"Hello! Hello!"
"Well, um… Mr. Wright, you can proceed with your cross-examination… I suppose."
"Y…yes, Your Honor…"
"Nick…?"
"Maya, I have absolutely no idea what I was thinking about! This is a goddamn parrot!"
"Hey, hey, don't panic! We can't give up! We… we should try to get some information out of her!"
"We… yeah, you are right. But… what exactly can she tell us?"
"What's taking the defense so long? It was your idea to call this… 'witness', Mr. Wright."
"I-I know, Your Honor. One moment, if you please…"
"H-hey, Nick! I think this can work! You remember that safe in the hut, do you? They said Mr. Yogi had bad memory. Maybe, just maybe he told the code to Polly in case he accidentally forg-…"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I hate to break it to you, Mr. Wright, but the safe you're babbling about has no connection to our case. The police have already searched through it. And I must inform you and the court, that it was found completely empty."
"B-but wait, Your Honor! I… I object!"
"Overruled."
"No, you don't underst-!"
"The trial is closed. Enough wasting everybody's time with useless 'witnesses' and evidence. The case is crystal clear to me. Now, to the verdict. I assume it is more than obvious. Therefore, the court finds the defendant, Miles Edgeworth…"
Frankly speaking, he was convinced this would happen from the very start. From the second he was thrown into the detention center like some filthy criminal. Being left to his own devices turned out to be not so unfamiliar; he was used to having nobody by his side, after all. Those lawyers that had rejected his requests were either miserable cowards, or spiteful morons. They couldn't have been blamed, though. It was an open-and-close case, leaning obviously not in defense's favor. He knew he didn't have a sliver of chance.
At least, prior to the moment when a certain newly-minted defense attorney and a teenage medium stepped into the visitor's room, begging for him to let them take his case. The moment when he was told Gumshoe was nearly the only one carrying out the entire investigation. The moment when Larry recklessly jumped onto the witness stand claiming his innocence.
"…GUILTY!"
But no matter how hard the four had tried, how much hope they had given him, it was all over now. He accepted the verdict with dignity, never closing his eyes or sighing, and simply letting out a quiet "Yes, Your Honor" after the formal part. The thud of judge's gravel painfully rang through his ears, made his head go dizzy and sight all foggy, mixing up and blurring the next couple of minutes of his life. Having bailiff led him out of the courtroom; seeing the man at the defense table burying his face in his forearms and not moving a muscle; signing some oh-so-important papers he didn't bother even looking through; mumbling a request to see his lawyer before returning to the detention center.
His brain regained control over both mind and body only when the door to the defendant lobby gently clicked beside him. It took almost all of his self-control to not swing it open again and run as far away as he could. He sincerely wished the earth to straightforward swallow him and end this torture. However, he still found the strength to let go of the handle and tentatively turn around.
Hugging herself, Maya stood in the middle of the room, directly in front of him. Fortunately, her head hung limp on her neck, while fingers were mindlessly fiddling with the channeling costume's tinsel. He wouldn't stand those obviously tearful, sympathetic eyes piercing his soul. It would be too much even for the 'Demon Prosecutor' he was considered to be.
Gumshoe was leaning towards the nearest wall with his back, one hand clutching into a tight fist inside his coat's pocket, the other holding its collar upright to cover unnaturally pale face. Thankfully, his gaze was also averted and was shifting from windows to lamps, from lamps to the ceiling and vise versa, then to… to anything but the entrance.
Larry couldn't bring himself to even turn around when the door screeched, though a strong flinch clearly showed that he had noticed it. That goofy, cheerful attitude was no more. Instead, his shoulders were rhythmically twitching, and stiffed sobs were occasionally echoing through the room.
And Phoenix… Miles was trying to avoid giving him the briefest glances, let alone closely studying him. However, his condition was easy enough to understand without the need to look at him. He sat bent on the couch, entire head in his arms, that little piece of sanity he had left preventing him from curling up in a ball and crying out loud. "I'm not the one going to die," he was telling himself. "I can't break down. Not now. I have to stay strong, for others. For him." Though, he was not certain how much longer he'll be able to contain his true emotions.
Absentmindedly pretty painfully clutching on his forearm, Edgeworth just stood frozen, legs as heavy as the silence between them. Heart was pounding violently, pulsing up to his throat, a single sound unable to escape his mouth. He was awful at starting conversations, but he hadn't pleaded to see them to simply pretend no one was there. Thus, with a much too loud gulp, he forced out a mutter:
"I… I wanted to thank you… all of you… for what you've done… I mean it…"
"And apologize for ruining the Christmas…" he thought to himself half-jokingly, half-genuinely.
