"How's your wound, Feenie?" Iris asked, running her hand over his shoulder for the umpteenth time.
"It's fine, you don't need to worry about it." He repeated. He wasn't annoyed that she kept on asking, rather, he thought it was kind of sweet that she showed so much concern, even if it was a bit obsessive.
"Oh, thank goodness." And for the umpteenth time, she blushed.
"Ah…" Gumshoe tapped his glass with his knife. It made a clanging sound, but since the food in this restaurant was so superior to the food at the restaurant he invited to them last, no one paid him notice.
"Hello!" Gumshoe tapped harder, and the glass shattered. Now, all eyes were on him. "Whoops…" he scratched the back of his head. "You're payin' for that one, Wright." He commented.
"W-why??" Phoenix protested.
"'Cause it's because of you that we're all here, and because of you that no one looked at me, and it's because of you that I broke the glass!" He responded with a glare.
"What kind of twisted logic is that?" he exclaimed.
"Oh just pay it Nick. You never like taking responsibility for anything you cause." Maya jutted in.
"But I didn't—"
"Come on pal! My salary can't afford this kind of thing! Help a guy out!"
"And you think my salary can?" Phoenix thought bitterly.
"Silence!" Franziska whipped Gumshoe. "I won't have this rabble disturbing such a good meal."
"O-ow!" he instantly saluted. "Y-yes Sir! I-it won't happen again! I-I promise!" Then he turned his head down. To Phoenix, he looked like he was somewhat mellow.
"Ah, detective Gumshoe, what is it?"
Franziska glared at him, but he ignored it.
"Well…it's just that…" He
hardened his facial expression, but not so much that it appeared
hostile. "
Mr. Edgeworth! Sir! Could I please get a raise? Sir!"
Franziska was about to burst out with a big, fat, "NO!", when Edgeworth held up a hand to silence her. She growled, but didn't take any action. "Interesting request…Detective. Why do you believe you deserve a raise?"
"Urp!" Gumshoe couldn't think of anything. "W-well…sir…"
"Hold it! Edgeworth! Gumshoe is the top detective at the precinct, and he's been the crux of many cases. If not for him, many of our trials would never reach the truth! That's what's important, and even if he does it by dumb luck, the city really needs him!" Phoenix was going on a rant. "And he's living in an uninsulated, unpowered, and over-cramped shack that isn't even superior to a jail cell, and you're not going to grant him a raise that will allow him to have a meal at least every day? How heartless are you?"
"Oof…" Edgeworth looked taken aback at Phoenix's chastising. "W-well…detective, it seems Wright supports your endeavor…"
"C-Come on Sir!" Gumshoe was pleading. "I n-need to eat!"
"…" Edgeworth stared at him with slightly whited eyes. "In that case, I suppose I could bump your salary up to minimum wage…"
"Huh…?" Phoenix thought incredulously. "You weren't paying him minimum wage before? What kind of police is this?"
Gumshoe was speechless. "I-I…thank you sir!" He almost began to bawl like a baby. "It's…now I can finally afford to electrify my home! And Wright!" He pointed triumphantly at Phoenix. "Thanks, pal, I owe you one!"
"Just one?" Phoenix thought even more incredulously. "And you're still going to make me pay for that broken glass."
"Ah…Feenie…" Iris looked at him admiringly. "Y-your so…heroic…I-I…" She blushed again. It seemed her nature to blush when she couldn't find words to describe her feelings. Yet, it melted something within him. He found himself devoid of any speech too.
"Well…err…Heheh…" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I-It's no big deal, really…" He said as he put his arm around her midwaist. She was still wearing her acolyte clothes, and he couldn't help but notice how good she looked, even in the banal spirit channeling uniform.
"I-I s-so glad…that you came to the temple…" She said. "I-I…never thought I'd see you again…I didn't feel as if I-I deserved…a-after I deceived…." She wasn't looking at him, but he could tell that she was on the verge of tears. "I-if only…"
"Now…don't talk like that…it's OK, we're…back"
She looked up at him, and he was right, she was crying. "Th-thank you…F-fee…how can I-I…" But they weren't tears of sorrow, they were of joy.
Their little forgive-fest was being watched by all the guests. The two had been so caught up in their moment that they completely forgot about the situation.
Gumshoe produced a cheap camera from inside his coat, and his mouth still hanging in awe, snapped a Photo of a tearful Iris and an awkward Phoenix embracing.
"Detective!" Edgeworth reprimanded. "You perform the most inappropriate acts at the times and fail to execute proper protocol when it is required. Do you now understand why your salary doesn't go higher than twenty percent of minimum wage?"
"Yes sir…"
"It's okay Edgeworth," Phoenix reassured him. "He's just being overactive"
"Th-that…" Pearl started to cry. And it was predictable, she had been shipping Phoenix and Maya all along, and for the first time, she saw decisive evidence of Phoenix and Iris. "S-sooo…."
"It's OK, Pearls." Maya comforted her. "Nick and I…well…we weren't really meant to be. I mean…we don't really agree with each other personality wise, you know?"
"B-but…all those time he saved you!!!" She bawled.
Iris was looking a bit guilty. "W-well…I'm really sorry, Pearls…maybe I-I should…"
"N-no!" Phoenix said. "It's OK! Really, I-I mean…she doesn't know that…"
"I'd really hate to cause trouble."
"You're not trouble at all!" Phoenix corrected. "I-I enjoy your company here! I really do!"
"Oh…Feenie…" Iris looked moved.
"Nick saves everyone" Maya said. "Anyways, that just means we can tease'em!" She gave a devilish smile.
"Can I help you tease them?"
"O-of course! Pearly!"
Phoenix overheard this. "On second thought" he suggested to Iris. "Maybe we should go somewhere else."
"Coffee?" She suggested, looking serene.
"Great!"
They hurried out the door together, ignoring pleas of Gumshoe to pay for the broken glassware.
Iris was looking forward to it.
