Oh no!!! This chapter contains... FLUFF!!! Fluff and sweetness! D:
But it also contains psychobabble from counsellors so that sort of balances it out. Can't really think of anything that needs explaining in this chapter...
Oh, except, yay, font joke. XP

Characters © Capcom (SWEET, worked out how to get that symbol on the mac keyboard...). Except for the counsellor. She belonged to, or at least used to, South Downs College. If she'd made him play with a sandbox or told him to be as affectionate about himself as he were his dead pet rats, then those weird things were © to her.


"So."
"So."
Miles' eyes darted around the room. The walls were painted a medicinal shade of green. The two armchairs were salmon coloured and a strange shiny foam material. A few ornaments around the room attempted to make the room more comfortable and less clinical: a bowl of blue glass pebbles, a couple of cuddly toys on the desk and a poster hanging on the wall with Comic Sans font that said "You don't need to be mad to work here... but it helps."
He started to wonder what he was doing here. It seemed a good idea when he booked it, but two weeks of solid sleeping and masturbating had made him sort of cynical about this.
"What would you like to talk about?" the counsellor asked in a cloudy manner, as if she were talking to a child.
"I don't know..." he mumbled.
"What's troubling you?" she carried on trying to prompt him.
"Well, I've been travelling for a few years..." he started.
She nodded and started writing in her ledger.
"And the day I came back," he carried on, "I bumped into an old flame."
"Was she happy to see you?"
"They were. A little more so than I'd expected..." he twitched.
"Were you happy to see her?"
"They'd fallen on hard times."
"Did you feel guilty for what happened to her?"
"Yes, so I tried to give them money."
"I've just noticed something," she announced, still in the same hazy voice, "You seem to be having trouble with gender pronouns. Why is that?"
"He's a man," he growled, with a growing blush, "I'm gay."
"Ohhhh...." she gasped, writing again, "Tell me all about your homosexuality."
"What?!" he choked.
"What about your coming out?"
"Well, uh... my adoptive sisters pointed it out before I could even dwell on it so it was never really a problem. Our "father" was obsessed with perfection, so I was a little afraid of how he'd react. Fortunately, he had a very strange idea of perfection, and apparently, homosexuality was a good method of preventing scandalous pregnancies. And outside that unit, it never seemed important to talk about my sexuality to others."
"What about this man? Was he your first?"
"He... yes," he muttered, his face bright red and boiling hot.
"Tell me about him"
He sighed, gave himself a second to gain composure then continued.
"We were school friends for a few months. Apparently, we were quite close. Then things happened and I didn't see him for fifteen years."
"How did you feel when you saw him again?"
"Like never before. I'd learnt from my mentor to only feel passion towards my work. When I first saw him again, he was the defence attorney while I was prosecuting. So, at first, I thought my burning towards him was to do with the case. Even after the case was solved... I still felt saddled by... unnecessary feelings."
"Do you remember when your relationship became a romantic one?"
"Yes..."

He was twenty five. Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright had just worked together to imprison a deranged killer. Justice had prevailed and in the lobby, they shared an incredible celebratory hug. It started so spontaneously that it took Miles a moment to realise that he was in the other man's arms. They were strong and warm... He couldn't help but take a moment to inhale his musky scent.
That was the first time he was able to fully articulate what his feelings for Wright were. He wanted to hold onto him forever. But he couldn't. Wright wasn't interested in men. He broke out of the hug, pretended to dust off his suit then stormed off, tutting loudly.

It was about six months later when Miles finally gathered the courage to go to a gay bar. This one in particular called "The Swallow". He stood at the bar, clutching at his lemonade. He decided to be "sensible". He kept the straw pursed in his lips and clasped one hand around the top of his glass to prevent any mishaps involving rohypnol.
"Mind if I buy your next drink?" a man behind him asked.
"I..." he turned around. His eyes widened and locked onto the other man's. His jaw practically fell to the floor.
"You!" he gasped.
"You," Phoenix gasped as well.
"You're... gay?"
"You're... not wearing a cravat?"
They both giggled foolishly for a moment.
"So... are you?" Miles asked sheepishly.
"Guilty as charged!" he laughed, "I'm actually surprised you didn't know."
He blushed in response.
"Come on, let's go see the girls," Phoenix smiled softly.
"Girls?"
He led them to a corner booth where two women were sat talking.
"Fransizka!!!" Miles gasped.
"Ja, foolish little brother?" she sniggered.
"You're... and... are you even old enough to be here?"
"If only I had my whip with me," she sighed, "Am I right, Adrian?"
"Oh Fran..." the other woman giggled. Miles recognised her as a witness from that case where he and Phoenix had...
He was shaken from his thought trail as he witnessed his adoptive sister pull the other girl close and press their lips together. Adrian brushed her hands through Franz' hair and she caressed her neck in return. Miles was more shocked than Adrian when he saw Fran plunge her tongue into her mouth. It was hypnotising.
"How about we leave them alone, huh?" Phoenix chuckled, shaking his shoulder. He led the gawping man onto the dancefloor.

This place was like a whole new world to Miles. The lights were blinding, the music was deafening, the air was thick with sweat, but still it felt... magical. For a while, him and Phoenix were just dancing like idiots to the cheesy pop music. Almost suddenly, something changed. Their hands brushed together.
"Oh, sorry!" Miles apologised.
"Don't be..." Phoenix smiled, taking hold of his hand and placing it on his waist.
Miles gasped as he looked into Phoenix's eyes. He slowly moved his spare hand to match the other.
Phoenix pulled him closer and started stroking Miles' hair with one hand and stroking up and down his back with the other. They leant into kiss but Miles shied away, feeling a little overwhelmed. Phoenix chuckled sympathetically, pressing the trembling man's head down to rest on his shoulder. Miles buried his nervous grin deeply in Phoenix's embrace, planting a few fumbling kisses on his neck because he was too embarassed to go for the lips.
"Do you want to go outside?" Phoenix asked, his mouth pressed against Miles' ear. He nodded deliriously. Phoenix let go of him, propped him up then held his hand, threading their fingers together.

"Remembering that time..." the counsellor sighed, "How does it make you feel?"
"I..." he started, trembling and gripping his knees, "Pissed off... angry... fucking furious!"
"Have you tried venting these emotions at all?
"In a manner of speaking..." he blushed, remembering the collection of wine bottles in his room and all the mornings he found himself twisted in strange positions and varied states of undress. "Anyway, he's just a thick-headed bastard."
"I'm sensing that... the relationship ended bitterly? Did he cheat?"
"No, no... I left to find myself."
"Is that when you went travelling?"
"Yes, for the last eight years."
"Oh..." she gasped, "Had you discussed it with him beforehand?"
"Sort of," he mumbled, "While I was waiting for my ride to the airport."
She stared blankly at him.
"It was difficult for me."
"Unfortunately, our hour's up..." she said, still staring in disbelief, "I'd like to see you again next week... if possible."
"Don't suppose I have much better things to be doing," he sighed as he left.