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Phoenix opened his own door as quiet as he could, as if he were a teenager sneaking in from a late night rendezvous. And, well, it wasn’t not that, despite it being the middle of the day. He’d went to have coffee with Kristoph again: an almost-date with an almost-colleague. With every pretend sip, he couldn’t help but think of Diego sharing coffee with his butterfly-winged devil in the courthouse cafeteria, and wondered how long it would take for Kristoph to realize whatever toxins he was slipping into his drink weren’t taking.
And, like a teenager sneaking in, he came home to someone in his living room, arms crossed and glaring. But, it certainly wasn’t his mom, but rather…
"Edgeworth!? How did you get in my apartment-?" He’d just had the locks changed, and no longer kept a spare key under the mat. The only keys to this door were with himself, Trucy, and Maya, who seemed the most likely culprit. He’d told her to stay out of this, meddling backstabber…
"That's unimportant," Miles so helpfully said, confirming his suspicion. "What does matter is that I have it on good authority you were spotted with Mr. Gavin this morning."
Who the hell was he having keep tabs on him-? "So you've been stalking me, huh?" Phoenix tried his best to sound angry, as much as he felt flattered by all this foolish and extreme fretting. "I have half a mind to call the cops on you." He started towards the phone, even though they both know it was a bluff.
Miles seemed to pay it no mind, taking a step backwards towards the door. "Wright. Come with me. Now. We need to talk."
"I told you, it’s over. All of it." He couldn’t look him in the eyes as he said that, so he kept glaring at his landline. "There isn’t a we to talk. Is that what this is all about? Think I’m ‘cheating’ on you with Gavin?" As if he and Miles were ever even really together. As if he’d ever touch that disgusting attorney. As if he’d ever stray if the full brilliance of the sun shone upon a disgrace that belonged in shadowy basements.
"I think you’re on a dangerous path, Phoenix." Breaking out the Phoenix… he really couldn’t bear to look at him, at the no doubt pitting frown on his face. "I refuse to let you walk—"
Forcing himself to clench his fist, he whipped around, still not meeting his gaze. "You can’t tell me what to do, Edgeworth!" He took a step closer, another step, forced himself close enough to smell his gentle cologne combined with fancy laundry detergent and point a finger in his face. "You don’t have any right to tell me shit, so why don’t you just run away like you always do?"
A slight smile crossed Miles’ lips as his suddenly caught Phoenix’s hand with both of his own. Phoenix couldn’t force himself to pull away. "I knew it. That’s what you want, isn’t it? To aim for the jugular and anger me; to force me to give up on you like you’ve given up on yourself. But, truth is, you haven’t the heart to land a killing blow."
Biting the inside of his cheek, Phoenix forced his eyes to meet Miles’. He looked almost amused, as if he were watching Pess barking at the mailman instead of Phoenix trying his best to save him again. It was a bit easier to feign anger when he was being such a smug jackass.
"You want the truth?" Phoenix took a deep breath, forcing himself onward. Forcing himself to say something truly unforgivable, because nothing else would work. "The truth is I can’t risk having Trucy have another dad disappear on her! You’ll just ‘choose death’ again when things get hard and I’ll have to tell her over and over again that it’s not her fault people keep leaving her and she won’t believe me this time, no matter how many times I say it!"
He knew that would have Miles storming out of the apartment in a rage. He just didn’t think that he’d be dragging him behind him, still holding tightly onto his hands. He was yanked through the doorway, down the stairwell, and into the street without Miles saying a word. Phoenix just… followed, bewildered. He couldn't even formulate a guess as to what he was doing or where they were going. All he could think was that it was nice to get to hold his hand in public for once. Miles had never wanted PDA, another thing he'd tried to make bigger than it was when he'd first tried to break things off.
Eventually, Miles came to a sudden stop and finally turned around to face him. Phoenix had expected anger, but not like this. Miles' eyes were narrowed and… well, he hadn't seen him cry since they were children, but he looked as if he was very nearly about to. All of a sudden, all the nerve rushed out of Phoenix, and he wanted so desperately to apologize and take his horrible words back. Of course he didn't think he'd break Trucy's heart, he trusted him completely! He knew he was better! It was just the only thing he could think to say that might work, and… and…
"Phoenix. I refuse to allow you to continue to spew nonsense thinking it'll blindly harm me," Miles started, still holding onto his hand so tightly it might bruise. "You are the one I trust most of all to tell me the truth, and I know for a fact you are refusing to tell it to me."
Even if knew he knew he should say that he was, or ask how he knew, those words died before he could gather the courage to say them as Miles let go of his hand and pulled out the magatama from his pocket. "I apologize for lying to you earlier; I was simply guessing that you had been out with Gavin. I had come to your home because I wanted to ask you to borrow your strange magic rock once more, and upon seeing you weren't home… well, Kay has taught me a few things about picking locks, and…"
He couldn't take it. Phoenix started laughing at the mental image of Miles trying to pick his lock. "Okay, now I should really call the cops on you," he forced out through giggles. "But, uh, if you needed the Magatama, you probably don't have time to be wasting with me."
