I warn you ahead of time, Phoenix is being, well, immensely dense, or has a strange way to process information, I'm not sure. Don't be surprised by what comes out of his reflexions. This is necessary to the plot, though it might come out as frustrating.
Oh and a reviewer persuaded me to go with my first idea for Athena and so, I decided she'd fall in love with Franziska. It'll come a lot sooner than you might think (no, not in this chapter, but the next actually). It won't be as the reviewer suggested, though, because another idea popped in my head. I hope nobody is strongly against it. And if you are, then, I'm sorry, but I decided I'll do what I want with this fic (it's the only way to make sure I'll want to continue it, otherwise I might drop it and you don't want that, do you?). Franziska/Athena is awesome, I decided.
The bad news is, I wasn't able to catch up with the chapters. I haven't even written half of chapter 11 yet. That means I won't update this Thursday, I'm sorry. I'll make sure to update next Monday, though. I hope I'll be able to go back to updates twice a week eventually, I really liked it better. Oh well, I did try.
Have a good read!
People lied all the time. Even Phoenix himself, of course. He said white lies pretty often, most of the time without even meaning to. He wouldn't say all of the truth, he'd alter little things, he would even give meaning to meaningless actions. But all these little lies wouldn't make the Magatama react, mostly because people weren't conscious of them or didn't consider them important enough. Not to mention it would react all the time if it picked up all those inconsistencies.
All this meant that when the Magatama did react, it would have to be for something huge, something the person would consciously try to cover up.
Phoenix always kept it during working hours in case he got a client. In his private life, though, he made a point of not carrying it around. People had the right to keep things to themselves and he didn't want to start nitpicking at everyone outside of job. It didn't feel fair to them either, because if they were concealing it, there had to be a reason. It wasn't his place to say anyway.
This evening, because everything was different somehow, he had forgotten to put it back in his desk. He had even forgotten he had it on him until he heard the noise of chains and saw the famous Psyche-Locks forming around Apollo. There were only three, meaning at least it wasn't that big of a lie and would be easy to break. However, it struck him as odd because it was the first time he ever saw locks on Apollo.
The younger wasn't really the type to lie. He had concealed things before, but he had been honest about it, stating he didn't want to talk about it. The Magatama wouldn't react on that kind of statement, because the person wasn't really lying: they were being honest in saying they didn't want to talk about it. It reacted to lies, not to 'not wanting to talk'. Phoenix never knew if Apollo reacted that way because he didn't know how to lie or if he knew somehow this was the weak spot of the Magatama, but he was pretty sure it was the former.
This time, though, for the first time, Psyche-locks appeared around Apollo. Phoenix wasn't even sure by what he was the most shocked: that it was the first time he lied to him, or how obvious he had been about it. He would have known, even without his spiritual gem, that he was lying, no doubt about that. Really, it seemed as if he wasn't even trying. His excuse was fishy, his behaviour was suspicious to say the least, and Klavier had seemed as surprised as he was.
So when both lawyers dashed out the door, he stayed still a moment, before dropping on the couch. He had a part in this, that much he was sure of it, but otherwise, he had no inkling on what the secret was all about. To think Apollo would keep a secret with Klavier, of all people! With Athena or Trucy, Phoenix would understand, but Klavier? Every time the younger talked about the prosecutor, it was always to complain about him. From the looks of it, the former Gavinner's only existence was getting on his nerves.
Then again, maybe there was more to it. Miles, for example, would more than often complain about him, but that didn't mean he hated him, far from it. Maybe Phoenix had misinterpreted Apollo's behaviour. Maybe his protege actually considered Klavier as a friend. Maybe he liked him.
Maybe... oh, maybe he actually loved him. Phoenix scratched his chin as the new idea made its way in his mind. Yes, maybe that's what the secret was all about. He could picture it all now. Klavier wanted to announce they had come to a relationship and Apollo, being shy about it, tried to stop him.
