Edgeworth sat in his car listening to the quiet ticks and sighs from the engine for the second time in as many weeks, wondering if it was going to become some sort of habit. Beside him, Phoenix slumped unceremoniously in the passenger seat, face scrunched comically on one side where it stuck against the window. The man was out cold, had barely lasted ten minutes before his head had tilted and hit the glass with a gentle thump, and that was all she wrote. Now that they were home, Edgeworth took advantage of the situation to gather his thoughts before they went inside.

Well, that and he felt a little bit bad about waking the man up from such a deep slumber.

He'd never brought anyone over his house before and he was a little nervous, even though he knew that the feeling was completely illogical. Of anyone in the world except for perhaps Dick Gumshoe, Phoenix Wright was the least threatening person he could possibly invite into his personal space. Still, he tapped his fingertips against his thighs and considered how to proceed, hoping more than anything else that the other man would feel comfortable enough to rest there. He could still recall how he'd felt after his own double acquittal; if his job hadn't been so demanding, he imagined he would have slept for days. Add a romantic complication and a concussion on top of such a dominating case, and he'd be surprised if Wright stayed awake long enough to make it up the stairs.

He again found himself irritated with his awkwardness as he reached out to wake the attorney, then pulled back. They'd been intimate, for god's sakes, and yet he felt intrusive waking the man from a nap. Phoenix looked so peaceful, though, with his features slack and his breathing deep, that he still felt a bit rude disturbing him. At long last, he placed a hand on the man's knee and smoothed it along the fabric of his pants, coming to rest with a small squeeze of his thigh.

Sleepy blue eyes opened slightly to blink, unfocused, ahead. After a moment or two, Phoenix picked his head up away from the window and glanced around, gaining his bearings, obviously disoriented. "Huh? We're here already?"

"You've been asleep for nearly an hour."

"Geeze, my bad," the attorney stretched until he was caught abruptly on the seatbelt, yawning and scrubbing aggressively at his eyes. Eventually after a few more glances around the vehicle, Phoenix made short work of the buckle and moved to step out. Edgeworth watched him explore what little space there was in the garage while he pulled both of their briefcases from the trunk, when suddenly, there was a third voice that sounded from within the house.

Phoenix whirled, still a tad unsteady, and grinned. "That… that was your dog?" The man leaned to see around Edgeworth, staring at the door.

The prosecutor chuckled. "Indeed. That's Pess. She's…never had a visitor, I'm afraid. Would you prefer that I put her up before we go inside?"

"Nah, this is her house, too." Despite the very apparent exhaustion that the man still felt, Edgeworth watched in amusement as Phoenix bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, obviously excited. "Besides, if memory serves, you're a big softy when it comes to your dogs, so I'd bet you'd put me up before her anyway…"

"Finally, a glimmer of brilliance from the Master of the Cold Sweat…" The prosecutor locked the car and maneuvered his house key into his fingers, still a bit apprehensive about how Pess would react to a stranger in her home. Supposing it was now or never, Edgeworth unlocked the door and swung it open, ensuring that he placed himself between his dog and his lover. Pess greeted him with her usual enthusiasm, then froze when she noticed Phoenix, ears and tail on the alert. Miles patted her head. "It's alright, Pess. He's with me."

Behind him, Phoenix was decidedly less cautious and plopped himself down onto the garage floor, arms and legs wide. He patted his chest enthusiastically and called out to her. "Pess! I'm Phoenix! C'mere, girl!"

Pess bounded through Edgeworth's legs and leapt up against the other attorney, tail wagging. Phoenix giggled and ruffled her fur, falling backward with the force of her attention. The prosecutor watched, frighteningly close to smiling affectionately at the two of them as they romped amongst themselves for a moment. He snorted. Some guard dog… Leaving the two of them on the floor, he proceeded inside and filled Pess's bowls for her, figuring that they would make their way inside eventually.

As he worked toward the bedroom, he sighed to himself, feeling mildly overstimulated from working through such an eventful day. He wondered briefly if he should offer the other man some sleepwear, despite the fact that they'd already slept next to each other in the nude. He lamented his lack of experience in these matters; all of his other partners were typically already gone by the morning after, if they'd stayed at all. Irritated that he was constantly second-guessing himself, he figured it would be most polite to offer and let the defense attorney decide for himself. When he reached the chest of drawers in his closet, he pulled out a simple white t-shirt and flannel pants and laid them on the corner of the bed.

Setting to work on undressing himself, he ruminated on the events of the day. Phoenix had been a force to be reckoned with on the courtroom floor that day, hardly resorting to his usual showy display of bluffs and emotional callouts. He'd have been proud either way, but it was refreshing to be genuinely impressed by another attorney, particularly with the inside knowledge of how personal the case had been to the other man. With the verdict secured, it left only two major issues on the table: The emotional lashing that Godot had unleashed upon Phoenix, and the attorney's renewed exposure to the one known significant relationship he'd ever had.