Miles smiled a little in kind, eyes still a bit misty. "It's nothing important, or at least not so important as this conversation. Phoenix, I know you do not want to break up with me because those damned psycholocks betray you by covering my field of vision when we broach the topic. And, I have a feeling you think yourself unworthy of what you really want."
Of course he was. Of course he was unworthy of spending his life with a rising star when he was one falling even faster. He couldn't ruin Miles' career when it was finally blossoming past the choking weeds of his past. Dating the Forging Attorney was the surest way to get those horrible rumors redoubled around him. But, instead of saying that, he just tried to turn away, before Miles took his hand again. "Do you know where we are, Wright?"
Miles sounded almost amused, so as Phoenix started to take in his surroundings, it was easy to think it was a joke. "Why the hell are we at a jewelry store, Miles?" He laughed a little himself at his bedraggled reflection in a window filled with sparkling gems. "It's not like I could afford anything here even before…"
That same quizzical tone carried into Miles' next words. "Isn't it obvious? To pick out your engagement ring, silly."
Maybe Miles really did hate him. Maybe this was all a cruel joke. His chest writhed as he forced out more laughter. "N-no, but seriously." This is what he deserved, to be mocked after being so cruel.
He was pulled through the door without another word. His grubby sweats looked comical against the glass cases and velvet beds enveloping gems worth more than he'd had in his entire life. The clerk gave him a strange look. Two ladies looking at bracelets snickered. Phoenix wanted to run, but Miles held his hand tightly and began to drag him towards the counter.
"Darling, do you know your ring size?" Darling, he said it so sweetly, as if he'd been calling him it all his life. This wasn't funny anymore. Phoenix felt his own eyes burning.
"Stop it," Phoenix all but pleaded, digging in his heels and lowering his voice to a whisper. "I'm sorry, I was a jackass, I know, please stop—"
"You don't think I'm being serious?" Miles looked more hurt by that than he did any of the other shit he'd tried. But, ever so gently, he brushed a stray, pathetically limp lock of hair out of Phoenix's face and kissed his stubble-ringed lips. It was all he could do to not pop his foot out like they were in a goddamn romcom.
Miles lowered his voice and stroked Phoenix's cheek. “If you don't want to marry me, I would never force you. But, I don't want you to walk your current path alone. We've both seen what that can do to people, when all you have for company is your own dark desires. I don't want you to become like I was, a tool driven to enact a single goal."
"I… I wouldn't say I just have a single goal…" Phoenix mumbled halfheartedly, feeling dizzy. He needed both to take care of Trucy and get rid of Kristoph, after all. "Miles, what—?"
"Marry me. It's the best solution to all your woes," he said so matter of factly that it almost seemed obvious. "You and Trucy will both be provided for, with a home safe from anyone who may wish you harm and all of your necessities and wants accounted for. You won't have to be alone with your worries and self hatred any longer."
His throat felt tight and watery, old wounds flaring a bit. "I'm sorry, I want nothing more than to say yes, but… I- I can't do this to you! Not when you've finally overcome being the Demon Prosecutor! I…" He leaned in close, almost breathing the words out. "I might have to do some things that aren't… totally on the up and up to fix this. It's not just your reputation at stake, but if I involved you…"
Miles kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear. "Silly boy, haven't you ever heard of Spousal Privilege? You really must be getting rusty"
Pulling away just a bit as Phoenix giggled, he held both of his hands and looked into his eyes. Phoenix couldn't possibly look away this time. "My reputation is nothing compared to you, Phoenix Wright. I am beside you no matter what. That is where I want to be. Not because you are the man who saved my life, but because you are the person I want to wake up beside every morning and the person I want to have a family with. Because you are so very full to bursting with love and determination and the most relentless and brilliant person I have ever met. Please, do me the honor of being my husband?"
In lieu of a proper response, Phoenix kissed Miles himself this time, desperate to feel him. "Please, Miles. It's all I've wanted since I was nine."
"Ah, and there, the psycholocks have all shattered," Miles said with the biggest smile he'd ever seen on his face. "Now, do you know your ring size?"
In a daze, Phoenix, apparently a size nine, came out with the most beautiful engagement ring he'd ever seen, which Miles refused to even look at the price of in a way that normally would have made Phoenix nauceous. It was the same gold as his torn away badge with a shining red gem set in the center, the same color as Miles' suit, right alongside a blue stone that was just as brilliant. Everything felt wonderful and dizzy and for once, like the future was something bright and beautiful.