Phoenix always pictured Apollo as someone extremely secretive about his love life. Actually, he never once talked about it with him, even when Phoenix himself mentioned the disaster of his university love or his lack of relationship in the last years. Overtime, Phoenix had stopped thinking about it, waiting for Apollo to talk.
The only hint he ever had to Apollo's love life was his own deduction about his friend, Clay. He wasn't sure they had a relationship, but it wouldn't surprise him if Apollo admitted to having loved him. It wasn't only because they were close friends. Phoenix always sensed the grief he felt was huge, too huge to mean only friendship – though he was good at hiding it. He could be mistaken, of course, but it made sense.
So, Phoenix was pretty sure that, should Apollo engage himself in a relationship, he would have a hard time coming out with it. Klavier, on the other hand, seemed like he wouldn't care about it and tell everyone easily. That would explain why Apollo seemed so embarrassed and tried to shush the star.
A small smile made his way to his lips and he chuckled, thinking once more Apollo had such cute sides to him. No need to pressure him, he thought. He knew over time, the attorney would find the courage to tell him by himself. For now, he would let him be.
When the younger attorney came back, Phoenix tried to appear as casual as ever and made small talks. If Apollo was tensed at first, he relaxed after a while. After dinner, they watched the television. Apollo was studying some laws at his side, looking sometimes at the screen. Phoenix for himself went back and forth between the television and his new son. Though he was watching the TV more often, he was more concentrated on the younger attorney.
Phoenix didn't know why, but he always pictured him going out with a guy. Apollo never told him he was gay, though, or hetero for that matter. He never talked about attraction at all. The older wasn't sure why he was thinking he loved men, but maybe it was because he seemed so oblivious to Juniper's crush. But, come to think of it, he had this hunch way before that...
He had no real reason, but he thought, while looking at his face, that if Apollo ever told him he was going out with a woman, he would be surprised. Well, he was surprised he would go out with Klavier, but that was because of who he were, not of his gender. Then again, maybe Apollo was bi. It was a possibility, alright. Or pan. Or whatever else existed.
Phoenix for himself wasn't purely heterosexual. He had loved more women than men in the past, but he had felt attraction towards men at some point and never felt disgusted by it. In sexuality, he was the kind to go with the flow, so he wasn't ashamed of anything.
He was suddenly very intrigued about Apollo, but he didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. If, after all this time, he never talked about it even once, then it was surely because he didn't want to talk about it at all. It was his right not to talk about something so personal.
After all, Phoenix himself never talked about his occasional attraction to men, mainly because it was easier in daily life to pretend to be heterosexual. Some people wouldn't understand if he was to try and explain he had felt attraction and even love towards some men, but didn't consider himself bi per see – not to mention those who didn't believe in bisexuality. He had told Trucy at one point, though, because he didn't want any secrets between them, but, other than her, only a few selected knew. And Apollo wasn't part of it, not because he didn't want to tell him, but because the younger looked like he didn't want to talk about these kinds of things. Which Phoenix understood perfectly.
Still, Apollo and Klavier...? Phoenix chuckled, making Apollo look at him with questioning eyes. Apparently, on TV, it was a dramatic moment. Phoenix brushed it off with a sign of his hand and Apollo didn't comment.
Well, Phoenix supposed, Klavier was an attractive man and had tons of fans to prove it. In a trial, he was flashy, but he also considered the truth to be more important than anything else, a value most prosecutor had a hard time coming to term with. He would be fun to hang around, Phoenix guessed, and would surely be affectionate enough. The only problem he could see was if Klavier was able to commit, but that's something he shouldn't judge solely based on appearance. It wasn't because he seemed to flirt with anyone that he would actually cheat.
Maybe it wasn't all that strange after all. Attorneys and prosecutors who often clashed in court formed special bonds over time. After all, even for him...
He got out of his reflexions by Trucy finally coming home. They welcomed her, Phoenix with a hug and Apollo with a smile. The girl seemed drained, though, so she told them good night right away and went to prepare for sleep. Apollo seemed to get the cue and also made his way towards his room.
