Love Goes On for Miles and Miles

by ohdon'tdoit

A commission for a client involving an OC and Miles Edgeworth. Miles and Rin Kurogane decide to explore their feelings for eachother during a stormy night. Strong lemon. Oneshot.

There was blood. So much blood. His hands were drenched in it and his shirt was stained with so much red that it was impossible to tell that the fabric had once been white. Despite Miles being the one covered in the thick, crimson liquid, the blood was not his own.

"Kuro…gane?!"

Miles stared down at the young woman who rested stiffly by his feet on the concrete floor, his eyes open wide in shock and disbelief. Seconds ago, three bullets had been fired in his direction. Their rapid speed had made it impossible for him to dodge, so Miles could do nothing but wait for the impending impact as the bullets aimed right for his chest. However, the pain never came. Instead, an image of black, velvety hair flashed across his eyes as something—or someone—jumped in front of him, blocking the bullets' path.

His knees gave out on him as he could no longer find the strength to the stand. He crouched over the body in front of him as he turned her over on her back so he could inspect his savior. All the color drained from his face as he saw his childhood friend, and former lover, look up at him with a dull look in her cerulean eyes.

"Kurogane?!" Miles choked out as he supported the back of her head with his arm. She wasn't moving, wasn't breathing… The beautiful rosy shade that her cheeks once bore had now faded into a pale white and the reality of the situation began to dawn on Miles as his throat grew dry.

Rin Kurogane had jumped in front of him at the last second. She had taken the bullets for him in exchange for her life. "Kurogane!" He shouted, his voice cracking along the edges, before he shook her gently. There was no response. He shook her again, this time with more force. There was still no response. He looked up to see that the gunman was no longer around and had fled the scene. In fact, the entire street was completely empty and there wasn't a soul around. Everything was quiet, save for the rumble of thunder that roared overhead. Rain began to fall from the sky, pelting Miles with its icy cold touch as he stared down helplessly at the lifeless woman in his arms. He brushed some of her black bangs to the side so he could get a better look at her, but it only caused his chest to tighten even more when he saw her empty expression.

"Rin!" He broke out into a sob and clutched onto her limp body, holding her close to his chest as he prayed that this wasn't true. "Rin! Come back to me! RIN!"

In that moment, Miles's eyes were immediately flung open as his body lunged forward. He was trembling as if the world around him was shaking madly from an earthquake, and the dim lighting of his bedroom lamp tried to encourage his heart to settle down. He was not in an empty street and Rin Kurogane was nowhere to be seen.

He had been dreaming.

Miles slumped back down on his bed, chest rising up and down from his deep breaths, as he wiped away a bit of sweat that had pooled around his forehead. "It was just a dream," the young man grumbled. "Just a stupid dream."

It had been like this for the past few months. Almost every night, he would suddenly awake to find himself drowning in his own sweat after having a horrifying nightmare. He had thought he was accustomed to having nightmares since he had them frequently as a kid, but they were starting to get worse and worse lately. Following the night of his father's death many years ago, images of his father's final moments had always terrorized his dreams and forced him to relive that traumatizing memory every night. However, after his father's killer had been prosecuted and forced to pay for his crimes, his nightmares eventually began to fade away and he could finally sleep peacefully knowing that things had been taken care of and justice had been served.

But now he was being haunted by entirely different nightmares. Rin Kurogane was now the object of his terror as she was constantly murdered in his dreams over and over again in the most horrifying ways. Sometimes she would end up being murdered, like in the one tonight, or other times she would end up accidentally being struck by a car or fall off a bridge. Either way, the result was always the same and Rin would end up tragically dying. The worst part about his dreams was that he could never stop it. No matter how hard he tried, he could never save her from her horrible fate. She would always somehow slip through his fingers and fall out of his reach.

He glanced over at the clock, grumbling to himself as he saw that it was only 2 o'clock in the morning. Tonight was the first night in a long time that Miles wasn't swamped with work and he had hoped he could actually catch a wink of sleep and feel rested and rejuvenated for the following day. It didn't look like luck was on his side.

He pushed himself off his bed and ran an irritated hand through his thick, gray locks. There almost wasn't a point in trying to go to sleep again anytime soon; he would only be assaulted by his nightmares again. Whenever he closed his eyes, the image of Rin's empty eyes rolled through his mind. With a groan, he slid his damp shirt off of his head and tossed it into the hamper as he made his way to his bathroom. A hot shower was just what he needed to calm his nerves.

It was pouring outside, and the dark clouds above didn't show any signs of vanishing anytime soon. Rin cursed herself for forgetting her umbrella, but when she had decided that she was going out, her mind suddenly stopped working properly. It was as if her legs were moving on their own until she found herself standing in front of Miles Edgeworth's home. The rain had coated her body, and her clothes were clinging to her skin while her long, ebony tresses looked like a wet mop atop of her head.

Rin couldn't figure out why she had felt the overpowering need to see Miles at that exact moment, but the nightmare she had experienced less than an hour ago had set all of her nerves on fire. She tried her best not to recall every grueling detail about her dream since any dream that featured Miles suffering was not something she wanted to force herself to remember. Even so, she couldn't get the image of his distorted face out of her mind as she envisioned him getting beaten to death by a gang of criminals he had thrown in jail in the past. Even though it was late, even though it was storming outside, Rin nonetheless left her apartment to sprint across town to Miles's home. She just had to know that he was all right and that he wasn't, in fact, lying dead in a nearby alleyway.

He lived in a fancy apartment complex that was more like a condo than anything. There were rumors that Miles Edgeworth owned three different properties—a mansion in the countryside, a four bedroom apartment close to his work place where he stayed whenever he was in Tokyo, and another large home in America where he lived when he was abroad. She had been to his apartment in Tokyo many times in the past whenever they worked on court cases together, but to think that she would have come back here after two years boggled her mind.

Rin's chest tightened as she stared at the doorbell on his front door. It wouldn't take two seconds to push it, and yet, she couldn't seem to lift her hand to follow through with the action. It was half past one in the morning and there was no guarantee he would even open the door even if she did ring the doorbell. But the true question wasn't if he would open the door or not. The true question was whether or not he even wanted to see her.

Nothing made sense anymore. Rin knew that there was no room in his life for her. Even though they had grown up together and were best friends as kids, Rin knew that he no longer cared for her in the way that she had hoped. He had been the object of her affection for years; he was the reason she even became a defense attorney. But to him, she was nothing but a distant memory.

He had made himself pretty clear that he didn't want to have anything to do with her two years ago. One minute they were making love in his apartment, wrapped up in each other's arms as they lost themselves in the heat of their passion, and the next minute he was boarding a plane to America without so much as telling her good-bye. He hadn't even bothered to tell her that he was even going overseas for an extended period of time and that his phone number and e-mail address were not even valid anymore. She didn't even know that he had moved away until three weeks later when one of her coworkers told her that he had accepted a job in the United States.

What kind of man would leave his lover high and dry without giving her so much as an explanation?!

The answer was so painfully clear to Rin, and yet it took her at least two years to finally accept the truth. Miles had never really seen her as anything but a childhood friend and a competent defense attorney. He had never harbored the same affection for her as she did for him, and yet here she was standing in front of his apartment, soaked to the bone, with no real idea of what she would even say to him when she finally gathered the courage to knock on his door. He had only been back from America for a short time, and she had said no more than two words to him whenever she happened to bump into him at the courthouse. She was no longer the innocent, naive girl that she had once been. She was no longer blinded by the adoration she held for Miles Edgeworth, and she had decided months ago that she would no longer fling herself at him the way she had done all those years ago.

She wasn't the same girl she was back then. She had self-respect and wasn't going to allow herself to be roped back in by his good looks, charm, or suave personality. She wasn't going to allow him to hurt her ever again.

So…why was she even here?

Oh, this was all so stupid! Just because she had a silly dream that he was murdered right before her eyes didn't mean he was actually hurt or anything. Furthermore, why should she even care? It wasn't as if he cared about her! Did she think that that by taking a glimpse of his face and making sure he was all right might have calmed the anxiety that swelled within her chest? She really hadn't thought things through clearly. If she woke up sick the next morning with the flu, it would be her own damn fault for foolishly roaming the streets of Tokyo on a stormy night for an old crush.

Her blue eyes continued to stare at the door as she once again replayed the terrifying vision of his face as the thugs beat him senseless. It brought a sudden chill to her spine that even made the rain feel not nearly as cold. As much as she hated to admit it, it would be a shame if she went home without talking to Miles. There would be no point in risking her health if she didn't at least press the doorbell. All she needed to do was see his face, make sure he was alive, and then she could be on her merry way. Miles would undoubtedly be shocked to see her and might even think of her as a creepy stalker to see that she was suddenly at his doorstep in the wee hours of the night, but it wasn't as if she cared what he thought of her now.

"Come on, Rin…" The trembling woman grunted to herself, not wanting to stand in the rain any longer. She breathed heavily through her nostrils as she forced her limbs to move. Suddenly, before she could take it back, her finger was on the doorbell as a loud ring echoed throughout his large apartment.

There was no going back. It was too late.

Miles could hear the doorbell ringing from his shower, and he immediately perked up at the sound. Who on Earth would think to bother him this late at night? He quickly turned off the faucet and reached for a towel that was hanging on a nearby rack before he shoved his legs into a pair of khaki pants that just happened to be within his reach. Perhaps there was a power outage nearby and his landlord was checking on his tenants to make sure everyone still had electricity? His landlord was a kind man who had a tendency to things like that.

