Work Text:
~1~
“Your homework is to finish whatever you couldn’t during the lesson.”
The teacher’s voice drowned in the loud ringing of the bell and the immediate yelling of eight year olds escaping the classroom to finally go home.
Phoenix got up from his chair and stretched, happy that their final class- which specifically was math by the way, had finally ended. Math really wasn’t his thing but he had someone who always made this class fun. He looked to his right and smiled at his best friend Miles, who had finished his worksheet quite quickly and then tried helping Phoenix and Larry with theirs. After the bell had rung, he, in true Miles fashion, was just watching the crowd quietly, before he looked back to Phoenix.
“We could go to my house to finish our homework together? Afterwards, we might be able to play”, he said, his face seemingly emotionless. But Phoenix learnt to read Miles, and he knew Miles was excited to spend time with his friend.
“Yeah, let’s do that! Hey Larry, do you-” Phoenix turned around, just to be greeted by an empty seat. Apparently, Larry had followed the crowd and was either already on his way home or was trying to convince his latest crush to spend time with him. That meant Larry was not gonna join them, so Phoenix sat back down on his seat and flashed another smile at Miles. “I guess it’s just gonna be you and me, Miles!” he laughed, while quickly putting his stuff into his backpack.
The walk to the Edgeworth residence wasn’t long, so they very quickly found themselves at the dining table, ready to tackle the math questions once more. Phoenix immediately scooched a little closer to his best friend when they sat down, before they continued working on Phoenix’s worksheet.
As they solved the math equations, Phoenix kept leaning closer to Miles, realizing how comforted he felt whenever he was right next to Miles. For an eight year old, it was the first time he felt like that with someone who wasn’t his mother. Then he remembered all the stories his mother had told him about... romance and love? One of those feelings was comfort, but he wasn’t blushing and stuttering like the characters in her stories. But… What made him feel this way then if not love?
He closed his eyes, his brain trying to solve this confusing puzzle. “Phoenix? Are you-?” A voice right next to him tried to say before Phoenix felt something soft on his cheek. Confused, Phoenix’s eyes flew open, as he quickly tried to put a distance between him and whatever touched him while holding his cheek and staring to his right.
But by his side was still only Miles, whose eyes had widened and Phoenix slowly put the pieces together.
“I’m… I am so sorry, Phoenix…” Miles stuttered, his face taking a strawberry red color. Phoenix only stared, his mouth slightly open as he remembered the story told to him last night, where the princess kissed the knight’s cheek and both of them had the very same reaction as Miles did in that moment. And then, he too blushed. “No, Miles, it’s alright? I…” Phoenix, whose thoughts were fixed on his mother’s stories, stopped before whispering “Do you like me, Miles?”
At first, it was quiet. Then, Phoenix watched as Miles’ cheeks got even redder before he loudly said “I- Of course I do, you’re my best friend! Why would I not like you? The kiss was… a sign of our friendship!”
And before Phoenix could reply, they heard someone yell “Miles, I’m home!”
With the arrival of Miles’ father, and an invitation to lunch towards Phoenix, they quickly finished the worksheet and ate… and they forgot about that moment while spending the rest of their afternoon watching TV together.
That was until Phoenix left for home at sundown. At that moment, he thought about how nice it was when he had felt Miles’ lips on his cheek and played with the thought of doing it more frequently. According to Miles, it was a sign of friendship.
But deep down, Phoenix knew he wouldn’t have minded if he and Miles were like the princess and the knight in his mother’s story, and he hoped Miles felt the same way.
~2~
After Dee Vasquez was arrested by the bailiff and the “Not Guilty” verdict was given, confetti was adorning the courtroom floor. Phoenix, confused about what the hell just happened, couldn’t stop himself from watching the person behind the prosecutor’s bench. It’s been 15 years since they last saw each other, and after Mia’s murder trial Phoenix experienced the “Demon Prosecutor’s wrath” for himself. But what happened in this trial confused him, as well as gave him more confidence in his plan.
