Archive of Our Own ^beta

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If you were to ask Miles the number of times he’s gotten hurt or sick over the years, it’d be hard for him to answer. Besides his pesky allergies that haunt him every spring, he wasn’t one to usually get sick. He kept up with his hygiene and health too much to really get a weak immune system. Sure, the occasional virus might get to him and or the spread of the flu may beat his immune system, but he wasn’t like Phoenix who constantly got sick all the time no matter what. Getting sick meant missing work, and Miles would doom the entire prosecutor’s office if he, Chief Prosecutor, were out sick. 

As for injuries, those were even rarer. While Gumshoe often found himself in casts and bandages, Miles only had a few times where he was physically very hurt, and that was all back when he was a little kid. No matter how many criminals try to spar with him in court (which happened far too frequently might he add), somehow none of them were able to truly hurt him.

And honestly? Miles should’ve known that the only way for him to get injured was by his own doing. Granted, he still wishes that he was hurt in a more elegant and cool way than what actually occurred…

---

“Alright Mr. Edgeworth sir! Have a good night and I’ll see you around the precinct!”

SLAM!!

Honestly, I TRULY need to teach that detective some manners on how to leave a room respectfully. With the way he slams the door— he could probably wake up the dead. 

It was a quiet Thursday evening when it happened. He had finished a high profile case earlier that morning, having to prosecute a mafia boss trying to kidnap little girls. Needless to say he was feeling restless, and his head seemed to swirl endless as a non stop headache wouldn’t leave him alone. No matter how much water he drank, tea, soothing lavender he smelled, or even a 10 minute nap on his couch— Nothing got Miles’ headache to just go away.

Thanks to his unhelpful pounding headache, most of the day was fuzzy to remember. Normally Miles can easily recall when he did something or what he did, but this time around there were blanks in his memory. 

This is ridiculous— How can I possibly not remember my own actions?? 

Trying to push through with work felt hopeless to Miles. The only thing keeping him going was the fact he could not afford to go into work tomorrow. He had plans with Wright to go accompany him to an exhibit at the art museum. If it were anyone else, Miles would’ve declined, however…

However, it’s Phoenix Wright… Every moment with him is just… special. Besides, his taste in art is frankly fascinating to listen to. 

If Miles didn’t get his work done then and there, tomorrow’s plans would most certainly have to get cancelled, which was an absolute loss Miles couldn’t afford. So screwing the headache in his head, Miles persevered with the paperwork sitting in front of him. Slowly yet meticulously his fountain pen wrote word after word, his mind hazy but acknowledging that yes, work was getting done. Miles simply reasoned that the headache was from a lack of good sleep, and that tomorrow it would simply be gone. 

Yes… I just need more sleep… This pesky headache is just a result from today’s events and will be gone soon…

By the time Miles’ finished his work, it was already 1 in the morning. Everything in his body felt overly heavy, ranging from his legs to his eyelids. Even the cravat around his neck felt tight. His glasses were a mess from the amount of times he accidentally touched the lens, his hand sore from writing so much. 

If anyone were to see me in such a mess, they’d likely break down into laughter. The Chief Prosecutor being disorganized! How unheard of! How unprofessional! I can just hear the comments now. 

Miles didn’t even register the fact that he was heading to the stairwell to head home. His body by that point was moving on autopilot, while his head was thinking of the future. Looking back on it later, he should’ve been more focused and concentrated. 

But tomorrow I don’t have to come into work, I can go over to Phoenix’s apartment, head out with him, talk with him, maybe even ask if—

“WHOA!!”

Suddenly, Miles felt weightless as he sensed his feet no longer touching the steps on the stairs. His ears merely registered his body crashing into the concrete of the stairs, the sounds of his pained cries, and rapidly, a spiking pain. 

“NGOHHHHHH!!!”

* CRACK *

Something in his body was burning. 

Something in his body was on fire.

Something in his body snapped. 

By the time Miles felt himself no longer falling downstairs, his head was going too fast to comprehend. He felt too many things all at once, ranging from confusion, pain, embarrassment, concern, and too many other emotions that he couldn’t name. Looking up, he soon realized he most certainly fell from the top of the stairs, with his paperwork from in his briefcase now everywhere in the stairwell. His glasses were bent and off his face, and he could already feel bruises on his body forming. 

Yet nothing compared to the next monstrous sensation he felt…

“Mein Gott— OWW!”

Miles nearly fell back onto the ground as he was trying to get up, but a spike of pain had registered in his body. Inspecting his own body, he found the source rather fast as it was looking nastier than a bumpy unfinished road. His ankle was beyond swollen. Not only that, but it was twisted in a way that was definitely not supposed to be. If he hadn’t seen beaten up corpses in autopsy updates, he would’ve passed out. Instead, Miles could only suck in a breath of just pure resentment.

Please for the love of everything just be sprained and nothing more. Please please please don’t be broken or anything major. I CAN NOT afford to be injured. Not here, not now. 

For the love of everything, why did I even fall?? How stupid of me— So VERY stupid to have fallen down a flight of stairs! That’s something Detective Gumshoe does— Not even that! This is something PHOENIX WRIGHT would do! Clumsy as that man is! Just last week he slammed into a door frame on accident! I am stooping to that man’s level. 

…Though his face did look rather painful… I’m still grateful it wasn’t anything too serious… But how stupid of me to fall!!

Miles groaned where he laid, both in a mix of frustration and agony. His ankle was already throbbing and sending waves of pain through his body. Thinking back on the fall he took, he remembers feeling his ankle just completely twist as he was trying to catch himself. And even trying to move his ankle made pain flare up to an indescribable degree.

Of course this had to happen. Way to go, me. 

Too many questions began popping into his mind. Since it was his right ankle, he questioned how he was supposed to drive home, how he was to go down the rest of the stairs, how he was supposed to stand when even the tiniest bit of weight made him flinch, or even just how much damage this would cause in the long run

I hope this will not require surgery of any kind… I think the office would explode during such a duration, and I may have the money for it, however that does not mean I want to spend it on surgery. 

“Woe is me… Woe is always me…”

Being so lost in his own despair, Miles didn’t even notice the presence of someone else until they cleared their throat. From the tone, he could easily deduce who it was. I have been hearing them for practically most of my life… I’m sure she’s going to laugh…

“Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth… You look like an utter fool. I advise you don’t look in the mirror.”

“Franziska, might I ask why you are still even here?”

“Tsh, the same reason as you, I presume. Honestly kleiner bruder, I come back to the country just for a bit of work and THIS is how I end up finding you? Rolling around on the floor of the Prosecutor’s office stairwell?”

Miles could feel himself roll his eyes at her words, scoffing right back at her, “I wouldn’t sully my courtroom suit by rolling on some nasty, most certainly unsanitized floor, Franziska.”

“I sure hope not— So explain yourself! What is wrong? Did Maya dare you to do this or something? If so, I must inquire with her when I visit her tomorrow.”

Oh boy… How do I tell her this without her laughing… Oh who am I kidding, she is going to laugh at me anyways…

“Ermmm… Well you see…”

“Spit it out, kleiner bruder. I would very much like to head to sleep soon.”

“Well… Imight’vefallendownthestairsandtwistedmyankleandIcan’tgetupandthisisembarassing.”

Miles couldn’t exactly see Franziska’s face, but he was sure it was confused and perplexed. I didn’t even know I could speak that fast and strangled…

“Okay Miles Edgeworth— Repeat that again in a way I can actually understand. For love’s sake, you are the Chief Prosecutor!! Speak like one!”

“NGOHH— ALRIGHT! I TWISTED MY ANKLE!”

“…Then why didn’t you start with that!!”

Franziska, I love you dear sister, but I am not in the mood to argue about this while my ankle continues to burn as I lay here. 

“Let me see this ankle of yours—“

“—Don’t touch it! It’s very— YEOWWWWW”

Just her pressing a finger against his ankle felt like someone stepping down on his ankle hard. The amount of yelps he let out was too humiliating to describe, and at certain points he was certain she was just messing with him. No matter how hard he tried to stay silent, nothing could stop his cries of pain. And Franziska merely hummed at it all…! He was beginning to wonder how much longer she’d mess with him!

“Mhmm, Mein gott kleiner bruder… This does appear quite tender and sensitive… I shall assist you to the hospital where they can hopefully examine you better and give you an x-ray or perhaps an MRI. Don’t worry, we’ll see what they say, but do expect crutches, kleiner bruder—“

“CRUTCHES !?!?!?!”

“Yes, I did not stutter saying that. I’m going to assume that this ankle of yours is broken.”

“IT’S BROKEN????”

“Would you please calm down? Come on, I know you don’t like the hospital after… After you know what, but sadly this warrants a visit. This appears urgent. Take it from someone who has to take Scruffy Mctrenchcoat to the hospital far too many times to count. Honestly, at this point I’m just the driver to those needing to go to the hospital…”

Miles was speechless to the point he could barely talk back to Franziska picking him up and carrying him down the stairs like he was the lightest thing ever. 

She didn’t even grab my briefcase and files…! This fiend of a sister!!

As though reading his mind, she quickly responded, “Don’t fret, Miles Edgeworth, I can feel you quite literally tensing up. I will have a trusted lackey of mine clean up the mess and drop it off at my office. For right now, focus on yourself and stop worrying about others would you?”

Perhaps she’s right… It’s probably for the best that I ease up…

The car ride to the hospital was dreadful. Not that Franziska was driving too fast (In fact, she couldn’t have sped down the highway faster), rather his ankle would just NOT stop hurting. Even with an ice pack that Franziska keeps in a spare medkit, the swelling refused to go down. By now Miles’ ankle looked as big as a baseball, with all sorts of colors that indicated something nasty. 

By the time they did get to the hospital, she was wheelchairing him into the ER. The staff there thankfully was nice (Either that or they were terrified of Franziska’s whip), and they were quick to give him both an X-ray which hurt with every position they ordered him to do for the picture and an MRI. The entire time, Franziska was there to wheel him around the hospital, being careful with every bump and ensuring she didn’t hit his foot against a wall unlike a certain Detective. The clock on the wall was a constant sound, as for the most part the room they were in was dead silent besides the clock telling them when another hour passed. A few times he noticed Franziska falling asleep in the chair, but he knew her stubbornness would keep her awake. It wasn’t until 3:42 A.M Franziska finally spoke up.

“Will you be alright?”

“Pardon?”

“To be frank, Miles Edgeworth, your ankle looks to be in a not at all good condition.”

“Tell me something I can’t feel, see, and know already, Franziska.”

CRACK! Went her whip hitting the floor.

“I was getting there you imbecile!! If you would let me finish instead of saying such foolishly foolish things!”

She cleared her throat, taking a deep breath in an attempt to regain composure. 

“However I must inquire on how you are going to be after we leave this hospital. I can’t babysit you forever, kleiner bruder—”

“—Thankfully…”

“Watch your foolish mouth. So, I ask again, how are you going to handle yourself with a presumably broken ankle? It’s not like you live with anyone.”

Please don’t remind me that I live by myself, Franziska. I don’t need that reminder right now. Especially this late at night.

“My first instinct would be to call that foolish defense attorney you oh so adore—“

“DON’T…!!”

“Mmm, I figured as much. Mein gott, kleiner bruder, when are you going to tell him the truth?? You two are how old now?! 35?! How many more years are you going to pine for that man of yours?!”

“Franziska, now is NOT the time to be discussing… him. And so help me if you tell him a WORD about this—“

Franziska suddenly then and there seemed confused, even letting out such a dazed sound that Miles didn’t even know was possible for her to produce. 

“What— Why not?? I figured out of everyone you know, he’d be the first person you’d want to help you! You, I, everyone we know would INSTANTLY say he would be willing to do it— In fact, he’d be glad! Especially for you, his quote on quote best friend and not secret—“

“Stop that sentence right there Franziska.”

“Then explain yourself, Miles Edgeworth! Why keep Phoenix Wright out of this?! You visit him every— And I truly do mean EVERY time that man gets hurt. Whether he falls off a burning bridge, or gets hit by a car, suddenly a private jet gets charted and one Miles Edgeworth is at his bedside willing to help. That’s highly hypocritical of you!”

Miles wouldn’t admit it to her, and he hoped she didn’t notice, but he felt his body grow tense as he clutched his elbow. He has his reasons, all too many in fact, on why these walls should be built to keep that man away. Only issue was he was too much of a coward to speak upon such justifications. It didn’t matter how many he had, all that really mattered to Miles was that Franziska did not inform Phoenix Wright of his current condition. The thought of him of all people finding out made Miles feel petrified in the worst way possible. Exposed… 

“I don’t care if I am a hypocrite, Franziska. Just promise me you won’t tell him. Anyone else, I couldn’t care. Just anyone but him. I’m desperate here, Franziska.”

She went silent for a few minutes, and Miles felt the unease in his heart hit tenfold. The way she folded her arms with her eyes closed, as though she were debating in her head what she should do made Miles feel like a chain about to snap. 

“Hmph… Very well, I won’t inform that fool of your condition— HOWEVER! I won’t stop him in any way shape or form if he somehow finds out. Honestly, Miles Edgeworth, I think this injury of yours will eventually be figured out by the man you oh so wish to hide it from. With how much he cares for you, he’ll be at your door within 48 hours.” 

Miles couldn’t stop the small blush beginning to creep on his face at the idea of Phoenix just caring for him. Even if it was platonically, as a good friend, as the saint that Phoenix Wright is after everything, it felt too good for Miles. Too everything when he deserved nothing, especially after everything he did wrong to that man…

CREAKKKKKK…

Before Miles’ thoughts could spiral into something worse, the doctor returned with a frown. Almost instantly Miles felt his stomach drop, as reality began setting in the moment the doctor opened his mouth. 

Miles had a broken ankle. More than that, many things had fractured in his ankle. It's time to heal was frankly unknown due to his age, but he wouldn’t need surgery thankfully. He was going to have to use crutches for the month, with a follow up appointment to determine his condition again, but one thing the doctor made sure was very clear to him was that Miles would need to not walk on his ankle for the meantime. 

Not walk?? Walking is a fundamental function of the human body?? It’s how we travel and move? It makes us not a cocoon, how am I supposed to NOT walk?! In fact, how am I supposed to drive myself anywhere???

The doctor handed him a list of what to do and what not to do, explained some things to him, before leaving to go get him a pair of crutches. Franziska sighed, before turning to him.

“So… Crutches… Good luck.”

Miles rolled his eyes at her words, sarcastically responding back, “Well aren’t you helpful, Franziska.”