Without even bothering to put on a shirt, Miles hurried over to the door, towel still slung around his neck. "Yes? Who is it?" He asked as he turned the doorknob, creaking it open slowly. Of all the people in the world, Rin Kurogane was the very last soul on Earth that he had expected to see standing on his door step.

"It's me," she replied quietly, hands folded neatly in front of her as she watched Miles's eyes practically bulge out of his head at the sight of her. She knew he was going to be shocked but he didn't have to look like he was staring at the ghost of his deceased grandmother or something, Rin thought as she forced a small smile to tug up at the corner of her lips.

"K-Kurogane," Miles managed to squeak out, his usual cool and level-headed demeanor slipping away as he opened the door a bit more. "What on Earth are you doing here?!"

Rin's cheeks immediately flared up into a bright, embarrassed blush as she marveled at the shirtless man before her. Damn, it was still impossible for her to keep her cool around him; especially when she had a great view of his toned muscles. He had asked her a question, and yet the words in her mouth refused to slip out coherently as her gaze dropped down to her shoes.

"I, uh, wanted to see if you were okay," Rin stammered out, her face as red as a tomato. Now that she was standing before him, she suddenly realized just how stupid she probably looked standing on his front porch without a clear reason for being there so late at night.

Miles blinked a few times in confusion as he found himself at a complete loss of words at Rin's unannounced presence. She was still dressed in her usual business attire but her white, button down blouse had been thoroughly soaked and he could see the lining of her black bra that was hidden beneath her top. Her eyeliner was smeared just a bit around her eyes and her hair was completely flat as it fell down her back like a black waterfall. Her black, pencil skirt had even been splashed with mud and her panty hose were slightly torn around her thighs. He looked her up and down a few times before his eyes finally settled on her face. "Yes, I'm fine," he answered flatly, as if it were an obvious question. "You came all the way out here…just to see if I'm okay?"

The way his eyebrow arched in her direction made Rin's heart flutter uncomfortably. Of all the dumb things she had done in her life, this was by far the worst. "I was working late on a case," Rin began, finding it best to start from the beginning. "I accidentally fell asleep in the middle of researching evidence, and I had a horrible nightmare that something bad had happened to you."

Miles's entire body tensed up at the woman's proclamation, and his stomach began to churn.

"It kind of freaked me out a little and I couldn't shake off this bad feeling that you were in trouble or something, so I decided to see for myself if you were okay or not," Rin continued, her eyes never leaving the ground as her heart began to race.

Miles paused for a moment as he tried to wrap his head around this bizarre situation. He could see her body trembling lightly from the rain's cold touch, and he stepped to the side for a moment as he nodded his head towards his living room. "Would you like to come inside? You're going to get sick if you stay out there any longer."

Her initial plan was to come to his house, see that he was okay, and then go return home for the night and pretend that this foolishness had never happened. She definitely hadn't counted on him inviting her inside. "N-No, that's 'okay," she mumbled, shaking her head. "I don't want to intrude… I mean, you're clearly not dead in an alleyway right now so I should probably just go home."

Miles rolled his eyes as he reached out to seize hold of her tiny wrist, dragging her inside. "There's no way I'm letting you get back out in this. Just get inside for now and I'll drive you home," he said with a bit of irritation in his voice. Rin could do nothing but allow him to tug her inside before he closed the door behind them.

Water rolled off of her and dripped down on the hardwood floor, and Miles wasted no time in hurrying to the bathroom to fetch her a clean, fluffy towel. Rin was being oddly quiet and she didn't move an inch away from the door, her body completely frozen in place.

"Why don't you take a shower? It'd be bad if you stayed in those wet clothes any longer," the young man said as he watched her drape the towel over her shoulders. She looked like a wet kitten that had been caught in the rain, and Miles had to admit he had never seen her so disarrayed before. She was a neat and tidy person who always made sure her clothes were ironed to perfection and that her long hair was always neatly combed back into a ponytail. He had never expected to see her look so helpless and vulnerable, especially in his own home.

Shaking her head, Rin continued to avert her eyes away from him. She kept looking around his apartment staring at the various things around his living room—furniture, paintings hanging on the walls, the assorted decorations like flower vases here and there—to keep herself from staring at his half-naked body. It really wasn't fair that he still had this much power over her. Earlier, she had been so full of confidence, but there was something about Miles that made her always feel so vulnerable and self-conscious whenever he was around. "I really don't want to put you out… After all, it was already selfish of me to come over unannounced in the middle of the night."

Miles sighed and combed his fingers through his hair, the dampened strands slicking back against his head as a few suds of shampoo still remained his hair. He had hopped out of the shower so quickly to answer the door that he didn't have any time to properly rinse himself off and get thoroughly dried. "Look, its fine. Don't worry so much about putting me out. Just go take a shower and I'll toss your wet clothes into the dryer."

"I guess if you really don't mind, a shower does sound kind of nice," Rin mumbled. As much as she wanted to turn down his kindness, she was unable to stand the heavy feeling of her sodden clothes any longer and it didn't help that her teeth had started to chatter just a bit.

"Glad to see you're being compliant now," was all Miles said as he led her to the bathroom. "While you wait for your clothes to dry, you can borrow some of mine. However, I doubt they will fit very well considering the fact that you're so tiny." He gave her a quick side glance, taking note of the fact that she hadn't gained a pound since he left for America two years prior. In fact, come to think of it, she really hadn't changed at all these past two years. Her hair might have grown a bit longer, but that was it.

Rin couldn't tell if the "tiny" comment was meant to be a compliment or an insult, but either way she maintained a neutral expression on her face as she stepped into the bathroom before closing the door behind her.

It was at that moment that Miles realized he was wrong. Very wrong. Although Rin looked the same as she did years before, she had definitely changed as a person. She was no longer blushing at his comments or constantly staring up at him in admiration. Ever since she stepped into his home, she hadn't once looked at him in the eye. But could he blame her? He did kind of leave her high and dry without even informing her of his departure; it was only natural that she felt a little awkward around him.

No, awkward wasn't the word. She was angry at him.

Rin stripped off her clothing and slid the bathroom door open just a bit so she could hand Miles her wet clothes. He took them from her and watched as she closed the door once again. A thousand thoughts reeled through his mind as he headed towards his laundry room where he tossed her clothes into the dryer before retrieving her a pair of fresh clothing for her to borrow for the night. She had left the door to the bathroom unlocked, so he creaked the door open just enough to slide his hand through and hand her a shirt and a pair of shorts.

It felt rather strange that he had to be careful not to accidentally sneak a peek at her while she showered, but that was to be expected. Years ago they had a one night stand, and even though he had seen her naked before, things were completely different then the way they were back then.

Miles trudged towards his kitchen with a heavy sigh as he began to fiddle with his coffee maker. Although he wasn't particularly fond of the bitter, caffeinated drink himself, he distinctly remembered that Rin was seldom seen at the office without a coffee cup in her hands. Due to the nature of her job, she was often tasked with the responsibility of getting her work done in a timely fashion, even if that meant pulling a few all-nighters. He remembered Rin had once told him that coffee was the only thing that could keep her alert during the day, so she often drank several cups a day. He wouldn't have been surprised if the blood that coursed through her veins was made entirely of coffee, considering the heavy amount she consumed of it.

He retrieved a cup from the cabinet while he waited for the water to heat up. Bringing up a hand to rub his temples, the young man couldn't help but to expel another heavy sigh. What an interesting turn of events this was. He had been forcefully awoken in the middle of night after having his dreams hijacked by a horrendous nightmare of Rin dying in his arms, and at the same time, Rin had also been dreaming of his demise. This was almost too ironic; things like this could not be dismissed as nothing but a mere coincidence. Wouldn't a scenario like this be considered something like fate or destiny? He wasn't sure.

He could hear the sounds of the faucet turning on in the bathroom, and his pulse began to quicken at the thought of Rin using his shower. This wasn't the first time she had been over at his place, using his bathroom to bathe, but he had never expected anything like this would have ever happened again since that one night they spent together.

Miles had grown up with Rin and they often played together as kids. Unlike the other children he had been surrounded by as a child, Rin was ambitious, strong-willed, and independent. Thinking back now, it was only natural that he had been drawn to her since the very beginning, but Miles wasn't the type to swoon over girls. Instead, he saw her as a rival, almost; a worthy opponent in court. And yet, she had helped him when no one else could. When he was being convicted of his father's murder, Rin believed with all of her heart that he was innocent and she had volunteered to represent him in court. She defended him and refused to catch a wink of sleep during the week of his trial to make sure she didn't miss any details of his case. If it wasn't for her impeccable skills as a defense attorney, Miles shuddered to think of what would have happened to him. Would he still be in jail to this day? Most likely.

After spending so much time together over the years, it wasn't surprising that they became intimate as well. Rin had been by his side and proven herself to be a trustworthy person; Miles had no problem in becoming physical with her. He had been well aware that she had been crushing on him for years, even when they were small children. He could still vividly remember her telling him when she was seven years old that she hoped to one day marry him, but even back then he knew that he was a man who wasn't capable of surrendering himself to another person. The only thing that had ever been important to him was his career and his success. Even now, opportunities were still constantly being thrown at his feet and he had more than enough money to swim in. Back then, there was no way he would have allowed himself to get distracted by fleeting emotions such as love, no matter how attracted he was to Rin. Love was only temporary and it always faded over time. Nothing good would have come of him getting attached to her and it would have only brought him unnecessary pain later.

