them in poetic form. Though, Miles had always been bad with feelings, so he shouldn’t have been surprised. So, Phoenix tried to be patient, giving Miles a reassuring smile as he waited for Miles to say something. That must’ve reassured him enough, giving him the courage to say what he had been struggling to say to his face what he had wanted to say for years.
“It was because…I couldn’t take it anymore, Wright.” Miles said, clarifying at Phoenix’s raised brow. “My feelings for you, that is. I couldn’t take it anymore, my thoughts about you, my mind waxing poetics with everything you did. It had gotten too much, and on one late afternoon, perhaps when I was desperate for the world to hear, I wrote. Poems, about you.”
“That makes sense…but why did you send them, then? Why didn’t you just keep them?” Phoenix asked.
Miles scoffed. “Believe me Wright, I tried. I tried keeping the poems to myself, but it was torturous. Keeping these feelings to myself, when knowing that I’d see you in my life almost every other day. Whenever you smiled, I wanted to tell you myself, the adoration I have for you. But I couldn’t, how could I? It’d…lord, it’d be awkward. I suppose…” Miles trailed off, silent for a moment, before he said. “I suppose…sending them to you, they were my way of telling you how I felt, albeit indirectly.”
“I see…”
“I apologize, Wright. I’m sure I have just ruined our friendship with my unwanted romantic intentions, and I cannot state this enough, but I apologize.”
Phoenix smiled. “Who says they’re unwanted?”
“P-Pardon?!” Miles was stunned.
Phoenix let out a little laugh. “God, Edgeworth. I haven’t exactly been subtle about liking you.” His laugh transitioned into a small smile. “But, when I started to suspect that the letters from you…well, I was happy. That you felt that way about me, and I started to look forward to them. It’s a way to look into your soul, I guess. And I…” He held Miles’ hands, putting them to his chest. “I like what I saw, your soul, your heart. I’ve always liked it.”
“Wright…”
The two were staring into each other’s eyes, the adoration in Miles’ eyes had Phoenix breathless. Lord, a poet could write dozens of poems about his ash gray eyes. He might even try writing one, despite his shit poetry skills. Before he knew it, they had leaned in, Phoenix’s heart soaring when their lips touched. Gentle, a quiet loving moment between the two that was a long time coming, every word of love and devotion they had ever thought about each other pouring from every inch of their lips that touched. Phoenix would do anything to stay like this, just for a moment longer-
“I KNEW YOU’D KISS!”
Phoenix and Miles jumped out of their skins. They turned to Maya, who was grinning at them like a hyena.
“Maya! What the hell?!” Phoenix cried out.
“Why are you here, Ms. Fey?!” Miles added, a little surprised.
“I was getting bored of reading Mia’s law books, besides…” Maya grinned. “This is way more interesting than books!”
Miles flushed in embarrassment, Phoenix sure he was just as red.
“Anyhow, now that the romantic shit is done. Wanna come in, Edgeworth?” Maya asked. “We can watch the Steel Samurai!”
“That is kind of you, Ms. Fey, but I’ll have to pass. I have a busy day at the prosecutor’s office.” Miles answered.
“Ah alright, cool! Our Saturday Steel Samurai binge is still on, by the way!” Maya said.
“Of course, Ms. Fey.” Miles said with a chuckle.
Maya went inside the office, leaving the two alone once again.
Miles cleared his throat, before he said. “Well…I suppose I should leave.”
“Yeah, but before you do…” Phoenix trailed off, adding at Miles’ raised brow. “Wanna go out tonight for dinner?”
“A date.” Miles said, smiling.
“Yep! A date.”
“Well…consider your proposal accepted, Wright.”
“Of course you’re a poet, Edgeworth.” Phoenix said playfully.
Miles sighed, though that smile never left his face.
He soon left, Phoenix watching his figure walking down the street. But he didn’t feel separated from him. No, it was quite the opposite. He had never felt more connected to him. Phoenix glanced at the envelope taped to his door. He took the envelope, examining it. It had a forest theme, dark green envelope. It was hard to imagine, when this M.E was a secret admirer he didn’t know.
And to think…that Miles was his mysterious M.E.
Phoenix smiled.