When Phoenix told Trucy that he was going out to dinner with Edgeworth, she nearly choked on her cereal. Through the next week Phoenix, felt a buzz of interest following him everywhere he went.
He full of nervous energy when Friday finally rolled around, addressing everyone in a voice that was just a little too chipper.
That evening, he played the part of the first-date goer very well, smoothing down his hair every five minutes and checking himself in the mirror just as often. His ensemble was a casual version of his work clothes with a button up shirt, a waistcoat, a pair of black slacks and a nice jacket. Trucy helped with his clothes and didn't press him for information. When a knock came from the front door, Trucy ran into her room and shut her door halfway, her eyes shining bright in the shadows.
Phoenix patted down his jacket, cleared his throat and opened the door.
Edgeworth looked stunning, if a bit overdressed, wearing a dark military jacket with pressed pants, shined shoes and not a hair out of place. He was holding a bouquet of blue and purple flowers, which he thrust unceremoniously in Phoenix's direction.
"Flowers?" Phoenix asked, taking them from Edgeworth's hands.
"You said to bring flowers," Edgeworth muttered, his eyes cast down at the carpet.
Phoenix smiled. "Well, it's still a nice gesture. Thank you. They're beautiful."
Edgeworth blushed, still averting his gaze. "Think nothing of it."
Phoenix invited him inside while he went to find a vase and Edgeworth stepped just inside the threshold. When the flowers were safely stowed in a tall crystal vase and placed on the counter for all to see, Phoenix put on a scarf for the brief trip into the cold night and said goodbye to Trucy.
"Have a good time!" she said from her room, peering out a few seconds later to watch them leave.
When they were safe inside Edgeworth's car, Phoenix chuckled. "I think she bought it."
"I'm sure she did," Edgeworth answered as he started up the car. "I've been getting significant looks from Gavin all week. I think he attempted to high five me yesterday."
Phoenix snorted. "Yeah, Athena's been laying the innuendo on pretty thick. They've all been acting weird." He giggled. "I guess that's what happens when you find out your work dads are banging."
"We- what?" Edgeworth stared at him, mouth open in silent outrage. "What have you been telling them?!"
"Nothing!" Phoenix waved his hands. "It was just a joke. I didn't even tell them we were going on a date." He crossed his arms. "I just let them assume, since they love doing it so much," he grumbled.
Edgeworth glanced at him. "At any rate, I'm not sure what this 'dad' business is about. The last time I checked, you were the only father here."
"Well, technically."
"But…?" Edgeworth asked.
"I mean, we're both kind of like work dads in a way, right? We lead our respective offices, take care of our kids, guide them, discipline them. You know? That's how I think of it."
"Hmm," Edgeworth murmured.
"You don't agree?" Phoenix asked.
"Not particularly, no." Edgeworth narrowed his focus to the road as they approached the busiest downtown district, aglow with nightlife.
"That's too bad," Phoenix said. "You'd be a great dad to work for."
"Phoenix," Edgeworth said softly, disparaging. "I'm sure you of all people think that I would be a terrible father."
Phoenix gaped at him. "Do you…is that honestly…" He looked down at his feet and hugged his arms around himself. "I'm not sure if that says more about what you think of yourself or what you think of me."
They slowly rolled to a stop at a red light. Edgeworth studied his face, surprised by Phoenix's reaction. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."
Phoenix paused and shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken it personally. You obviously have some strong feelings about this."
They sat in silence as nightclubs and restaurants blurred into houses and parks in their periphery.
"You've been such a wonderful father to Trucy," Edgeworth said, barely above a whisper. "I know that I could never be as kind, or as loving as you are towards your daughter."
Phoenix pursed his lips. "You don't know that, Miles." He turned towards the window, his voice low and hushed. "You're a much better man than you think you are."
Edgeworth swallowed and gripped the steering wheel a little harder.
They pulled up through the long driveway to Edgeworth's house and came to a stop.
"Wow," Phoenix said, stepping out of the car with his eyes fixed firmly on the enormous French manor in front of them. "Did your house get bigger?"
"Must be your imagination," Edgeworth said. "It hasn't changed since I moved in."
Phoenix nodded, still staring in awe. "And you're really the only person who lives here?" he asked.
"There's a family living in the basement. It's odd, I admit, but they keep to themselves so I let them stay."
"That's strange," Phoenix said, nearly tripping over the white steps up to the front door, unable to tear his eyes away from the house.
"I was joking, Wright."
"So was I," Phoenix mumbled, touching one of the pillars in front of the door with reverence. "After all this time, you think I don't get your weird sense of humor?"