And yet, when Rin had come to his apartment two years ago, eyes misty from crying and cheeks red from blushing, it was impossible for him to turn her away. Although he had known it from the start, Rin had confessed her feelings for him and told him that she could no longer pretend he was just a friend to her anymore. The normal Miles Edgeworth would have laughed in her face at the sound of such a meaningless declaration. The normal Miles Edgeworth would have dismissed her feelings and would have told her to leave at once. The normal Miles Edgeworth would have never allowed himself to be swept away by such a pure hearted woman, let alone captivated by her endearing words.

But on that night, the normal Miles Edgeworth had died.

He wasn't sure why he did it, but he had scooped up Rin into his arms and pressed his lips against hers. They never exchanged any words and only the sounds of their heavy breathing filled his empty apartment as they both gave into their hidden desires. He was her first, and she was his.

She was also his last.

That night, Miles had realized that he was no longer the man he once was. Rin had filled that empty hole in his heart; the hole he had tried to fill with nothing but work, money, and power. No matter how much he focused on his success, it was just never enough. But being with Rin was more than enough to make him feel complete, and that thought alone scared him to death. He was a coward and afraid of his giving into his feelings. He had been offered a big job in America, a job that would take up two years of his time, and after spending the night with Rin, Miles knew he had no choice but to accept the job offer. Getting involved romantically with Rin had terrified him, so like a coward, he used the job in America as an excuse to run away from his feelings. If Rin was going to distract him from his dream of being the best prosecutor in all of Japan, then he would have no choice but to get as far away from her as possible.

It was foolish of him to think that the distance would kill his feelings for her, when in reality, all it did was make them burn stronger. Whenever he closed his eyes, she was all he saw. Whenever he lay down to go to sleep, she was all he dreamed of, whether it was pleasant or frightening. He couldn't' escape his desire for her and he knew it was impossible to forget her, no matter how hard he tried. Even so, he had been too stubborn to admit that he needed her and that being away from her was slowly eating away at his heart. The realization that he couldn't live without her weighed heavily on his heart, and soon he found himself traveling back to Japan to return to his former life once again.

He no longer had Rin's number; he had deleted all remnants of her existence when he fled to America. But much to his surprise, she was still at the same job as before. It must have been destiny that they were to meet in the courtroom again, one as the prosecutor and one as the defense attorney. Rin won the case—he expected as much since even he believed that his defendant was guilty of fraudulent crimes against another—and Miles had hoped that she would greet him after the verdict the way she had always done. He had half-expected to see her run into his arms, tell him how happy she was that he had returned, and then he could tell her how much he had missed her and how badly he wanted to make amends with her.

But instead, she simply walked past him. Rin didn't even give him a smile as they met in the hallway. She didn't say hello, she didn't say that she missed him, and she didn't even acknowledge that he existed. It was like a knife had jabbed right through his chest when she passed him by without even so much as regarding him with a side glance. Miles knew he had fucked up—what woman wouldn't be angry that a man she gave herself up to left without a word? He should have known that she would have moved on with her life and that he was no longer the man she had hoped to someday marry. All he was to her was some coldhearted bastard that didn't care about her or her feelings. Well, he was indeed a bastard, but he certainly cared about her more than anything in the world! It just took him awhile to realize it, that's all…

After she brushed him off, Miles contemplated on going back to America again. After all, he had been making good money over there and he didn't have to worry about people like Phoenix Wright trying to put a damper on his career. Now that Rin had made it very clear that she was over him and no longer felt any affection towards him, there was no point in staying in Japan any more. Franziska von Karma, his adoptive younger sister, had opposed his decision to leave again. Although a complete brute, Franziska was far from ignorant when it came to understanding her older brother. She knew he was in love with Rin; she had known far before he had even realized it himself. "You foolish fool!" she had growled at him, "Unless you tell her your true feelings, you will never move on from her!"

As much as he hated to admit that she was right, Franziska did have a point. If running away the first time didn't help him eradicate his feelings for her, why did he think it would work a second time? He had already proved to himself that he couldn't live without her, and even if she was no longer interested in him, he just couldn't very well leave things the way they were.

He had to tell her how he felt, one way or another.

He hadn't seen her since the day she walked past him at the courthouse, and now here she was standing on his doorstep. Her presence had caught him completely off guard, but at least he now knew that she was still thinking of him, whether she really wanted him to know that or not. She had said that all she wanted was to make sure he was alive, more or less, but she was still here. That had to mean something, right? Granted, he kind of forced her to come inside but that was beside the point.

Miles had been so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even hear the water shut off until Rin was standing his doorway, sporting around in one of his oversized t-shirts and boxers. Blood nearly spurted out of his nose at the sight of the alluring woman wearing his clothes, but instead of looking like a perverted fool, Miles cleared his throat and turned away from her. "I hope those clothes are okay," he grunted, a crimson blush sneaking its way across his cheeks, "Those are the only ones I thought would fit." He was a lot taller than her and his thick muscles were often concealed by his choice of extravagant, frilly business suits, but there was no denying that he had a wide, bulky frame.

"They're fine," was all she said as she began to wring out her wet hair with the towel. The dainty smell of freshly brewed coffee reached her nose, and Rin couldn't help but feel drawn to the source of the delicious scent. "You made coffee? I thought you didn't like coffee."

A tiny yet visible grin pulled at the corner of his lips as he offered her the red coffee mug that was in his hand. "I didn't make it for me," he replied. "I added in some vanilla creamer and two teaspoons of sugar. Just how you like it."

Rin glanced down at the cup before offering Miles a small smile of gratitude as she took the drink. "How did you know how I liked my coffee?" She asked, heart fluttering in her chest.

"Don't you remember? There were countless nights that you stayed over at my apartment since we had to stay up late sorting through evidence on my case a few years ago," Miles said as he sat down at his coffee table by the window where streams of rain drummed against it.

Rin blew away some of the steam that rose up over the top of her cup. "Come to think of it, I think I did ask you to constantly get me coffee during that time."

"You're the reason I bought a coffee maker in the first place. Did you honestly expect me to go back and forth to the nearby café to grab you some caffeine?" Miles said as he tapped his fingers along the top of the wooden table. He smiled as he remembered those times. They had both been so stressed out back then trying to unravel the mystery of his father's murder, but they had definitely grown closer during those late evenings.

"It's not my fault that my old apartment used to be on the other side of town and that we always had to meet up at your place to get work done," she replied before she sipped her warm drink. Miles was right—he had made it just the way she liked it. After taking such a refreshing shower and drinking hot coffee, she no longer felt frigid after being out in the rain. However, her heart was far from being warmed up to the man that sat casually in his kitchen as he talked to Rin about "the good ole days". She didn't come here to reminisce about the past. Now that she knew he was okay and that her dream had been nothing more than, well, a dream, it was time for her to go home. Talking with him like this wasn't making her feel any better; it was only reminding her that she was just as hopelessly attracted to him as she was the day he left.

An awkward silence fell between the two and only the sounds of rumbling thunder and pouring rain could be heard. Miles was the one to break the silence.

"Why did you ignore me last week when we bumped into each other?" he blurted out, unable to control the words that leaked from his mouth.

Rin nearly spilled the coffee all over her as his question took her by surprise. Of all the things he wanted to ask her, that was what came to his mind first? Although she had been avoiding looking at him all night, she finally built up the courage to bring her eyes to his face. "I wasn't ignoring you," she answered curtly, "I was only treating you the way you wanted to be treated—like a stranger."

Her words jabbed him right in chest, making his heart ache painfully. He looked out his window for a few moments as he watched the rain slide down his window pane, a solemn frown on his face. "I'm sorry," Miles said after a moment, finding it too painful to look at her face at that moment.

"Sorry for what?" Rin retorted.

"I'm sorry for leaving for America without telling you," he replied, being more specific this time. He forced himself to look at the woman near him. He was expecting her to look surprised to hear his apology, happy even, but when he turned to face her and saw a neutral, blank expression on her face, his stomach dropped.

Rin gulped down the last sip of her coffee before setting the mug down on a nearby counter. "There's nothing to be sorry about," she said, meeting his gaze with an empty look in her own, "We're both adults and we both place our jobs as our top priority. I'm not some young, love-struck teenage girl anymore. I know that it's possible for two people to have sex without their being any underlying meaning."

Every word she spoke thrust the dagger into his heart even deeper.

"And what we did on that night two years ago," Rin continued, "was just an example of two adults having sex. It wasn't as if we were in a relationship or anything so you don't have to justify your reasons for ceasing all contact with me. I was nothing but a coworker to you; you didn't owe me anything."

It took Rin nearly two years to recover from the heartbreak Miles had caused her, but at least now she would finally be able to get the closure her heart needed to move on and find someone else. He didn't love her. He never did and she was only setting herself up for more pain if she continued to cling onto the hope that maybe deep down Miles did see her as something more than just a coworker.

"So, it's fine," she finally concluded, as she dropped her gaze to the floor. "You don't have to apologize. I understand that you were busy and that our night together really didn't hold any serious meaning. And don't worry-I didn't tell anyone about what we did that night so your secret is safe with me. It won't affect your work environment in the least."

"So you're saying," Miles said after taking a slow, deep breath as he let her words sink in, "that the night we spent together was nothing more than a one-night stand and it wasn't special to you at all." It was more of a statement than a question, and Rin leaned against the doorway of the kitchen and regarded Miles with a grimace.

"I never said it wasn't special to me," she replied as she bit her lower lip. "But I know now that it didn't mean that there was anything romantic going on between us. It was just sex with no strings attached."

Miles placed both of his hands on the counter of his table before he pushed himself out of his seat, only to stomp over to her with an angry scowl. His sudden change in demeanor caught the young woman off guard, and she immediately responded by withdrawing away from him just a bit.