Now alone, Phoenix closed the television and went to the office. It had happened, in the past, that he slept there, but it was always for a short time only. Now, this was supposed to be his room. 'Supposed' being the key word.
For a second, he thought back to more than ten years ago, when he found the body of his late boss. It happened in this room, he could pin point where exactly. Even after all those years, he still kept a vivid memory of how she was positioned, where, and how he had found Maya. Feeling sick, he sat down on the couch and closed his eyes, only to picture it even more clearly.
He shot his eyes opened and tried to picture better memories involving this room. His endless chatters with Maya. Pearls' exasperate sighed as she cleaned against his will. Athena's apparent love for his chair, and how she would turn around on it with laughter. How he had kissed Apollo on the forehead before that day.
He chuckled as he pictured Apollo being all flustered. The kid wasn't used to affectionate behaviour, that much was clear from the start. Maybe his lack of a family was the cause of it all. After all, he wouldn't be surprised if Apollo told him no one hugged him when he was young. That seemed all the more reason to begin to shower him with love now.
Come to think of it, he was certainly getting tons of love from Klavier, now. That was good news, at least. Phoenix couldn't help but wonder if Apollo wouldn't like it best to live with him, then? Compared to a father's kind of love, a lover's was maybe was he'd enjoy better. But he did accept the adoption in the end, so maybe he wanted both...
Anyway, nobody said this was forever. Apollo living here made sense for now, but if his relationship became serious, perhaps they would move in together. So Phoenix should really make the most of Apollo's stay.
Now calmed down, he stood up and made his bed, realizing now he'd have to do it everyday. Oh well, he would get used to it. It wasn't much anyway.
When his bed was done, he turned out the light and went to sleep. Much to his dismay, but not his surprise, he couldn't fall asleep, and he wondered if Apollo was sleeping by now. It was hard to tell before living with someone if they had insomnia, so he really wasn't sure, but he did hope the kid was fast asleep.
He turned around in his bed, getting frustrated as time flied by. At some point, though, he finally fell asleep without even realizing it, only to get up at around five in the morning. He wondered if he should get up and decided to linger a little more. He was more comfortable than last night, mainly because he didn't have to fall asleep.
He was more or less daydreaming when he heard noise. It was far too early for Trucy to get up: the girl never woke before her alarm. And when he said never, it was really never. If possible, she would sleep until noon every day. So, he reasoned, it must have been Apollo. Come to think of it, before trials, the kid would wake up at five to practice his Chords of Steel. God, would he do it even now? He wouldn't wake him up as he was already awake, and Trucy could sleep through a storm, but he could disturb his neighbourhood. Not that he had many neighbours, as there was more offices than anything, but still.
However, he never heard anything except for some footsteps. He wondered what Apollo was up to and almost got up, but decided against it. He was curious to hear if he would finally settled. Not that long after, though, he heard the front door open and guessed Apollo went outside. So he actually practised his Chords of Steel outside. That made sense. Shouting at five in the morning sure seemed like an easy way to get evicted.
Phoenix decided to get up at that point and, after he made the bed, he went for a shower. After that, feeling refreshed, he made his way for the kitchen and made some coffee, enough for Apollo to take some as well. Phoenix knew he enjoyed coffee, as he would often make some in the day. Apollo took it with milk and sugar, if he remembered right. Phoenix himself took it black, though he remembered at first he would put lots of cream, milk and sugar. It took him time to grow out of it, but at some point he stopped the sugar and the milk just seemed to follow.
Apollo came back not long after that. Phoenix was in the living-room, so he greeted the younger who said his famous "I'm home!". The older noticed he wore sports clothes and seemed a little out of breath, as well as a little sweaty. His hair wasn't gelled, so his usual antennas fell strangely on his face. Apollo had been trying to make them go behind his ears, but it was clear they weren't long enough for that, so they fell in his eyes instead. "You've been jogging?" Asked Phoenix with interest.
