Impartiality and Discretion
KlavierWrites

Summary:
It wasn't Miles' fault that he'd developed a reputation of scolding his subordinates about inappropriate relationships with defence attorneys. Certain familial or romantic bonds with the opposition had to be addressed and worked around.


"Herr Edgeworth? You wanted to see me?"

Miles looked up from his desk at the younger man hovering in his doorway, hand still clasping the door handle. He nodded. "Come in, Prosecutor Gavin."

Gavin walked into the room, pulling a chair over to the desk and sitting down across from him. It was a credit to just how obvious Miles' displeasure was that he made no jokes as he took his seat.

Miles looked over his glasses, "I assume you know what this meeting is about?"

Gavin met his gaze. "I'd assume it's about my relationship with Herr Forehead."

So he was that predicable. It was good to know.

It wasn't Miles' fault that he'd developed a reputation of scolding his subordinates about inappropriate relationships with defence attorneys. As Chief Prosecutor, part of his role was to ensure that the prosectors under his charge remained impartial in every case they worked on, to the best of his ability. Certain familial or romantic bonds with the opposition had to be addressed and worked around.

Had he been Chief Prosecutor a decade or so ago, chances were he'd never have to have this talk. Prosecutors and defence attorneys shared such a mutual dislike of each other that the issue had never come up. But recently… well.

It had started with Prosecutor Payne (the younger) asking to take on a case in which the state-appointed attorney turned out to be his ex-wife. Miles had only realised this when the older Prosecutor Payne had come running to his office, evidently under the impression that should his brother be kicked off the case, he'd be allowed to take the reins himself.

Miles had appointed another prosecutor to the case instead.

Then there had been the issue of Prosecutor Blackquill and Athena Cykes' shared history coming to light — in the middle of a murder trial, no less. While technically no rules had been broken (there was no familial relation between the two) it had still looked very bad for the prosecutor's office at a time when it was important to maintain appearances.

There had also been, in the last few months alone, two cases of prosecutors entering some kind of romantic entanglement with the defence attorney they faced most often. Miles blamed the intensity of the emotional connection between two people united in a desire to uncover the truth.

Now, Gavin sat in front of him, aware of the rule and yet, if his informant was to be believed, still breaking it.

"If by 'Herr Forehead' you mean Apollo Justice, then yes."

Gavin fiddled with his rings. "You figured us out, then?"

"You're not denying it?" The last prosecutor Miles had accused had spent a good ten minutes trying to convince him the date they'd been caught on was case-related.

Gavin shrugged. "If you're getting your information from Mr Wright, then I know you know it's trustworthy."

He hadn't, as a matter of fact, gotten the information from Wright. He doubted Wright even realised there was anything wrong with his subordinate dating a prosecutor. No, he'd received his information from Detective Skye, quite by accident. She had just chosen him to complain to.

He wasn't going to tell Gavin that.

"Wright wasn't my source, nor was it any other member of his agency."

Gavin looked surprised. No doubt he figured he and Justice were being subtle enough nobody at the precinct would have realised. They had both underestimated Ema's ability to be both perceptive and entirely unguarded in what she shared with her superiors.

"Oh. Mind if I ask who—"

"I do mind. I can't share that, I'm afraid."

Gavin nodded, apparently accepting this. He was handling this remarkably well, but of course he was aware that this was a possibility if he started dating Justice.

"I assume you know what my next actions must be?" asked Miles.

Gavin sighed. "Ja. You must prohibit me from facing off against Apollo in court anymore."

It really would be a shame. From what Miles had seen, the two made a formidable team in the courtroom.

"I'm afraid so. But I see no issue in you continuing to take cases against other members of the Wright Anything Agency. In fact—"

Miles' phone rang. They both looked at it, sitting face-up on his desk. The caller ID read "Phoenix Wright" and a picture of the man himself, taken and added to his contacts by Trucy, stared up at them. Miles knew perfectly well how to remove the photo, but the sentimental part of him quite liked the candid of his friend, caught smiling lopsidedly by his daughter.

Miles put a hand over his phone, flicking the switch to silence it.

"Speak of the devil," said Gavin, looking amused.

"Quite so," said Miles. "I apologise. As I was saying, you can take cases against other members of the agency, and I suppose there's no issue in you taking cases in which Mr Justice is simply providing legal aid." It wasn't ideal, but it also wouldn't legally classify as a conflict of interest.

Gavin's eyebrows rose. "Really?"

"As long as you're discreet about it."

Gavin nodded solemnly, although privately Miles was sure the privilege would soon be revoked due to the man's inability to be discreet about anything. "I understand."