"You told me you loved me that night. Was that just a ploy to get me to sleep with you or did you really mean it?" He questioned with a harsh tone in his voice. Women had confessed their undying love for Miles many times in the past but none of their declarations ever stirred something in his soul. Most women were either drawn to his good looks or his fat wallet, but none of them had ever bothered to get to know the real man behind the fame and fortune. But Rin? Rin had seen through his mask. Rin had seen Miles for who he truly was, and loved him despite all his flaws. At least, he had believed that she loved him. Now that she was spouting out nonsense like what they shared was nothing more than two adults toying with their raging hormones, he wasn't so sure.

Rin's expression softened as her heart began to pound. He was now standing so close to her, his muscular frame towering over her as he stared down at her as if he was interrogating a convicted felon during a court case.

"I'm surprised you remember the fact that I told you I loved you," Rin whispered as memories of that night flooded through her mind. "After all, you didn't even respond to my confession. All you did was get rid of my clothes and practically shove me into the bedroom..."

Miles raised a brow at her, shocked that she would jump on the assumption that he had forgotten about her words of love. It was something that was forever imbedded into his brain, whether he wanted it to or not. It was her words that had driven him into insanity as he locked himself up in his office in New York, and it was what made it impossible for him to sleep at night.

"I asked you a question, Kurogane. Did you or did you not mean it when you said loved me?" Miles asked, a bit of a growl rolling out from between his teeth as he placed both hands on either side of her head against the wall, trapping her in case she had any plans of retreating. He could smell the sweet scent of his shampoo in her hair, and it was making his head spin. It was taking all of his self-control to keep himself from slamming his lips against hers and taking her into his arms, but not knowing her true feelings was preventing him from acting on impulse.

He had accepted that he cared about her more than anything in the world. He knew that he craved her and he needed her by his side. But if she didn't feel the same way, there was nothing he could do about it.

His close proximity did little to quell her rising anxiety, and his steely gaze upon her face was forcing the truth right out of her. "I meant it. I meant every word," Rin said after a moment, a few tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. "I loved you for years, Edgeworth, but I knew you didn't feel the same."

Miles's eyes widened just a bit as she he watched her break down in front of him. Soon, tears were spilling from her eyes just as hard as they did the day Rin learned that Miles had moved to America.

"Kurogane…" was all that Miles could manage to say as he watched her wipe the tears from her eyes.

"You have no idea how much it hurt me when you left," Rin snapped as she shoved her hands roughly against his chest, pushing him away from her. "You could have at least told me that you were going! I knew how important your job was and it wasn't as if I was going to follow you over there or try to stop you from going!"

The wall she had worked so hard on trying to build over her heart was starting to crumble right before her, and she could no longer hide the truth from him.

Miles's shoulders slumped forward, and the regret that welled up inside of him was so strong that he was starting to feel nauseated from it. "I just didn't know how to face you back then," he admitted as his hands balled up into his fists at his sides, "I was a coward and didn't know what to do! You made me feel things that I had never experienced before, and it terrified me!"

"That's no excuse, Edgeworth!" Rin shouted, her body beginning to tremble from her overpowering emotions. "If you didn't want to be with me, you should have just said so! Do you have any idea how hard it was on me to cling to false hope?! I was in love with you and it killed me to not know what you really thought of me!"

"Kurogane-"

"But you know what? I'm not the same silly girl I was back then. As they say, actions speak louder than words. You severed contact with me and I really should have known from the start that it was over instead of waiting for you for two years." Saying that it was "over" might have even been too ambiguous of a statement since nothing had actually ever started between them.

"Kurogane, I'm so sorry," Miles repeated again. There really wasn't anything that he could say to make things better.

Angry at herself for getting carried away, Rin dried her eyes on the sleeves of the shirt she was wearing before pushing past him. She straightened her shoulders, brushed her fingers through her hair, and offered him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Edgeworth. I've had two years to recover so I can assure you that I am, in fact, over you."

She was lying again. No matter how much she pretended that she didn't still hold the same love for Miles that she had done her whole life, there was just no way she would ever fully decimate all her feelings for him. Yes, he had hurt her, but she couldn't help the way her heart skipped a beat whenever she was around him. She couldn't help that she always worried about him or always dreamed of him. Even if she were to find another lover in the distant future, she could still never truly forget Miles Edgeworth.

"I didn't mean to get so emotional just then, but it's been a pretty stressful week at the office," Rin said, trying to cover up the fact that her chest felt like it was about to burst. "But anyways, I should probably get going. I think my clothes should be dried enough... I think I'll just call a cab."

She left Miles alone in the kitchen as she retreated to his laundry room where the dryer rumbled softly with her clothes inside. She pulled out her clothes and frowned as they were still slightly damp from the rain earlier, but unless she wanted to stay and continue talking with the man that broke her heart all those months ago, she would just have to put back on her wet clothes. She headed back into the bathroom and stripped herself of her borrowed outfit, but not before staring down at the shirt he had lent her. It still smelled like him and it only served as a bitter reminder of the pain he caused her.

After redressing herself, she stepped back out of the bathroom to see a very troubled Miles standing outside the door. He wasn't saying anything and his eyes were trained to the floor. It seemed like both of them had been having a hard time making eye contact that night.

"I'm glad we had this talk, Edgeworth," Rin's voice broke through the silence. "I promise I won't avoid you at the courthouse anymore. Maybe we can even go back to being friends now that we know where we both stand on things."

She still didn't know where he stood, and that made Miles all the more irritated at himself. He had originally planned on having a nice, long talk with her where he could properly convey his feelings towards her, but the only thing his conversational skills had achieved was making her cry.

He felt like such an asshole...

"Hey, Kurogane...Before you go, I just wanted to let you know that I actually had a nightmare about you tonight, too," the young man said, his thick bangs falling over his eyes as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants.

Rin had already turned her back towards him and was heading towards the door was when Miles laid that out to her. Catching her interest, she turned around to give him a questioning glance.

"I dreamed that something bad had happened to you," he said as he reached out his hand to grab hers, preventing her from walking out the door. Although she flinched from his touch, she didn't pull away. "I had a dream that you were shot because of me, and it killed me to know that I lost you. There were so many things I wanted to tell you, but you were gone before I realized it."

Rin could feel the tears threatening to force their way out again. She needed to leave before that happened, but Miles tightened his grip around her wrist just a bit more.

"I've had that dream countless times, Kurogane," he continued, taking a step until he was standing directly behind her. He released his grip on her wrist, only to drape his arms across her shoulders and pull her to his chest. He rested his chin on her shoulder, lips near her ear, as he inhaled the scent of her freshly washed hair. "There are so many things I've wanted to tell you for years, and I just can't let you go until you know the truth."

Warmth washed over her entire body as Miles wrapped his arms around her, and as much as she wanted to yell at him, push him away, and run out of his apartment, her feet were as heavy as concrete bricks. She couldn't make herself neither move nor speak as she felt his hot breath tickle the side of her neck.

"When you confessed to me two years ago, I was so happy. The night we made love wasn't meaningless to me, Kurogane. I think about it all the time. But back then, I didn't know how to handle all the feelings I was experiencing. I was afraid of letting myself love you back so I ran away, and I ended up hurting you," he said, holding onto her even tighter as he buried his face into her hair. "But I've changed, Kurogane. I've accepted that I have feelings for you and I won't run away any more."

That was all Rin could take. She untangled herself from his arms and pushed him away for the second time that night. "Not so fast, Edgeworth!" Rin hissed as she thrust up the brick wall around her heart once again. "You can't expect me to believe that you just woke up one morning and decided that you loved me."

Her words baffled him, and he suddenly felt cold as she left his arms. He looked like a scolded puppy the way his frown drooped and his head lowered. Even if she wanted to just let herself get swept away by his charm and honeyed words, Rin refused to allow him to hurt her for the second time.

"Rin," Miles said, addressing her by her first name this time, "I know I screwed up the first time, but I really have loved you all this time. I've loved you from the start but I just didn't know to handle things!"

"How can you expect me to believe you? I gave myself up to you and I waited for you to notice me for years. I never wanted to make you have to choose me over your job, but I would have liked to know that I was at least somewhat important to you," Rin replied as she buried her face in the palms of her hands.

Miles was completely stumped. He was foolish for thinking that a simple admittance of his feelings to Rin would erase all of his past mistakes and that she would take him back with open arms that way Franziska had said she would. No, he should not have assumed that it would have been that easy. She was wary of him now-and who could blame her? Once bitten, twice shy.

Even though he wished he could soothe her worries by simply cradling her in his arms, he knew she would only push him away again. He couldn't handle being rejected three times by her in the same night. "I know I can't undo the mistakes I made, and I've realized that it's probably two years too late for me to make things right. But I at least want you to know that I'm serious, Rin."

She wanted to cover her ears and keep herself from hearing the next words that came out of his mouth.

"I love you, Rin. I'll never stop thinking about you. I'll never stop caring about you. Even if you walk out of this door right now, I'll never forget you," he said before scratching the back of his head in a shy manner.

He wasn't lying. She knew he meant it, every word of it, and she could see the truth swirling around in his hazelnut eyes. However, that still didn't mean that she could just simply forget all the pain he caused her. Just because he said he loved her didn't mean that he wouldn't someday abandon her again.

"How do I know you won't end up running away again?" Rin asked as she nervously fiddled with the sleeves of her blouse. Her heart was racing, her head was spinning, but her mind was screaming at her to be cautious of him. She loved him so much, even to this day, but she also knew he was capable of crushing her heart with just the snap of his fingers. She didn't want to let him have such power over her ever again...

