A/N: I do not own characters of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Capcom does. This is my first Phoenix Wright fanfiction. This is also a slash story between Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth. Don't like, don't read. You have been warned. Also rated M for mature content in later chapters, such as rape, murder, violence and language.

"The defendant is declared Not Guilty…" Confetti fell around the court. 'Finally…' thought Wright. 'He's finally free…' he thought to himself as he saw von Karma being hauled out of the courtroom by court officers. 'Will he be free from himself, though?' he asked himself as he watched Edgeworth hug himself…

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His painful yet hopeful smile, his carefully guarded grey eyes underneath his dark grey bangs, his whole stance was that of a wounded man trying to hide the fact that he was hurt. His heart wrenched at the sight of his childhood friend and rival so sad.

'He's the reason I became a defense attorney in the first place. He may have been the shadow of von Karma but he was mislead…'

He thought back to those days in school, his determination to become a defense attorney, his longing for his best friend when Miles disappeared from the school…

"Hey, wake up Phoenix!" A feminine voice wrenched him from his thoughts just in time to see Lotta holding up her camera.

"Ah, there you are…" Maya's voice was the one to have pierced through his bubble… He had the grace to look sheepish.

"Tighten up, everyone! You're not all on the photo…" As he felt Miles press against him to fit in the photo, his heart skipped a beat. He smiled for the sake for the sake of the photo. Had someone watched him a split second before the smile, they would have seen the sheepish look shift into one of longing and embarrassment before shifting into a smile.

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A few days after that, Wright was brooding, alone in his office. 'Maya left… I have had enough of being left all alone on New Year's Eve.' He sighed, took his jacket hanging from the coat rack and left his office. As he was walking towards his usual bar, all sorts of thoughts were floating around in his head. Most of them were about Edgeworth, actually… He was worried for his friend/rival. He reckoned he ought to visit him some time. But, for now, it was time to drink and forget that he was alone tonight. He entered his favorite bar with the firm intention of drinking himself under the table. That's why he liked this dingy, old place. Nobody gave enough of a shit to stop him. And the fact they had cheap but strong booze only helped…

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He woke up, several hours later, with a splitting headache. The light of the sun being directly into his closed eyes didn't help any… Wait a minute, in HIS bed, there never was any sunlight to bother him at whatever time he slept. So where was he? He rolled over only to encounter a warm but firm body. If this was a woman, she was definitely working out. He cracked open an eye, barely biting back the moan rising in his throat. What he saw made him wince. Pink! Everywhere! And on the bed beside him, there was Edgeworth, still breathing softly in his sleep. He checked… yep, they were both still fully clothed… phew!

'Wait… what am I doing here? I don't even remember meeting Edgeworth, only myself entering the bar to drink. OK, I must have drunk more than I thought…,' Edgeworth chose this moment, it seems, to wake up. Phoenix watched as he groaned at the sunlight spilling in his eyes.

'OK, I'm not the only one with a headache… good to know!' he thought to himself. Miles stopped moving as soon as he felt the warmth beside him. He was very still, so much so that Phoenix was sure Miles never woke up. Grey-blue eyes peered discreetly underneath dark grey lashes. Frowning a bit at the harsh sunlight in his eyes, he looked around his bedroom, trying to ascertain who was beside him.

His eyes came in contact with a familiar blue suit. He closed them again while saying: "Please tell me we didn't do anything stupid…" Phoenix chuckled.

"And here I was, hoping you'd tell me what happened…" Miles sat up too fast while saying: "WHAT?" then he fell back immediately on the bed, holding his head in pain. Phoenix barely caught him as he fell, gently lowering him to the bed, paying special care to his tender head.

"You should be more careful when you know you have a hangover." Phoenix said in a worried tone.

"You seem to have more experience than I do at being a drunkard…" Miles replied in a dry but pained tone.

"Um… yeah, I admit it, I do go there regularly…"

"Hah, knew it!... Ow, my head… if you have more experience than I do at this, then how can I make this go away?"

"Um… a few aspirins and an hour should do the trick. And a shower helps with the icky feeling you probably have right now. You want me to fetch you an aspirin and a glass of water?"

"…Yes…" came the pained reply. It pained him to be dependant of someone, especially if that someone was Phoenix Wright. But the atomic bomb in his head told him he didn't have any choice in the matter, sadly.

"Ugh, never drinking again…" Phoenix had to chuckle at that as he returned with a pill and a glass of water.

"Funny, I tell that to myself the morning after and I always do it again."

"OK, I rectify, I'm never drinking that much again… Better?"

"Yep," came the reply with a big smile. Kind of like a Butz smile, actually…

"Stop grinning the "Butz Smile", please Your cheeriness makes me slightly ill." Now that Phoenix looked carefully, he did look a bit sick.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom? I could help you…" Miles seemed to be hesitant to respond. "Maybe taking a shower or a bath would do you good…" He closed his eyes, seemed to be debating with himself then nodded with a painful expression on his face.

He felt the bed shift when Phoenix sat beside him. He then felt him sitting him up gently. Lean but strong arms encircled him to help him get up. There was a slight blush on his cheeks. 'Must have a fever. Poor Miles!' thought our clueless Phoenix.

Finally, he was up, his weight mostly supported by Wright, much to his dismay and embarrassment. His legs no longer felt like bone and muscle, they felt like jelly. Phoenix helped him sit on the closed toilet and went to prepare him a hot bath to soak in. He then searched for a towel and set it beside the bath and put the fluffy carpet for when he'd get out from the bath. He turned to face Miles.

"Um… you'll be able to take it from here?" he asked with concern. "Yes, I think I'll be OK." Miles looked faintly amused.

"In that case, just call me if you need anything." Phoenix said while scanning the bedroom, searching for his coat. He spotted it on the coat rack in the room.

"You're leaving?" Phoenix's gaze returned to Miles, taking in the abandoned expression on his face.

"Do you want me to?" Miles gulped embarrassedly at the question.

"No…" came the very quiet answer.

"OK then, I'll be in your kitchen cooking a little something for both of us. Have a nice bath!"

He closed the door behind him. The coat of his blue suit joined his other coat while he made his way to the kitchen. This was a big contrast to his own dingy kitchen. He searched a bit through the kitchen cabinets and, after a few minutes, had a chicken soup and a beef stew going nicely.

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Miles finished struggling with his clothes and then proceeded to put a few drops of lavender essential oil in the bath. He breathed in deeply, sighing in contentment as his favorite smell wafted through the bathroom. He carefully slid in the bathtub, enjoying the relaxing warmth. He finally settled in the tub, his ears underneath the water level, as he enjoyed listening to his heartbeat and breathing as they evened out with the inactivity of his body.

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A/N: Hope you like it! Oh, just wanted to mention that Miles' tastes for baths are my own, I just love soaking in a lavender-scented warm bath... Constructive reviews appreciated. Flames will be laughed at...