The only reaction he got were a couple more deafening in current situation sobs and hiccups. It was hard to tell if they came from Maya, Larry, or Phoenix, and if they were caused by his words at all. At that point he wasn't sure if he had said them aloud at the first place. But when he was already about to continue this extremely awkward stutter of gratitude, the exhibition-like feeling had finally faded, and his attention was caught by the defence attorney. After a deep inhale, he raised his head form his laps, eyes, as expected, shining with moisture and covered in thin bright red lines. A little squeak from the leather sofa, two or three determined steps, and the next thing the former prosecutor knew was Phoenix throwing his arms around his shoulders, claiming him into a tight embrace.
"I'm… I'm sorry… so… I-I'm so sorry, Miles…!" he wheezed.
"Wright…" came out with a sigh, "you shouldn't… It's not your-…"
"No, it's entirely my fault!" If he was not preoccupied with hesitantly placing a hand on other's back, he'd definitely choked on the chest squeeze Phoenix had given him. "I-I'm your lawyer, Edgeworth, it was my obligation to prove your innocence!.. Hell, I'm your friend! I know you'd never kill anyone!"
Considering the last few minutes of complete silence, his cries were like a wake-up slap, a signal for three pairs of eyes to at the very least peek at them. The thing he'd expected to be unbearably oppressive. But it wasn't. Actually, he didn't even acknowledge the fact of being watched at first, staring ahead blankly, unusual dumbfounded expression stuck on his face. 'Friend'… The last time he recalled being referred to this way was in his childhood. Fourth grade specifically. Rivals, enemies, opponents—there were many terms he could describe their relationship of past five months with, but friends… It didn't sound strange, though. For a second he wondered when did he manage to get so attached to the man currently sniveling in his arms. Maybe, those were just some distant memories, but the urge to calm him down was rapidly overwhelming him.
"No, it's not," he stated as firmly as the circumstances let him. "I've been dealing with von Karma long enough to be one hundred percent sure he was not playing fair. You can't win if the opposite side forges every evidence it has. It's physically impossible, and there is nothing you should blame yourself for."
"B-but earlier I was able to pull it off no matter what! Why did it have to happen exactly now?!"
A low chuckle rumbled through Miles' chest on its own. "You do remember what I said about pushing your luck streak, don't you, Wright?"
There was no answer, except for Phoenix's head descending and now resting in the crook of Edgeworth's neck. He figured it had to imply something like, "I do remember this, but, please, can you just shut up for a moment or two? I'm trying to grieve for you here". He has never been particularly against mutual quietness, but with that, the remaining fifteen minutes were hardly enough to share everything each had in mind.
"That's exactly why I did not want you to take my case," Miles started in a hush voice, despite that silent request. "It was lost from the beginning. And now it's only bearing all of you down."
"If I hadn't," the defense attorney murmured into his jacket, "I would've hated myself for letting some mediocrity come a cropper and get you executed. There's no way around this," The last sentence nearly died into a little nervous laughter, hysterical notes in which were nothing but concerning. "Funny. Guess you are both the reason of me becoming and giving up being a lawyer at the same time," he muttered almost under his breath, as if willing solely for one person to know this.
"Giving up…? Wait… he isn't going to, is he…?!" A hurricane of various thoughts circled through prosecutor's head, which was trying its best to process what he had just heard and come up with at least some kind of a proper protest. He could not allow Manfred von Karma to ruin somebody else's life, his life especially.
However, his search for the right words was interrupted by two thin arms carefully wrapping themselves around him from behind. He managed to catch a glimpse of blurred purple with the corner of his eye, as well as yellow and dark-green an instant later. Nobody could ever call him a fan of group cuddling, but he could let it slide this time. Not that he wanted to break free from it at the first place. It felt… surprisingly comforting. Therefore, sighing through his nose, he relaxed into the hug, eyelids suddenly becoming heavy and slipping down on their own will. They still have—how many?—ten minutes, right?..
Alas, an unceremonious knock at the door disturbed that silent serenity. As if afraid of being caught, all five jumped away from each other; only Phoenix's arms stayed hovering above Miles' shoulders awkwardly.
"Your time is up, sirs!" bailiff shouted from the corridor. Time really flies when you need the most of it.
"Y…yes, I'll be right away!.. Five more minutes, please!"
"Urgh, fine! Be quick 'bout it!" The professional politeness quickly changed into annoyance. Although, it was a miracle he had agreed so effortlessly.
"Better not test his patience," Edgeworth thought, before seriously looking into the eyes of a man in front of him and nodding suggestively to the side.
"For a few words, Wright."
The mentioned lawyer winced at the out of blue request, but ended up obediently following him to one of the windows. Once both stopped, his forearms were grabbed firmly, forcing him to look up at the stern frowned expression, which was suddenly really close to him.