With a determined look gleaming in his eyes, Miles forced a small smile to appear on his face. "It's funny you should mention that since I've actually been recently offered another job in America. This one will be permanent and I highly doubt I would have any time to come back to Japan, even for vacations."

There it was. There was the catch.

"However," Miles said as he reached out his hand to gently run his fingers through her hair, "I haven't accepted the job yet. If you look me in the eye and tell me that you never want to see me again, I'll leave. There is nothing here for me in Japan except you."

Rin opened her mouth to speak but Miles silenced her by placing a finger upon her pink lips.

"But if you tell me to stay, I will. I don't expect you to fully forgive me for abandoning you like that, and I don't even expect you to fully trust me anytime soon. But if there's even a sliver of hope that you may one day want to be with me, I'll take that chance and turn down the offer and I won't ever leave Japan ever again. Not even for business trips."

She didn't know what to say. Here he was, telling her that he was leaving the fate of his future up to her. He was willing to risk his career on the chance that she might one day want to have a relationship with him...Was he a complete moron?!

"You do know that opportunities like this don't always come around," Rin brought up as she tingled from the feeling of his fingers against her cheek as he cupped her face in his hand. Miles wasn't a particularly affectionate person, but she had to remind herself to keep calm even if he was driving all her senses mad by simply hugging her from behind and then stroking her face.

"I also know that there's no one else like you in this world," he said, pulling his hand away from her, "and I'll never truly be happy unless you're there with me. I had never felt more alone in my life then after I left you two years ago."

Rin tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear nervously, a blush staining her ivory cheeks as his words warmed her heart. "I can't tell you what to do, Edgeworth. You have to decide what you want for yourself..."

"The only thing I want is you, Rin."

"Don't be a fool, Miles," Rin replied, choosing to drop the formalities and call him by his first name as well. "Your career is the most important thing to you. Things like love and romance will only get in your way..."

"Rin, you still haven't answered my proposal. Will you give me a second chance? Is there even a possibility of it? Or...do you want me to let you go? The ball is in your court."

At that moment, time felt like it had stopped. So many thoughts whirled through Rin's mind; this was a lot to take in. Was she still dreaming? Miles would never leave his future in the hands of someone else, let alone a woman. Let alone Rin Kurogane. But he looked so serious about the whole ordeal... Part of Rin wanted to take him in his arms, tell her that she forgave him, and have a happy future with him. She had loved him for nearly her entire life, after all, and hearing him say that he needed her was like a dream come true.

But the other part of Rin, the part of her that was more sensible, kept trying to remind her to not be so quick to believe him. The wounds he had left in her heart were still very fresh, and there was no telling what he would do in the months to come. Was he serious about giving up any jobs overseas? Would he really stay by her side just because she told him to?

"Miles," she said after reaching for his hand to hold inside of hers, "I want you to do what makes you happy. You know I'll always be here waiting for you no matter what choice you make. No matter how much I lied to myself about being over you, I knew it wasn't true. But please understand that I still have to protect myself... which is why I can't tell you what you should do. If you want to stay for yourself, please do. Don't just stay here because I want you to."

He must have had selective hearing since the only thing he took from that statement was "because I want you to", which meant she did, in fact, want him to stay.

And honestly, that was all he cared about at that moment.

Miles swiftly closed the distance between them and his lips descended upon hers in a flash. He pinned Rin's back to the door-the door he had almost let her walk out of for good-as his hands wrapped securely around her waist to keep her in place.

Her brain wasn't registering what was going on as quickly as her body was responding. The second his lips had molded against hers, her hands were wrapping around the back of his neck as she responded to his kiss with just as much fervor.

Yes, Miles had hurt her in the past. No, she wasn't sure what was going to happen to them in the future. And yet, none of that really mattered to her at that moment. Miles cared about her; he loved her, and she could hear the words his heart was trying to convey by the way he passionately kissed her. She could feel the need and the hunger of his body as he deepened their kiss. His tongue slid in between her parted lips, entering into her mouth as it danced languidly with hers.

Just as Rin surrendered to his fiery kiss, he abruptly broke it and pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes glazed over with lust. "You have no idea how much I've missed you," he mumbled before his lips sneaked their way back to hers.

He picked her up in his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist without breaking their kiss. His large muscles weren't just for show; he was able to carry her with ease to his bedroom without even slightly stumbling. He kicked the door open without regards to the damage it could have caused to the wooden door frame, as his mouth hungrily devoured hers.

This was all too familiar to Rin as Miles carefully and gently lowered her down onto his bed. His apartment, she had noticed earlier, looked exactly the same as it had two years prior. Even after he moved away, he didn't sell the place and it had been kept in the same condition that it was when he left. Rin would have never believed in her wildest dreams that she would have come back to this apartment to make love on his bed for a second time.

"I'm surprised that you're not pushing me away," Miles said in a husky voice as he crawled atop of her before pinning her arms above her head in case she had any second thoughts.

"What can I say? You're my weakness... I can't exactly resist you," she answered, before shyly looking away from him.

He offered her a few sweet kisses, trailing from the base of her neck to her jawline in a slow motion. "Or maybe you've realized that Miles Edgeworth always gets what he wants, one way or another?"

Rin rolled her eyes at that comment before shivering as he began sucking softly on the flesh above her collarbone, leaving a few red marks in his wake. "So you're saying you wouldn't have taken no for an answer then, even if I told you that I didn't want you to stay here in Japan?"

Being the cocky bastard that he was, Miles retorted with a sarcastic tone in his voice. "Let's just say that I placed all my eggs in one basket. I was fairly confident you were still captivated by me, and I had no real intentions of letting you leave tonight from the start."

Rin would have pushed him off of her at that moment-after all, his arrogance was the one thing about him that often got under her skin-but he held her wrists tightly and showed no signs of letting up. She was clearly outmatched. "Relax. I was only teasing. But I'll let you in on a secret, Rin Kurogane," he said, his lips curling back into a cheeky smirk that made Rin's heartbeat quicken just a bit. "I'm just as much enchanted by you as you are with me, if not more."

With that said, he assaulted her lips once again with his until he heard a soft moan roll out from the back of her throat. In the meantime, his hands finally released their hold on her wrists as he began to unbutton her white blouse. It was a shame she had changed out of the clothing he had let her borrow-the way she looked in his shirt had made him grow hot from desire-but this outfit was fine, too. He broke the kiss and sat up for a moment, admiring the way the young woman looked beneath him.

Her hair was once again a mess as her velvety locks sprawled out over his sheets. Her black bra was now exposed to his view as her blouse remained open in the front, giving him the chance to marvel at her impressive cleavage. Even her skirt was now untidy as it rode up to her upper thigh and her heels had been tossed to the side somewhere along the way to the bedroom.

Seeing Rin looking so disheveled with a steamy look in her eyes and her clothing a mess made Miles harden in his pants. Suddenly, his clothing felt too restrictive and he, too, was once again shirtless and kicking off his pants before he knew it.

"Some one's eager tonight," the young woman giggled as he crawled back onto the bed with her, now only wearing his boxers.

"Don't start with me, Kurogane," he growled out before he attacked her neck with a plethora of assertive kisses, making her squeak out in surprise.
Such a provocative noise enthralled Miles, and he continued to trail hot kisses all along her collarbone as he slid her blouse off her shoulders before tossing it on the floor alongside his own pile of carelessly tossed clothes.

After her top had been discarded, he set to work on unzipping her skirt as well and carefully sliding it off her hips until she was in nothing but a simple black bra and matching panties. She didn't even need to wear anything flashy underneath her clothes like silk or lace to look absolutely sexy, in fact, her simple, straight forward choice of lingerie matched her personality perfectly which only further added to her appeal.

Rin's cheeks grew hot as she watched Miles's eyes wander over her nearly nude form. She was slender in the waist, but her broad hips and perky breasts made him grow weak in the knees as he pictured those silky, smooth legs wrapped around his waist as he pounded into her. As much as he wanted to take her right then and there, he knew the payoff would be greater if he savored the moment and took it slow. Two years ago, they were new and inexperienced to things like sex; it had been a little sloppy since they were so wrapped up in each other that they didn't even bother to go slowly and enjoy their pleasure to the fullest.

Miles wouldn't make that mistake a second time. This time he was going to memorize every detail of Rin's body and forever stow it away in his mind.

His hands tickled along her sides before slowly reaching behind her back to fumble with the clasp of her bra. Damn, he still couldn't figure out how those things worked. That was not surprising considering that Rin had been his first lover and his only lover. Sure, girls threw themselves at his feet everywhere he went-even in America he was constantly swamped with women swooning over him-but he never really had any interest in them. None of them had seemed to catch his eye and Miles was not the kind of man that would settle for anything less than what he really wanted. Still, it would have been nice if he had grown more accustomed to bras and how to quickly remove them. If he couldn't undo it any quicker, it was bound to spoil the mood...

Rin, unfazed by his lack of bra unhooking skills, simply smiled and pushed him off of her just a bit so she could take over the task. All she had to do was reach behind her back and in one snap, the bra was loose. Needless to say, Miles was impressed that she could do it herself so easily, but he was still a tad bit disappointed that he couldn't do it himself. Either way, he wasn't going to allow her to take all of the glory. Wanting to be the one who peeled it off her himself, Miles slid the straps off her shoulder and shoved the garment to the floor, relieved that it was finally out of the way.

The cold air of the room greeted Rin's exposed breasts, causing her nipples to perk up into rosy buds. Miles gaze swept across her topless body before he shoved her back down on her back, impatient to explore her beautiful body. His hands eagerly cupped both of her breasts in his hands, massaging them with gentle squeezes here and there. His ministrations were met with a soft moan, and Miles hungrily kissed her and forced her cries to be muffled by his lips.