With Maya grabbing his arm and shaking him, Phoenix could only watch Edgeworth putting together his notes and evidence from the trial before leaving the courtroom for a short while, before Maya was dragging him away from the defense’s bench towards the defendant lobby.
He focused on Powers, trying to ignore his racing thoughts about Edgeworth for at least a second, when Maya suddenly tensed up and stuttered his name. And then the man himself stood right in front of him and all Phoenix could do was stare.
“Say something, Wright.” Phoenix’s heart jumped before racing. He may have gotten used to hearing Miles’ voice in the courtroom, but hearing it while he is standing right in front of him made his heart beat faster. After so many years, after so many letters… and after his first relationship and finally growing up , Phoenix realized his feelings for his old friend. Those he had when they were still eight years old, and those he had buried while being with Dahlia.
Honestly, Phoenix didn’t really know what he was saying to Edgeworth at that moment. That was, until Edgeworth said “I must say, I hadn’t expected to meet you again after all these years. In retrospect, it would have been better had we not met.”
Phoenix’s head started spinning, thinking “I’ve become a lawyer to meet you again though! Are you saying you want to erase our past as well? What are you saying, Miles?! What happened to you?”, but his mouth did not let him mutter a single word.
Edgeworth put his left hand on his arm and squeezed, purposely avoiding eye contact with everyone in front of him, before muttering “Thanks to you, I am saddled with unnecessary… feelings.”
“Unnecessary… feelings?”
Could it be what Phoenix was thinking? Of course, Phoenix had noticed Edgeworth’s little glances at him whenever he wasn’t looking in the first trial already, and had to hold a chuckle every time they locked eyes before Edgeworth immediately broke their eye contact. It reminded him of the old Miles, the one who constantly blushed at him, gave him soft smiles whenever he was actually overjoyed, the one who dubbed cheek kisses as “a sign of our friendship”... Did Miles actually like him back then? And were those feelings resurfacing?
“Yes, unease… and uncertainty” Edgeworth explained, and Phoenix gave him a little smile he tried so hard to hide, as he insisted “Aren’t those kind of necessary?”
He wanted to scream, to hug Edgeworth, to maybe give him a kiss on the cheek, anything to show him that Phoenix cares… But Edgeworth suddenly looked him in the eye and said “They only serve to get in my way. You listen to me, Phoenix Wright.”
Edgeworth got ready to leave, ignoring the way Phoenix’s smile started to fade.
“Don’t ever show your face in front of me again. That’s what I came here to tell you.”
And before Phoenix could stop him, Edgeworth had left the defendant lobby.
Did he misinterpret his words and just imagine the sad undertone in Edgeworth’s eyes?
He felt like he was at the bottom of the ocean, forcing himself to breathe while his mind made him think he was about to drown, barely hearing Maya talking to Powers.
He had become a defense attorney because of Edgeworth, was it all for nothing?
Suddenly, he felt someone tugging on his arm, hearing Maya say “They’re rivals! Rivals! Right, Nick?”
Right. They were defense attorney and prosecutor. They will definitely see each other in the courthouse, maybe even face off in another trial again.
Phoenix couldn’t give up just because Edgeworth told him off once. He had become a defense attorney because of Edgeworth after all. He had to try harder.
“For now we are… I guess.”
~3~
The last thing Phoenix really remembers was Larry’s high pitched scream as he fell between the burning wooden bridge beams before hitting the cold waves of the Eagle River. So when he found himself in a bed, his whole body hurting and burning, with an IV in his arm, a thick blanket on him and Iris’ hood on his head, he thought he had arrived in hell.
“Wright.”
Phoenix slowly turned his head around and saw none other than Miles Edgeworth sitting in a chair next to him, and his assumed location immediately changed to heaven. His face, as usual, seemed emotionless but in his eyes Phoenix recognized worry, as well as a certain calm.