Longing for a shower, he instead decided he should probably make sure that the other man was situated before he abandoned him. He noted that the house was suspiciously quiet, and as he pulled on a set of pajamas, himself, he narrowed his eyes at the unusual silence. There wasn't a lot that Phoenix could really get into; he'd dog-proofed the house a long time ago, so surely it was attorney-proofed as well, but still… He shut the closet doors and ran a hand through his bangs, hoping to make an early night of it but unable to repress the nagging feeling that there were still some loose ends needing resolved before they could get some rest.

His house wasn't large; most on the outskirts of the city weren't, but he still managed to secure a location with enough space to feel comfortable. His bedroom, the master bath, and the guest room took up the top floor, with a largely open floor plan downstairs. He supposed it would be considered lavish by the common public's standards, but to him, it was downright modest compared to growing up in the von Karma mansions. A quick peek outside told him that Phoenix hadn't taken Pess out, so what in the world were they up to?

Edgeworth padded quietly down the steps, unsure of why he was sneaking around in his own home, but curious to catch his partner unawares. For this reason, he was grateful for all the open space, as he could see the man from the stairs. The attorney was reclined in the bay window in the living room, gazing out across the city with Pess in his arms. As the prosecutor approached, he was given away by his dog's tail wagging a gentle thwap-thwap-thwap against the bench cushion. To his surprise, Phoenix leaned forward to accommodate him, but hadn't switched his focus.

He slid in behind the other man and was secretly delighted at the weight of Phoenix Wright leaning back against his chest.

They sat silently, both gazing out at the industrial horizon across the shipping port in the distance. The prosecutor wrestled himself mentally, trying desperately not to think about Phoenix and Iris and what they must have discussed amongst themselves, but jealousy bubbled threateningly close to the surface of his self-control. Even as hard as he tried to quell the sensation, he wondered to himself what Phoenix was thinking about, and if she was on his mind as well. Half of him wanted to bring it up and confront it just to get it over with; the other half of him was completely horrified at the suggestion of it. He sighed quietly at himself, furious that he was so consistently unable to work through his emotions like he could through a criminal investigation.

Eventually, Edgeworth was somewhat convinced that Phoenix had fallen asleep again before a quiet murmur emerged in the darkness: "Do you think Godot was right?"

The question stopped his thoughts like a brick wall. "W-what?"

Phoenix shifted minutely, settling further against the prosecutor's body. "About Mia and Maya. He said… he said I had failed them, that it was my duty as a man to protect them."

Is that what he's been thinking about this whole time…? Edgeworth shifted his arms so he could wrap them around the attorney's shoulders. "He was a talented prosecutor, but emotionally, he was a fool."

Phoenix tilted his head back and away from the window, resting it on Edgeworth's chest and focusing instead on Pess, who was snoring away, unbothered by the drama. "What do you mean?"

Miles could feel his heartbeat quickening at the closeness between them. It still felt foreign to him, but he welcomed the alien feeling, thankful to finally, finally be able to offer something akin to comfort to someone else. "Do you remember what you said to me when you defended me?"

"Something along the lines of, 'What other choice do you have,' I think…" At Edgeworth's groan, Phoenix couldn't help but giggle.

"No, Wright, and thank you for reminding me of how horrifyingly close to losing that case we actually were…" He bowed his head and rested his nose against the top of Phoenix's head, taking in the smell of his shampoo and hair gel, careful to avoid his stitches. "You told me that just because something was out of my control did not mean that it was my fault."

"Hm. Yeah, I do remember that. You were trying to change your plea to guilty for a reduced charge. I was so angry with you."

"Just because Mia and Maya met with terrible misfortune does not mean that you could have affected it any differently. They're lucky to have you around, Wright."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. They're lucky to have you, too, though. We all are." Phoenix leaned forward and apologized to Pess before placing her down on the floor, then stood and stretched. Edgeworth looked up at him quizzically.

"I've done remarkably little to help any of you, aside from that ridiculous experience defending Maya—"

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, chief," Phoenix turned and pointed at Edgeworth, then winked at him. "You posted Maya's bail when she was arrested for you, you helped me put Gant away, you served as a consistent and faithful distraction for Oldbag…"

Edgeworth grimaced.

"I was serious when I told you that I couldn't have gotten through this one without you, for more reasons than one. I really owe you." He patted his leg and walked to the back door to let Pess out, whistling quietly to himself when he got there. "You have a pool back here? And a mini bar!?"