Franziska immediately scoffed back at him, “Please. A person on crutches? I pity any fool who has to use them. I would like to remind you to not put them into your armpit—“

“Disgusting…”

“—As that can lead to further harm and more pain. Don’t be like Scruffy. Use the side of your body, and be careful around wet floors or else you’ll slip and most definitely hurt yourself.” 

“I think I’ve slipped enough Franziska…”

“Not quite. Honestly you being this clumsy is unlike you, Miles Edgeworth. What happened to such elegance and balance in your walking, hmm?”

“Everyone makes a mistake, Franziska.”

With that response, Franziska quieted down, the time getting to her as she quietly whispered, “I know, but I can’t lie and say I wasn’t worried seeing you on the stairs… I thought for a moment that you were… gone…” 

“Franziska…”

“I know you aren’t!! But just… I’ve seen far too many bodies, in far too many horrible ways in places I could never imagine if I hadn’t seen it. I can’t help but worry that one day I might find you in a similar way… Or Maya, or anyone I hold dear…”

Miles knew from her tone she was being vulnerable and open with him. That her tough persona of Renowned Prosecutor and Interpol Agent Franziska Von Karma was falling apart, leaving him simply Franziska Von Karma, his dear sister. While his ankle may hurt, he couldn’t imagine the pain she felt the moment she found him. After all, he was barely moving.

“…I’m sorry…”

“Miles Edgeworth, you have, as Maya would put it, NOTHING to apologize over! Don’t just say it without—“

“—No, I’m sorry for making you worry, and for keeping you up this late. You could be sleeping and or relaxing right now, Schwester. But you’re having to deal with my mistakes… For that, I’m sorry.”

Miles closed his eyes, hoping she would accept such words and not give him a snarky response. Instead he felt a hand gently placed on his shoulder, and opening his eyes he met Franziska’s gaze. 

“Miles Edgeworth, you are my bruder. You are family, and it should go without saying that your health is important. Had the tables turned, you would’ve done the exact same thing for me, just like the time you dragged me to the hospital when I had been shot in the arm by that daring assassin.”

“Gosh, you were stubborn to go to the hospital—“

“REGARDLESS OF THAT— I’m here for you too, Miles Edgeworth. I, Franziska Von Karma, am here… And you still have nothing to apologize for. Don’t interpret these actions as one of competition and superiority, I just… People do care about you, Miles Edgeworth. So please… Get well soon, and try to rest…”

Before Miles could speak up, the nurse had returned with a fresh pair of crutches and a cast to protect his ankle. Sitting up, Miles flinched all too many times when she was putting on the cast. He felt bad, but thankfully the nurse was understanding. 

Poor lady… She must find me ridiculous…

The nurse then quickly went over how to use the crutches, demonstrating and moving for Miles. She moved slowly on them, and that alone made Miles determined to find a way to move faster on them to avoid becoming a snail. The last thing he needed was to become that slow moving person that blocks traffic. 

With some help from both the nurse and Franziska, they got him on his crutches, and almost immediately Miles felt slow on them. Even Franziska couldn’t hide her laughs at how slow he became. Miles was typically a fast walker, moving to places efficiently was what he always aimed for. On crutches?? He felt like an old grandma at the supermarket taking her sweet sweet time moving about. 

This is going to be pure torture, isn’t it?

Franziska was nice enough to drive him home and set up everything in his somewhat disorganized house. 

“Miles Edgeworth, why is your house such a mess?! Did a tornado hit it or something?! I thought you kept this place clean and pristine??”

Miles sighed, quickly answering, “While that is normally the case, regrettably work has made me a bit of a mess with no spare time to clean about the place. That mixed with Larry Butz visiting unexpectedly last weekend—“

“Enough. I can already imagine what that buffoon did to your house. I understand now. Let me just… You go change, Miles Edgeworth, into your pajamas. If you need help, yell for me. I’m going to move some of your furniture around to hopefully make this easier.”

With that, Miles was off on his crutches to his bedroom. Trying to move about was rather difficult, and trying to open and hold things without falling was difficult to say the least. Miles after everything wasn’t going to not be grateful to his legs ever again. With every growing second he was beginning to appreciate them even more and what they did for him. 

Even trying to relax on his bed wasn’t easy! The weight of the cast they put on him made everything stiff and difficult, and at this point, it felt impossible to take off his pants. So reluctantly, he finally yelled out to Franziska. 

“Franziska!!”

She quickly arrived with a bunch of pillows, and wiped some sweat off her forehead.

“Before you tell me what’s wrong, I must declare that you, Miles Edgeworth, have heavy beyond belief furniture. Just, wow. Anyways, what’s the issue kleiner bruder?”

Miles looked away from her, mumbling, “I just… I can’t get my pants off…”

Franziska hummed, smirking a bit. “I see, well thankfully unlike you, I’m not ashamed to take them off for you.”

“Wait what?”

Before Miles’ brain could catch up, Franziska was putting the pillows on the bed and quickly albeit rather masterfully taking his work pants off. 

“Don’t be so embarrassed, kleiner bruder, I do this to arrogant people who won’t stop yapping all the time with my whip. Undoing their pants often makes them act like you, and they become far more willing to talk.”

…Yup, I’ve found a new fear of Franziska. No pants are ever safe. 

“Now don’t expect me to remove—“

“OF COURSE NOT!!”

“Good, let me know when you are fully changed, because I have a few more words to say.”

Oh great… Why do I have this sudden impression that she is going to lecture me about my ankle??

With Franziska out of the room, Miles did his best to change into his favorite pink pajamas. Even the simple action of changing into clothes became a challenge. It made Miles realize just how much the ankle truly moves. While his appreciation of it may have gone up, it definitely made it being broken even more painful. 

Yup, this is going to be agonizing. I just HAD to fall and twist my ankle…

Once he was done, he called for Franziska again. When she returned, as he suspected, she began lecturing him on things to do to help him get better and lessen the pain. First, she ordered him to elevate his ankle, as that apparently helped with the inflammation. Second, she had him take some meds to hopefully reduce the pain enough to where he could sleep with enough comfort. Finally, she explained how she was going to have someone check up on him tomorrow, and that he is to ‘not be a fool, take tomorrow off, and relax.’

At the thought of that, he realized something that made his heart sink. 

I’m going to have to cancel my plans with Phoenix Wright… Crap…

He’s going to want a reason too… He’s too darn curious… Shoot shoot shoot… What am I going to do?? I wanted to go, but with me on crutches now, and me having to conceal this from him, that’s… UGHHHH…

“Miles Edgeworth, so help me if I see you tomorrow in your office, I am whipping you into a state of not foolishness and taking you back here! And don’t think I’m acting like that bluffing attorney you adore, take these words as a real threat, you understand?!”

Miles immediately nodded his head. I was already going to take tomorrow off anyways, but… I truly need to plan a message for Phoenix that won’t make him suspicious and is realistic enough that won’t make him disappointed… 

Franziska cleared her throat, catching Miles’ attention immediately. While he was expecting some more advice, instead he caught Franziska smiling at him. Not an arrogant, pity, smirking type of smile, but rather one of genuinely care and love… A smile he was not at all used to…

“Mein gott… You are a mess, Miles Edgeworth… However, I do again wish to state that you get well soon. I’m heading out. Call me if something tragic happens in the span of time that I am gone. Good night, don’t let the ankle pain bite.” 

And just like that, Franziska had left, shutting the lights off and closing the door. Miles didn’t stop her, knowing she had a day out with her wife tomorrow, and not wanting to ruin their time, it was best she got home to go to sleep. 

I should probably do the same… I’ll come up with a text in the morning… 

Doing his best to get comfortable, which was near impossible, Miles attempted to sleep, staring at the ceiling until finally, the world went black and the pain in his ankle disappeared as his mind went quiet. 

---

Message Sent, 7:01 A.M To Phoenix Wright

Wright, apologies for the short notice, however due to unforeseen circumstances I am unable to attend today’s outing. An important matter came up at work that requires my attention. Truly forgive me for the short notice.

Miles felt his ankle ache as he woke up to type out the text to Phoenix. He wanted to make it vague, but not too vague. Something that was believable and something that Phoenix hopefully wouldn’t question. To him, it felt like something plausible and something Phoenix wouldn’t mess with. Only flaw would be if Phoenix, kind hearted as he was, asked if he could help Miles with his work. 

HOWEVER! Miles’ counterargument to that possibility is Phoenix’s desire to even go to the exhibit. As kind and sweet and caring as he was— Which Miles found endlessly beautiful— Phoenix wouldn’t miss out on seeing art. 

Hah! I win come the end with this message— YEOWWW I NEED TO TAKE MY MEDS.

Only issue was… Well he couldn’t find them. They weren’t on his bedside table, nor in his bathroom from a glance. Great, I guess I’m getting up and using these foolish sticks after all. 

Feeling like a moron, Miles got on his crutches and went around the house trying to find some medicine to calm his ankle down for a bit. However, no matter how hard he looked and no matter how accessible Franziska made his house last night, he couldn’t find his meds anywhere. 

The only logical conclusion would be if Franziska accidentally took it home with her last night!!

Going back to his phone, he quickly texted her.

Message Sent, 7:23 A.M To Franziska 

Franziska, by chance did you take my medicine for my ankle home?

Miles waited for minutes, anticipating a response fast. One never came. She was either still asleep or driving somewhere. Another groan escaped him, as he looked down at his ankle cast, wondering how his ankle must be looking underneath it all. 

Eventually, however, he grew bored. It wasn’t often that Miles was at home with nothing to really do. In fact, sitting in his house was something he actively avoided. It was perhaps why he spent so much time at work, or away from his home in the first place.

It was desolate. Empty. Cold.

It never felt like home to him. It felt isolated and lonely, and perhaps it was because he was 35 years old and still single while everyone around him was with somebody and settled down, but sitting in his home always came with a sense of loneliness. Especially after he gave Kay his beloved dog to keep her company, the feeling that he was destined to be alone had never felt stronger. 

The world around him just felt so happy and joyful, while he himself was lost at sea, alone in an endless ocean. He felt unapproachable. He felt too far gone. And worst of all, a certain all too familiar feeling with creeping back into his mind. 

I feel like a complete failure…

Miles wanted to shake that thought away. If it lingered for too long, it would go down into a hole he wasn’t ready to explore, nor was he ready to handle. Even that thought had his throat constricting and his breath shaky—

No, I am not thinking that… I have to change subjects… I can’t… 

DING!

Message Received, 7:31 A.M Phoenix Wright

okay thanks for the heads up and good luck with work. ill send some pictures to you later. trucy also says hi :)

Message Sent, 7:32 A.M To Phoenix Wright

Thank you for understanding Wright, and please send Ms. Trucy my regards. And as per usual, I urge you to please use proper capitalization and grammar. 

Message Received, 7:32 A.M Phoenix Wright

Nerd. Anyways, I’ll let you get back to your job.

Miles couldn’t stop the smile from forming on his face, hearing Phoenix’s voice as he read the short exchange. There was just something in his voice that made Miles’ heart flutter with joy. It was a voice he found to be sincere, genuine, an uplifting voice with so much personality. It was a voice he sorely missed when Phoenix got disbarred and wouldn’t talk without being too deep and mysterious. Miles couldn’t help but admire Phoenix’s voice and the way he carries himself when he speaks. Whether it be when he talks to Trucy, or when he is joking around with Maya, or even when he’s fearful of Franziska. His voice was one engraved into his mind. 

I just hope he isn’t secretly annoyed with me… That is the last thing I want, more conflict between me and him. 

Miles couldn’t help but pinch his nose, memories of them arguing beginning to flood his mind. While yes, their friendship was in a very comfortable spot at the current moment, a few weeks ago they had gotten into a bit of a spat with one another. It started with a few sips of water  and escalated into a yelling session about irresponsibility. To say daggers were thrown at one another metaphorically would be an understatement. Things might’ve not gotten to the point of physicality like some fights they had during Phoenix’s disbarment, but it was to the point where Trucy had to intervene and break them up. 

At least we can both still agree on the fact that Trucy is still more responsible than the both of us…

It took some time for them to recuperate after that, with small outings helping rebuild their friendship to a point where they weren’t tense with one another. 

It was just… To Miles, he couldn’t help but worry about Phoenix. His reckless behavior got him into FAR too much trouble. He was worried it would affect his employees and those around him. Now did Miles word it correctly? Based on Phoenix’s harsh reaction back then, absolutely not. 

I can never seem to just… talk to him… In a way that won’t get him riled up… I wonder—

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!!!

Oh for— Of all people Franziska, him??

Struggling to get back onto his crutches and slowly getting over there, Miles unlocked the door to be greeted by an all too familiar sight of a giant green jacket. Nothing could stop the eye roll of his when he saw the uptight salute given to him. 

“Good Morning, Mr. Edgeworth, sir! Ms. Von Karma gave me heavy orders to take care of you today after a classified incident happened!”

“Mmmm, good morning, Gumshoe. I presume the bandages on your head are a result of her vicious whip?”

Gumshoe let out a laugh, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah… I might’ve said some things that upset Ms. Von Karma… Although she didn’t seem to be in a happy mood, sir. Her eyes were sharp enough to break concrete! Heh heh!”

Must be from the lack of sleep she got last night… Either that or the fact she seemingly went into work today… Seems you got the blunt end of her attitude, Detective. 

“But Mr. Edgeworth sir… You really look beat up there…”

“Astute observation, detective…”

“Anyways, sir, I’m here to help, and I thought to bring a wheelchair!”

“I see dete— what.”

From down the hall, Gumshoe was quick to roll in a newer looking wheelchair most certainly from the precinct. It had a Blue Badger sticker on it, alongside some other stickers that were definitely placed by a family for the person who was previously in the chair. 

“Now see, Mr Edgeworth sir, I figured a wheelchair would be easier than having to use those metal sticks holding you up there!”

Miles didn’t have a response to that, as there was only one thing circulating in his head at that very moment. 

This feels childish. This feels too silly. I am a grown adult. I do not need to tolerate this. I am going to dock his pay when I’m through with all of this—

“GULP… Please don’t give me that look, sir!”

“Hmph…” Let’s just get this over with already.

Miles quickly handed Gumshoe the crutches, before positioning himself in such a way that allowed him to sit in the wheelchair. The blasted thing had no cushioning, had something sticky on the handle likely from candy, and kept making the most maddening squeak. 

“See, Mr. Edgeworth! Isn’t this better?”

Not really. I would rather look stupid on crutches than sit in this cursed thing. 

Miles didn’t even realize that Gumshoe was pushing him around on the wheelchair until he felt a spiking pain from his ankle and a loud thud. 

“NGOHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

“Whoops!!! Sorry sir! I didn’t mean to hit the wall!!”

Miles might’ve hated the stickiness of the handles, but it was the only thing to hold on to that helped him fight the waves of hurt radiating from his ankle. 

How does one pushing a wheelchair hit the wall?!?!?!?!

Isn’t he watching where he is pushing me?!!

Mmmmmpf!!! If I get my hands on Franziska’s whip, so help me I am NOT holding back—

THUD!!!!

OH FOR THE LOVE OF— 

“Again?! Sorry sir!! I’ll try to be more careful.”

Those were the words that Miles was going to hold against the detective for however long they know each other. After the first two hits, Miles was deathly aware of the detective from there on out. The bumbling baron almost hitting his cast against an object another TWO TIMES. It wasn’t until Miles was put back on his sofa that he felt safe again. He made sure to tell Gumshoe with gritted teeth and a smile that “it was fine”. Gumshoe at least helped him prop his ankle up on the table with some pillows to keep it elevated. 

And yet, even when the detective was in the kitchen, most certainly making it even more of a mess than before, Miles didn’t let his guard down. His ankle by now was hurting so bad Miles was considering just getting it amputated. Would that logically help? Not at all. But at this point he was going madder than Franziska when stuck in a room with Larry Butz. 

Between the detective’s questionable singing abilities as he cooked, the temperature of his house getting too hot for comfort after the man messed with his thermostat, and the jokes the detective tried making with him:

“Hey sir! Why did the ankle lose the court case?”

“Don’t answer that Gumshoe—“

“Because it didn’t have a leg to stand on!!”

Is this punishment for everything I’ve ever done in my life? If so, it’s worse than I could’ve ever imagined. Oh who am I kidding, this isn’t even the worst punishment I’ve ever thought for myself— But this sure is a good torture method… I might have the detective do more interrogations in the future, because this would drive ANYONE to a confession. 

Nearby footsteps that would surely wake the dead caught Miles’ attention. 

“Here you go sir, a bowl of chicken noodle soup! One of Maggey’s favorite meals when she is under the weather, which is nearly everyday.”

“Thank you, Gumshoe…”

“Is there anything else you’d like, sir?”

“No thanks, Gumshoe, I think—“

“WAIT!!”

Miles almost spilled the soup on himself with the force of that shout, so unexpected and sudden. A glare was shot at Gumshoe.

“What now?!!”

“I just… Can I sign your cast, sir?”

At that point in time, Miles couldn’t wait for his ankle to heal and get better, and hoped to anyone out there that the healing process was fast. 

---

By the time Gumshoe had left his house when he thought Miles was asleep, Miles made sure to tell Franziska that Gumshoe is banned from helping him with physical injuries ever again. Whether or not she read his message was still unknown. He figured she must’ve been busy with whatever she was up to. 

But with Gumshoe now gone and out of his house, Miles crutched over to the kitchen to see what mess was left. Surprisingly, however, the kitchen was sparkling clean. Every counter was wiped and sanitized, every dish that was in the dish drain drying was put away, and most surprisingly of all everything was back to being organized in a way that Miles liked. 

How did Gumshoe manage to even do this? I’ve never told him the order of my kitchen, and as much as I appreciate him, I didn’t even know he was capable of such organization. This is the same person who can barely organize folders in my office in alphabetical order!! 

To say Miles was beyond impressed would be an understatement. Out of nowhere he felt the need to actually… praise Gumshoe for his loyalty and generosity. Maybe even raise his salary just a bit as a gesture of thanks. Miles would admit to himself easily that he is hard on the detective, and isn’t always the best when it comes to… appreciating his ways. This was merely a nice reminder of why he’s kept the detective around, and why he is such an indispensable friend. 

Looking down on his casted ankle showed it. In a green permanent marker, the detective had written “Get Well Soon, Sir!! The force misses ya!”. It was… Sweet… Even if the handwriting looked like one of a 7 year old. He somewhat… liked having his cast signed. It made the white bandages look less depressing and more… friendly.

Letting out a little laugh, Miles did his best to prepare himself a cup of tea. Waiting for the water to boil, he checked his phone to see A LOT of text messages from Phoenix. Over 40. 

Hesitantly, he opened the messaging app that Kay taught him about and was met with essay upon essays of critiques. His mouth immediately fell open at the mere gander of words Phoenix had written. It was like Miles had walked into a library full of nothing but Steel Samurai Manga. Phoenix was even nice enough to send some pictures of the artwork he saw, before dropping one heck of an analysis on it. It felt… Beautiful. 

One by one, he read each of Phoenix’s texts, occasionally laughing and snorting at what he had to say. Each painting had its pros and cons according to Phoenix, which Miles liked. Even when Phoenix outright said he hated a painting, he still appreciated the positives about it. Nothing was ever a full dislike with no good. Something about that just made Miles melt. It made him think of how much good Phoenix finds in people. 

Portraits, landscapes, abstract, the descriptions and words he wrote about them felt poetic and magical. At certain points, Miles found himself thinking of how Phoenix must’ve looked when he was analyzing the artwork presented before him. 

Did he squint his eyes? I wonder if he scratched his chin just like he does in court… We’re his eyes like little binoculars? Looking into things so far away? What did other people think when they saw him? Did he smile? Did he frown? Oh, what an opportunity I’ve missed! 

It wasn’t until his kettle was screaming that he realized he forgot he was making tea. With the best of his ability, he poured the water into his favorite mug, and put the mug on a nearby kitchen island so he wouldn’t have to try to crutch around carrying piping hot tea. Sitting on a stool and taking a few sips, he continued reading Phoenix’s reviews. The painting he took a picture of showed a sunset over a snowy landscape, and even if the photo quality was poor, even Miles could recognize that the painting was one of master class. Phoenix’s words even backed it up.:

“This painting is by Acril, a very renowned artist in recent history. The usage of purples, blues, and grays truly bring this painting to life. Standing here looking at it, I could feel the cold breeze depicted in the art. The colors just amaze me, with the contrast of cool with the warmth of the sun. To me, I feel like it shows how time is always moving, with the subtle bit of green indicating to me at least that the seasons are changing soon. That no matter how permanent a thing might seem, or no matter how cold one can grow, things can eventually change with time and patience. I do think the composition could be better, but I think this painting overall is master class, and definitely the best of the paintings I’ve seen so far. The nature presented in the art, the way he drew the sun’s rays, and even the clouds give a feeling of euphoria amidst melancholy. The title of the painting is, after all, “Spring Upon Snow.” 9/10.”

Miles was tempted to send an attempt at a joke of how better Phoenix is with his words when he talks about artwork. In court? Phoenix Wright says the most out of pocket things imaginable. With artwork? With Trucy? He spews out some of the most incredible words that Miles just… loves.

Nope, nope— Not going down that hole. Nope.

Miles quickly put his phone down, trying to get his thoughts away from a certain… subject that was to be avoided. Now was not the time, especially at night. Especially when it was something he would most certainly linger on. Again, now was NOT the time. 

Finishing his tea and washing it, Miles, as fast as he could, crutched back to his bedroom to try and sleep, just wanting to move on already…

.

.

.

.

.

Darkness. 

That’s how it always begins. An endless void of nothingness. 

The only thing visible to him: A chain. 

Everything felt heavy. Breathing. His body. Everything. 

Every attempt at movement was futile.

Every attempt to speak was impossible.

No words could come out his mouth, no matter how hard he tried to speak. No matter how hard he yelled, cried, screamed. 

Everything around him screamed silently that he was alone. That he was finally locked away for good. That nobody would ever be hurt by him ever again. That he had been caught. That he was in trouble.

His mind screamed to get away. His mind screamed that he was sorry. That he never wanted to hurt anyone. That he just wanted to help…!

No response ever came. 

No response ever needed to come. 

The answer was already made clear in his soul. 

Had already been made clear long ago. 

Even in the hazy darkness where he stood, where he was locked away, he knew the answer within himself all along.

He was a bad person. 

He was a demon like they had called him. 

He was bad. 

Rotten. 

A monster. 

Inhuman. 

He was irredeemable. 

He had slaughtered far too many innocents.

Sent them away heartlessly to die.

While he himself got to live.

While he himself was forgiven.

“Why?” the Jury would cry, yearning for justice.

“Why?” Every innocent would sob, before he sent them to die. 

“Why?!!” Would yell one person he adored, angry for everything he’s ever done. 

They would scream. They would call. They would sob and wail. They would shout. They would whisper. One simple word. One three letter word. 

And the truth?

There was no truth.

There was no true answer to their cries. To their calls. To their sobs and wails. To their shouts and whispers. 

What he, Miles Edgeworth, had done to them.

What he, Miles Edgeworth, had done with a smirk and iron grip.

Nothing would ever justify that. Nothing would ever atone his crimes. 

There was no truth. 

There was no redemption. 

There was only Miles Edgeworth.

A heartless man.

A worthless man. One deserving of agony. One deserving of torture. 

Yet one who gets forgiven time and time again. 

Even this monster. This being who gets to keep living, even he who is shackled down by guilt and pain…

Even he shall never truly get what he wants.

Wealth? Some may cry. It was never about the money.

Fame? Some may ask. Reputations never mattered to him. 

Friends? Family? Just life itself? 

No. Within the darkness, it knew what he desired beyond everything else. 

It knew what he yearned for.

What he dreamt to have.

What would be the ultimate forgiveness. 

Yet, the darkness held him. Locked him away. Tortured him endlessly in solitude. 

In loneliness.

For a man such as Miles Edgeworth, loneliness was forever a constant. 

Every pound holding him down just being a reminder of all he’s lost. 

His Father.

His trustworthiness.

His XXXXXX. 

Miles Edgeworth, guilty. 

It didn’t matter how many daggers were stabbed into his body. It didn't matter how many people laughed at him. It didn’t matter how many times he was humiliated. 

There was always going to be one thing. One person who made and or broke him. 

And within the darkness, ever so faintly, despite how tired and far gone Miles was…

He heard him laughing. He heard him far away. In a place he’d never be able to reach. 

For what he wanted was an angel, while he himself was the devil. For he was the warm sun, while Miles was a dark bloody moon that brought upon despair. 

“Look at yourself.” 

Rang out into the darkness, shaking everything like an earthquake. Miles could feel his body tense, could feel his nerves spike and his eyes widen. 

He never wanted to appear this way. He never wanted to be the way he was. 

But there was no escape. 

There was no escaping who he was. 

A lonely, worthless man.

.

.

.

.

.

Miles awoke, accidentally moving his ankle in the cast making it throb painfully. He felt tears in his eyes, as his breath was too fast for him to calm down. 

A nightmare. Truthfully he hadn’t had one in a while, but they were back, and Miles was already not missing them. His heart felt too heavy, his entire being felt too vulnerable for anyone to see. If someone were to see him right then and there, they’d probably laugh so hard at how pathetic he was. Miles Edgeworth, Chief Prosecutor of Japanifornia, having nightmares and a broken ankle. It was childish. It was stupid. And everything made Miles want to just… 

Stop… I want this all to stop… Please…!

Gripping the bed sheets barely helped. Trying to stay grounded to reality felt too monumentous. Too impossible. Words were going too fast. The room was too dark. And pain, both from his injury and from his own thoughts, would not stop. 

Tears began spilling from his eyes, relentless and too out of control. Nothing at that point even felt in control. Normally, if he was having these episodes, he would call Phoenix and have him calm him down. They had made a deal in helping each other with nightmares and bad thoughts no matter when. 

However…

I can’t… I just can’t talk to him right now… I already cancelled on him today, and I just… I don’t deserve to be in his comforting presence. I can’t…

By now, Miles was getting a headache from his lack of focus. He knew he HAD to call somebody, but he was struggling to think of somebody. His brain felt on the verge of just exploding. It felt like he was about to lash out in the courtroom at some bumbling defense attorney.

Thankfully, his body was coherent enough to move without him really thinking, because before long, his ears picked up on a voice. 

“Hello? Mr. Edgeworth? Did you need something?”

That’s… Kay…

“Helllllo??? Mr. Edgeworth? You okay??”

I didn’t… I shouldn’t have… 

“Mmmmm, I… I’m here, Kay…”

Miles could vaguely hear her gasp into the phone, and after a bit of static, she was suddenly yelling,

“WHAT’S WRONG?! DID SOMETHING HAPPEN!?!”

“K-Kay…”

“Hold on, Mr. Edgeworth! I’ll be over soon! Your window still is easy to break into, right?”

“N-Not necessary… I… I thought you were in Italy?”

“Oh yeah… I forgot about that—“

Still a silly girl after all these years.

“—but wait! That means it’s like the middle of the night for you back in Japanifornia! Why are you awake??”

“Well… That’s… Errrr…”

“Oh. Did you have a bad dream?”

“That’s errr… Well…”

“I’m taking that as a yes, Mr. Edgeworth. Don’t worry, Maya told me that you have issues with bad dreams, and that if you randomly call in the middle of the night, be prepared to chit chat.”

Of course Maya told her that… Just of course.

“But it has been a while since we last chatted. Let me drop some truths I’ve uncovered here in Italy with Debeste! You just won’t believe what truths we’ve stolen. Seb says they are truly THE BEST, as he normally says about most things. Anyways, we found…”

For a good hour or so, Miles sat there listening to Kay talk about some discoveries they made involving some cases the duo have been trying to tie together. Ranging from secret affairs to false promises, the secrets they had dug up were rather revealing and had apparently helped Interpol catch some syndicates that wouldn’t have been caught. It reminded Miles that, at the very least, he was able to inspire these two to do this type of work. To go out into the world and use their talents for good. He knew Kay could always make a difference in the world, but Sebastian’s had truly shocked him. He went back to school with the help of Justine Courtney and Franziska, and ended up becoming a respected international prosecutor. 

They’ve both grown so much… that nightmare was wrong… I may not be the best person, far from it, but at least… At least I was able to inspire my loved ones to be something greater… 

Tension was finally leaving his body, the dizziness and emotional turmoil evaporating into a sense of pride. While Kay was talking about how she encountered a peacock that chased Sebastian, Miles interrupted,

“Sorry to interrupt, Kay, but just… Thank you.”

“H-Huh?”

“Thank you for telling me all of this… It… It…”

“Oh! No problem Mr. Edgeworth!! It was overdue for me to tell you anyway. Are you feeling any better?” The concern in her voice made Miles melt a bit, knowing how much that girl really cares for him. If she would, he would take great pride in being her… well… father figure…

Not that I’d ever admit that… She’d probably laugh and deny such an idea. Especially when… Now’s not the time to think about that.