“Glad to see you awake.” Edgeworth gave him a little smile, while taking Phoenix’s hand in his and squeezing. Phoenix, amazed by how beautiful Edgeworth looked, blurted out “No way the angel that greets me in heaven looks like Miles…”
“You think I’m an angel?”, Miles chuckled. Phoenix just nodded while trying to somehow get closer to him, saying “How could I not? The real Miles Edgeworth is in Europe, and after he returned from the dead last year, I made him promise to contact me regularly! Also, they would have to send someone I would follow to death, right? Seduce me or whatever.”
Edgeworth’s cheeks turned a faint color of pink, before he cleared his throat and clarified “Wright, you’re still alive. I’m not an angel, I’m your… friend, Miles Edgeworth. Wait, why is your skin turning red?! I shall fetch a nurse, wait-”
But before Edgeworth could leave, Phoenix, who was slowly understanding the situation and was just incredibly embarrassed about his own words, held Edgeworth’s hand tighter and pulled him back. “I’m completely fine, Edgeworth. What are you doing here, though?”
His friend, who was very openly doubting Phoenix’s declaration, sat back down and explained how he took a private jet back home because Larry convinced him that Phoenix was dying, if not already dead. “You might have to defend me soon because I do not think the Butz is going to live any longer” Edgeworth joked, before adjusting Phoenix’s blanket where it had slid off his body. But Phoenix stared at Edgeworth once again, whispering “You took a private jet? To see me?”
He could feel his heart speeding up as Edgeworth looked right into his eyes, saying “There’s nothing more important to me than you, Wright.”
Phoenix’s mind stood still for a second, not wanting to believe what Edgeworth just said. And then, Phoenix felt his consciousness slipping away, only bringing out a “Wait…” before falling asleep again.
About half an hour later, he woke up again, with Edgeworth still by his side, who was now fiddling with his phone. When he saw that Phoenix had woken up again, he put it down and gave him another small but forced smile. “Larry wants to see me, according to him it’s urgent. He kept talking about someone named Iris?”
And with that, Phoenix’s memories of last night returned, clouded and he definitely didn’t remember all the details, but he remembered the most important things. So he pulled out his attorney’s badge and magatama, slurring his words as he told Edgeworth about the murder the day before, how Maya was trapped and might be with the murderer and how “You can do this. I believe in you!”
Slowly, Edgeworth’s face became blurry once again and Phoenix’s felt a terrible chill over his whole body, knowing he was about to fall asleep again. He could hear Edgeworth saying “You can count on me, Partner.”, and mumbled “That’s why I love you…”
Before Phoenix actually drifted back into another fever dream, he imagined a soft pair of lips on his cheek, which he didn’t remember after waking up the next time.
~4~
“Wright? Are you still in?” Phoenix watched as a familiar silhouette entered the dark Wright & Co Law Offices, immediately putting his finger to his lips to signal the visitor to be quiet. Edgeworth quietly walked in front of the couch Phoenix was sitting on and kneeled down to take a closer look at the sleeping eight year old using Phoenix’s lap as a pillow.
“Trucy and I were trying to figure out what we should do with the office…”
Phoenix carefully placed his hand on top of Trucy’s head, smiling softly. “She suggested turning it into a talent agency… What do you think?”
Instead of answering the question, Edgeworth just asked “How are you?”
With that, Phoenix looked back up to Edgeworth, his smile cracking for a second before whispering “I have Trucy now, so I’m… completely fine.” And he meant it. Of course he was angry and sad about his very last trial of his career, but as he went through the law books Mia had left him, Trucy was being… Trucy. Smiling, overly excited Trucy, asking her father about this place, Charley and occasionally doing a magic trick. Even if he had fallen into a deep, dark hole, there was that one light.
It might seem cruel, but he was honestly thankful to have not found any of Trucy’s relatives because it meant he could keep his light. Without it, he might have already disappeared for good.
Suddenly, Phoenix felt a finger on his cheek, wiping away a single tear that he hadn’t even noticed forming. He looked up to Edgeworth, still kneeling down, now establishing eye contact with his friend.
“You… don’t only have Trucy” he said, his whole hand now holding his cheek.
“I know, I also have Maya, but she is back home right now and I can’t bother her with all this.”