"Don't you dare," Prosecutor's voice dropped to barely audible, but resolute whisper.
Phoenix rose his eyebrow questioningly. "Dare what…?"
"You know what I mean. Quitting."
The reaction in a form of shiver and averted gaze was not so unexpected. "I… I can't go on like this… If I couldn't defend the person I bore more belief in than in myself, then how can random strangers rely on me?!"
"So he was serious about it after all…"
"Please, listen to me," Miles exhaled, eyes half-lid in order to concentrate. "Those were not your skills or belief that failed you, but fake evidence and a cheating opponent. You were unlucky, that's all. You won't be getting a 'not guilty' verdict each and every time. No one is perfect, and you are not an exception. There will always be someone to ruin your victory streak," A tinted knowing smirk flashed across his now softened face. "You can't cry over every innocent client you were unable to justify."
"B-but you're not 'every'-…"
"Tsk, tsk…" He saw this coming miles away. But they were not in a courtroom. They couldn't be wasting any more time on some useless arguments. "I'm aware that you usually enjoy the 'objection!' part, but please not now," His hands moved down slowly, gently taking hold of other's wrists. "There is only one thing I need you to do—consider it my last will. Be higher than repeating my mistakes. Don't give up on a person you and I wholeheartedly wished to become. Just do it for me, Phoenix Wright, will you?"
Why was he so sentimental? Edgeworth has been questioning himself about this, too. Saying all these motivational cliche phrases, staring confidently at those dark-blue eyes, trying to instill some determination in his heart… It all felt oddly familiar, only the other way round. All of this was odd, to be honest. Specifically the bold act of leaning forward and giving one of lawyer's smooth cheeks a ghost-like brush with his lips, lighting and heating them up with deep cherry blush. There was no doubt that he had developed some strangely warm feelings towards him. So what's even the point of sealing them down? No matter the response, he will die soon anyway.
Naturally, Phoenix could do nothing but stare stupidly at him, mouth impolitely agape. He stood paralyzed, as the pressure on his arms disappeared, and Miles turned around to finally leave. However, fortunately for both, the surging adrenaline aided him with shaking off the commotion right in time to seize prosecutor's sleeve and after a rapid spin smash their lips together, trembling hands clutching onto the jacket's lapels.
A tiny gasp was shared the instant their mouths collided, noses bumping rather painfully. No attention was paid at this, though; they were too lost in that desperate heady kiss. Phoenix's grip soon loosened up, primarily when he found other's palm pressing against the small of his back, as if reassuring that he was more than comfortable with their current state. The only wish was to be able to stay like this forever. Yes, a phrase from a cheap middling mushy melodrama, but who said those could not relate to the real world?
Especially when that very moment something clicked in Edgeworth's brain, like a light electric shock. The feeling of having someone to live for, someone to want to live for. Of course, there was Franziska, but she, considering her father was around, too, was a joke compared to the man he has just fallen in love with. Sadly, too little too late. Then there finally was frustration, at von Karma and himself. It wasn't fair by any means, and the only thing he could do was helplessly bend under his former mentor's whims.
The bitter-sweetness simultaneously overflowed both of them, heads cocked to the opposite sides for them to pull in closer. Hearts, fluttering just a mere second ago, were suddenly filled with severe ache and longing. Their foggy minds couldn't care less about the embarrassment. Astonishment, happiness, realization, anguish, sympathy—the mix flashing through the six eyes fixed on them would've flustered the two for sure, were they not so focused on capturing the most of the sensation possible.
Unwillingly, but the kiss was eventually broken. Panting slightly, neither wanted to disturb that lightheaded aura surrounding them. It seemed that they'll make it all disappear just by simply opening their eyes.
"I promise," was a soft whisper against Miles' lips.
It tickled a little. He smiled, sincerely and merrily,—a rare sight to see, to say the least, and from it priceless. The smile almost immediately grew wider—unnaturally wider—in an attempt to prevent treacherous tears from rolling down his face.
Hesitantly, they let go of each other. They've probably already expired those five minutes long ago. The bailiff hadn't come in, though, allowing the last moments together to be spent with no interference. It was truly needed. They'll thank him for this later.
Face was starting to hurt from constant strain. Edgeworth turned around, unable to give the shortest glance at those dear to him for one more time.
"Farewell, Phoenix," For some reason, he was still smiling.
The door clicked gently. Everything fell silent again. Only quiet but confident receding steps echoed from the corridor.
That's the end. Thanks for coming that far! I hope you liked what you've just read. If you did, feel free to leave comments and likes! If you didn't, well, you can point out what's wrong, too! I wish you all good, my fellow Narumitsu shipper!