“It helped? Well then that’s all that matters! Glad to be of service!” Kay cheerfully replied, with sounds of Sebastian shouting in the distance. Miles couldn’t help but smile, having a feeling that something was going on.

“Was that Sebastian in the background??”

“Umm… Yes, and it appears he’s caught his hair on fire…”

“W-What?!” How on Earth did his hair catch on fire???

“I’ll have to tell you next time! I gotta go, Mr. Edgeworth!!”

“Very well then… Thank you again, Kay, and I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Hah! You’re back to sounding all professional! Until next time! For even in the depths of night, when no other bird dares to take flight, one alone soars to shine the light of righteousness on the world's blight! And that one is me! For I am the Great Thief, Yatagarasu!”

In the background, Miles could hear Sebastian begging for Kay to help him or else he’ll become bald. These two chaotic… Just these two…

Kay hung up, and Miles let his body relax against his bed pillows, letting out a sigh of fondness. She had talked to him so much, he forgot what his nightmare was even about. Now the only thing in his mind was picturing Sebastian bald.

I don’t think it’d be the best look for him honestly. But who knows? 

Miles let out a yawn, smiling that he could most likely go back to sleep now. Closing his eyes, he felt the world grow light as the sound of happy innocent laughter filled his mind. 

---

When Miles woke up again, it was to the sound of happy cheers and clapping

“Look who is finally waking up!! Well jeez, Miles, I didn’t know you could sleep so hard!”

Rubbing his eyes and looking towards the source of the noise, his eyes registered the all too familiar color of purple. 

“Mmmmm… Wha…”

“I guess I should say good morning— Good morning!! Maya Fey is here!”

And at that entrance, Miles fully felt himself wake up. Low and behold, Maya indeed was right there, sitting in a chair right by his bed. 

“Wha— Maya?? How did you get in here??”

“Oh! I have my ways. I teleported in here using my powers and—“

“Nghhh, let me guess, Kay told you how to break into my house.”

Maya laughed and scratched the back of her head, a habit she most certainly picked up from Phoenix. “Welllll, yeah. It was either that or beg Franzy for the key, but she’s sleeping peacefully on your sofa.”

“Figures… This is what Wright warned me about getting you two in kahoots with one another…”

“Please! You two should’ve known we would’ve been here to poke fun! No matter how hard you and Nick try to deny it, we make an awesome team! Especially when Trucy joins! Then we become the Danger Trio!!”

Miles smirked, “More like the Give Wright a Fright trio. Between your spiritual powers, Trucy’s magic, and Kay’s thieving skills, you 3 give the Wright Anything Agency a scare.”

Maya jumped up off her seat, exclaiming, “Ha!! Never doubt the assistant girlies who have helped in the courtroom far too much even though we aren’t lawyers!”

Miles rolled his eyes, quickly adding, “Two of the three of you were at one point CEO of Wright’s firm.”

“Hey! I still am considered a CEO of Wright’s firm alongside Trucy! Nick said so!”

Miles couldn’t stop shaking his head and smiling, Maya’s cheery attitude infectious as always. Even if it took years for Maya to forgive him, he did truly value their friendship with one another. There was nobody else who understood the Steel Samurai quite like her. Even more than that, she was just… A great friend, with great advice, albeit at the cost of wanting burgers. 

Maya’s excitement finally calmed down, as she finally spoke at a more calm and normal level. “Hey Miles, how are you and your broke ankle doing anywho? And before you ask, yes, Franziska did tell me what happened to cause such a horrible injury.”

“NGOHHHHH!!”

“Well?! What’d you expect?!! To have her NOT tell her amazing beloved wife? I would have badgered you anyways for an answer, so be glad it was her telling me and not you. After all, we both know that you’d go bright red trying to admit something like that to me.”

“W-Well… That is to say…!”

“Just stop trying to deny it, Miles. It’s okay. She told me everything, and I’m here to keep you company! Don’t worry, Pearls is watching the village right now, and I was due for a vacation—“

“—T-This is not meant to be a vacation!”

Maya laughed some more, “We’ll then! I guess we AREN’T going to watch Steel Samurai again? Hmmm… With the latest drop featuring behind the scenes look into the process of developing the Evil Magistrate’s spin off. I guess you don’t want to see that?”

Miles felt himself gulp. Blasted!! I do wish to see that! Especially since the Evil Magistrate’s series finally got an official translation after YEARS of waiting… Although they did screw up some translated names… I am still on the hunt to know absolutely everything when it comes to the Steel Samurai!!

“I take it that your answer is a yes, Miles?”

“Mmmmmmm, oh alright! You drive a hard bargain, Maya.”

“Look at who you are talking to! Think of it as a thanks for defending me on that one thread.”

Miles slammed his hands down on the bed, “Objection!! That person was just FACTUALLY WRONG. Where they got the idea that Pink Princess and Steel Samurai are a confirmed couple?? Where they thought that the Evil Magistrate’s pure evil?? You needed backup, and trust me, I would’ve argued that person if you were there or not, Maya.”

“Anyways, I’ll meet you over in the living room. I gotta move Franzy over to a more quiet place anyways. The things that are revealed in the behind the scenes clips are CRAZY!! It’s honestly a miracle you hadn’t been spoiled yet!”

With that, Maya ran out of his bedroom leaving Miles to get ready. Grabbing his crutches, he went to wash up, still not ready to try and shower with a trash bag over his cast. Truly I don’t think anything will be as humiliating as that. 

Once he was looking presentable enough, he slowly made his way over to his living room to be greeted with the sight of all sorts of food and drinks. 

She really was prepared for this, wasn’t she?

“You made it! Come on, old man! Sit down.”

“Hmph. Save that title for Wright, would you?”

“Nahh, you both are old men, old man.”

Miles gave her a glare, which had her giggling on the sofa. 

“Oh what am I saying? We are all old. I miss our days of youth sometimes, but also, I really don’t. I ask how I was able to even be so energetic sometimes! Miles, where did all the time go?”

Miles had to do a double take of her words, knowing full well they were genuine. She honestly did have a point. It had been over 11 years since he first saw her name on the paperwork he received for the Mia Fey trial… 11 years since he saw her so nervous to be framed for a crime she most certainly didn’t do. For a crime he knew she didn’t commit. 

“I… Time didn’t go anywhere, Maya. It’s stayed consistent, even if the sensation of it flying feels true. However, it’s not… Though I may not miss my youth as much as you, I do understand where you are coming from. You used to be soooo tiny—“

“Hey!!”

“—But now you’ve all but grown up. Sometimes, Wright even mentions how proud he is of you. About how you’ve matured and grown into such a dependable young lady, albeit still not mature enough to buy her own burgers, he might complain.”

Maya playfully punched his arm, quick to respond, “And I shall continue being his wallet thief! No amount of age will stop me from doing that!”

“Oh please, I know. Which leads me to asking if you’ve already stolen my wallet.”

Maya looked away, whistling. Guilty as charged.

“Not that I mind. You can go ahead and take the money if you need it, Maya. I’m not going to stop you.”

Maya looked at him, almost in shock, before suddenly laughing. 

“W-What… W-What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, it’s just… Heh… With this talk about how time has flown and stuff, if I asked that 11 years ago, you probably would’ve glared at me and say no. Besides, you couldn’t stop me if you tried. You are FAR too slow on those crutches.”

“Hmph, fair point. I don’t know if I can even go faster—“

“Well sure you can!! Let me show you something Mia taught me!”

“Wha— H-Hold it!! She was on crutches?”

Maya giggled, grabbing hold of his crutches before explaining, “Yeah, when I was very young, she slipped off a rock while training and needed crutches thanks to a sprained ankle. However, my sister was always creative, and developed her own method of moving on crutches faster. So basically—“

And from there, Miles observed how Maya put the crutches in front of her and basically swung her one good foot to a comfortable position, and just repeated that over and over again at a rapid pace. The crutches practically just became a new pair of feet, and the speeds she was going at made it as though she were just running while on crutches. And her other foot? NEVER touched the ground, making it a rather safe way to move fast on crutches. 

“You see? Any questions?”

Miles shook his head, impressed at such an interesting method of travel. 

“No questions, just more respect for your older sister. She truly was just… A genius…”

Maya gave a sad smile, putting his crutches nearby on the wall. “Yeah… Sis… I still miss her even today, and wish I appreciated her more when I had her…”

Miles looked away, getting a similar feeling to Maya.

”Heh… I feel rather similar when it concerns my… my Father…”

Maya immediately was by his side, offering a hand to him, seemingly having sensed how serious of a subject this was for him. 

“You know we don’t have to talk about this if it makes you uncomfortable, right?”

Miles chuckled, “It’s not that… I just… I’m not used to speaking of matters regarding my Father… As the years go by, I lose more and more memories of him. And honestly? Sometimes when I look in the mirror… I…” 

By now, Maya had grabbed his hand. Deep breath… You can admit this…

“Sometimes… I see him in myself…”

“Oh… Miles…”

“From the glasses, to his stare, his wrinkles and age… I’m at his age, Maya. He was 35 years old when he died… I mean, even my good friend Raymond Shields finds that we are alike and sometimes that just… It hits me that I’m still… His son… Y’know? That after everything I’ve done with my life, after how much he tried taking and making me something not affiliated with the Edgeworth family name in the slightest… I’m still the son of Gregory Edgeworth…”

Maya by now looked at him with knowing eyes. He quietly nodded for her to share her thoughts, noticing just how much she understood what he was feeling. 

“I completely understand… Every so often, an elder at the village will confuse me with Mia, and say just how similar we apparently look. And sometimes, I try to imagine Mia standing beside me in the mirror, and I completely understand why you find similarities, because I do too… Sure, I can still communicate to Mia with enough focus, but it still hits me sometimes when I’m with Nick that… I’m still her sister and carrier of the Fey name… Despite it all… Despite all the hardships and training…”

Silence filled the room, the two most certainly thinking about the person they lost in such a cruel way. For Miles, he couldn’t help thinking about how similar his Father and Mia were. Both were exceptional defense attorneys, and seemingly a great family member. Both of them cared deeply, and were so passionate. 

I wonder… Had they met, would they have been good friends? I think they would’ve been a phenomenal team in the courtroom… Yet they both died too soon thanks to horrible, horrible men… 

“Hey… Miles… You look lost in thoughts over there… We can move on if—“

Miles smiled, waving his hand to dismiss that idea. “It’s not that at all, Maya. I just… Well I just remembered something I completely forgot about involving my Father…”

“Wait, really?!” Maya suddenly had stars in her eyes, most certainly interested to the point that it scared Miles a bit. She looks like I’m about to drop a complete bomb on Steel Samurai lore… 

“When I was around maybe 8, I hurt my ankle during P.E. Class after jumping and landing on it wrong. The nurse called my Father, and boy, he was panicked. I remember his wide eyes and the way he rushed me to the hospital for x-rays.”

“Ah, so speeding in cars runs in the Edgeworth family—“

“Of all things to deduce…! Anyways, it turned out to just be a sprain, and I was on little crutches for the next 2 weeks. Yet, I just… I remember my Father helping me ice it, checking on my foot constantly and making sure I was okay. He even read me some of his cases he was working on back then to distract me from the pain I felt… He made my favorite food at the time, some noodles with ham in it, and slept in my room to ensure I was comfortable enough at night… He did everything in his power to make sure I was alright…”

Maya sniffled, which made Miles realize that she was getting emotional.

“Ermmm… M-Maya?”

“Miles…! How— What… that is so sweet and heartbreaking…! Sorry, I just… AWHHHHH…”

“Do you require a tissue? I should have a handkerchief nearby—“

“N-No you dork…! I… I’m fine… I wasn’t expecting that was all…”

“Very well then, I—“

“Can I say something?”

“Oh… Yes, of course.”

“One time, Nick was trying to distract himself from doing his legal paperwork which… y’know.”

Miles immediately scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Yes, typical Wright behavior, procrastinating on his paperwork.”

“Anyways, I remember one of the things he told me more than everything else. It was about your Father…”

“W-W- WHAT?!?!”

“Oh trust me, I was just as surprised as you were! But he was telling me about this one time you and him had a sleepover at your house, and how your Dad apparently made some really really good dish, the name of which he forgot but was rat something?? You know Nick, not the best at remembering—”

“I know what he means… My Father’s ratatouille. That was a recipe my Mother apparently had taught him, and he often loved to make it for guests.”

“Wow, your Mother! First time hearing about her! I didn’t eve—“

“I don’t wish to speak about my Mother, and please, continue your story, Maya.”

“Oh! Right! Sorry! Going back to what I was saying, Nick kept mentioning how sweet your Father was, offering you guys snacks and activities to do. Not to mention the fact that he had apparently made Nick’s bed with the world’s most comfy blanket?”

Miles huffed, answering, “That blanket wasn’t anything special, it just… Well it was merely just a nice blanket we owned.”

“Well he made your Dad seem like an awesome special guy. Not to mention how much you clearly still respect and love him, I just know from all these stories that… He was a great guy all around.”

Miles smiled, looking up towards the ceiling as though that were his Father.

Yes… He was the best Father, and an amazing person…

He was always there to help me, even when I attempted to push him away, thinking I didn’t need help… He was always willing to help me even after everything…

And now? Now I’m lucky to have Maya, Franziska, and Gumshoe be willing to help me out… I don’t deserve their kindness… I’m just a waste of their time, and a burden… My issues are once again bringing others down… Who am I fooling? My affairs always bring people down… I should’ve told Maya and them to leave long ago… That they have more important things to be worrying about than a fool who stupidly fell down the stairs… It’s pathetic…

Granted, it’d be worse if that man were to be here right now—

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

“Who’s that knocking at you—“

“Hey Edgeworth! You home?”

Oh for the love of—

Miles immediately threw a blanket over his head, as though THAT would help. Though, it helped him feel invisible, because the LAST thing he needed was to see Phoenix Wright. He needed to avoid that man like there was no tomorrow. He couldn’t face him, not when he was so weak. Not when he wasn’t prepared. 

“Edgeworth!? Is everything okay?”

Oh god he’s concerned. Oh god oh god oh god oh god oh—

“What the— Maya??? What are YOU doing at Edgeworth’s house??”

Maya, for the love of the Steel Samurai PLEASE don’t give me away…!

“I could ask the same of you Nick, what’s the matter?”

“Well, I’m just trying to make sure Edgeworth is okay. He cancelled coming out to the exhibit yesterday, and I haven’t heard much from him. I tried asking Gumshoe, but he kept saying that he quote ‘was not going to get the whip from Ms. Von Karma’ or something like that. So I biked over here to check up on him.”

