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It was around the third time Shi-Long growled just as he was passing by Miles that it got too much.
Miles sighed, setting aside his book. Clearly he wasn't getting any reading done in such an environment. "Agent Lang?"
There was no response, Shi-Long continuing to pace around the room, the very image of a wild animal on the prowl. He looked like he hadn't even heard Miles speaking, brows furrowed and teeth bared in a snarl as he started yet another round of the space.
"Shi-Long." When that still didn't get him a reaction, Miles lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. "Shi-Long!"
This finally made Shi-Long pay attention. It was almost comical, the way his head perked up and swiveled towards Miles in an instant, eyes wide and alert. He relaxed minutely the next moment, but it was clear he was still tense. "What?"
"You have been pacing for nearly an hour now," Miles pointed out. "I'm sure that whatever is bothering you, it's not worth wearing yourself out without accomplishing anything."
Shi-Long snorted. "Yes, because sitting and pretending nothing is wrong is going to be so much more helpful."
"I'm not pretending anything." Miles took off his glasses, carefully setting them down on the small table next to the couch. "I am waiting for results, as you are. Whether or not I occupy myself in other manners is the meantime has no bearing on how soon we will hear anything."
"We could be out there, Miles!" A low growl emanated from Lang's throat, one that might have seemed threatening if Miles hadn't known he had given up on threatening Miles years ago. Instead, he knew it was directed at their unseen adversary, who probably would have been quaking if they had known Lang was on their tail with such ferocity. "We could be looking for more clues!"
"We have investigated the crime scene, identified any possible suspects, and gotten statements from everyone even remotely involved in the matter," Miles pointed out. "Now we need to wait for analysis of the crime scene findings, and you being ornery is not going to help the lab work any faster. They can only process things so fast, you realize."
"But what if there's something we missed? What if there's another clue hiding somewhere? At least you could let me go out and —"
"Shi-Long." Once again, the snap of his fingers brought him Shi-Long's undivided attention. "Come here."
Shi-Long crossed the floor in a couple of long strides, coming to a halt in front of Miles. He might have seemed almost scary if Miles hadn't known him better, standing there all tall and tense, a frown still on his face.
Miles kept his hand raised, twisting it a bit to point to the floor. "Down, boy."
Shi-Long's frown deepened. "Miles —"
"I said, down." Miles kept his tone firm, continuing to point his finger down.
For a brief moment they kept staring at each other, Shi-Long with his fierce glare, Miles feigning indifference. Finally, though, Shi-Long lowered his head just a bit, kneeling down in front of Miles.
"Knee." This was familiar enough, in a way that never failed to amaze Miles, coming as naturally to him as commanding Pess had, back when he'd still had her for company. The response was also familiar, Shi-Long's head settling on his knee, comfortable as though it was meant to be right there. "Good boy."
Shi-Long's response was a low rumble, not quite a growl, and Miles set his hand on the spiky hair. It was simple enough to find just the right spot to scratch, and after a moment the rumble quieted down. Miles could see Shi-Long's eyes closing half-way, the taut lines of his shoulders relaxing just a little under the gentle scratches of his head.
"There's a good boy," he murmured, not entirely sure if Shi-Long was even listening. "You just want to go out and chase the bad guys, don't you? You're such a good boy, always working hard. But you need some rest, too, don't you? You don't have to work all the time, Shi-Long. It's fine, you can relax. It's my turn to work, now."
He half expected to hear some kind of a protest, for Shi-Long to break the spell of the moment to disagree with some statement of his or another, but instead, the room stayed silent save for his own voice. Shi-Long was relaxing even more, leaning more of his weight into Miles, and though it should have been uncomfortable it somehow managed to be nothing but reassuring, the weight of his lovely wolf pressing against him in such a way.
Miles wasn't entirely sure when Shi-Long's eyes slid closed all the way, couldn't even tell when his own words dropped down to simple murmurs that didn't actually contain words, focusing on the comforting tones instead. He wouldn't have thought Shi-Long's position was that comfortable, really, yet he suddenly realized the agent had actually fallen asleep, his head still resting on Miles's knee, a hand still scratching through his hair.
Miles debated waking him up, not wanting him to end up with a crick in his neck or back pain or worse. For all that Shi-Long might have protested, neither of them were young anymore, and while Shi-Long still insisted he was more than fit to run around the world chasing criminals Miles knew he was starting to slow down, ever so slightly. Not so long ago Shi-Long would have never agreed to stay in one place for so long, yet now he had been in LA for months on end, following Miles from one case to another instead of chasing new leads out into the world. Every case they wrapped up left Miles dreading the outcome, wondering if this would be the moment Shi-Long decided to run out again, chasing after villains much more exciting and varied than the bizarre but limited oddities of one lonely district. Yet every time Shi-Long failed to leave, showing up at his door again and again, asking after new cases and new leads to follow.
Not that Miles was complaining, of course. He had become quite used to working with Shi-Long in his years abroad, had been almost hesitant to give it up in favor of coming back home to help Wright with his ambitious plans of reforming the system. To have both of those, his duty and his wolf, seemed like a pipe dream he couldn't have dared to wish for. Yet here he was, sitting in his own familiar office, with Shi-Long breathing peacefully in and out at his side.
In the end it was a phone call that startled them both out of their peace, breaking Miles's quiet musings and alerting Shi-Long, who sat up with such sharp and alert eyes that Miles half expected him to actually bark in alarm. There was no barking, though, not even growls as Shi-Long got up to his feet, seeming surprisingly limber despite his rather unorthodox napping position as he stretched himself. Miles couldn't help but watch even as he reached for his phone, eyes following the lines of Shi-Long's body as he listened to the lab technician at the other end of the line.
By the time Miles stood up, not too many minutes later, Shi-Long looked ready to go, his face fighting between a smirk and a growl. "So?" His nose twitched as though smelling for blood. "What is it?"
"It seems like we need to check up a few more things before the day gets too far." Miles slid the phone back into his pocket. "Apparently there's something surprising in the lab results."
"Oh?" Shi-Long frowned, but his eyes were shining with excitement. "Surprising like what?"
"Surprising like a blood spatter that was not from the victim." Miles snatched his glasses from the table, reaching for his jacket only to find that Shi-Long was already offering it to him. With a grateful nod, he shrugged it on. "Shall we, then, Agent Lang?"
"Lead the way, Prosecutor Edgeworth." There was a hunger in Shi-Long's expression that might have been frightening if it hadn't only served to excite Miles, the familiar thirst for the chase that he had often felt himself in the years they had worked together. For all the satisfaction that he did in fact take from his administrative work, yes Wright some of us actually enjoy a job well done even if it involves reading, there was something special about being out in the field with a very competent and sharp detective to work alongside him.
Perhaps, after this case was over, he might even ask Shi-Long about having him settle down in LA for long-term, instead of working on a case by case basis.
Perhaps they might also talk about finding him a nice, stylish collar.