Edgeworth never thought it would happen like this. He never thought it would happen at all. But here he is, trapped between the wall of his office and Gumshoe's body, all pretense stripped away, nothing left to hide behind. Gumshoe is a soft kisser, gentle and tender, and Edgeworth wonders how one man can be so ridiculous and clumsy on one hand, and so attractive and passionate on the other.

He'd only wanted a cup of tea. He'd only asked for a cup of earl grey, and that had been when Gumshoe had asked him what was wrong. And it had just come out. He'd finally told someone how lonely he felt. And Gumshoe had just held him. He'd been on the point of tears and Gumshoe held him, guided him back against the bookcase and kissed him.

"Detective- Gumshoe, I-" Edgeworth wants to explain, to make excuses, but Gumshoe just leans in for another kiss, and when they break apart he leans his forehead against Edgeworth's.

"Don't tell me any more lies, pal. If you're gonna lie, just don't talk at all. I'll talk," Gumshoe's voice is low, hardly more than a whisper. "You're lonely. You're gorgeous, and rich, and clever, and you're still lonely."

"No, it's not-"

"Shh, listen, pal. You're lonely, and you want someone, but you're so frightened that they'll hurt you you don't let them get close. And it's driving you crazy."

"No, don't…"

"Don't say it?" Gumshoe presses his lips to Edgeworth's forehead. "Why not say it, pal? Why not let someone know? You'll go nuts if you keep this to yourself forever. And you wanna know something else? You're not the only one."

Edgeworth nuzzles his face into Gumshoe's neck. "It's so- so pathetic…" The tears are back in the corner of his eyes. "But I just…seeing Nick propose to Maya…"

"I'm jealous too," Gumshoe replies. His voice is soft, wistful. "The only thing I've ever been engaged to is my job. Who'd marry me?"

Edgeworth laughs, a choked little giggle. "You want to get married? Kissing other men like that?"

"Hey, pal, its legal in Canada!" Gumshoe chuckles. Edgeworth realises that he's never heard Gumshoe laugh before. He's seen plenty of his 'make the best of it' grins, but he's never seen him laugh. He's already stretching up for another kiss, and hesitates. Can he? Can he really do this?

Gumshoe answers the question for him and draws him into another kiss, a harder kiss than before, pressing Edgeworth tighter against the wall. It's too much. Edgeworth reaches for him, holds his shoulders, strokes his hair, and finally, finally lets go. Gumshoe's lips are everywhere – on his neck, his ears, his cheeks. And Edgeworth is crying, but only because it's so beautiful, because he feels so amazing, because it's so good to let go. He wonders how Gumshoe learned to kiss like that, who taught him to tease and tantalise this way.

Gumshoe pulls down Edgeworth's cravat to nip at his neck again, and Edgeworth can't help but ask: "When did you know you were gay?"

And Gumshoe laughs, that throaty, golden rumble again. "I'm not gay, pal. I go either way. When did you know?"

"I've always known. It just makes it harder," Edgeworth swallows as Gumshoe starts to unbutton his shirt. "I can't let people find out. I have a reputation, I can't-" It's hard to talk, hard to string words together. Gumshoe is undressing him piece by piece, dropping his jacket, cravat and shirt on the floor. He reaches the zipper on Edgeworth's trousers and pauses.

"Are you ok with this, pal? I can stop."

"If I wanted you to stop, Detective, I would have said so."

And Gumshoe slides the zipper open, pops the button, and pushes the trousers down. "This your first time?"

"No," Edgeworth whispers back.

"You're sure acting like it, pal. I don't want to push you into something you'll regret later."

"It's been years," Edgeworth confesses. "It's been so long. Not since I lived in Europe." And then he reins himself in, and draws himself up. "Now kiss me again."

Gumshoe obliges with one of his searing, heart-racing kisses as his hands slip inside Edgeworth's boxers. And Edgeworth submits, with every fiber of his being. He lets Gumshoe lead him over to his desk and guide him down on top of it, and shifts so Gumshoe can kneel on his hands and knees over him. He arches into every kiss and every caress until they are both naked and sweaty, grinding together with total abandon. Edgeworth comes first, with Gumshoe's hand around his shaft, and he lies in complete bliss as Gumshoe finishes between his thighs.

"You're a wild one, pal," Gumshoe is out of breath, with fat beads of sweat running down his forehead. Naked, he is amazingly handsome. Broad shoulders, muscled arms, legs like tree trunks, and just the hint of a paunchy stomach, with a tantalising trail of dark hairs leading down to his crotch. Edgeworth remembers the last time, all those years ago in Germany, and realises that older men are his type.

And suddenly he realises what just happened, and suddenly he feels ashamed. "Detective, I…" They're still lying on his desk, which is easily big enough for two, but he sits up, looking for his clothes. "I should get dressed. You should go." He can't even look at him. He can't believe what he's done, what he's confessed to.

But Gumshoe only sits up beside him, grabs his chin and pulls his face up to look him in the eye. "You ashamed, pal?" Edgeworth opens his mouth to try to protest, to make some excuse. "Why?"

"I…"

"You ashamed of telling the truth for once?"

"Detective I…I can't…"

"I used to be on the force with a lesbian girl." Gumshoe says. He sounds angry, and Edgeworth can't meet his eye. "Her parents were Catholics, pal. Catholics! She didn't tell anyone. Ever. She was lonely for her entire life, and do you know how I found out she was a lesbian?"

"No?"

"By reading her suicide note." Gumshoe sighs. "So you can be ashamed of opening up to me, pal. You can be ashamed of kissing me. I know you needed somebody, anybody, and you might be looking at me now and thinking 'I kissed that ugly old guy?' But you have to promise me that if it's not me you want, you'll find someone else who'll take care of you."

The words cut. "There's nothing wrong with you, Detective. It's just me."

"You're scared of someone getting close to you, pal. Betraying you. Hurting you. Letting your secrets out." It's true, painful and true and Edgeworth closes his eyes against it. "Well I can keep a secret, pal." The hand holding Edgeworth's chin softens, trailing tender fingers up his cheek. "I'll keep all of your secrets."

And suddenly Edgeworth is reaching for him, clutching at him, eyes still closed tight. "Promise me!"

"I promise."

Edgeworth opens his eyes. Gumshoe is smiling softly. With a sob, Edgeworth kisses him. It's clumsy, rough and hard, and by the end of it he's on his back again, with Gumshoe pulled down on top of him, and his hands are pressed flat on Gumshoe's naked back, and Gumshoe's hands are threaded through his hair, and it is perfect, and it is wonderful, and even if he has no idea how this started, how it happened, he is so, so glad that it did.