"Yeah," answered the younger, "I always do this in the morning, it helps me get pumped up. You should try it too." Phoenix only laughed and pleaded it wasn't his type. It really wasn't, though; no matter how many times he tried to exercise, he would always stop after some time. He wasn't cut out for this.
Apollo seemed dubious, but he decided to drink from his water bottle instead of arguing. After that, he made his way to the shower. Phoenix decided he would tell him about the coffee after he got out. For now, he enjoyed his own coffee while watching the news. It was as depressing as ever, but it served to distract him for now.
Apollo came back some time after that, already in his suit and his hair gelled up. He had a cup of coffee in a hand and a bowl of cereals in the other. He sat down besides Phoenix, as he seemed to do a lot lately, and watched the news with him. After some time, the older asked casually, "Did you sleep well?"
The younger looked a little startled, but, after some time, he answered, "Like usual. And you?" It was conveniently vague, Phoenix noticed. "Me too," he told him. They stayed silent after that and Phoenix got up to get himself some breakfast as well. He also got another cup of coffee and came back to the living-room with a plate of toasts.
They ate in silence and Phoenix noticed it was almost seven, meaning Trucy would get up in no time. It made him smile and he warned his protege, "You shouldn't try to speak to Truce before she had breakfast." At the younger questioning stare, he went on, "She won't answer or get in a foul mood. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. Answer if she asks questions, but don't question back, okay?"
Apollo nodded while looking at him funnily. He would understand in no time, Phoenix mused. They ended eating at about the same time Trucy woke up. She stood in the doorstep of her own room, where she could see them, and rubbed her eyes. She mumbled a 'Morning' to which both men answered and she stayed there for a while, seemingly unable to proceed. Phoenix chuckled, but she didn't notice.
At long last, she finally made a move and walked slowly towards the bathroom. The shower would help her a little. Apollo glanced towards him and Phoenix told him, "That's what I was talking about."
"I thought I saw a zombie," the younger commented. And to think he still hadn't seen the worst of it. Phoenix patted his shoulder and warned him, "That was far from the worst she's been." He seemed worried, but Phoenix laughed it out.
Trucy ate her breakfast in the kitchen while the other two stayed in the living-room. It was better that way, anyway, because she needed that time to truly wake up. As soon as she was finished, though, she entered the living-room all dressed up and beamed at them both. Apollo seemed destabilized at first, but he quickly went back to normal and they talked about their nights. However, soon enough, Trucy mentioned she had to go to school.
Phoenix hugged her and kissed her head, as he would do every morning, and wished her a good day. Trucy smiled at him and made her way to Apollo to hug him tightly. She whispered something Phoenix couldn't hear and backed down, wishing him a good day. Apollo flushed, but he answered nonetheless and with that, the teenager was out.
They still had some time before Athena would be there and Apollo immediately suggested he would clean the toilet. Phoenix didn't complain and settled on the couch, wondering what he should do. He remembered he had scheduled a meeting with Miles later that day; with all that happened lately, he had almost forgotten. It was in late afternoon, though, so there wasn't any rush to get ready. Not that he had anything to get ready for; it was a private meeting, it wasn't about work. Miles, as for everything in his life, was treating their outing as business appointments and Phoenix had took the habit to do as well.
Athena, finally, came around and they talked for some time. The woman asked how went the first day and they both answered it wasn't that different from everyday. They already saw each other so much it didn't make much of a difference. She seemed disappointed, but she admitted it was still great.
No clients came by and at around four in the afternoon, Phoenix told them he had to go to his meeting. Athena giggled, like every time he talked about those 'meetings', and he chuckled with her. Both of his employees saw him to the door and he flashed them a smile. He patted Athena on the head and gave Apollo a semi-hug before finally going out.
They met as usual at a tea shop – Miles' taste buds couldn't tolerate coffee that well, tea was a better option. The prosecutor was the first there, so Phoenix, as he sat in front of him, apologized, "I'm sorry I'm late, Edgeworth."