“Hmmm, I see… well sorry Nick, he isn’t home. I’m only here to do a favor for him.”

“Well where is he?” Phoenix was quick to ask, with a hint of suspicion in his voice that Miles was all too familiar with. He’s treating this like a court case just trying to find me…

“Well heh heh… I sadly can’t tell you.”

“Why not? Is he in another country or something?”

Ouch… Phoenix…

“What?! Nick, that’s rude!”

“S-Sorry… I just… I can’t help but jump to that thought when he’s acting all mysterious around me. It just makes me think he’s preparing to disappear again. And with the way Gumshoe acted, I just… Sigh…”

I truly betrayed you… I’ve truly hurt you, and nothing I do can fix that stupid mistake I made 10 years ago… Why did I nearly do it… Why did I… What’s wrong with me…?

“I don’t know where he is at, heh… but ermm…”

“And even you, Maya, are acting suspicious…”

CRACK!!

“YEOWWWW!!!! NOT THE WHIP!!” 

“Phoenix Wright!! How dare you accuse my Maya Fey of such a thing!! Unless you want to say something to my face about being suspicious, I advise you turn around and LEAVE!”

“Now why would I—“

CRACK!! WHOOSH!!

“O-Okay!! I get the point Franziska!! I’ll leave!!”

Miles could easily hear Phoenix’s footsteps get quieter and quieter until they were gone. With the door closed and lock back in place, Franziska was the one to take off the blanket on his head. 

“You are welcome, Miles Edgeworth, you foolish fool. Honestly, your behavior is more childish than your injury.”

Miles pinched the bridge of his nose, looking away from Franziska in front of him. “Please, Franziska, I don’t wish to discuss that man right now…”

Franziska scoffed, cracking her whip once more on the ground. “And why not?? You two have known each other for how long now?? How much longer must I tolerate you hiding your affections for the man?”

“Franziska…!”

“No! Let me speak, Miles Edgeworth! Your behavior regarding Phoenix Wright is one of the highest levels of tomfoolery I’ve ever witnessed! You deny yourself, bring yourself down all because you think that man, who let’s not forget, changed MAJORS IN COLLEGE FOR YOU, will reject you and your—“

Miles couldn’t hold back his voice, “FRANZISKA ENOUGH!!”

But that only got Franziska to smirk, “Then prove me wrong, kleiner bruder!! In fact, say to my face right now that Phoenix Wright hates you and doesn’t want you in any way, and that you have no chance with him! Tell me this and prove to me that this is the truth!”

Maya began trying to break it up, “Franziska dear, this is going a bit too far…”

However, Franziska was relentless on her point. “Nein, Maya. He needs to man up about Phoenix Wright, right here, right now.”

While they began arguing with one another, Miles was beginning to head down a certain hole he had been trying to avoid for far too long now…

No… Franziska, you’re wrong… He is going to reject me if I say anything about wanting something more… He is going to look at me, laugh at me, throw me aside the moment I reveal such a truth… 

I can only hope he doesn’t just secretly despise me and is just trying to be friends for my sake… I can’t… I can’t lose him… Not now, not after everything we’ve been through together… Losing him would be like losing a limb…! Maybe not to him, but it would be for me…!

I know I have no chance with him… He deserves the universe, and the most glorious galaxies in the entire existence of reality. He deserves only good, somebody who isn’t me. I could never be enough for him… 

All I’ve ever done is hurt him time and time again. I can’t even be a good friend… how would I ever be a good… l…l…lo… I can’t even say the word…! I just… I can’t admit that truth that he most likely hates me— In fact, he probably just came over right now to let me go…! To tell me I’m no longer a friend after missing yesterday…! 

But how could I ever show him my cast?? How could I ever talk to him when I’m already so broken… so lonely… so worthless beyond everything…

I have nothing to offer him… Nothing that would make him happy…

How could someone like him possibly…

How…

There is just no way… 

It’s impossible…

There’s just no way someone as amazing as him could fall for someone horrible like me. 

If I don’t deserve his friendship, what even makes me deserving of his lov… Still can’t even say the word…

Is what I’m feeling even that word? I’ve never even been in a true relationship of romance… Just another reason to avoid me… Another reason to let me suffer… 

I’m just a failu—

“MILES EDGEWORTH!!”

CRACCCCK!!!

Thrown from his thoughts, he was met with Maya and Franziska looking down on him, and suddenly he felt the cool, wet tears coming down his face, along with his muffled hearing.

Did… I was having a panic attack… That’s…

“I… N-No… H-He…”

“Hey, shhh… Don’t talk… Please just breathe…” he could barely hear Maya say, but his world was twisting and turning with his heart going too fast still.

“F-Franziska…! S-She right…”

“Hey hey! Nein! Nein Nein Nein! What I told you to say was not true!! You hear me? Not true! I was being a foolishly foolish fool, and that ended up hurting you. So ignore my words!! P-Please…!”

“B-But…”

Maya by this point was already handing him his handkerchief, staying quiet to ensure he wasn’t getting overwhelmed. Wiping his face from the wet mess it most certainly was, Miles couldn’t shake the thoughts away. He had gone down that hole, and he knew it would only get worse without a distraction. 

“Hey… Why don’t we all sit together and watch Steel Samurai? That might cheer us all up and get rid of this tension.”

Franziska would normally make a snarky comment about how lame the show was, but she merely nodded and quickly tried setting up the TV. Meanwhile, Maya grabbed some more pillows for Miles, grabbing a box of tissues and one of his favorite Steel Samurai plushies. He noticed that she kept a watchful eye of him, but once the show started and the familiar Steel Samurai theme started playing, it calmed him down. 

Wow, that’s how they filmed that scene? That’s incredible…!

---

Franziska and Maya stayed at his house for the next two weeks, not allowing him to go back into work. Instead, they held him basically hostage on his coach and made him watch a lot of things, ranging from other anime, to some terrible law shows, to some boring dramas. Not to mention, they were there on standby whenever he showered with a trash bag over his cast. By this point, his ankle still wasn’t feeling any better, truth be told. It still felt horrible, it still ached and throbbed and burned. 

At one point, it was hurting so badly that it felt as though it was getting shocked electrically. Sure, Miles was taking medicine to help with the swelling and pain, but the moment those wore down came the pain train. He was questioning how any professional athletes who played a contact sport wanted to put their body at risk of injury, because what he was going through was worse than most things. 

That wasn’t even getting into how Miles was avoiding Phoenix for two weeks. Every so often he’d call his phone, there were hundreds of texts he sent, he’d try knocking on the door to see if Miles was home, and it made Miles feel even worse with every attempt. 

He’s just trying to be a good person… He’s just concerned because that’s who he is… 

Maya had apparently been getting texts from Phoenix asking where Miles was, or if he was still doing that secret task that Maya had previously implied. This behavior only made Miles more scared of when they inevitably saw one another again. He knew he was making a confrontation inevitable, but he was just hoping he’d be able to defuse it somehow with his words. If that wasn’t enough, then…

Then I’m beyond saving…

Regardless, after 2 weeks of staying at home on crutches, Miles caught wind of what was happening at the Prosecutor’s office, and the complete turmoil it was in. Something about Klavier hosting a concert in the lobby?? Simon Blackquill training even more Hawks and Falcons to make a Taka Police Squad!!?? As Miles predicted, the office went to pure unfiltered chaos, and even Franziska couldn’t argue against that. While Maya argued he needed more rest, Franziska just sighed.

“No, Maya, my love, my brother is actually correct on this matter. Apparently the prosecutors at the office have begun a toy gun war, and have been pranking one another while my brother has been gone. And sadly, these pranks are harmless… Prosecutor Nahyuta Sahdmadhi had his office sprayed with… I don’t want to say it—“

“—His office smells of a monkey’s disgusting butt, mixed with a nauseous fart smell.”

Maya immediately made a face of pure disgust, “Okay, ewww… Why do I already suspect Winston Payne to be behind that one?”

“Hmph, because dear, that man already smells of that gross cheap cologne that he refuses to get rid of.”

“Oh right! I forgot he smelled of— Okay, yeah, ew.”

“So despite Miles Edgeworth still needing rest for that accursed ankle of his, sadly work can’t wait any longer for his return and dictator calls.”

“Hmph, calling me a dictator? How bold…”

“Nein, I am merely referencing what Simon once called you.” 

“Noted. I’ll have to have a discussion with him at some point about that nickname. Perhaps some sort of punishment even depending on if he can justify himself.”

“Awhhh, he’s sounding all professional again. Guess the Chief Prosecutor truly is back…”

Miles rolled his eyes and smiled at Maya’s words. No part of him was going to really miss being home all day despite enjoying Maya and Franziska’s company. He was beginning to yearn to get back to work in his office. Although…

“Before you two leave, I do ask something of you.”

Both of them, at the exact same time, muttered the same thing.

“Huh? What?”

Miles carefully handed them a glittery light blue marker and a glittery purple marker. It is their color, after all. Otherwise their wedding decor wouldn’t have been just those two colors mixed with white.

Maya gasped, having already picked up on his intentions, “You’re letting us sign your cast?!?!”

Franziska merely blinked in shock, most likely having not expected the offer, “I must admit and make this clear, I wasn’t expecting this from you, Miles Edgeworth. I figured Scruffy just did that to you when you weren’t paying attention.”

Miles couldn’t help but laugh at her assumption, being quite in character for Gumshoe all things considered. He is the impulsive type, so she’s fair to make that guess.

“Yes, well… I’d appreciate your guys' names on the cast alongside his since… Well… Ermmm…”

Maya was the one to finish his sentence. “Since we helped you?”

Miles merely nodded his head, “Precisely that, Maya.”

Without another moment’s hesitation, Maya popped off the marker’s cap, and carefully began writing her message. Unlike Gumshoe, she was being careful with making sure to not hurt him. After Maya finished, Franziska wrote her message on the cast, smiling while doing so.

“There we go, kleiner bruder. Hopefully those messages help in some way. But it’s about time we finally head back home.”

“I understand, and again, thank you two so much—“

Maya immediately shut him up by shushing him. “We know! We know, Miles! Please, if you need anything, call us, text us, I don’t know, send a bird to us?? We’re here to help you, and be here for you. Send us updates.”

“D-Duly noted, Maya…”

With one final wave and send off, Maya and Franziska left for the night, leaving Miles alone in his house for the first time in a while. The quiet hit him in a way, as with them around there was at least some background noise. But now? Only the sound of some hum from who knows where was audible. 

I guess my house is back to being in a state of pure loneliness… I didn’t miss this one bit.

Grabbing his glasses that finally came in the mail after his previous pair broke, he did his best to read what the couple had written on his cast. 

First up, Maya’s message was written rather… prettily, if he said so. Her handwriting was bubbly, a reflection of her personality for sure, and she drew little stars and hearts near her message which stated, “Don’t work too hard! Your good pal Maya ;)”.

Short and sweet and to the point. 

Franziska’s message on the other hand was written in cursive, as she normally writes in such a way that sometimes confuses Wright. Yet Miles would never deny that her way of writing is perfect. It’s why a few years back he bought her a calligraphy set, having a good feeling it was a hobby she would enjoy just as much as he did. Alongside the words she wrote, she even drew a pretty little flower that was unknown to him. Her message was a bit longer, saying “Dear brother of mine, get well soon and don’t worry too much. Wishing you the finest of recoveries known to any foolish fools. -Franziska Von Karma.”

Yep, unmistakably hers alright. She wrote it as if it were a short letter— not that I don’t appreciate it or anything…

With a strange new feeling in his chest that was indescribable to him, Miles made his way to his bedroom for the night so that tomorrow would come sooner. His mind was already at work planning ways to get the office back in tip top shape. 

First I have to ban future Klavier concerts in the office, and give him a warning to separate his two jobs more. Next, I need to have a discussion with Simon Blackquill without an entire army of birds glaring at me… We are prosecutors, not trainers of an elite bird squad. Finally, I need to stop all these pranks and gags from occurring in the office except for on April Fools… Too much of a ban will get the prosecutors upset, so having one day of the year to be a joker will suffice, even if I will loathe that day with all my being. 

Before Miles even realized it, he fell asleep and woke up to the all too familiar sound of his alarm. That… That was rather fast…!

Wasting no time, he crutched around his bedroom, doing his best to get changed into his work attire, sadly skipping his usual morning shower and breakfast, and calling for a work vehicle to pick him up, knowing it’ll likely be Gumshoe since he enjoys driving that car for some reason Miles still hasn’t deduced. I think he just has an obsession with being able to have heated and or cooling seats.

With everything set in motion, Miles eagerly awaited for the vehicle to come and pick him up. The more minutes that passed, the more he found himself checking the traffic levels. 

Traffic isn’t even heavy this morning!! What is taking so long?? Is the person driving just going the speed limit? Stuck behind some grandma who won’t drive their car? What is taking so long??

25 minutes of waiting later, he finally got the text from, of course, Gumshoe, that he was outside. Locking his house, he made his way over to where Gumshoe had pulled over. 

“Good morning, sir!! The office is glad to have you finally return, albeit sad that your vacation of sorts is over—“

“This is NOT what I would call a vacation, detective.” Miles immediately rebutted. If staying at home sitting on the couch with an aching ankle is what he considers a vacation, I ought to show him what a REAL vacation is like one day. I prefer my vacations to foreign countries, thank you very much…!

“Here sir, let me help you get in the vehicle… I’ll put your crutches in the backseat sir.”

With nobody watching, thankfully , Miles struggled and squirmed his way into the passenger seat, nearly losing balance multiple times. Why is getting in a vehicle so difficult?? The moment I am done being on these crutches, I am burning them and or confining them to some horrible place. 

On the way to the office, Miles was noting how Gumshoe drives, and—

“Gumshoe, you are about to hit the curve!!”

“You are in the semi’s blind spot!! Either pass it or don’t!”

“Detective!! Use your turn signals!!”

…Yeah, it felt like riding with a maniac, which Miles has done before with Wright, but this man has a driver’s license. 

By the time they arrived at the office, Miles was just thanking any force out there that he survived the journey. With crutches gathered by Gumshoe, Miles immediately bolted into the building before Gumshoe could throw him back into that vehicle death ride. 

Thankfully, the Prosecutor’s office was rather empty, with there seemingly being a lot of cases on the day Miles came back in. The secretaries greeted him kindly, giving him a quick run down on what’s going on, before wishing him a great day back. 

As lovely as that welcome back was, Miles didn’t even realize that he was heading towards the stairwell until he was at the bottom step. Suddenly, a feeling of pure agony was hitting him. 