He curled his fingers around her nipples, pinching them between his thumb and index finger, until Rin was practically pushing herself into his hands a bit rougher. Miles broke the kiss, only to regard her with a sly smirk. "Oh, so you like it when I do this?" He asked, his voice dropping an octave or two, as he continued to pluck and tease her sensitive peaks.

Suddenly growing shy, Rin responded to his question by merely nodding. He had hoped to hear more of her moans as he squeezed her swollen breasts a bit harder, but it looked like she was trying to hold back her sounds as she bit her lower lip. As confident and strong-willed as she was in court, Rin was a completely different person in bed. She was timid and nervous, and it showed on her face. It was cute and endearing and it made Miles want to ravage her innocence even more.

"If you think that feels good, then I'm sure you'll love this," he whispered into her ear before he ducked his head lower, his tongue flicking out to roll across her chest. He gave her twin peaks a few kisses before he closed his lips down on of her buds, taking it into his mouth and sucking on it softly. He was rewarded with the sounds of her mewls and it was like music to ears, provoking him to continue with his motions.

Her hands immediately flew to back of his neck where she tangled her fingers in his thick hair. He was right—she was definitely loving what he was doing. He kept nipping at her, teasing her with his tongue as it swirled all over her areola, before he gently bit down. He was careful not to hurt her, but when his teeth grazed against her aroused nipples she had no choice but to jump lightly from the sensation.

Satisfied by her reaction, Miles decided to push her a bit further by trailing his hand downwards to her moistened panties where he dipped a single digit into her folds. She was already wet? Not surprising. Miles was confident in his abilities to please her.

"Ah, Miles," she piped out in a surprised tone as his finger began to stroke her center. Everything he did was driving her mad with anticipation, and yet she was losing herself in his touch. His fingers were rubbing against her slit in a gentle, languid motion and her body craved more of what he could offer her. "Don't tease me so much," Rin pleaded, continuing to hold onto him. If she thought he was going to stop what he was doing, she was greatly mistaken.

He sucked on her nipples just a bit harder as his fingers began to probe around her warm entrance before delving deep inside of her, forcing a squeal to emit from her mouth. To add to her pleasure, he inserted another finger into her and began to pump inside of her at a quicker pace. She was at his mercy and Miles wouldn't have had it any other way. Especially since he had been dreaming of this moment for so long.

Her juices were drenching his fingers but her panties were starting to get in the way. He tore his attention away from her breasts as he sat up for a moment to slide her underwear off of her. Now fully nude before his eyes, Rin's cheeks flushed a few shades darker as his eyes transfixed on her. The first time they had made love was in the dark, so to have him finally see every inch of her body made her heart quicken in excitement.

The silence in the room wasn't helping with her nerves. After swallowing down a lump in her throat, Rin shyly met his gaze with a tiny smile. "Are you ready to go all the way?" She asked hesitantly as she watched him lift his hand in to his lips where he licked her nectar off of his fingers.

"You know? I'm not ready yet. I won't be ready until you beg me for it," Miles answered playfully as he lowered his face between her legs and spread her thighs open with his hands.

Rin gasped in surprise as Miles's hot breath tickled the inside of her thighs as he began nibbling on her smooth skin. He could feel the goosebumps against his lips as he made her tremble from his gentle kisses. He began kissing up her thighs even more until he landed at his destination. A soft kiss against her maidenhood made Rin jerk her head back against the pillow as her fingers gripped onto the bedsheets beneath her. "E-Edgeworth!" she cried out, "D-don't do that…It's embarrassing…"

His tongue rolled across her clit, sampling a taste of her sweet essence, before he looked up to her with a grin. "Reverting back to the formalities, are we?" He licked her again, this time much slower. "I guess we'll just have to get to know each other very well until you get used to calling me Miles."

His words were erotic, but what he was doing with his tongue was just plain sinful. He was exploring her innermost region, giving her pearl extra special attention as he sucked on it gently, and eliciting a few moans of approval from the woman he was tasting. His fingers found their way into her entrance again as they pushed inside of her to the rhythm of his licks.

Her former embarrassment over having oral sex performed on her was starting to subside as she began to give into the overwhelming sensation that consumed her body. When she closed her eyes and focused on the tingling sensation between her legs, she found herself being plummeted into a state of euphoria.

"Miles!"

It happened quicker than she had anticipated. One minute she was relishing in the feeling of his tongue against her heat, and the next she was screaming out his name as her walls tightened around his fingers. Her vision grew hazy and distorted, and she had to remind herself to breathe as her body lightly trembled from the wave of pleasure that washed over her. Miles lapped up her juices before pulling his head away and wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

Smirking confidently, he watched as her chest rose up and down as she tried to steady her uneven breathing. "Just like last time, it still doesn't take you long to finish."

She pouted at his comment, slightly offended that he would tease her at a time like this. Two could play at that game! "Really?" she asked, as she sat up and jabbed an accusing finger in his direction. "Because if I remember correctly, you were the one who had finished before we even really got started."

He opened his mouth to protest but then slowly closed it, stumped for words at how she so boldly shot back at him. "That was cold, Kurogane," he grumbled under his breath, clearly defeated.

"I thought it was time to drop the formalities?" she replied with a small grin before crawling over to his side as he lay down on his back. "Besides, it's not like I've ever minded it when you finish. I like knowing that I can make you feel good, Miles."

Ah, shit, the way she leaned over him was making him hot all over. He watched her as she positioned herself in front of his legs, swapping positions with him from earlier, as her hand roamed over the rippling muscles of his abdomen. She wasn't sure how a man as busy as him could ever have time to hit the gym, but it was clear that he had never skipped a workout in his life. His abs flexed underneath her touch as a chill ran down his spine, his eyes never wavering from the gentle gleam in her blue orbs. She brought one hand lower until she lightly brushed over the bulge in his boxers. A sudden burst of confidence urged Rin to give him a taste of his own medicine as she used her other hand to tug down his boxers.

He offered assistance as he sat up to help her shred the last bit of clothing, and soon he was just as nude as he was. As he lay back down, Rin couldn't help but marvel at his muscular body before glancing down at his enlarged manhood. She still wasn't sure what the best methods were of pleasing a man, but she had at least done a satisfactory job of it last time. She remembered that Miles had liked it very much when she had stroked him up and down last time, so hopefully he wouldn't mind if she tried that same move again.

Her hand gripped the base of his shaft, squeezing it gently, before she slowly brought her hand upwards. She did this a few more times, keeping her eyes trained on Miles's face to read his expressions, but frowned as she saw that he had his head tilted back with his eyes staring up at the ceiling.

"Am I...not doing a good job?" she asked timidly, afraid that he was disappointed with her inexperience with male stimulation.

He didn't respond at first, and Rin wondered for a moment if she shouldn't stop before she upset him. Just as she tried to pull her hand away, Miles shot out to grab her wrist to keep her fingers still wrapped around his base.

"Th-that's not it," Miles said with a sheepish grin, finally bringing his intense gaze to hers. "I'm just trying to focus on not finishing so fast this time, that's all."

As relief washed over her, Rin began to pump her hands up and down his manhood again, this time with a slightly tighter grip. "Why would that be bad, Miles? You made me feel so good so I want to do the same."

The way her sweet voice melted against his ears, so pure and innocent, made it completely unavoidable for Miles to blush. Did she even realize just how aroused she made him just by being so damn cute and sweet? "Fine," he grunted out, closing his eyes. "Keep going, my love."

She had never heard him call her any pet names before-she just could never picture him being the type to call anyone a sweetheart, babe, or darling unless it was used a condescending tone to degrade the woman he was talking to. But here he was referring to her as "his love", and her heart skipped a few beats at the sentiment.

Not wanting to disappoint, she picked up her pace and stroked him harder and faster, and soon Miles was panting heavily just as Rin had done moments ago. She kept this up for a few moments, loving the fact that he was making such erotic noises from her touch. It still didn't seem to be enough, though. Even if he seemed to be enjoying what she was doing, it didn't look like he was anywhere close to finishing.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She had never done anything remotely similar to this in the past, but maybe Miles would enjoy something like that. Without thinking on it any further, Rin bent her head down and took the tip of his member into her mouth. Miles's eyes immediately shot open to see that Rin was slowly putting more of him into her mouth until she could fit no more.

"R-Rin! What do you think you're doing?" He gasped, although the answer to the question was quite obvious. Rin pulled away for just a moment, smiled at the fact that his reaction had been the same as hers moments ago, before she wrapped both of her hands around his length as she curled her lips around his head once more.

She bobbed her head up and down as she sucked on his cock, hands still holding onto him to keep it steady. Seeing Rin do something so sexual and dirty made him feel compelled to ask her to stop; after all, the last thing he wanted to do was to make her feel pressured to do things she was uncomfortable with. But when she swiped her tongue along his head, he knew that he didn't have the willpower to stop her. Instead, he simply placed his hand atop of her head and pushed her down farther until he was grazing the back of her throat.

Luckily, Rin didn't choke from Miles's gesture, and she instead took it as a sign to keep going or spice things up a bit. She then began to use both her hands and mouth at the same time to intensify the feeling for him. Her hands pumped up and down his rod as her mouth sucked on his head. Miles couldn't help but wonder if Rin had had some form of "practice" during their time apart to get so good at blow jobs, but he bit back the urge to ask her directly about it. Instead, he just rested his head against the pillow and allowed her to do whatever she pleased to him until he could handle no more.