Edgeworth shook his head. “I meant me, Wright.”
Phoenix’s smile disappeared, his heart jumping up and down. “But you’re busy going from country to country, trying to fix our legal system… I couldn’t ask you to be with me all the time. And I also have a daughter now… I might try to rely too much on you, which I shouldn’t. I appreciate you, but-”
“No, Wright” Edgeworth interrupted him, “Your wellbeing and happiness is the most important thing to me. And with Trucy being your daughter, making her another part of you, her wellbeing and happiness is important as well. I would want you two to rely on me. If you want me by your side while I am abroad, I would not shy away from immediately returning. I have done it once, and I would do it again. Or you could join me, you and Trucy.”
Phoenix could feel his eyes filing up with more tears. To Phoenix, this sounded like a declaration of love, but even if it was, he knew he shouldn’t lean into it. Not right now.
He was broken right now, and couldn’t bear it if what he was thinking was wrong, even with Truce by his side. He needed to be strong now to provide and be a father. Additionally, he couldn’t force himself and his problems on Edgeworth, who had been working so hard on himself and their legal system. He was only going to bother and distract him.
His heart screamed and his lungs burned as he grabbed Edgeworth’s hand, leading it away from his face, squeezing it once before letting it fall. He ignored Edgeworth’s look, as he said “I… appreciate it. I really do. And… if it really is necessary, I might change my mind and ask you for help. But right now, I have to think about what’s best for Trucy. You yourself also made so much progress, and I can’t ask you to juggle both that and me. I would only set you back.”
Phoenix could see the dissatisfaction in Edgeworth’s face, knowing he wanted to argue as if they were both kids again, fighting over who was the best Signal Samurai.
Phoenix carefully adjusted his jacket he had put on Trucy as a blanket, her slow and relaxed breathing trying to calm his mind and heart while waiting for Edgeworth to finally say something and not daring to look at him again. But Miles stayed quiet.
It seemed as if Edgeworth didn’t want to speak his mind, so after a few minutes of silence, he said “It’s late. Let me drive you and Trucy home.”
“No, I think we’re gonna be fine. You should go home though.” Phoenix lifted his head and forced a smile, ignoring the wall of tears that was about to break.
Edgeworth nodded and stood back up, adjusting his jacket and walking towards the door. “Keep our promise from last year, alright?”
“And call me whenever you need it.”
And before Phoenix could argue back, Edgeworth was out the door.
Now that he was alone with his sleeping Trucy again, he couldn’t hold the tears anymore. Hoping that his crying didn’t wake Trucy, he put his head on top of the sofa and cried bitter tears before falling asleep himself, his hand protectively on top of his daughter’s head once again.
~5~
Germany certainly was an interesting country, with an even more interesting language. Phoenix had already noticed how most Germans could speak English, but Edgeworth insisted on taking over communicating with the locals, be it at the airport or at the bakery they visited before anything else. The one who was probably most excited about being abroad though was Trucy. Spending a lot of time with her Daddy and Uncle Miles, in a country away from home for the very first time? Now this feels like a dream!
“Uncle Miles, is there a magic shop we could check out? I want some new props as a souvenir!” Trucy asked, her whole body shaking as they got into Edgeworth’s car after a short grocery shopping spree. “We’d have to check, Truce. But not today, you didn’t sleep on the plane, and you’ve barely slept the night before the flight either”, Phoenix chimed in, worried his daughter might collapse due to tiredness. The ten year old pouted but didn’t argue back. Edgeworth just smiled, adding “We have all day tomorrow, so I can show you the town itself too. There’s also a bakery which makes the best German baked goods I have ever tasted!”
With that, Trucy’s smile returned.
The drive to Edgeworth’s apartment was quiet, with the exception of Trucy’s occasional gasps and comments about how beautiful the architecture was. Phoenix was glad about the silence, though, as he took the time trying to think of a reason on why he actually agreed to go to Europe this time. Of course he could argue that he thought it might be good for Trucy, and definitely not because he was trying to avoid a certain person, needing a break from how things are at home or because he just missed Edgeworth so much, he felt like his heart was gonna stop and die. And he was good at bluffing, so it should not be a problem to just say it was for Trucy’s sake, right?