How… How am I supposed to get to my office on the 11th floor????

A nearby police officer, one he didn’t recognize in the slightest, tried giving him some advice. Though it was more like words he never wanted to hear…

“Oh! Yeah, I wouldn’t take the stairs with crutches, chum. That’s bound to end with disaster. The elevator is…” Whatever he said past that, Miles couldn’t hear. Logically and to anyone else, what he’s saying would be perfectly fine! It makes sense! The elevator is available for those who can’t take the stairs and or has difficulty taking them!

But of course I can’t be like everyone else… 

Did Miles go to therapy to help himself and past trauma regarding what went down thanks to DL-6 and his job in general? Yes. Did that mean he ever got over elevators? Not. At. All. 

He still, despite being freaking 35 years old, never got over his fear of elevators, or even earthquakes. 

Sure, with therapy, he was able to accept some things and learn new coping mechanics to help him when panic started creeping in, however…

It was never enough. No matter how many times Thera put me in a space similar to an elevator, I couldn’t… I can’t…

Going from one death ride with Gumshoe to this… Being trapped in a steel box by himself… Miles, trying to keep appearances, merely told the officer thank you through gritted teeth. Then he, slow as a snail, made his way over to the one place of the building he has refused to enter for all the years he’s worked for this building. 

DING!!

Its doors opened heartlessly, cold, automatic. So easily could he picture himself, age 9, telling his Father that he wanted to take the elevator in the courthouse… So easily did the memories of saying he should get to know the elevator well if he were to become a defense attorney haunt his mind like a creepy, ragged doll. Being before the machine that trapped him, his Father, and Yanni Yogi… Being before the object that has forever haunted his sleep, that has forever changed him in the worst way possible…

Miles tried taking a deep breath, but even that felt shallow. 

Let’s just… Gods, let’s just get this done and over with…

*tap*… *tap*… *tap*…

…

…Miles entered the elevator…

With a shaking hand, he pressed the button with an eleven on it, and watched helplessly as the doors of the elevator closed. Then… Oh… Then the elevator started to move… It shook ever so slightly, but to Miles? It felt like an earthquake all over again…

The words spoken nearly 26 years ago, his cries and Yanni Yogi’s panic filled his head. He tried again to take a deep breath, like Thera had said… It didn’t feel like enough. It never felt like enough. His throat felt tight, and every second that passed ever so slowly, he felt even more constricted than before. At some point, he yanked his cravat off with no care, he just wanted to get out. 

His breathing started picking up— It wasn’t supposed to be picking up…! He was supposed to be conserving the air they had… His Father made that explicitly clear…! If he didn’t stop, then they would all pass out thanks to a lack of oxygen…!

“F-Father…”

Did he say that aloud or was that just a figment of his imagination? What was even real anymore? Was the elevator going to just keep going endlessly? Was there an issue with it? Was he going to pass out and d… 

The elevator jerked a little, and suddenly Miles hit his ankle cast on the floor of the elevator in fear. While pain surged throughout his body, nothing held back the panic anymore. Air conservation didn’t matter anymore, nor did his stupid broken ankle. Miles tossed his crutches aside, curling up into a ball on the floor, shaking for it all to just be over.

Get me out… Get me out…!

I can’t breathe… I’m running out of air…!

The light… When did it become so… distant…

Father… Father…

For…Please… F-Forgive… me…

Suddenly, the world went black, with the elevator’s hum echoing out into dead, unmistakable silence…

.

.

.

.

.

“Mmmmmmmmmmm…”

“Ahh, there’s Edgeworth-dono… You gave the janitor a scare, thinking he found the remains of a crime…”

Finding himself on Blackquill’s couch, he was quickly met with Taka staring him down as though to make sure he was still, truly, alive. As usual, Simon’s office was dark albeit cozy, with the antique furniture being a refreshing sight. While his head was still spinning and his ankle pulsating, the smell of sandalwood kept him grounded and told him that he was no longer in that accursed death machine. 

“I… Thank you, Prosecutor Blackquill, I-“

“Silent, Edgeworth-dono, there is no need for that. I would be a fool to not help a warrior of your caliber when he is down a leg… Though in a not metaphoric way.”

Miles pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing, “I understand… Regardless, I— Did you sign my…”

“Indeed. Taka did too. Though I refrained from writing too much.”

Looking down at his cast, he saw Taka’s feet print made with brown paint and Blackquill’s little message written in pure black saying “Speedy recovery samurai- Simon Blackquill.”

Looking up, Blackquill already had his crutches on standby for Miles. 

“You know, one of these days, Edgeworth-dono, I’m going to have to teach you how to wield crutches as a weapon. They are deceiving in the amount of damage they can do…”

Why does he say it like he’s killed a man with crutches before…? And why wouldn’t I be surprised by that?

“That’d be… ermmm… interesting and quite eye opening, Blackquill… Some other time! As ermmm… I have work to do…”

A smirk formed on Blackquill’s face, the feather in his mouth perking up. Oh he’s definitely excited to teach me how to use crutches as a weapon… 

“Just give me a call whenever you are prepared… Until next time, Edgeworth-dono…” 

Taking his crutches back from Blackquill, Miles left his office before he got any more ideas. Wait, wasn’t I supposed to lecture him about something? I’ll have to save that for another day, I guess. 

Making his way to his office, he noticed how his floor seemed relatively… fine?? Franziska made it sound as though everywhere in the office was struck by a tornado, but his floor was as normal as ever. I wonder why…? I expected to see that blasted string that Trucy loves to prank Phoenix with everywhere… Yet none is in sight…

Arriving at his office at last, he grabbed his keys and unlocked the door to be met with the all too familiar smell of his office. Ahhh, I forgot how much I love the smell of my office… Lavender mixed with chamomile, the smell of paper, the cool chill of the cold air… Mmm… 

Setting his crutches down on the floor, Miles took a seat in his chair for the first time in what felt like forever. His desk was a complete and total mess, but it wasn’t irreversible. It just seemed like someone didn’t understand the way his desk was meant to be organized and threw things without a care in the world. How preposterous of them… truly…

As a result, the first order of business for Miles was to fix the mess on his desk, stacking papers in a certain order based on what they are for, fixing the position of his lamp and nameplate Phoenix got him one year, and wiping away what appeared to be donut crumbs. One Detective Gumshoe was in here, no doubt… 

With his desk organized in a way that he liked, finally Miles got to work tackling the huge stack of legal paperwork, which thankfully took his mind away from how humiliating an experience taking that elevator was. Never. Again. I don’t care if I break my skull trying to take the stairs, I refuse to take the elevator…! Nope. Nein. 

The hours passed, with not too many distractions. Every so often he got up to use the bathroom, but that was the only break he really gave himself. Though Franziska did pop in twice to check up on him and make sure his ankle was doing okay, Winston Payne came to complain before Miles demanded he get out unless he had something important, and Nahyuta gave him some tea from the Kingdom of Khura’in as a welcome back present once his trial was over. 

By the time Miles finished all his work, it was already 9 at night, with the sun long gone and dark clouds rolling in. 

Wow… Did I REALLY just do all that work in one sitting? I… wasn’t expecting that… I didn’t even realize that much time had passed… 

Just as he was about to get up and head home, he felt his ankle ache which reminded him that oh right… Still have a broken ankle that hurts. 

Somehow through all the work, he completely forgot that his ankle was broke and the sides of his body were hurting from using the crutches so much and…

Ughhhh, I can’t take this any longer…! I want to go home, but at the same time I refuse to get back in that elevator… Nor do I really have the energy to go down the stairs or have Gumshoe drive me home in that crazy way he drives… Wait… I could… no, that’s low, even for me… Not to mention completely Phoenix Wright behavior… However… I see no other option to avoid getting back in that stupid blasted thing known as an elevator…!

Screw my dignity! I’ve already lost enough of it as of late. I’m just going to sleep in my office for the night until I come up with a better solution down the line…!

Using one crutch to lean on, he made his way over to his comfy sofa and pulled out a blanket from underneath that he kept solely because Phoenix got cold in his office. Using one pillow for his head and the rest to elevate his foot, Miles tried his best to go to sleep on his sofa. 

I don’t understand how Phoenix can fall asleep so easily on this thing… 

Miles couldn’t fall asleep right away, just staring at the ceiling of his office and questioning when certain dents got there. Even trying to count sheep jumping over the moon didn’t help lull him to sleep. His body just seemingly wanted to stay awake. 

Ughhh, what else can I possibly do to sleep…?!?!

While he searched his mind for an answer, his nose seemed to catch a certain smell… 

What… Wait a second…

Pressing his nose against the blanket covering him, he inhaled whatever scent was lingering…

This smell… It’s familiar, but why…? It reeks of cheap cologne and—

Oh…

That’s why… It smells of Phoenix Wright…

I forgot I haven’t washed this blanket in a while… And I guess his scent just… happened to linger onto the blanket ever so slightly… It’s faint, but there…

Mmmm…

Suddenly, thoughts of Phoenix began spilling into his mind, and just thinking of that man got him surprisingly… calm…

Just thinking of the times when Phoenix smiled, or did something silly like forget something important during court, to him carrying a little Trucy on his shoulders while he was visiting him in Norway… It made something in his chest feel elevated. Like he was home and no longer… no longer lonely…

The impact this one singular man has on his life— And beyond him…! On Maya, on Franziska, on Gumshoe, or even someone like Larry!! He’s saved Orcas, saved people in a country where if they were guilty he would die alongside them too… Mentors Apollo and Athena, not to mention the restraints he puts on himself from adopting every single child he comes across…! 

He was someone Miles adored. Admired. Cherished and treasured. Held close and held him high in regards…

Phoenix Wright was just… somebody Miles loved… Horrible as he may be… 

If Miles could give, he would give Phoenix everything he ever wanted… Happiness, money, anything… Even beyond just paying a debt to him, Miles just wanted to help and support him. 

Miles may hide behind his job and professionalism, but somewhere deep down, he knew part of him was lying to himself. Lying to Phoenix about his intentions. It’s why he’s keeping Phoenix at bay even now. Why he won’t let Phoenix get close when he’s hurt like he is now. 

I don’t deserve it.

I never deserved it… 

His kindness… His friendship… His warmth and time…

If I let him near… It’ll just hurt both of us… 

But maybe that’s a lie too… Maybe it’ll only just hurt one… 

Me…

…How selfish can I be…?

While pictures of Phoenix filled his mind despite his thoughts drowning out all the light, it all blurred eventually till he fell asleep on the couch, the smell of cheap cologne never leaving…

.

.

.

.

.

Darkness. 

That’s how it always begins. An endless void of nothingness. 

The only thing visible to him: A chain. 

Just like last time…

Everything felt heavy. Breathing. His body. Everything. 

Every attempt at movement was futile.

Every attempt to speak was impossible.

No words could come out his mouth, no matter how hard he tried to speak. No matter how hard he yelled, cried, screamed. 

But something was different this time around… His ankle… It felt the heaviest of all…

Looking down and squinting his eyes as best as he could, he saw it. 

His ankle was shackled, being held down by a force indescribable. It was just like criminals in the courtroom, being handcuffed and having an ankle monitor on them. 

And he knows how horrible it is to be cuffed. 

It feels hopeless. 

It feels like being trapped in purgatory. 

That thanks to one chain 

One cuff

One shackle

You are nobody. 

You’re just someone labeled as bad. 

You’re just someone who is nothing but a criminal.

It’s like being marked. 

Marked for the world to see and laugh at. 

And there’s no escape. 

The shackles…

They were tight on his ankle, and the harder he pulled the more it held him down and hurt. 

The shackles would most certainly leave marks.

Scars. 

Bruises.

A wound that’ll struggle to even heal. 

With no voice to cry for help…

With nobody who would help…

He was stuck where he was…

In darkness…

…

Or so he originally thought…

Within the darkness, barely even visible to him, stood someone. They were hard to make out, but even Miles knew they had to be laughing. They seemingly were around his size, with broad shoulders and a body that screamed beautiful to him at least. He couldn’t identify them, and he couldn’t scream for the person to reveal themselves.

He was powerless. 

Yet he still begged that this force, whoever they were, wouldn’t taunt him. Wouldn’t stand there and give him the tiniest of hope. 

But then came the laugh. 

A laugh that filled the room and echoed off the walls. 

It was familiar, but also so foreign. 

It was a laugh that made Miles’ heart, as broken and tattered as it was, squeeze.

And when the figure spoke, Miles knew… He was done for…

“Well well well… Prosecutor Edgeworth… Trapped, are you?”

His voice lacked everything Miles loved about it. His words, ones he never wanted Phoenix Wright to ever say… They felt detached from years upon years of friendship. They felt cold. Murderous. Too dark to ever belong to Phoenix. 

Miles still couldn’t talk. 

“Silent too, I see… I guess the cat’s got your tongue after all… Either that or you’ve realized that your words in particular don’t matter.”

What was he saying? 

That my opinions and way of communicating was… pointless…?

Worth nothing…?

Phoenix still didn’t show himself to Miles, staying hidden from sight within the darkness. Maybe logically Miles knew that this lack of sight was hurting him. It felt as though he were nowhere near Phoenix at all. 

Like always, being an ocean apart. 

“You are probably questioning why you are in this lowly filthy place, right? You never cared for dark spaces after the last one led to the death of your Father…”

Stop… Stop… Please…

“I’m tempted to keep you in the dark, as watching you being chained down by your ankle with no ability to communicate is rather amusing…”

It’s… My suffering is… amusing to you…?

My pain… My turmoil… You like watching me burn and drown…? 

“I have thought about how to torment you in a way that is both amusing and deserving… I didn’t need it to be big, because you always did like big shows and big appearances judging by your disgraceful Steel Samurai collection…”

… He did NOT just judge my Steel Samurai fixation…!

P-Phoenix… Please…!

“But then, Prosecutor Edgeworth… I thought of a rather simple method… The one you are currently in right now…”

The room seemed to shake like an earthquake out of nowhere, forcing Miles to tremble and hyperventilate. 

He immediately felt weak.

Frail.

Unsteady…

“Why yes… Prosecutor Edgeworth… I put the shackle on you… I chained you, locked you away in eternal darkness… All for one sole purpose… One you know oh. So. Well…”

Miles immediately pulled against the shackles and chains, not ready for what Phoenix was about to drop on him. Not ready to hear it come out of his mouth. Not ready to accept his words. Too weak to handle. Too cowardly to try and fix. The answer and truth he’d been running from since 2017… The betrayal… The pain…

“Yes… I put shackles and chains on you, Miles Edgeworth, to keep you from running away again… and again… and again… Away from your problems… Away from your fears… Your unnecessary emotions and humanity… I’ve caught and trapped the fleeing bunny… And mark my words, Prosecutor Edgeworth… I’ll have my retribution for all that you’ve done…!!”

