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"Congrats on the win, Wright" Edgeworth said to Phoenix in the hall after a case where the accused was deemed not guilty.
"Thanks Edgeworth!" Phoenix told him with a smile on his face. This had sort of become a routine, going against eachother in court. Except now it was less as enemies and more with mutual respect for eachother.
He wasn't sure if he could call what they had friendship. It was kind of an in between state and he was okay with that. They both were.
After the trial ended they talked for a little while, but soon after they both headed for the stairs to go home.
This is always where they would part when they had a trial against eachother. They were high up in the building, so Phoenix would always just take the elevator, while Edgeworth just took the stairs.
"Uh... Edgeworth?" Edgeworth heard Phoenix say from the stairs. When he walked over to Phoenix he saw it.
The stairs were blocked off.
Edgeworth just stood there frozen, not really saying anything. He knew he should be able to do this. It was just an elevator. He should. He's not a child anymore.
What would he think
What would his father think?
He'd be dissapointed.
Having a son who can't move on. A son who is scared of everything. A prosecutor who lost to a rookie attorney.
No. This isn't Wright's fault. It's his. Wright is everything his father would've wanted for a son. He was the kindest attourney he'd ever met and he never gave up on anything. The only times he ever lost was when he was too kind. He brought the innocent to justice and not to jail.
"Edgeworth?" Phoenix asked, which made Edgeworth snap out of his thoughts.
"Sorry you just spaced out for a bit. I think we'll have to use the elevator" The attourney apologised.
"It's fine, let's go"
"Are you sure?"
"YES!" He yelled, way too hard. He knew Wright didn't deserve this, but in this moment he just wanted to leave before a repeat of the incident could occur.
When they reached the elevator Edgeworth hesitated, but before he could voice it, the elevator was there. He couldn't back out now. When they went into the elevator Edgeworth immeadetly grabbed the metal bar shaking and breathing heavily. Why was he still so scared?
"Are you okay?" Phoenix asked with concern in his voice.
"I'm fine", Edgeworth squecked with a voice so quiet Phoenix almost couldn't hear it over the noise of the elevator.
"Are you s-" Phoenix was asking before he suddenly felt the ground shake beneath him.
An earthquake.
Before Phoenix even realised what was happening he could see Edgeworth curl up on the floor. Phoenix immeadetly jumped into action and pressed the bell button.
"Don't worry, help is on the way!' He said to Edgeworth trying to hide his panic.
Edgeworth wasn't responding at all, he didn't even know what Phoenix was saying. He heard his voice so loud it felt like screaming and yet everything was so muffled he had no idea what was being said.
He thought he was crying, but he wasn't sure. He felt like he was drowning and yet he had no idea what he actually felt.
He felt like the walls were closing in on him. He felt like that same kid from 15 years ago. Wanting to rip his skin off just
to stop feeling like this. Completely stuck in his own head that was torturing him.
"Edgeworth...?" Phoenix asked in a whispering tone, it didn't seem like Edgeworth heard him though. He placed his hand on Edgeworth's shoulder, which made Edgeworth immeadetly flinch away. Phoenix was feeling guilty for making Edgeworth scared when Edgeworth suddenly grabbed his hand.
Feeling the attorney put his hand on Edgeworth's shoulder was extremely overwhelming, but weirdly comforting. It reminded him that he wasn't there anymore. That he was safe here, with Phoenix.
Suddenly the earthquake stopped and Phoenix could breathe normally again. Edgeworth was still shaking and hyperventilating, but for the first time since the start of the earthquake started he actually looked up and Phoenix realised he was crying. Phoenix used his hands to wipe away Edgeworth's tears and pull him into a hug.
Edgeworth wasn't hugging him back, but wasn't pulling away either so in Phoenix' eyes that was a win.
"Can you try and breathe with me?" Phoenix suddenly said in a louder voice startling Edgeworth. Phoenix noticed that edgeworth heard him, and so he started breathing very slowly while still holding Edgeworth in his arms.
Edgeworth was still in a state of panic, but he could hear Phoenix' breathing and tried to follow it, with varying succes. Phoenix could hear Edgeworth's breathing getting better.
Suddenly, the earthquake started getting bad again, but neither of them let go. Instead Edgeworth put his arms around Phoenix' back.
"Please don't go", Edgeworth whispered
"I'll stay with you, I promise"
In Phoenix' arms, Edgworth felt like that same weak child from 15 years ago, weak, scared, but with Wright it didn't seem like that mattered.
Phoenix could feel his shoulder getting soaked, but in this moment, he didn't care. All he did was just sit there on the ground with him, whispering soft reassurences to him. Comforting him and staying there with him until the doors would open.
"Door's open" someone yelled from the outside as the doors opened. He and Edgeworth stood up and walked out of the elevator, hands still intertwined. Luckily before the earthquake the elevator had reached the second to lowest floor. The stairs were open there. Edgeworth was still struggling to get down the stairs, even with Phoenix' help.