She sucked just a bit harder, and Miles found himself muttering a few curse words to encourage her to keep going. "Ah, fuck," he hissed under his breath, realizing he was reaching his limit. "Y-You should stop, Rin... I don't want to make you have to finish the job like this..."

She knew he was just trying to be thoughtful, but she was very much enjoying the way his muscles flexed and the way his brows furrowed as she continued to blow him. Even though he told her to stop, she had no plans of doing so until he was fully satisfied.

Luckily, that didn't take long.

His breathing was soon labored and the hand that was still tangled in her hair was now gripping onto her tighter. His hips bucked forward as he let out a loud groan before he could no longer hold himself back. He let himself go inside of her mouth, and Rin didn't dare pull away. Hot liquid fired into her mouth and she swallowed it all down to the last drop, showing no signs of reluctance as she sucked him dry. It was an interesting taste and was unlike anything she had ever tried before. It wasn't bad or anything; just different. To say that Miles was surprised would have been an understatement as his eyes were practically bulging out of his head as Rin finally removed herself from his cock, only to lick her lips.

"That...was incredible," the silver haired man admitted, still in shock that Rin had completely crawled out of her comfort zone just to make him feel good.

"I could say the same thing," she replied, her cheeks bright and rosy, as she bashfully wove her fingers through the ends of her hair. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Miles reached out a hand to seize hold of her arm, pulling her on top of him.

"You know," he said in between deep breaths, "I'm still far from being done." Even though he had emptied himself just a moment ago, he was already ready to continue going. It was still hard to believe that Rin, the same girl that he had been pining over for years, was in his arms-naked, he might add. It was as if all of his worries had been washed away by the rain.

Rin reached over pressed her lips against his, letting him know that she, too, was ready to continue with their fun. Flipping her over so now she was lying on her back, Miles pinned her beneath him and began to ravage her lips with his, nibbling on her bottom lip as he began to fondle her breasts once more. She was very receptive to his kisses as she wove her arms around the back of his neck, never wanting him to stop kissing her even for a moment.

Much to her chagrin, he most certainly did break the kiss, but only to stare down at her with loving eyes. "Look, Rin, I understand if you don't want to go through with this. After all, I betrayed your trust-"

"Miles, it's okay," she interrupted, silencing him with another kiss. "I now know how you feel about me. I'm not afraid anymore."

Her words set his heart on fire, and he wrapped her tightly in his arms as he prepared himself to enter her. Now more than ever before, he was completely sure that Rin really was the only person for him. And even if took a while for him to fully regain her trust, he would show her just how much she meant to him every single day of his life.

"Ah, I should probably go grab a condom before we get started," he said before attempting to crawl off the bed, only to be pulled back down on top of her before he could get up.

With a wistful look in her eyes, Rin smiled up at him. "There's no need. I'm on the pill, actually."

Although most men would have leapt for joy at the sound of those words, Miles's expression hardened just a bit as he pondered on the reasoning of her taking contraceptive pills. Was she on the pill because she was sexually active? As much as it pained him to think that way, it would make sense. After all, he did leave for two years and it wasn't as if she belonged to him during that time.

As if reading his mind, Rin brought up a hand to lightly caress his cheek. "It's not like that," she explained, "I haven't slept with anyone other than you in my entire life. I'm simply on the pill to help with my cramps, you know, during that time of the month..." Although it was a little embarrassing to admit it, she didn't want to have him thinking that she slept around.

No, Rin had been completely loyal to him ever since she first laid eyes on him.

"In that case," Miles grumbled, blushing over the fact that he had doubted her, "I guess we'll go without condoms this time around, too." They didn't even bother going the safe way about it last time, but at least this time they were a little more prepared for sex.

"Let me know if it hurts, Rin," he said in a low voice as his now fully erect member was placed right in front of her opening. "I'll stop if it's too painful for you." He remembered how much their first time had hurt her, and even though she had tried to hide it, she had been in a great deal of pain. He was bigger than most so it wasn't surprising that it pushed her body to the limit when he stole her virginity, but he would do whatever he could to make sure he wasn't as careless as he was back then.

Touched by his concern, Rin simply smiled and nodded. "It's fine. I really want you, Miles..." she whispered, giving him what he wanted from her earlier as she was practically begging for him to continue. "Please take me..."

He needed no further probing as he rocked his hips forward, sliding himself into her with ease. Luckily she was still wet from her previous orgasm so getting inside wasn't too much of a struggle. However, his girth was stretching her walls and Rin found herself shutting her eyes tightly as she tried to fight the pain that gnawed at her lower region.

Miles had warned her of the pain, but she still didn't want him to stop so soon. Even though it was uncomfortable, she still wanted him to remain inside her and fulfill her lustful needs.

"I'm so sorry, Rin," he apologized as he kissed her soothingly. His voice was comforting in itself but the way his lips molded against hers made her feel like she could handle any pain that was brought her way. Trying to be considerate, Miles managed to stay as still as possible for the first few moments. He didn't want to make things any more unbearable for her if he could help it, but when she leaned over to kiss his neck and whispered that she wanted him to keep going, he nodded firmly and began to push himself into her even deeper.

She let out a few whimpers and it was impossible for him to decipher if they were sounds of conveyed pain or pleasure. He slid out of her, only to shove himself back in, this time with a bit more force. Her tightness felt so incredible, and Miles could hardly control himself as he began to pound into her over and over again.

It took Rin only a short time to get used to his entire length being inside of her, and soon she was arching her back, parting her lips, and moaning out his name over and over. He was taking it slow, reveling in the feeling of her body taking him in, as he exhaled deep, heavy breaths. His eyes remained locked on her face so he could watch her as he grinded himself into her, and only when he was certain that she was no longer in pain, Miles went a little faster and harder.

He threw one of her legs over his shoulder for deeper penetration, and his actions were rewarded by a soft cry of his name as she gripped on tightly to his shoulders. "Does it feel good, Rin?" He asked, searching her face for signs of discomfort.

She couldn't find the words to speak as he continued to sheath himself in and out of her with hard thrusts. A nod was the most she could manage to do if the moans she was making wasn't an incentive enough that he was quite obviously making her feel amazing.

"Do you like me being inside of you, Rin?" he teased, knowing very well what the answer to his question was. Nonetheless, he wanted to hear her say it.

"I...I love it!" She whimpered, continuing to hold onto him for support as he sped up a bit more, bringing her even close to another orgasm. Her tight channel kept constricting his member, making it nearly impossible for him to hold back anymore. He knew she was close to finishing as all of the breath hitched in the back of her throat. His exertions were becoming too much, and the way his cock slammed against her hidden jewel had her bucking her hips forward to match the rhythm of his thrusts.

"I can't take it anymore! I'm cumming!" Rin finally wailed out as her orgasm overpowered her, her body tensing and coiling underneath him. He didn't relent as he waited for her to ride out her orgasm, and in the meantime he reached his peak as well.

Cursing under his breath, Miles let out a sharp hiss through gritted teeth as he came for the second time that night. His seed spilled into her moistness, filling her up with his hot semen. During his climax, Miles had completely forgotten how to breathe so when he finally came down from his high, he let out a heavy breath and pulled out of her before collapsing on his back.

"I don't..." he said in between heavy breaths, "ever...want you to hear you say...that I always finish first..."

Rin couldn't stifle any giggles as she lay in the bed nestled up against him, her fingers tracing circles on his chest as she reveled in the feeling of the blissful aftermath. Miles hadn't lost his touch; he still knew how to greatly please a woman.

By this point, his former shower had been in vain. He was sweating just as much as he had been when he had first awoken from his nightmare not too long ago, but there was no denying that another shower didn't sound like such a bad idea. As long as Rin joined him, that is.

"Your hair's a mess again," he said as he reached out his hand to ruffle her unruly strands, eliciting a small pout from her as she puffed up her cheeks.

"In fact," Miles continued as he threw his legs over the side of the bed, stretching his arms above his head, "I think you need to tidy yourself up by taking a shower with me."

Butterflies danced inside of her stomach at the thought. She and Miles had never bathed together, and nothing sounded more romantic and fun than washing each other's hair and blowing bubbles in each other's faces.

Miles had a very different mindset on the matter. In seconds, he had scooped Rin up in his arms and picked her up from the bed, only to carry her into the bathroom adjacent to his bedroom. Once the water was on and the steam was filling up the room, Miles practically pushed her inside the shower before sliding the door closed behind him. The shower had plenty of space for both of them to stand comfortably in, in fact, it was big enough to fit at least seven other people. There were two shower heads that were both highly advanced with all kinds of different pressures and temperature modifications, and the jets that decorated the sides of the tub indicated that it could be transformed into a Jacuzzi as well. Miles Edgeworth certainly had lots of money to play around with, and it was nice to finally have someone to share his luxuries with.

He was on her in seconds, mouth fiercely claiming hers, as he swallowed down her gasps of surprise. Did she honestly think he was done with her after just one round? Guess again.

"Rin," he breathed out, the water from the showerhead plastering his thick hair against his face, bangs concealing his eyes. "You have no idea how long I've dreamed of this night."

His words touched her heart, and Rin even placed a tender hand over her chest in attempts to tame its rapid palpitations. If even after taking a hot shower didn't wash this dream away, then she needed to believe that this was, in fact, far from a dream. Miles was here with her, holding her body close to his, and covering her neck in sweet kisses. "I feel the same," she admitted as she ran her hands along his broad shoulders, making him exhale a relaxed sigh.

They stood there in silence for a moment, both simply enjoying the feeling of being held together in each other's arms underneath the hot water, before Miles reached his hand down her lower back and cupped one of her firm cheeks in his hand. She jumped lightly as he groped her rear before slanting her eyes at him playfully.