Out of nowhere from within the darkness came a sword, glowing one angry red color, flying directly into his chest. It burned. It stung. It tore through him and broke his literal heart. 

It was the retribution he deserved.

It was the pain .

It was all because he was a pathetic coward…

He deserved this…

.

.

.

.

.

“Gasp…!!”

As air rushed through his entire being, he felt sweat rolling down his face and a hole in his chest. His pants filled the dark room, and his sobs indicated that he could talk again. 

But the sobs… They wouldn’t stop… No matter how hard he tried to cover his mouth, no matter how much he urged his being to stop, nothing did. Nor did he think anything could help him at the given moment. 

The cast on his broken ankle no longer felt protected and secure. It felt like a shackle meant to torture and torment him. It felt like a piece of himself that showed the world just how horrible he was. How broken he was. It made Miles sick to think about. 

Phoenix’s words were just the cherry on top. Cycling through his head over and over again. Repeating like the seasons, repeating like a broken record, repeating, repeating, repeating…

Miles could do nothing but clutch at his hair, flinch as everything felt too sensitive and too much. It felt as though he were finally cracking to the point of no return. Cracking to the point of complete despair. Becoming something he never wanted to be. 

A failure…

A worthless, useless, failure…

Miles didn’t fall back asleep for the rest of the night, he didn’t want to burden anybody with a phone call. If anybody was nearby, they would’ve heard hopeless, dire sobs all night long…

---

Miles felt like absolute crap the next day. Between the elevator, the nightmare he had, and the lack of sleep and comfort, he felt like a zombie. No amount of tea he drank helped. At one point he even called for Klavier to come in and sing something, anything, to help him out. 

Even Klavier’s loud energetic songs didn’t help. All they did was give Miles a worse headache than before. Klavier at the very least did sign his cast, with the message “Keep rocking on, herr Edgeworth!!”. 

Looking in the mirror didn’t help at all either, as the bags under his eyes from last night alone made him look frankly hideous. He tried to wash his face in the bathroom, but that didn’t really help. His face was worn from all the tears he had shed, leaving behind a slight burn whenever he touched his face. 

Not much work was done, which felt terrible when in comparison to the previous day, but alas, Miles couldn’t motivate himself to do any of it. He found himself laying his head flat on his desk, or ignoring the thought to just kick his broken ankle against something to make it hurt, or to even go back in the elevator just to suffer some more…

Miles was at the point where he couldn’t tolerate being himself anymore… 

Where he didn’t want to be Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, age 35 and single for all his life. 

He was just… sad. 

Down on himself for who he was, what he’s done with his life, and the horrible things he’s inflicted onto others. He feared telling others any of this, truly being a coward forever, as he figured most people would just shrug and not care… They shouldn’t have to deal with Miles not wanting to be himself, that’s a him issue, thank you very much. Or that he’s complaining too much, that what he was feeling was invalid and wrong and he needs to just do better—

WELL HE’S TRIED…!

he’s tried… so hard… to be happy with himself…

tried to accept that maybe he’s not so bad… 

attempts to appreciate the good he has done, the people he’s inspired…

it never feels enough…

He never feels enough…

When he’s sent the lives of innocent people to die… When he’s hurt friends… When he’s a terrible boss…

Nothing will ever be enough…

For the love of everything he’s hiding from one of his best friends!!! For what reason?? Because he’s scared to show someone he loves that he’s hurt…! Because he’s scared Phoenix Wright will look at him, laugh at him, and leave him once and for all…!

And Miles is supposed to be proud of himself??? Miles is supposed to be happy with himself??? Who he is???

“There’s a reason I’ve never been in a romantic relationship before…”

He heard himself mutter to nobody but himself, because it was a fact. If he couldn’t see anything in himself, who out there will…?

KNOCK!!!! KNOCK!!!! KNOCK!!!!

“EDGEWORTH!!!!”

Oh no…

Suddenly, everything became all too real all too fast…

SLAM!!!

The door swung open without a moment’s hesitation, and one beyond enraged Phoenix appeared in his office, fists clenched and eyes staring directly into his. I’m screwed… Forever screwed…

Phoenix approached his desk all too fast, every step heavier than the last, until he was standing before Miles all high and mighty.

“ Do you even UNDERSTAND how freaking long I’ve been trying to tra— Wait… What…” Phoenix was beginning to shout, before his eyes landed on Miles’ cast. Almost immediately that anger was briefly pushed aside with concern flooding in.

“Edgeworth, what… What happened? Are you okay?” Phoenix tried, sounding concerned, worried, completely different from just a second ago. Yet, Miles couldn’t stop himself from flinching and moving his cast away from Phoenix’s line of sight. 

“Wright… I don’t… ermmm… that is to say…”

And just like that, Phoenix’s anger switch got flipped back on, as the glare returned. “This is why? THIS is why you’ve been freaking avoiding me??? YOU WERE HIDING THAT YOU WERE HURT??? FROM ME?!”

“W-Wright…”

SLAM!!! The noise immediately spooked Miles as Phoenix slammed his desk and sent papers flying. This anger, this blazing unfiltered fury from Phoenix made Miles petrified. He never wanted to be here again, not since 2017 showed him how horrifying Phoenix got when you messed with him.

“I don’t want to hear your bullcrap excuses why, Edgeworth!! I can already tell that you’ve been avoiding me, hiding from me, not answering any text or calls I sent asking if you were freaking okay…!!! On purpose!!”

“P-Please… W-Wright…”

“NO!! You don’t get to talk after everything you put me through!! I freaking thought I did something wrong!! I thought you were tired of me!! And worst of all, I thought you were planning to run away again!! After EVERYTHING we’ve been through…!!!”

Just like that, Miles could feel his heart shatter in his chest. One of his greatest regrets, running away when he felt so lost and confused with what to do with himself after the truth came to life, that one single note he left and was planning on doing… It sealed who he was forever…

It didn’t matter what they went through. Didn’t matter how much Miles tried to fix his ways. Tried to help. Tried to offer support. It was all null. It was all for nothing, because for as long as their friendship has lasted, nothing has been able to heal Phoenix’s pain from anytime he has run away before. He can’t fix something that has happened. He can’t go to the past to stop himself from ruining Phoenix’s trust. He’s stuck being Miles Edgeworth, the stupid coward who repeatedly hurt Phoenix Wright despising loving him.

“So you know what, Edgeworth?!? I’m not searching for you anymore!! I’m not chasing you down, you can run as far away as you freaking like!! I don’t care anymore!! Do what you want!! I’m done with your games of hide and seek!! If you want to freaking talk, come find me this time!!” Phoenix finally declared, slamming down on Miles’ desk one final time before storming out. 

In that moment, Miles could’ve spoken, tried to call out and fix what just happened. Could try and explain why he did what he did, try and explain himself, but…

But nothing will ever be enough…

As always, the fear of telling others any of how he feels about himself, of how he feels like a true coward forever… He still figures most people would just shrug and not care…

And Phoenix?

Especially not Phoenix…

Not after everything…

There was only one thing that Miles could say… Not even say… There was only one thing that Miles could utter and breathe out…

“…okay…”

It was weak. It was pathetic. Shaky and unlike him at all. It sounded too broken, too far gone, too hopeless and worthless, yet it was all he could muster to say.

Of course, Phoenix didn’t turn around or even acknowledge what he said. Phoenix slammed the door to Miles’ office shut, leaving Miles to mourn the loss of his most treasured friend and the loss of the one thing he wanted…

But then again, nobody mourns people who are wicked, so why should Phoenix Wright…?

---

…Okay…

That one singular word has rung in Phoenix’s head for far too long. 

It had been at least 2 days since he finally tracked down where Miles was and confronted him— Only for Phoenix to discover WHOOPIDY DOO!! HE’S INJURED!!

But… Now that Phoenix has calmed down, he immediately wishes he didn’t go about the way things turned out. It was the heat of the moment, a climax to weeks of concern and worry and fear. He needed to find Miles, see if he was okay of course, but also confess a matter to him…

But that doesn’t matter, because Phoenix just HAD to yell at him! As good as it felt in the moment, in hindsight it was horrible. Phoenix hasn’t shouted at him like that since… 

God since 2017… And I remember just how badly he was feeling after I did… Man, I messed up big time… Way to freaking go, Phoenix…

Despite Phoenix’s urge to go back to Miles and apologize, too many reasons in his head came up. Like the fact he told Miles to come talk to him, or how part of him still felt justified in yelling at him, or how he really should stop caring so much about Miles Edgeworth and finally move on…

But then… that one word he said comes back to his mind…

…Okay…

Phoenix was leaving, beyond infuriated that he finds Miles sitting in his office with a cast on his foot, about to storm out and head back home to Trucy…!

Only to hear the word okay…

His hearing has been getting worse throughout the years thanks to Apollo’s chords of steel, however even he could hear the emotion in that one singular word.

For starters, it was weak. So weak it took a second for Phoenix to realize that the word came from Miles’ mouth. 

When Miles speaks, it has always been full of pride, of knowledge, of wisdom and power. He carries himself with professionalism, and shows his soft voice when happy… That’s what Phoenix is absolutely used to…

This time, his voice sounded frail… Defeated… Lost… Down… broken…

It sounded hurt. 

Not even just hurt… It sounded like it had been hurt for far too long and wasn’t going to stop…

It sounded like a resignation of eternal sadness… Of eternal hopelessness…

Phoenix gulped, feeling goosebumps on his skin begin to form from just the thought. Phoenix yelled at Miles, yelled at him and got okay as a response…

Was he accepting my words? Or was he accepting something much much worse…?

What’s going on, Miles…? Even after everything I said, you have me sitting here worried about your health… Worried about you…

Perhaps… No. I need to go back to him and make things right…

That okay he uttered… It wasn’t okay… Nothing about it was ever okay…

Even if I have to swallow my anger, his happiness… No, his being is more important than me having to apologize for what I felt these past few weeks. 

I know Miles pretty well I’d like to think, I should’ve known he was hurting and that’s why he was avoiding me…

Then it should be an easy conclusion that he won’t be telling me about any pain he got from me yelling at him either… 

Man… I messed up… But I’m going to have to fix this…

I can’t let him drown in sorrow… He’s been through too much to suffer anymore… 

Miles… Hang on… Please… I promise… I won’t let you hurt anymore… 

---

Gone. 

A feeling of vanishing filled his entire being. 

It reinforced the idea that he was pathetic.

It reinforced the idea that yes, Miles Edgeworth as a person is horrible.

Miles hated being himself. Miles didn’t want to be himself. He wanted to change, to improve, to be somebody else who actually matters…! Somebody else who hasn’t done so much wrong in their life…!

But I can’t change who I am… I’m stuck being me…

The moment Phoe— Wright left, Miles just shook his head and sat in his office silently. He stayed there until 3 in the morning, before he gathered his crutches (though he was tempted to walk on his broken ankle to hurt himself.) and went down the elevator as self punishment. In his eyes, he deserved it. To have a panic attack, to trigger his PTSD by going inside an elevator, to suffer. 

Thankfully he had enough of a brain to text Franziska he was going home. She of course realized that he was going to need a ride, and realized later that he was taking the elevator. She was the one to find him passed out inside the elevator like a corpse. 

After that? Franziska refused to speak with him. She must’ve gandered at his appearance, with how horrible he was looking, and though she has grown over the years, didn’t know what to do in regards to him. 

So… Miles has been at home, in the dark, letting the silence and loneliness eat at him. Just like that nightmare he had, he doesn’t let himself talk, he doesn’t move, there is a pain in his chest from his heart being stabbed, and of course, he is being shackled down by his cast. 

Phoenix’s words are all he thinks about, his expression, his reaction, all of it has been looping on and on inside Miles’ head, making his heart hurt and his dream even more shattered. 

It was just—

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!!

Who… Why… What…

Confusion. Miles had figured by now that people wouldn’t be visiting him… That didn’t sound like Maya or Franziska, Gumshoe, or anyone else who knows where he lives… It didn’t sound like their knock, because yes, Miles memorized everyone’s way of knocking on his doors, he’s THAT much of a loser. 

So who then… Who cares… I’m not in the mood to deal with a guest, nor am I in any condition to… I don’t care who it is or—

“Edgeworth.”

Oh dear freaking god why…

“Edgeworth, hey… look at me…?”

Why, why, why, why, why, why… 

“Edgeworth, please… You look horrible, ermm… In the sense that you have bags under your eyes and your hair is a mess, because heh heh, ermmm… You… ummm…”

Stop. Go. Leave. I can’t… Stop being charming… Just stop… 

“Edgeworth…”

Don’t say my name so softly… just don’t… I deserve no care or kindness from you… 

“I’m sorry… Edgeworth, I’m so sorry… I didn’t want to find you like this… Never…”

Yes you do. I deserve this. I can’t hide myself. I need you to leave. You have better people who deserve your time and attention. Go. Please…! I can’t beg anymore…

“Please, Edgeworth… Just say something… I don’t care if you yell at me, or tell me to go jump off a cliff… Just… Speak…”

“Leave.”

“W-What?!”

Miles tried. Standing on one leg with no crutches, he tried moving Phoenix back to his front door, moving by jumping and trying to push Phoenix despite the man’s strength.

“E-Edgeworth… S-Stop… If you keep trying to push me out, you’re going to hurt your foot…!”

Stop caring, stop worrying, I can’t do anything right for you… I can’t be your friend when all I’ve ever done is hurt you… I can’t possibly love you when—

“Whoa…!! Edgeworth…!”

Before it even clicked, Miles didn’t feel himself pushing Phoenix out the door.

No…

He was falling with no way to stop himself.

THUD!!!

“Miles!!!”

…

…

…

Pain… It spiked through from both his ankle and his face, having crashed into the floor of his house. 

Pain… Knowing full well Phoenix witnessed all of that and having to bear through his reaction…

Pain… Miles just wanted the pain to stop…

A piercing noise filled his ears, and his eyes were met with Phoenix’s concerned gaze…

Miles tried to get away. Crawling on the floor to distance himself from Phoenix. But alas…

A Broken Ankle Can’t Run Away…

And even if he could get away, Phoenix was grabbing him.

“Miles please, stop…”

Miles just shook his head, desperate to hide, desperate to get away, desperate to not see the face of disappointment on the one person he loves more than anyone on the planet…

“Please!! Miles!! Just stop!!”