When they arrived and were standing in the guest room, Trucy was already throwing herself onto the King’s bed, laughing. Edgeworth, who had helped carry the luggage, turned to Phoenix and asked “I hope it’s okay for the two of you to share a bed?” Phoenix, who didn’t remember when he last had a genuine smile on his face unless it was towards Trucy, forced a smile, and said “Of course it’s alright… Thank you for having us, Edgeworth. I think Trucy is going to enjoy being away from home and spending time with you after so long.”
Edgeworth, who usually smiled back, just… stared at him. They just stood there, making Phoenix anxious as the seconds passing started feeling longer and longer. Then Edgeworth just sighed. “You know, you can bluff your way out of a lot of things… But I see you, Wright. We can talk later, if you want to.”
Phoenix wanted to double down, wanting to convince Miles that Trucy was the only reason they were here, when his phone rang. Seeing the caller, he suppressed an annoyed groan, before showing Edgeworth the phone and grumbling “I have to take this.”
He left the guest room before accepting the call, trying his best to sound happy.
“Hey Kristoph. Why are you calling?”
“Why didn’t you call me when you landed?” Kristoph immediately asked. Phoenix closed his eyes as he explained “Everything went by so quickly after we landed, I had to keep an eye on Trucy, otherwise she would have gotten lost.”
“Isn’t Miles Edgeworth with you? Couldn’t he have watched her while you called your boyfriend?”
This time, Phoenix actually sighed “I already told you, Trucy is my first priority, she’s my daughter. I can’t just push her onto someone else just to satisfy you and your needs.”
“Whatever.” Phoenix heard the shuffling of paper. “Did you arrive in Austria well?”
“It’s Germany. And it was fine.” He really wanted this call to end but if he was to mention this to Kristoph, he would begin another argument about how Phoenix didn’t care about his boyfriend, and was probably out there cheating on him.
Luckily, Kristoph’s shuffling of papers got louder and he said “I’m swamped with work right now, let’s talk when you’re back. Goodbye, Phoenix.”
Happy about their trip being two weeks long and therefore not having to think about Kristoph for two whole weeks, Phoenix didn’t even mind when he hung up without waiting for an answer. So he slid his phone back into his pocket and almost went back into the room, when he heard Trucy’s nervous voice.
“Uncle Miles?”
“What is it, Trucy?”
“I think I don’t like Mr Gavin.”
Phoenix froze. Did something happen between them? Had he failed to protect his light?
It took everything to not storm into the room and ask Trucy himself, but he knew if he did that, Trucy would immediately change the subject and possibly never open up again. Thankfully, she was talking to Edgeworth, and Phoenix knew he would ask and say the right things.
“Is there a reason?”
“He is so mean to Daddy, demanding things from him all the time while never doing anything for Daddy himself! Shouldn’t people who like each other be nice and do things for each other? Also… I am pretty sure he is actually an evil man.” Listening to Trucy repeating the lessons her father taught her by telling his favorite stories from his childhood while applying it to his situation hurt Phoenix, as well as recognizing Kristoph as an evil person.
But he knew it was his fault. He decided this was the best way to keep Kristoph by his side, to maybe find some evidence…
Edgeworth responding made him focus on their conversation again. “Well, of course you need to treat the person you love well. You need to show them your love and cherish them… Did you tell your father any of this?”
“I…” Phoenix could hear the blanket being moved, before Trucy continued with a muffled voice “I don’t think he would want to listen. He likes Mr Gavin after all. I want him to be happy too!”
He dared to look into the room, hiding the fact that he was eavesdropping, and saw how Edgeworth sat at the edge of the bed, leaning towards Trucy hiding underneath the blankets. “Trucy, if there’s one thing I’ve learned because of your father, then it’s how you have to talk to him when something’s wrong. Even if it’s just a feeling. He will listen to you, no matter what.” Phoenix could see a soft smile on Edgeworth’s face.