"I've never seen you this frisky before," she commented dryly, although she wasn't bothered in the least by his eagerness.

He had nothing to say in response to her statement, but he did flip her around so her back was now facing him. He cornered her against the wall of the shower so her chest was pressed against the cold tiles. She let out a squeak from the cold sensation and tried to pull away but Miles kept her pinned to it as his hand began to do a little bit of exploring on her body.

"If only you knew how many times I touched myself to the thought of doing naughty things to you in the shower," he grunted into her ear before nibbling on her earlobe. It tickled, but not nearly as bad as when he flipped her long tresses over the side of her shoulder to kiss the nape of her highly sensitive neck. Her whole body flinched as his lips clamped down on her skin, his tongue sweeping across her damp flesh.

"If I remember correctly," Miles chuckled as he brought out a hand to wrap around her hips, hands sliding down to her lower abdomen, "wasn't the back of your neck your weak spot? The first time we had sex, I remember I made you cum just by kissing you here."

Her face turned about fifty shades darker as she could hardly believe that he remembered something like that! "Th-That's not true!" she protested before she felt his fingers find their way back down to her center where he parted her folds to allow him easy access to her center. "You were also doing other dirty things to me while you were kissing the back of my neck!"

This piqued Miles's interest just a bit. "Oh? So you are saying that my memory serves me right and that the nape of your neck is still your delicate spot?" His smirk went completely unnoticed by her as she reflexively closed her eyes when he slipped a finger inside of her already wet pussy.

"I-I'm not saying anything..." Rin stuttered, her spine stiffening as she felt his lips tauntingly nip and suck on the exposed skin near her spine. He had been right on the mark-this was definitely where she was most tender. Rin was practically putty in his hands as she let out muffled mewls of pleasure as his fingers curled inside of her core.

He was already fully stiff and erect once again, ready for more. Rin immediately grew disappointed as she felt his fingers pull away from her maidenhood, and for a moment she thought that maybe that was it and he was ready to get out the shower and go to bed for the evening. It was past three o'clock in the morning, after all, and she was fairly certain he would have to go to work at the crack of dawn. If they stopped now, he could maybe catch one or two hours of sleep before he went to work.

Those thoughts immediately left her as Miles bent her forward before forcefully entering into her from behind with one rough thrust. The feeling of his sudden invasion made Rin scream in surprise, but it was far from a cry of pain. With both hands planted firmly on either side of her hips, Miles began ramming into her hard and fast. Unlike last time when he took her nice and slow, he was allowing his animalistic instincts guide his pace.

He felt guilty for taking advantage of her without warning, but the alluring woman in front of him showed no signs of protesting. In fact, she was bracing her hands against the railing of the shower and panted out words like "harder" and "faster" to let him know she didn't want him to slow it down.

There was something about the way that Rin let him take complete control over her that gave him a rush like no other. He had wanted her so badly for so long, and now that he had her, he wasn't ever going to let her go.

Rin bit her lower lip as something began to build in the pits of her stomach as Miles fucked her relentlessly. She couldn't fight it, and the hot steam from the shower and the feeling of him slamming into her from behind began to make her head grow dizzy.

Miles couldn't believe that Rin had such power over him since he was already cumming again before he could even feel it coming on. He jetted himself inside of her again, taking in a sharp breath of air, before he felt the walls that clamped down on his manhood begin to tighten in an erratic rhythm.

"Miles!" Rin called out his name as she orgasmed, the feeling of his hot juices inside of her pushing her over and into the deep end. Her knees began to wobble and she could no longer support herself. Just as Miles pulled out of her, her legs gave way and she stumbled just a bit. If he hadn't reached out to catch her at the last second, she might have hit her head against the tub.

Amused by her dramatic reaction, Miles hoisted her up before leaning her into his chest for support. "Heh, I knew I was good but I didn't think I was that good," he stated.

"Oh, hush," she mumbled, her body falling limp in his arms as drowsiness began to envelop her. It had certainly been a thrilling night, and Rin was fairly certain she couldn't last another round. Miles surprised her by lathering her hair in shampoo where he ran his fingers against her scalp, thoroughly washing every strand of her hair.

She returned the favor by washing his hair when he was done with hers, and soon they were both covered in various suds and bubbles.

This, Rin thought to herself as Miles rinsed himself off, water rolling off of his perfectly sculpted muscles, is perfect.

When they had finished showering, Rin asked if he wouldn't mind driving her home. "If it's too much trouble," she piped out, taking note of how tired he was growing as he shrugged back on his shirt, "I can just take a taxi." It was still raining hard, and part of her wondered if maybe the streets were going to be flooded overnight. That would certainly make the drive home rather stressful...

Offended that she assumed he was actually going to allow her to leave just yet, Miles reached for her arm and dragged her into bed with him. "Idiot," he groaned, exasperated, "Do you really think I'd let you go that easily?"

She was shocked to hear him speak to her in such an affectionate manner, but she really wasn't complaining. She had seen a completely different side to Miles that night, a side of him that she hoped would never disappear.

"I guess not," she smiled to herself, cuddling up next to him in the bed. He draped the covers across both of them before reaching over to turn off the light. He didn't care that he was supposed to be at work in four hours; work just didn't seem nearly as important anymore. He could easily call in sick, or blame the rain for causing him troubles during his commute.

Either way, he had zero plans on getting out of bed with Rin tomorrow.

Years had passed but their feelings stayed the same.

It came as no surprise to their fellow lawyers that they were engaged. After a year of being back in Japan and spending the majority of his days trying to make up for lost time with Rin, Miles popped the question. Rin didn't even need to think on his proposal-the answer was obviously yes.

The wedding happened six months later, and not long after, Rin found out she was pregnant. A beautiful girl was born, her hair a lovely shade of silver thanks to the overpowering Edgeworth genes, and Miles couldn't have been a prouder father. Despite being a harsh, strong-willed prosecutor, Miles was a bit of a pushover when it came to his daughter, Elise. He spoiled her rotten, Rin liked to say, but really Rin was just happy that Miles had made it a point to cut his hours in half at work so he could spend more time with his family.

He proved to not only be a devoted lover, but a dependable father as well. He never talked about going back to America, in fact, he turned down every job offer that would require him to be away from home for more than a few days at a time.

But the Edgeworth name was still going to be carried on. Both Miles and Rin knew that their daughter had extraordinary potential when she yelled out the words, "OBJECTION!", when another student was accused of stealing cookies from other kids in pre-school. Elise had a fiery personality and probably would have turned out to be a bit of a brat if her younger brother, Erlend, wasn't born a few years after her. She immediately snapped into big-sister mode when he was born and became caring and protective of her baby brother. With personalities as different as night and day, Erlend leaned more on the shy and quiet side and was polite to everyone he met. He had a lot of empathy for his father, much to Miles's surprise, and always volunteered to take the stairs wherever they went so Miles wouldn't have to nervously stand inside of an elevator in buildings that had more than a few floors.

Miles liked to think that it was all thanks to Rin that they had such beautiful children, but in reality they both showered Elise and Erlend with all the love in the world. Even the kids' babysitter, Kay Faraday, liked to tease Miles about how she had never expected such a ruthless prosecutor to turn out to be the biggest sweetheart when it came to his kids.

"Hey, Miles?" Rin said one morning as she was preparing breakfast for the kids. Elise was now ten years old while Erlend was five so making sure they had a balanced breakfast each and every morning was extremely important for their growth.

"What is it, my love?" Miles asked as he sat at the table, eyes skimming over the newspaper in his hands as he sat at the dining table.

The toaster popped out two pieces of toast which Rin carefully slid onto her husband's plate after slathering on some butter. "You never told me how things at work turned out yesterday. Didn't those pesky men from the law firm in New York show up again?"

Miles clicked his tongue in annoyance before setting the paper down, looking up at his wife with a mischievous smirk. "You mean the ones that keep hounding me to drop everything and move to America to work on some cases for them?"

Rin slowly nodded as she took a seat beside him. At the opposite end of the table, Elise was picking off links of sausage from her younger brother's plate when he was not looking, leaving Erlend to be both shocked and confused whenever he looked away from the TV to see that yet another piece of his breakfast had vanished. "This could be a very huge opportunity for you," Rin said, ignoring the squabble going on with their children for the moment as she focused her attention on Miles as he bit into his toast. "I mean, I'm sure the kids will miss you if you have to leave for a year but I'd hate to see you let something this huge go. Either way, your family understands that you must go where you're needed, even if that means we have to be away for a while…" It hurt to have to say such things, but at least Rin knew without a shadow of a doubt that Miles was completely and utterly devoted to his family. He would only take such a big job if he knew it would benefit them in some way, and she also knew he would never just leave again and never return.

After taking a sip of his coffee—thanks to Rin, he had developed a taste for it—Miles set his mug down and reached for his wife's hand where he lightly brushed his fingers against the diamond ring on her finger. "I made my decision already, actually," he informed her before fixing his gaze on hers, "Would you like to know what I told them?"

Rin gulped nervously, afraid of what his answer might be.

"I told them to stick it where the sun doesn't shine and to never bother me again," He replied before rolling up the newspaper in his hand. He slid out of his chair, sauntered over to where Elise sat at the table, and whacked her on the head gently with the paper. He scolded her for picking on her brother and then offered Erlend the pieces of sausage that he still hadn't touched on his plate to keep the young boy from crying.

Rin simply watched Miles through misty eyes as he stood over his kids, a big grin on his face, and she knew that nothing could get more perfect than this. They were a happy family and Miles could never picture leaving his wife's side for even a moment. This was their paradise, the four of them together.