Miles folded his arms and, while his fingers tapped on his arms, he noted, "Hmph, you're not late, Wright. I just happened to be early." He couldn't just admit he looked forward to seeing him, Phoenix noted. The attorney smiled in endearment and leaned back. To think ten years ago, he wouldn't have thought they could sit together and have a pleasant time. Now, even all his little quirks that used to annoy him only made him smile.
The prosecutor unfolded his arms and sat straight, wondering, "Do you know what you will have?" Phoenix hadn't even thought about it, so he opened the menu and asked, "I'm not sure yet... what about you?"
"I will order Earl Grey," he answered without doubts. "It's been a while since I could enjoy some." Phoenix nodded and looked at the menu. At first, he really wasn't the tea type, but over time and considering his involvement with Miles, he came to be quite knowledgeable despite himself. He looked at the menu and decided after some pondering, "Then I'll go for some Genmaicha." Miles looked puzzled, as if looking for the links between their two choices, and Phoenix chuckled.
He closed the menu and piled the two on the end of the table, so the waiter would know they were ready to order. Miles dropped his hands on the table and intertwined his fingers, before asking the same question he did at the beginning of their meetings, "Anything new in your life?"
Phoenix almost answered as usual that no, there was nothing, but he caught himself just in time and looked away. Before he could explain everything, the waiter interrupted them. He took their order and went away, leaving them silent for a few seconds. To avoid making him uncomfortable, Phoenix admitted, "There's something new, yeah. Pretty huge, to tell the truth."
Miles looked startled, but he quickly took control over himself and asked, "Care to share?"
Phoenix nodded and began, "Well, you know Truce and Polly are in reality half-siblings, right?" If Miles was a teenager, he would have rolled his eyes, but instead he said, "Yes, you've told me more than once, Wright. Is there more to it?"
Phoenix laughed. "Of course," he said, "but that was an introduction. I'm sure you're familiar with the concept." Miles winced – Phoenix really enjoyed annoying him. "Anyway, Truce suggested that, since Polly doesn't have a family, I might as well adopt him. So he's living with me and Truce since yesterday."
Unlike what he would have supposed, Miles didn't startle much. Instead, he looked to no point in particular and mentioned, "It does make sense, I suppose."
"You're not surprised?" Asked Phoenix, a little astonished himself. Miles focused on him and calmly explained, "I admit I didn't see it coming, but it seems like something you would do."
Phoenix nodded, but before he could add anything, their teas were served. Miles took his cup and smelled its aroma with a satisfied sigh. Phoenix did the same, though he wasn't near as pleased by it as the prosecutor. Miles enjoyed tea more than anything, especially if it was very good.
They stayed silent for a while, as the magenta-suited prosecutor relished his tea, but finally he put down his cup and asked, "So, is everything going well with Mr. Justice?"
"You can call him Apollo, you know," told Phoenix not for the first time. He knew Miles wouldn't do it – he didn't even call him by his first name, though in all honesty they were both more comfortable with last names –, but he still insisted each time. Miles furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't comment. "It's going smoothly," went on Phoenix. "It was difficult to convince him at first, but now it seems like it sank in. He was almost living with us, anyway. Really, it doesn't change much."
The prosecutor nodded and drank another mouthful from his tea. "Your office is looking less and less like an office as the years go by. It makes one wonder how it will be in another ten years." Phoenix winced, thinking how old he'll be at that time, and pleaded, "Please don't talk about that."
Miles smirked, the closer he would get to a real laugh, and Phoenix eased in a smile too. After some time, the attorney asked, "What about your roommate? Has he tried to slice you yet or is he behaving?"
Phoenix was joking, but Miles seemed to take it literally as he argued, "Blackquill would never 'slice' anybody." The attorney would have laughed, but he stopped himself when he noticed how upset Miles seemed. Phoenix realized he might have gone too far and apologized, "I'm sorry, Edgeworth. You're right, Blackquill isn't a murderer. He still cut some of my hair, though."
At that, Miles smirked once more as if making fun of his suffering. Before he could make a snarky comment, though, Phoenix asked, "So, how is it going? Has he found a house yet? Come to think of it, it's been a year since he's been out of prison, right?"