“He listens to those he loves, and especially those who love him back. And you, Trucy Wright, are the most important person on this planet- no, the whole universe to him.”
Trucy slowly lifted the blanket, whispering “Really?” And Edgeworth smiled, confirming “Really.”
The ex defense attorney just stared, trapped in the beauty of Edgeworth’s smile and words. Every time he watched his daughter and his friend interact, it was just such a beautiful sight to him, and it differs so much from every single interaction between Kristoph and Trucy. Edgeworth might say he wasn’t good with kids, but he seemed like a pro with her and it made Phoenix think that maybe Edgeworth really loved Trucy. And sometimes, he also thought that that love extended to himself, too, especially in a situation like the one Phoenix just eavesdropped in. He was hoping it was.
All of a sudden, Trucy sat up, tearing Phoenix out of his thoughts, and exclaimed “You know what else bothers me about them, Uncle Miles? They never kiss! Not even a peck on the cheek! Daddy always gives me a kiss, and all stories he tells me have at least a kiss on the cheek because they love each other! He also told me about how you also kissed him on the cheek, and how he l-”
That was Phoenix’s cue to finally step into the room, smiling at them while saying in just a little louder tone “Are you two gossiping about me? I expected better from you, Edgeworth!”
Said man just playfully scoffed, replying with a “Oh really?”, while Trucy just jumped into Phoenix’s arms, laughing.
Shortly after, they ate dinner and the Wrights returned to the guest room, saying their good nights to Edgeworth. As Trucy stepped back into the room after getting bedready, she saw her father sitting at the edge of the bed, with furrowed eyebrows and his hands folded together, and stopped abruptly.
“Truce, we need to talk.”
He had to tell her about his plan. Maybe not every single detail, not yet, but he had to tell her that what she was seeing of Kristoph and him wasn’t right.
And maybe, just maybe, he was curious about her feelings for Uncle Miles.
~+1~
Edgeworth was incredibly nervous to see Wright after his murder trial. He had driven Trucy to the courthouse and was now bringing her back to the Wright Talent Agency.
Sure, he didn’t approve of their plan but honestly? He immediately believed Trucy when she suspected Kristoph Gavin of being an evil person. Additionally, he knew Wright wouldn’t forge evidence without a proper reason.
When Wright used his one call while in detention to ask him for a favor, Edgeworth’s first reaction was to gasp. He had waited seven years for this moment, and he thought his heart was about to explode when he heard Wright say “Hey Edgeworth, how are you? Are you back?”
Of course he was still overseas.
Of course he had lied and said he was back in LA.
Of course he had to take another private jet to get there as quickly as possible.
And of course he wasn’t gonna tell Wright about all that.
So when Trucy got back into his car after delivering “a magician’s trick”, Edgeworth asked “How did he look?”
Trucy put on her seatbelt and smiled. “Daddy’s fine, you know him! And his defense attorney totally was amazed by my card trick! I hope he’s gonna join my agency!”
Edgeworth, for now satisfied with that answer, turned the car back on and drove towards said agency. As they were driving, Trucy was humming a melody unbeknownst to Edgeworth before they stopped at a red traffic light and she turned her head towards him, smirking.
“Uncle Miles, may I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Are you going to confess your love to Daddy today?”
Edgeworth slowly turned his head to meet Trucy’s eyes, staring at her bewildered, not even noticing the lights turning green until the car behind them honked. It took Edgeworth a little while to reply to her, asking “Why would you think that?”
He wouldn’t even try to convince her that he wasn’t in love with Wright. For once, it was quite obvious and secondly, he was talking to the daughter of the most brilliant man he knew, so it didn’t surprise him that she deduced Edgeworth’s feelings for her father.
Trucy took off her top hat, pulling out a Queen of Hearts poker card.
“Well, after the trial, Mr Gavin is going to be arrested, which marks the end of the relationship with Daddy. Then again…” She turned the card around, which magically turned into a non-bloody Ace of Spades.
“Daddy never loved him.”