"Also, if you wish to consult with Mr Justice on a case of mutual interest—" He paused. His phone had begun to buzz noisily, the vibration sending it jittering across the table. Wright, again.

"You can take it," said Gavin, "I'm guessing he wouldn't call twice unless it was important."

Miles considered ignoring it. Wright would call twice even it wasn't important, he seemed to forget that some people actually spent the working hours of the day working. Still, there was the little niggling doubt that perhaps something had happened to Trucy or another member of the man's adopted family.

"Do you mind?"

"Go ahead."

Miles took the phone off the desk and tapped to accept the call, pressing it against his ear.

"Edgeworth!" said Phoenix, his tone excited, "I have something extremely important to tell you!"

Gavin appeared to have heard what Phoenix had said; he was trying to hide an amused smile. Miles swivelled his chair so he wasn't staring directly at his companion, hopeful that the audio would no longer carry.

"I'm at work, Wright, what is it?"

"I've had a revelation."

Miles rolled his eyes. If he was being called because Phoenix had come up with a new way of hiding the mess in his apartment, or had some philosophical thought about the Dark Age of the Law… well, Miles would find it quite endearing, but that was beside the point. "Go on."

"I'm in love with you."

Miles' stomach dropped through the floor and his heart leapt into his throat. He struggled to keep his expression neutral, not even daring to look at Gavin, still sitting opposite him. With some difficulty, he regulated his breathing. Was Phoenix waiting for a response? What was he supposed to say to that?

"Miles?" asked a now-hesitant voice on the phone.

This was not how Miles had expected this to go. If he had ever more than hoped this would happen at all. "Erm… Prosecutor Gavin's here."

He glanced at Gavin, whose expression was one of absolute glee. Ah, so he could still hear Phoenix. Or he had worked out something along the lines of what Phoenix was saying.

"Gavin? Apollo's Gavin?"

Yes, Gavin could hear Phoenix clearly. He caught Miles' eye and mouthed, "Apollo's Gavin."

"Yes, and he can most likely hear every word you're saying."

Phoenix swore loudly on the other end of the line, and Gavin lost it, bursting into laughter. "Verzeihung, Herr Wright," he said loudly so that Phoenix could hear, "I was in Herr Edgeworth's office for a very serious meeting about the implications of dating your rival defence attorney."

His eyes were sparking when he looked back at Miles, "I had no idea he had personal experience in the matter."

Miles coloured. It wasn't a conflict of interest violation if you the attorney in question had no idea you'd been infatuated with him since childhood. "I don't. Gavin, you're excused. We'll continue this later."

Gavin got up, laughing all the while. On the phone, Phoenix was murmuring a string of curse words and apologies Miles couldn't hear as he chivvied the younger prosecutor from his office.

The door closed, Miles flicked the lock and sunk down onto the office couch. "You were saying?" he said.

"No, uh-uh," said Phoenix on the other end of the line, "I've already said it once and embarrassed myself in the process. I'm yet to get a response from you."

"I feel the same, obviously."

"Shit, really?" said Phoenix, and Miles found himself smiling exasperatedly at the other man's apparent surprise.

"Yes," he said.

There was the sound of Phoenix covering the receiver and shouting something, and then he was back.

"Did you just… tell Trucy what I just said?" he asked.

"Yep."

"Have you no shame?"

"Nope. I'm in love with you."

It was ridiculous, but the second time he said it Miles' heart reacted in much the same way. "Why now?" he asked, "Why call me now and tell me?"

Miles had been half-planning this moment for years, been thinking about how he'd ensure that Phoenix felt the same way, how he'd say it. Where, when. And then Phoenix called him in the middle of a work day and beat him to it.

"Well, I only just figured it out."

There was a long pause. "I'm sorry?"

"I only just figured it out. Trucy helped."

Christ. That man.

"Well…" there was no way he was going to be able to sit back down at his desk and do paperwork like nothing had changed. He had a perfect record, he could skip one day. "Could I take you out to lunch?"

"Now?"

"Well, yes."

"But it's the middle of a work day."

"Is that ok with you?"

"Sure," said Phoenix, covering the receiver again and shouting to the office at large that he was going out. "I'll see you soon?"

"I'll pick you up in half an hour."

"Awesome," said Phoenix, sounding giddy. He squeezed in another 'I love you' before Miles ended the call.

When Miles passed Gavin's office on his way out, the other prosecutor gave him a knowing look. "Oh shut up," he said, and Gavin cracked up, thumping his desk.

He was never going to be taken seriously about the dangers of defence attorney/prosecutor relationships ever again.