Work Text:
Nick: miles, we should get lunch soon
Miles <3: I don’t think that’s a good idea for either of us.
Nick: i need to get out of this forsaken apartment
Nick: i’m going crazy
Miles <3: You’re sure Kristoph won’t kill you. I don’t think you’ll come to lunch alive if you say you’re meeting with me.
Nick: he really really really does not have to know
Miles <3: I don’t think that’s safe at all.
Nick: we can go on Saturday. He’s gonna be busy all day
Miles <3: Busy with a case I’m prosecuting.
Nick: oh come on
Nick: when are you freeee :(
Miles <3: I’m free sometime next week. I’ll check my calendar for you.
Nick: i love you so much
Nick: thank you I’m forever in your debt
“What are you doing?” Kristoph asked from the kitchen.
“Making lunch plans with Larry,” Phoenix replied. He put his phone face down on the couch, leaning his head back to look at Kristoph.
“You don’t smile at your phone when you text him,” Kristoph observed. He walked out of the kitchen with a coffee in hand. “Usually you grimace.”
“You can tell what expression I’m making while all you can see is the back of my head,” Phoenix deadpanned. He scrunched his face and looked back down at his lap.
Kristoph leaned on the couch next to where Phoenix was sitting. “Now, why are you making plans with Larry?”
“I haven’t had lunch with any of my friends in a long time,” Phoenix deflected. He didn’t look back at Kristoph.
“I doubt that. You went out with Maya last week,” Kristoph pointed out.
“I haven’t had lunch with Larry in ages,” Phoenix corrected. “Friends doesn’t just mean Maya, Kris.”
“You still went out last week. I don’t see why you have to go out this week,” Kristoph shrugged. He sipped his coffee and looked at Phoenix disapprovingly.
Phoenix leaned forward. His elbows rested on his knees, hung his head, and sighed. “I don’t understand what your problem is. Are you just jealous that I have friends and you don’t?”
“I have friends, Phoenix. They’re just all in Germany,” Kristoph answered. He stepped over to the dining table and placed his coffee down. “I just think it would behoove you to spend time with your partner who could get you put in jail rather than your friends.”
Phoenix stood up. “That’s it. I’m done. You are the devil incarnate and you keep me here to amuse you with my suffering.”
“Such complicated words from a man who presented forged evidence,” Kristoph stated.
“I am leaving this godforsaken hellscape,” Phoenix exclaimed. He stormed back to his room as he spoke.
“Who’s picking Trucy up from school?” Kristoph called to him.
“I am!”
Over the afternoon, Phoenix backed bags for himself and Trucy. His was a backpack and Trucy got the one and only suitcase he owned. Phoenix’s bag had his suit, a change of clothes, and his pajamas. Trucy’s had pretty much the same, but more. Phoenix would rather dig into his savings to buy more things for himself than for Trucy. She already felt too bad about his living conditions.
As Phoenix came in and out of his and Trucy’s rooms, Kristoph was acting as if nothing had happened. He sat at the dining table with his coffee and laptop, working idly. Eventually he did need to go to work. That was after Phoenix was finished and locked himself in his room.
Phoenix laid on his bed, phone ringing on the sheets next to him. He’d called Miles a few times at this point. He was probably just in a meeting that was ending soon.
“Phoenix, I was about to check my calendar,” Miles answered.
“This isn’t about that,” Phoenix objected. He took a deep breath. “Will you come pick me up? I need to pick Trucy up from school but I can’t walk there today.”
“Nick, is something wrong?”
“No, of course not. I’m totally not dating a murderer who just threatened to put me in jail for wanting to hang out with my friends,” Phoenix replied sarcastically.
“Maybe I won’t come pick you up then, if everything is going just fine,” Miles replied in the same tone. The jingle of his keys sounded over the call.
“I’ll explain a little more one I’m seeing you face to face, I just,” Phoenix paused. “I need to make sure Trucy is safe before I say anything about the specifics.”
“Alright. I’ll see you soon,” Miles agreed.
“Love you, Miles,” Phoenix resigned.
“I love you too.”
Outside Trucy’s school, Phoenix and Miles sat in the latter’s car. Phoenix had the passenger window open so he could yell to Trucy when the doors opened. Miles checked his watch over again, alongside the sidewalks outside the school. He was more than willing to get the cops called on him for assaulting a murderer.
“I was worried about you every day, you know,” Miles broke the silence.
“You had plenty of reason to be,” Phoenix shrugged. “He was definitely the worst decision I’ve ever made.”
“Frankly, I would’ve actually committed homicide to get you to leave him,” Miles informed. He glared over at Phoenix. “Larry never told me anything good about that man.”
“You can’t just offhandedly say you would kill for me. That’s not cool,” Phoenix stated. He turned more fully to Miles. “You’ve been accused of murder three times.”
Kids started filing out of the school as Phoenix spoke. Trucy, who Miles had never seen before, stood next to a large tree in the center of the front yard with her teacher. Phoenix put on a mask and got out of the car. “I need to go talk to Trucy’s teacher. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Miles nodded. He watched Trucy run to Phoenix as he walked up to her. She was a very excited kid. The prosecutor thought that was cute, and very much like Phoenix. He knelt down to her and pointed toward Miles’ car. Trucy looked back hesitantly. Miles waved to her.
A few more convincing words from Phoenix and she was bounding over to the fancy car. She opened the door and got into the back. “Daddy said we’re staying with you.”
“That you are, Trucy,” Miles agreed.
Trucy took off her backpack and leaned over the center console. “Why are we staying with you?”
“Your father will explain that to you later,” Miles replied. He glanced over to Phoenix who was still talking to the teacher.
“How do you know daddy?” Trucy asked.
“Phoenix and I have known each other since we were kids,” Miles explained.
Phoenix came back to the car and slumped into his seat. “Let's go home. I’m tired.”
Upon their arrival at Miles’ house, Trucy was amazed. It was a lot bigger than the apartment she had been living in. Not fancy, not at all, but a much better upgrade from an apartment Phoenix could barely pay for. She ran right inside once the car stopped in the driveway.
“I’ll come out and get my stuff once Trucy has settled down,” Phoenix informed.
“I doubt that will be for a while. She’s already excited because she doesn’t have to go back home to Kristoph, and now she gets a new house to explore,” Miles chuckled. He stared lovingly at Phoenix. The same love that he had when they were kids, and the same love that came back when they met in the courtroom. He leaned over and gently kissed the other man. “I’m glad to have you back.”
Phoenix hummed. “Me too.”
Trucy came running back down the front steps of the house. She yanked the passenger door open and pulled on Phoenix’s sleeve. “Come on, Daddy! You’re not going to get to see the house if you stay in here all day!”
Phoenix unbuckled himself and got out of the car. “I’m coming, I’m coming. Stop yelling at me.”
Trucy dragged Phoenix by his wrist into the house. Miles watched them from the car like they were his own husband and kid.