"Thank you, Wright. I shall be taking my leave now" Edgeworth declared when they reached the bottom, his stern voice returning, even though he was still clearly shaken up by the whole situation.
"No you're not, not in this state", Phoenix jumped in when Edgeworth went to grab his car keys.
"You can't drive right now, what if another earthquake hits?" Phoenix asked with concern in his voice
"I'll be fine, Wright", Edgeworth said with a stern tone in his voice, but Phoenix wasn't buying any of it.
"You might be, but I want to ensure you will", Phoenix said. He grabbed Edgeworth's hand again.
You don't need him
"Let me help you"
Who are you if you can't even handle YOURSELF
"If you don't want my help that's fine, but..."
You're weak
"You're not weak for asking for help"
Before Edgeworth could react in any way the ground started shaking again. It was over as fast as it had started, but after only a few seconds Edgeworth was on the ground.
"Is he okay!?" Phoenix and Edgeworth suddenly hear a voice say from the stairs. Gumshoe.
"He will be, but could you bring us to my house. He is in no state to drive or ride a bike."
"Why should I bring him to your house?" Gumshoe asked with his usual clueless expression.
"Because he shouldn't be alone right now, could you bring us there?" Phoenix asked.
"Okay but, why don't you go to his house?". Gumshoe kept asking his useless questions.
"Because he lives on the 20th fucking floor of his building?" Suddenly, Edgeworth tripped which reminded Phoenix what he was trying to accomplish with this conversation.
"So, can you bring us?" Phoenix finally asked again.
"Sure!" He said, looking concernedly at Edgeworth. He just nodded in response.
The car ride to Phoenix' house was rather quiet, which wasn't the positive thing it seemed. Edgeworth's mind just wouldn't seem to leave him alone.
You're a drag to be around
You're just a chore to take care of
The thoughts were creeping in on him, which was weird, because he had already accepted these things as true.
You're weak
You will lose
Why were they bothering him now?
You're a failure
Your father would hate who you have become.
He knew why. He was at his weakest, completely at the mercy of others. He lost. He lost against himself.
"Okay, we're here, good luck", Gumshoe declared. This made Edgeworth snap out of his thoughts again.
"Thanks", Phoenix said while moving into the building and helping Edgeworth up to the second story. When they reached the second floor Edgeworth saw Phoenix' apartment for the first time.
It was exactly as he had expected, but in a positive way. The house was dirty, sure, but it felt like a home. Wheather is was all the random stuff laying in every corner that was clearly Maya's, or the stuff hung up on the wall it all felt like it belonged there.
Suddenly he heard a loud rumbling sound, making him cover his ears in fear once again.
"Edgeworth, it's okay, it was just thunder", Phoenix said reassuringly as Edgeworth indeed noticed there was a storm outside. Phoenix pulled him by the arm brought him into Phoenix' room.
"Stay here Edgeworth, I'll get you some food, what would you like?"
"..."
"Ok, I'll bring you some spaghetti".
After Phoenix left, Edgeworth felt tears fill his eyes again.
Pathetic, that's how he felt. Laying in Phoenix' bed and crying like a child. All because he couldn't handle a small eatthquake. Edgeworth glanced around the room. There was no paperwork anywhere. His house wasn't anything like Phoenix'. His was tidy, but less personal. Where Phoenix had his own personal stuff, Edgeworth just had paperwork in neat piles.
Suddenly Phoenix returned with the pasta, concern filling his eyes as he walked into his room. It shouldn't be. Edgeworth was fine.
"Are you ok", Phoenix asked again, knowing he wasn't getting the truth out of Edgeworth any time soon.
"I'm still fine, Wright, stop worrying. It was just an earthquake, I am not a child, I can handle tha-", Edgeworth was suddenly cut off by Phoenix engulfing him in a hug.
"It's okay to have feelings, you know. You don't have to be okay all the time."
Suddenly Edgeworth completely broke down, holding Phoenix so tight it seemed like he was scared Phoenix could disappear at any moment. And maybe, he was.
"I'm sorry..." A broken phrase, though almost as quiet as a whisper.
"You have nothing to be sorry about", Phoenix reassured him. "You have done so much for me, you flew across the world for me for christ's sake! Let me help you this time". Edgeworth didn't say anything, but also didn't show any discomfort which Phoenix took as a positive sign.
"Now, let's eat, please at least try to eat some of it", Phoenix said while they without speaking. The only sound that could be heard was the sound from the storm outside. After they finished eating the went to lie on the couch and finish the third season of The steel samurai. Edgeworth reated his head on Phoenix' shoulder.
"I love you..." Edgeworth whispered to Phoenix. Phoenix just smiled and when he looked back at Edgeworth he could already see that he had fallen asleep.
"I love you too"
He wasn't sure if he could call what they had romantic. It was kind of an in between state and he was okay with that. They both were.