But of course, Miles’ broken ankle couldn’t resist sending a paralyzing shock through his body, which forcibly made him make a sound of pure pain and agony… A cry…

This is it… This is where he leaves… This is where he laughs… This is where it all ends…

But then… The laugh never came… The yelling, the leaving, it never came…

Only warm arms wrapped around him came…

“S-Stop… W-Wright…” his voice was cracking, it was vulnerable, exposed, and so, so weak…

“Miles Edgeworth, just… Stop… Stop running away… Stop pushing me away… Stop trying to hide your pain from me…! Just… Stop…”

Before Miles could even retort, he felt Phoenix picking him up and holding him oh so carefully, like one sudden movement and he would break again. It was like he was holding broken shards to a vase, being gentle in every movement.

Slowly Phoenix took them over to his couch, placing Miles down but sitting right next to him. His hand rubbed circles into Miles’ back soothingly, another gesture Miles didn’t deserve at all. 

I shouldn’t be getting soothed… I shouldn’t be getting comforted… I hurt you… I made you worry and caused you nothing but trouble…

Phoenix sighed, “Edgeworth… Can you please… talk to me…?”

An instant shake of his head, Miles refused to speak nor did he have the guts to admit and confess… well everything…

Another sigh from Phoenix, though his hand kept circling his back, “Do you not want to talk because you don’t want to tell me?”

I don’t want to answer that…

“Because you’re scared of me?”

Phoenix… Please…

“Or maybe you fear I’ll judge you…?”

Stop… Stop…

“You tensed up on that last one, Edgeworth…”

NGOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…

“You don’t want to talk because you fear my judgement? You think I’d judge you?”

Just hearing Phoenix say that aloud, listening to him try to solve what’s going on sent tremors down Miles’ body. He couldn’t stop shaking. Yet Phoenix didn't leave his side.

“Oh, Edgeworth… Was that why you avoided me…? Why you tried hiding the fact that you are hurt?”

Miles didn’t even answer, and yet Phoenix was already putting pieces together. It amazed him as much as it scared him. 

“I wouldn’t have judged… I wouldn’t have… I don’t know, make fun of you for your injury? I wouldn’t have thought you were weak, or that you were less of a person just because you’re hurt… You aren’t less of a person if you get sick or hurt, Edgeworth… I can’t emphasize that enough… I… Oh Edgeworth…”

Phoenix looked away, whispering softly, “If I had known, I would’ve been here for you… I would’ve helped do whatever you needed, I would’ve been here for you if you so wanted… I never would’ve made fun of you for being injured… Please believe me on that…”

Phoenix… I… I still… I don’t…

“Hey, that look on your face tells me something else is going on other than you thinking I’d judge you…”

No… No, no, no…

“Edgeworth… Hey… What…”

I can’t… I can’t say it… I don’t deserve to say it… You shouldn’t have to deal with me, nor these stupid no good thoughts…!

“Edgeworth, breathe, you’re beginning to hyperventilate…!”

Please… I’m not ready… You can’t know… You say you wouldn’t judge but this… I know you would…!

“Edgeworth!!”

“Just… Just GO WRIGHT!! I CAN’T HURT YOU AGAIN FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME!!”

Silence…

It was dead. silent.

Miles immediately slapped his mouth.

Phoenix had a million yard stare with wide eyes.

And Miles? 

He felt everything crash down upon him. He felt the last drop of water to break the vase. Felt every last bit of emotion that he’s kept locked up to protect himself flood his senses.

That was never meant to come out. That… It was just another mistake to add to the pile.

All Miles could do was turn away from Phoenix and cover his face with his hands. He felt them rush down, tears, ones of nothing but fear and sadness and pain. No matter how much he tried wiping them away, they wouldn’t stop. And then a sob broke free from his mouth, and shudders ran through his body.

Phoenix still hasn’t said a word…! I’ve done it…! I’ve broken the person I love again for good this time…!  

But… No… Despite what he said, Phoenix was still there. In fact, before Miles knew it, he was getting hugged. Enveloped as though the hug were saying that it was okay. Wrapped as though trying to shield Miles from further pain. Hugged because Miles was hurt and Phoenix was here.

And then… Phoenix sobbed. 

“Edgeworth… Stop… P-Please… You… I promise you, Edgeworth… You’ve done more good… You’ve been a greater friend to me than you ever did hurt me… Please… Stop thinking all you’ve ever done is hurt me… I p-promise you… I-In fact…! I forgive you! I forgave you for everything you did long ago!!”

“N-No… I’ve hurt you… I ran away, left the note—“

“—Because you were hurt, Edgeworth… You didn’t run away back in 2017 because you wanted to hurt me intentionally. You didn’t even know you would cause me pain with your absence! You were hurt and lost…!”

“I-It doesn’t justify…”

“It doesn’t need justifying, Edgeworth… God, can you just accept the fact that it’s okay to feel hurt? That it’s okay to feel lost and confused and weak? Your feelings matter, Miles…”

“B-but…”

“But what? You know I’m winning this argument, Edgeworth. Even if you deny it, I’ll fight freaking tooth and nail over the fact that you and your feelings matter…!”

“B-But they don’t…! They just don’t matter, Wright!! I DON’T MATTER!! WHY CAN’T YOU SEE THAT?? WHY CAN’T YOU SEE ME FOR THE FAILURE THAT I AM? FOR THE WORTHLESS PIECE OF GARBAGE I AM? THE PATHETIC COWARD WHO RUNS AND HIDES? WHEN WILL IT REACH YOU, WRIGHT, THAT YOU ARE FRIENDS WITH A HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE EXCUSE OF A HUMAN BEING???”

“…what…?” Was all Phoenix could breathe out, but Miles kept going.

“WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY SEE IN ME THAT I CAN’T SEE, BECAUSE ALL I SEE IN MYSELF IS AN UNDESERVING FOOL WHO SHOULD BE SUFFERING. YEAH! ME, WHO SENT INNOCENT LIVES TO DIE. ME, WHO HAS ISSUES EVEN ASKING FOR HELP!! IF YOU THINK I EVEN LIKE MYSELF PHOENIX WRIGHT, THEN YOU’RE WRONG, BECAUSE THERE ARE DAYS WHERE I WISH I COULD BE BETTER THAN WHO I AM, OR DAYS WHERE I WISH I CAN BE SOMEBODY OTHER THAN MYSELF BECAUSE I… I…”

By this point, Miles couldn’t speak the words into existence, no matter how hard he tried, he just… He couldn’t admit to Phoenix that yes, he hates himself…

Yet, Phoenix didn’t look disgusted or angry. He looked sad. Sympathetic, sure, but also empathetic…

Phoenix held his hand, intertwining their fingers as though to make sure Miles knew he was there. 

“I get it…”

“W-What??”

“That feeling of feeling worthless. Of feeling so pathetic you want to just… die and fade into history… Where you think that you can’t be friends with anyone because you find yourself so… gross…”

Miles had no words. 

“I felt like that during my disbarment… So lost and confused and hopeless… You were there, you remember my behavior and horrible thinking… I wouldn’t wish those thoughts upon anyone else, Miles… Especially you…”

Tears were still falling from his face, yet the world felt frozen except for them on the couch at that moment. And for once… Miles felt heard. Validated… He didn’t feel alone…

And somewhere in his brain, the connection Phoenix made to how he felt during his disbarment shook away the thoughts… After all, Miles was there to try and help Phoenix get those thoughts out… Even when Phoenix avoided him, tried to hide and get away, it didn’t deter Miles… Not to mention, Miles still absolutely loved Phoenix Wright during his disbarment…

There was a hand caressing his cheek, with a thumb wiping his tears away.

And Miles eyes locked onto Phoenix’s face, with the softest smile that Miles could only ever dream about. A smile that radiated empathy, understanding, concern, sadness, but ultimately… care.

Miles didn’t hold back, leaping to get into Phoenix’s arms and crying right then and there on his shoulder. Sobbing thank yous, and apologies, and a whole word salad that still didn’t feel like enough.

“Hey, hey… Shhh… It’s okay.. I promise, maybe not right now, but eventually… Everything will be okay… I’m here for you… I won’t leave… You’ve helped me so many times, it’s about time I return the favor…”

If Miles cried and told Phoenix more of his locked away feelings, Phoenix eased him.

If Miles bashfully told Phoenix about how he hurt his ankle, then Phoenix was there to tell him that hey, accidents happen, that it wasn’t a mark of shame and failure.

If Miles admitted and sobbed to Phoenix that he was scared he ruined their friendship two days ago, Phoenix was there to cry right alongside him and assure him that no, they were still friends.

Miles had never felt more vulnerable in his life than when speaking to Phoenix on his couch. It felt like serving up a dish of everything that matters to him to only be judged and given a verdict by Phoenix. But no dish, no secret or hidden feeling he said made Phoenix hate him. He was only nice, and reassuring that yes, Miles deserved to be heard. That yes, Miles was okay to talk about himself. 

There was just one thing left to admit, but even with everything good Phoenix had said… Miles’ heart still wouldn’t allow him to say it. 

“Miles? I noticed that people wrote on your broken ankle cast…?”

“Errr, yes… Gumshoe started that whole ordeal, and—“

“Can I write something on it?”

“—Oh… Ermmm, o-of course?”

Phoenix quickly got up, most certainly dug through and ruined his organized marker collection, and came back looking nervous. 

“I do ask that you close your eyes, Miles… I-Is that okay?”

Miles didn’t bother questioning Phoenix, just doing so because after everything they just went through, closing his eyes felt nice. He did note that the marker Phoenix has looks awfully similar to the color of his courtroom suit, except glittery. 

Miles didn’t bother counting how long it was taking Phoenix to write his message, but he eagerly awaited to read it. 

“O-Okay, you can… heh heh… you can open your eyes now…”

Opening his eyes, he was met with an… embarrassed Phoenix Wright? He kept scratching the back of his head nervously, while also handing Miles his glasses so he could read it. 

Looking down, Phoenix’s handwriting has always been messy, but this time? This time it was written so neat and pristine it impressed Miles.

But then he read the message.

“Miles Edgeworth, you are the best person I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. I love you, even with this broken ankle, and I always will. -Phoenix Wright”

Miles had to read that message a second time to make sure he was reading what he did. And again, a third, a fourth, a FIFTH time to make sure Phoenix wrote what he did… 

“A-Am I dreaming…?”

“Heh heh… Ermmm no… No, this is very, ummm, real… You aren’t dreaming…”

Phoenix’s voice was so nervous it reminded Miles of the time he met Phoenix all the way back to 4th grade. Or of the time Phoenix first met his Father. Or the time they first met back in the courtroom… And so many other times…

“You… You love me?”

Phoenix sighed, deflating a bit, “I… Yes, I… I love you a lot, truth be told… And Trucy… Well, she convinced me to finally tell you the truth… Which is why I kept trying to get a hold of you… I ermmm… Yeah, sorry…”

“S-Sorry…?”

“W-Well yeah, sorry… I ermmm… Don’t even know if you want me in that way or if you just want to be friends—“

“No, I… I would love to have you as a partner… ermm, romantic partner, not as in a partner in the courtroom, I mean like an actual… Dating partner… a boyfriend??? Is that…?”

“Y-You do??”

Miles grabbed his elbow, “I… I do… I… The feeling is… very much mutual…”

“I-It IS????” 

“V-Verily so…! I can’t think of another person I’ve ever adored more than you, Phoenix Wright, and—“

“YOU ADORE ME???”

“Nghhh, is that even… alright…? If not, sorry, I just…”

“No, no, no! It’s perfectly alright! I just… I can’t believe you love me??”

“W-Why?”

“I mean— Have you seen yourself?”

“Yes, we just had a long heartfelt albeit horrible talk about how I feel about myself, Wright.”

“Crap, heh heh… Well let me quickly… Look, Miles, you’re amazing! You’re smart, handsome, a gentleman, and just a… an amazing guy… You can’t tell me nobody has ever held your hand before?!”

Miles shrunk a bit, “I’ve… I’ve never dated anyone… Nor been kissed…”

“Excuse me… BUT WHAT????”

“I… I think most people assume I don’t… like love…?”

“I just… Wow…”

“S-Sorry if you were expecting someone with experience in dating…”

“What? Of course not!! That means I get to be your first everything!!”

“Huh?”

Phoenix by now was leaping up with joy, clapping his hands and just looking so… happy.

“I get to be your first lover, take you on your first date, and so much other fun stuff!!”

“Oh… I see…”

Why does it feel like my face is on fire…?

“Soooo… Do you want to…”

“Oh… Please?”

Phoenix took his hand, smiled and just laughed,

“Then it’s settled. Congratulations Miles Edgeworth… You can say you’re dating me…”

Miles, despite the past few weeks of pain, in that moment felt none of it…

He felt nothing but happiness in that moment, and that sense of loneliness had finally gone silent.

---

Miles' broken ankle did not in fact heal within a month. The doctors predicted that it’d take a few months to heal since Miles seemed to stress which doesn’t help the process in the slightest. They also had to replace his old cast with a new one, but they let him actually keep the old cast which Phoenix keeps in their bedroom as a memento of that day. 

Speaking of Phoenix, he and Trucy moved into Miles’ house since Trucy was already telling the both of them to get married. Well, it wasn’t just for that, it was also because Phoenix thought it’d be fun and that Miles has a nicer house than his apartment, and honestly? Miles didn’t deny it. 

Despite being on crutches still, living with Trucy and Phoenix has been nothing short of a dream. Trucy performs magic tricks for him, and Phoenix… Well Phoenix was always going to be a joy to be around. Every time he walked by Miles, he’d give a soft little kiss somewhere on his face. He was there to help Miles at work with the elevator since Miles still passed out upon entry. He was there when the pain was hurting so much it felt as though his ankle was being torched. But he was there to give Miles infinite amounts of love, which was the best medicine.

Every so often Maya and Franziska would even come over, and together they’d play games and watch movies. They even signed his new ankle cast, saying “Don’t let your bluffing fool of a defense attorney over there trip on this ankle!!- Franziska Von Karma”. And “Congrats on FINALLY reaching the dating stage!! Only took you both 11 YEARS!! Let’s hope this ankle doesn’t take 11 years to heal too!!-Maya Fey”

Miles… Miles was happy. He certainly felt happy, and more relaxed than ever before even with a broken ankle. Phoenix had assured him that he would be there every step of the way for physical therapy, and that he’ll miss wrapping Miles’ cast in a garbage bag whenever he showers. 

But Miles was just happy, for after all…

A Broken Ankle Can’t Run Away.

And there was no need for Miles to run away anymore.

The End.