The prosecutor nodded and explained, "Yes, he's been living with me since a year now. I admit that, at first, it was supposed to be until he found some way to support himself, but..." Miles stopped and looked at his cup, as if to find words that were escaping him. Phoenix focused all his attention on him, sure what was to come would be something important.
"But," he finally carried on, "our agreement became comfortable for both of us, so we decided to stay together." Miles looked up and stared him in the eyes, dead serious despite the blush that now coloured his cheeks. "What I'm about to say must stay between us, you understand?"
Phoenix nodded and promised, "I won't tell anyone."
Miles sighed ever so slightly, blinked and finally decided to come out with it, "I admitted my feelings to him without meaning to and we've been in a... relationship ever since."
For some long seconds, Phoenix stayed still, unable to process. However, as the truth began to sink in, he couldn't help but feel extremely happy for his friend. For as long as he have known him, Miles had admitted to having feelings for one person only, and that didn't worked out. So, though it was highly unexpected, he couldn't help but grin. "That's... wow," he said. "I'm so happy for you. You really deserve it, you know."
Miles smiled, a small but genuine smile, and admitted, "You are the first person I told the truth to. I thought you deserved to know it."
"I'm happy you wanted to tell me," Phoenix admitted. "But, wow, I can't believe it, it's so awesome! I can't help but want to tell everyone!" Miles glared at him, so he presented his hands in a peaceful manner and remembered him, "I won't, Edgeworth, I have promised after all. But can't I at least tell Truce and Polly?"
Miles looked to the side and asked of him, "Please refrain from doing so. There's a reason why I have asked you not to tell anyone. I still have to make it official at work, he is my subordinate after all. It's not against the law per see, but we have to make arrangements with human resources so we play by the rules. Since these procedures are longer than expected, we really can't afford to let people know."
Dejected, Phoenix smiled in understanding. "It's okay, I won't talk about it. But you must promise to tell everyone when everything is under control, okay?" Miles smiled a little and told him, "It was my intention to begin with."
After a rather long silence, Phoenix put his elbow on the table and leaned his cheek on his palm. "I've never thought you'd be the first of us to settle down," he admitted with a sigh. He was looking through the window, so he couldn't make out Miles' expression, but he was pretty sure he was frowning.
"You had another relationship a few years back," Miles remembered him, making him wince. "You were pretty serious, if I recall."
Phoenix closed his eyes in reminiscence. "Yeah, I was", he confessed, "but it couldn't work out and you know why." Miles didn't comment as he knew exactly what he was talking about.
In the end, the prosecutor still argued, "I wouldn't exactly say I have settled down either. Our relationship is still new, but we already have some... issues." At that, Phoenix finally looked at his friend. He was gripping his elbow and looking to the side as he did every time he was in emotional pain.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Asked softly Phoenix. Years ago, Miles would have said no and closed up. In facts, with about anyone else, he wouldn't even have brought it up. But with Phoenix, Miles opened up more easily. They had worked a lot to come to this point, and it hadn't been easy, but it had paid in the end.
"Blackquill, he..." The words seemed difficult to utter, but Phoenix didn't press him. "He has a hard time getting used to life outside prison. It's been a whole year and he still have nightmares every nights. Sometimes, he locks himself in the bathroom for hours and I don't even know what he's doing in there. He told me it calms him down to be in a small room. It remembers him of the cell he has been in for seven years."
Though it was a lot, Phoenix knew it wasn't the worst part of it. Even in his private life, when making an argument, Miles would always try to organize it so the best part would come at the end.
"Even if he's seeing a psychologist, it doesn't seem to be enough. The only one that seems to calm him down when he's suffering... isn't even me." Miles looked ashamed of his own uselessness. Phoenix wanted so much to get up and hug the man until he begged for breath, but he knew it wouldn't help. He knew Miles enough to know physical touches didn't really calm him down. Especially not from him.