"They came with the house. I use the pool to keep in shape, but I'm afraid the bar doesn't see much company." Despite the volley of compliments that Phoenix had just lobbed at him, Edgeworth was unable to keep the bitter edge from his tone. He shifted on the seat and swung his legs over the edge, watching as the defense attorney, of course, picked up on it and walked back across the floor to him.

"What's on your mind?"

The prosecutor sighed, wondering what the best course of action was. As he gazed at the floor, willing it to produce some answers, his gaze was interrupted with a pair of socked feet. He followed the lean legs and trim waist up to the disarming blue eyes of his rival, partner, and lover, and shook his head. "I…am unsure of what will happen between you and Iris now that you've been reunited." He cringed immediately, bracing for the worst, hating the way the words sounded after they'd been said out loud. Curse his weaknesses.

To his surprise, Phoenix simply looked dumbfounded. "Be—between me and Iris?"

Edgeworth clutched at his elbow and glared at the wall, feeling childish and exposed. "You and she dated for quite some time, and she was clearly delighted to see you again—"

"Wait, how… How did you know we were together?"

Edgeworth froze.

"It… I don't remember it coming up during the trial?"

"She…explained it to me during the first trial day while you were still in the hospital. She was quite taken with you." He resumed his attempts to melt the paint on the wall with his stare, refusing to bare any more of his shame to the man standing in front of him. After several attempts to distract him failed, he ultimately relented only when Phoenix took his chin and physically rotated his head so that he could look him in the eye. Edgeworth was tremendously surprised to see him smiling.

"You're jealous."

"I am not jealous."

Phoenix laughed quietly, airy and warm, and smoothed Edgeworth's bangs away from his face. "You are peanut butter and jealous, Mr. Edgeworth." Before the prosecutor could retort, the defense attorney leaned down and kissed him gently, still unable to quell the grin on his lips. "I never would have guessed."

Sour features faced mild amusement as the two held their brief stalemate before Edgeworth broke the standoff, staring out the window at Pess. He wasn't entirely sure why it was so difficult to ask Phoenix outright how he felt; he pressed witnesses about difficult personal topics like he ordered takeout. Sighing to himself, he stood, prepared to end the conversation and file it away for another, less exhausting day, when Phoenix ensnared his fingers and stopped him. "Hey."

Edgeworth turned his gaze back to the other man, wary.

"I chased you for seventeen years, remember?" His tone was gentle and almost teasing, and the prosecutor was surprised to find that it actually helped put him at ease. Even so, Phoenix pressed on. "I used everything shy of smoke signals, changed careers, even challenged you as a greenhorn rookie just to see you again…" His eyes were an impossible shade of blue and with each word he spoke, Edgeworth felt himself grow more relieved, even if he now wanted to chide himself for ever doubting the other man in the first place. He allowed the defense attorney to reach up and trace a finger across his face, drinking in his words like they were water in a desert. "You really think one chance encounter with an ex-girlfriend is enough to convince me to give you up now?"

At that, Miles had to chuckle, even if he felt rather stupid. The most he could muster was to squeeze gently at the other man's knuckles, unable to repress the blush of shame that decorated his cheeks. "I suppose I can be a bit possessive. It took me a long time before I felt worthy of asking for…well, this."

Phoenix chuckled low in his throat and tucked his nose under Edgeworth's chin, forcing the other man to pick his head back upward. "And yet, you apparently got the impression that I'm the type to date a convict… tsk, tsk. You think you know a guy."

Behind them, Pess barked and jumped up to place her paws against the glass, causing both men to jump slightly at the commotion. Two separate voices burst into relieved laughter then, the tension broken, and Phoenix shook his head as Edgeworth walked over to let her in. "I guess she's offended that we forgot about her."

"She is rather spoiled, I'm afraid." Despite his words, Edgeworth was already reaching for the treat jar next to the door as he let her in. Phoenix looked on as Pess then ran through a small repertoire of tricks before she was dutifully rewarded with her jerky treat. The show made his heart swell by several sizes with nostalgia; there were some aspects of Miles Edgeworth, it seemed, that hadn't changed after all… not since Missile, anyway. His eyes lingered on the little dog as she trotted happily to her bed in the corner—a miniature chaise lounge, complete with tiny decorative pillow. It was impossible not to roll his eyes at that point, no matter how hilariously appropriate it was.

The defense attorney took a moment to admire the prosecutor, unused to seeing him so casual. If he were honest, his head was still pounding and his body was beyond completely drained from sustaining his fever on top of the fervent activity of the case. He longed to get out of his suit and into a bed and wondered how long Edgeworth would permit him to stay. Feeling cheeky despite his overwhelming exhaustion, he sauntered over to the man who was fussing over setting the water kettle for the morning and grabbed gently at his hips to turn him around. Reminiscent of their first real night together, Phoenix grinned and pressed the prosecutor into the counter, hoping he would catch that the tables had turned.

