When Larry had said he'd found something that was 'new, cool, and totally you!', Phoenix had not imagined it would be a gay speed dating service. He kind of wondered whether Larry had rummaged through his stuff when he wasn't looking and found that one printed out online dating profile, but either way, it was a little puzzling. He supposed it was sort of endearing. At least his self-proclaimed best bud was looking to make him happy.
Phoenix let out a sigh and checked the time on his phone. The program said that the date lasted exactly a hundred and twenty seconds, and his date was scheduled to start in a minute or so. He thought to himself that it was something you didn't have qualms about messing up during, since you only saw the person for two minutes anyways.
The time on his phone screen changed from 11:59 to 12:00, and exactly on the dot the door of the run-down coffeeshop he'd been set up at it swung open, and in stepped the last person he'd ever expected to see.
His dark hair was the same premature dark grey it'd been when they'd been nine years old, but now he donned a suit that was an obnoxious color of burgundy. He stopped in front of the table and stared.
"P-P-P-Phoenix...Wright…"
"M-Miles?!"
The two men stared at each other, and Phoenix figured if he didn't say something soon the two minutes would be up before they'd even spoken. "What are you doing here?! There's got to have been a mistake-"
"I thought the same, but…"
"Man, of all the places to be reunited...it's been seventeen years." Phoenix felt his face reddening, suddenly realizing the romantic implications of this situation. Miles Edgeworth. His childhood best friend who'd disappeared after fourth grade. He was finally reunited with the man who had changed the course of his life…through a speed dating service for lonely gay men.
It was weirdly fitting, somehow.
"So," Edgeworth began, his pale features showing a little tint of pink. "I've seen you in the news lately. Rookie defense attorney, eh?"
"You're...a prosecutor, right?"
"Yes. Wright, we have precisely a hundred and one seconds left, let's not tell each other things we already know."
Phoenix's face grew hotter. He suddenly recalled the time in fourth grade on Valentine's Day when he'd given the other boy a valentine full of chocolates and kissed him on the cheek. His most vivid memory of that day was the disgusted noises Larry had made which had sort of ruined the moment, but still. Speed-dating. With what could be considered his childhood sweetheart.
"Larry put me up to this," he said lamely.
Shock passed across Edgeworth's face. "He...did?" He then chuckled. "Wright, I do believe that our dear bumpkin of a friend is playing matchmaker. It appears he was in cahoots with both of us without telling us."
Phoenix buried his face in his hands. "I'm never going to live this down. But, well, uh…" He cleared his throat. "You…look pretty good. Better than I remembered! I mean, not that I didn't remember you as good-looking, but-"
Edgeworth checked his watch. "Sixty seconds exactly." He then turned back to Phoenix. "You use more hair gel than you did when we last saw each other, but it suits you well."
Phoenix couldn't think of what he could possibly say in less than sixty seconds. That was barely enough time to order coffee, let alone drink it. The concept of speed dating was a bit ridiculous, wasn't it? He tried to count on his fingers how long there was left in the date, but to no avail.
He noticed Edgeworth writing something down on a bright yellow sticky-note he'd produced from his pocket. He then put it in front of Phoenix. "Ten seconds left. Call me."
"O-only ten?! Wow, these really go by fast."
"Five. Wright, did you not notice that I just put my phone number in front of you? Most would take that as an invitation of romantic interest."
"W-what? Oh, uh, yeah." He picked up the sticky note and started putting the number into his contacts.
A buzzer at the front of the café went off, and Edgeworth stood up. "Well, this has certainly been a lucky coincidence. I believe I'll be seeing you in the future, but for now, I bid you adieu." He swept away like a villain in a superhero movie.
Phoenix decided he wouldn't mind spending another a-hundred-twenty seconds with Miles Edgeworth.