"It's Athena, isn't it?" Phoenix asked in a low voice. Miles nodded, looking hurt and sad and perfectly distressed. "I'm not jealous," the prosecutor went on in a slightly shaking voice, "I know he doesn't love her that way. I only feel so utterly useless..."
"I'm sure that's not true," his friend tried to cheer him up. "You gave him a home, that's something big, right? And I'm sure over time he will open up more to you." He added with a smile, "Remember how many years it took me to make you talk?"
Miles smiled in understanding and admitted, "I was still... immature. You, among other things, made me realized how wrong I was. You know I'm indebted to you." His smile changed into a smirk as he teased him, "You owe me a lot, too, don't forget it."
"I won't ever dream of it," replied Phoenix with a smile. After a small silent, he went on, "Just be patient with him, stay available for him, and I'm sure you'll be able to make it through."
Miles nodded and thanked him, "I'm glad I talked to you, Wright."
"Don't mention it," Phoenix beamed at him. "That's what friends are for! You can talk to me whenever you need to!"
They stayed silent for a while, and Phoenix scanned his friend. He changed over the years, but he still looked a lot like his younger self – he wondered if Miles thought the same about him. He was still as attractive as ever, and, for a small second, Phoenix regretted things turned out the way they did. However, the remorse left him as soon as it came. It was for the best, he knew it at the time and he was still sure of it.
"I wonder if I'll ever find someone," asked Phoenix in a whisper. Miles quickly told him, as always, "I'm sure you will. You are an attractive and kind man." This time, though, he added a more personal note, "Someone is bound to see in you the formidable person I see."
Touched by his words, Phoenix looked him in the eyes and they locked gazes for a few seconds. They told so much without saying it out loud it made him dizzy. Phoenix thought back to all the conversations they had about their feelings and he felt overwhelmed. Miles seemed to be in the same condition, because he was the first to avert his eyes.
There was still so much left unsaid, but they both didn't need to say it out loud. Instead, they stayed silent until their teas were finished and some time after. Phoenix was the first to break the silence filled with emotions. "Would you like to go to a restaurant?" He suggested, as casual as he could.
Miles smiled and agreed with a bow, "It would be my pleasure, Wright."
They got out and went to some fancy restaurant, where they talked about safer topics. They bought a bottle of red wine and drank it all in the evening. In the end, Miles insisted to pay. When they parted ways, it was dark outside. Phoenix made his way back to the Agency, feeling happy with himself.
And that's it. He he, I'm so happy, I was able to talk about two ships I really enjoy besides the Hobopollo! It's so awesome!
So yeah, Simon's partner is finally clear. I'm sure you saw that coming, didn't you? Edgeworth/Blackquill is a ship I enjoy very much, though I must admit it's not really canon, not to mention it's far from a fluffy couple. Still, I ship it, especially since Edgey seems to have done a lot so Simon could prosecute again (he also did a lot for Phoenix but that's just expected).
For the WrightWorth, I hesitated to make some because most of the times, when there's past WrightWorth in Hobopollo fics, it makes Edgeworth look like a jerk because we empathize with Phoenix. I love Edgey and I didn't want to make him look like an asshole, but my love for WrightWorth couldn't be tamed down either. After some pondering, it ended up like this. I especially left it quite vague, but I will clarify what exactly went on between these two much later. For now, enjoy the feels! (sorry for those who don't like WrightWorth though...)
For the teas, I couldn't help myself and chose the two I enjoy the most. For those who don't know, Earl Grey is a black tea. It is British, though it's made in India usually. As for Genmaicha, it is a Japanese green tea. It has roasted brown rice inside, it gives a taste akin to popcorn. It's really delicious. As far as it concerns tea, they have almost nothing in common.
And yeah, I almost forgot the Klapollo... I don't like Klapollo. I sometimes read it only because I love Apollo so much I wanna read everything about him, but I just can't read too much. So I only made hints here because... well, because it will cause drama, of course! And it made Phoenix think about sexual orientations and whatnot, so that's cool.
So, until next chapter!