Edgeworth had stopped the car by the Wright Talent Agency right when she had said that, and before he could say something to her, she was already out of the car, waiting for him. He sighed, turned off the engine and followed her to the Wrights’ place of work, where Trucy immediately talked about her new magic trick.
If Edgeworth spent all the time thinking about what Trucy had said in the car, then it was his business, and his business alone… Even if Trucy kept giving him knowing glances and occasional smirks.
Why did she even bring up confessing his feelings to Wright? There were moments where he thought Wright was reciprocating his feelings but he can’t imagine Wright actually doing so and wanting to take their relationship into a different department.
The sun was slowly starting to set when Wright finally came back, announcing himself loudly with a “I’m free once again!”
Trucy, before running towards him to hug her father, stood on her toes to whisper “This is the WRIGHT place to do it, Uncle Miles!” into Edgeworth’s ear. And then, Wright stood in front of him.
“Hey, Edgeworth.” He smirked.
“Welcome back, Wright.” Edgeworth smiled back. Trucy slowly backed off, telling Wright she was going to try a new trick in their supply closet and disappeared.
“Do you want to drink some tea?” Wright asked, trying to make some small talk to loosen up. Edgeworth just shook his head though.
His heart was racing and his right hand was shaking a little. He wanted to question Wright about his relationship with Kristoph Gavin, about the trial, about his feelings for him… But the only thing he could bring out right now was “I should be going. It’s getting late. Congratulations on your acquittal.”
He was about to leave, when Wright told him to stop and he looked back. Suddenly, Wright was so close, Edgeworth was able to hear his breathing. Then, his heart stopped, seeing how his childhood friend had put one hand on his cheek whilst placing his lips on the other.
“Thank you for helping me today”, Wright whispered, before taking a step back and starting to turn around. Except a hand around his wrist stopped him.
“Phoenix, wait”, Edgeworth heard himself whisper. “I need to confess something.”
Phoenix, trying to be nonchalant, turned back towards Edgeworth, looking him right into his eyes.
Edgeworth was nervous, he really didn’t plan on doing this. But if his imagination was actually reality, all of those years spent pining for that man were worth it.
“I… I actually thought you harbored feelings for me. Or maybe hoped you did. Ever since meeting you again during Mia Fey’s murder trial, I thought I could see adoration in your eyes. But at that point, I didn’t want to believe it.”
He looked down, trying to breathe, but then Phoenix’s hand was on his cheek, lifting his head back up and establishing eye contact once again, whispering “Go on.”
So he obliged.
“Then, you’ve… hated me for leaving and making you think I’ve committed suicide. And after that, other tribulations happened… Dahlia resurfacing, Iris being armoured by you still and turning into a potential partner of yours… Your disbarment, you rejecting my help and then starting a relationship with Kristoph Gavin… I am going to be honest with you, Phoenix Wright. Until today, I was ready to give up hope. But both Trucy and you… Your action just now made me hope once again.”
And with that, Edgeworth had laid his true feelings out. However, Phoenix didn’t respond. He was just watching Edgeworth closely, a little mischievous smile on his lips, before proceeding to carefully place them onto Edgeworth’s lips.
Not having expected a kiss at all, Edgeworth froze, his eyes wide open, until Phoenix put his hand on his arm, squeezing and making him relax and melt into their kiss.
As they slowly separated again, Phoenix touched Edgeworth’s forehead with his, smiling satisfied.
“Do you wanna know a secret, Miles?” Phoenix’s hand wandered towards Miles’ hip.
“I’ve been in love with you since we were eight years old.”
“Then why…?” Miles started, but Phoenix cut in, knowing what he was going to say “I couldn’t believe it either. I thought I just imagined it.” He chuckled.
“Back then, my favorite good night story was about a knight and a princess falling in love. You know why I loved it so much? It reminded me of us. Of me hoping you were feeling the same.”
At that point, both felt like there was only one more thing to say to the other. It took them over two decades, but now they know.
“Miles…”
“Phoenix…”
And although they didn’t say it that day, they finally knew.