It was getting easier to kiss the man now that the initial strangeness had worn off. Phoenix found himself enjoying the gentle roughness of the other man's stubble, or the way his lips were just slightly chapped from being gnawed on when he was deep in thought, or how strong his hands felt when they clutched around his lower back. In the end, he supposed as he savored the way the other man tasted, it was someone who cared enough about him to have gotten defensive of their new relationship, and the idea sort of thrilled him. Dahlia—Iris, he corrected—had been sweet, but flighty, and he'd never quite gotten the sense that he'd truly meant something to her.

Edgeworth, on the other hand, had tied himself into a knot over seeing them converse, and the realization that he was indeed something that the other man genuinely pursued and apparently cherished deeply flattered him. Pulling back, he pressed his forehead against the prosecutor's as they both panted, breathless and drunk off of each other's presence. He was still close enough that their lips brushed together when he spoke. "I don't regret anything that's happened between us, Miles, and I'd be lying if I said that your jealousy didn't turn me on just a little bit," he took a moment and nibbled gently at the prosecutor's lower lip, "so why don't you take me upstairs and show me just how possessive you really feel?"

Edgeworth shuddered gently at the suggestion, partly out of arousal, mostly out of relief that he hadn't irreparably ruined things between them with his little outburst. He grabbed Phoenix by the tie and tugged it over his shoulder as he walked toward the stairs, eager to end the evening on a high note. He could hear Phoenix chuckling behind him and he smirked, wondering how soon he could turn that into a different sound entirely. Once they'd reached the top of the stairs, he turned, making a last minute decision to turn toward the bathroom instead of the bedroom.

Just as they reached the door, Phoenix grabbed at him and kissed him once more with enough force to push him into the bathroom. Unwilling to part from him, Edgeworth reached to his left and groped for the faucet handle to turn the shower on, then began to work on getting Phoenix out of his suit. The defense attorney was patient as his tie was removed, then his jacket, but laughed out loud when Edgeworth moved to hang it on a hook behind them.

"For God's sakes, Miles, it's a $200 suit…" Edgeworth watched as Phoenix tugged his shirt up and over his head and promptly dropped it on the floor. His hands made quick work of his undershirt, then, which he twirled dramatically and slung over the prosecutor's head. "You don't need to be so careful with it."

Predictably, it was promptly discarded next to the rest of the attorney's garments.

Enticed by the bare chest in front of him, Edgeworth pressed his palms against the brunette's shoulders until he backed into the wall and then his mouth was on him again, eager and seeking along the man's throat. His hands made short work of the suit pants and boxers, and only then did he come to realize that he, himself, was fully clothed. Underneath him, Phoenix's body had responded delightfully to his touch, and he needed to feel their skin more than anything else in that moment.

Fortunately, the other attorney seemed to have the same idea, and he maneuvered his hands around Edgeworth's seeking touches to pull the crisp white t-shirt up and over his head. One gentle tug took care of the prosecutor's pajama pants, and just like that, they were crushed against each other once more.

Even distracted as he was, Edgeworth still managed to pull Phoenix toward the shower, unrelenting in his insistence that they get clean before sleeping on his sheets. He used one hand to hold the man close to him, the other to check the temperature of the water before swinging both of them under the stream and sliding the door shut. Phoenix gasped under the onslaught, shutting his eyes against the hot water and tilting his head into the spray; the prosecutor watched as the droplets tumbled over brunette spikes and dripped down tanned skin, fascinated.

"I know we're kind of in the middle of something here," Phoenix shook his head like a dog, nose crinkled against the droplets that flew off of him, then ducked out of the waterfall showerhead for a moment, "but this is just about the most incredible shower I've ever been in. It has a rainfall showerhead." Unable to resist, he braced his arms against the wall and the door and stretched into the torrent of water, groaning in pleasure.

Edgeworth couldn't help but laugh. He imagined he was in for a long ride of being taught about things he took for granted. His fingertips glided along the other man's body unheeded by friction and came to lace together behind the brunette's neck, pulling him into a wet, languid kiss. It felt as if an enormous weight had been taken off of his shoulders once again, and he remained stunned that the other man could so effortlessly breeze into his life and make everything feel right again. "Phoenix."

"Yeah?"

"I want…" He blushed hot for a moment, still inexplicably shy. "I want you to…" Despite his desire, the words still caught in his throat and stuck there, impeded by a damnable combination of pride and self-consciousness.

Thankfully, Phoenix was uninhibited by the prosecutor's hesitance, and reached up to cup a strong jawline in his hand. "Whatever you want," he murmured, the huskiness in his voice nearly drowned out by the sound of the shower, "why don't you show me?"

It was exactly what Edgeworth needed to hear.