"Right. I'm the one with the weird sense of humor." Edgeworth punched a code into the security system and unlocked the door. He stepped into the darkened house, Phoenix following close behind, and hung up his jacket. Phoenix shimmied out of his coat, and Edgeworth had to take it out of his arms because Phoenix's eyes were glued to the foyer as soon as the lights came on.
"You have been here before," Edgeworth reminded him.
"Yeah," Phoenix breathed, "but that was a long time ago. I think the last few years have given me a different perspective on luxury."
With a murmured acknowledgement, Edgeworth walked into the hallway and let out a sharp whistle that shocked Phoenix out of his house-lust.
"Huh?" Phoenix said, following after him. "Oh!" Edgeworth was crouched down, petting a round energetic ball of fur. Phoenix came up next to him and reached his hand out. "Hello Pess!"
Pess sniffed his hand for a couple of seconds before barreling into him, knocking him on his butt. Phoenix laughed as Pess started snuffling his face. "You're still pretty spry," Phoenix said, scratching her behind the ears.
Edgeworth got up and smirked at him. "Are you all right down there?" he asked.
Pess started licking Phoenix's face. "I'm-I'm fine, don't worry about me. I'll be…nooo." Phoenix fell back against the floor, relenting against Pess' attacks. He reached out dramatically towards Edgeworth. "Go on without me. Save yourself."
Edgeworth sighed and went into the kitchen.
"Hey, I didn't actually mean that!" Phoenix shouted, sitting up. Pess fell onto his lap, still squirming with excitement. He strode into the kitchen with Pess following him close behind, wagging her tail and beaming up at him.
Edgeworth was already starting to dig through the refrigerator. "The plates are in that cupboard," he said, pointing next to the fridge. "If you'd like to set the table."
"You're really gonna put me to work?" Phoenix asked, though he went to the cupboard without hesitation. "I'm a guest."
"If it were anyone else, absolutely not."
"Does that mean I'm special?" Phoenix asked, batting his eyelashes.
"Yes. Now go set the table."
"Yes sir. One table coming right up." Phoenix took a small pile of plates and cutlery and made for the dining room. He set out their places, adjusting everything until it was perfect enough to match the house itself. If he was going to be made to work, he was going to do it right.
A small whine came from the floor and Phoenix looked down to see Pess staring up at him, sitting with her legs all aligned, tail wagging incessantly.
"Sorry Pess," Phoenix said. "I'm not setting a place for you."
Pess whined again and laid down. A moment later, Edgeworth's sharp whistle came from the kitchen and Pess was off like a bolt. Phoenix went back to the kitchen and saw Pess snarfing away at her dinner, and Edgeworth washing his hands with his sleeves rolled up, wearing a deep maroon apron.
Phoenix took a seat at the kitchen island so he could watch without being in the way. Edgeworth set some pans over the stove. All the ingredients were arranged on the counter in some kind of premeditated order.
"So…" Phoenix said, leaning onto the counter. "What is it?"
Edgeworth turned to glance at him over the rim of his glasses. "Rahmschnitzel with pork loin." He moved to the cutting board and started slicing the meat. As he chopped and diced everything he needed, he moved each ingredient into its own bowl. He flicked the burner on and put a pad of butter in the skillet.
"So that's what home cooking looks like," Phoenix said with a wry smile.
Edgeworth added several thin slices of pork to the pan. "Your parents didn't cook?" he asked over his shoulder.
"We were more of a frozen dinner kind of family," Phoenix said, resting his head against his hands.
For a while Phoenix just watched him at work. Edgeworth had started on a couple of side dishes, darting around the kitchen with great focus.
"So where did you learn to cook?" Phoenix asked.
Edgeworth paused as he crouched down to get something from a low drawer. "My father was pretty adept. He wasn't able to cook very often, given his career, but I suppose that instilled some desire for proficiency in me." He set a couple of serving bowls onto the counter. "Any real culinary education I had came from von Karma's kitchen staff."
Phoenix blinked. "Really?"
"Is that so surprising?" Edgeworth asked, turning to look at him.
"I just assumed that von Karma would've banned you from hanging out with his servants." Phoenix shuddered at his own memories of Manfred von Karma. "I guess I'm also a little surprised that you wanted to. I mean, given how…you know. How you used to be."
Instead of snapping back at him, Edgeworth chewed his lip thoughtfully, wooden spoon in hand. "It's true that in my years as an angst-ridden teenager I was much less kind and less grateful than I should have been. But our staff was patient and gracious nonetheless. It often felt like they were the only ones who didn't demand anything from me." He dropped the spoon into one of the bowls. "And of course, I spent such a large portion of my youth in that house, studying myself blind, it was only logical to foster those relationships. I still correspond with some of them. I had to help most of them find new employment with the disintegration of the von Karma estate." He paused, a darker look passing over him. "As for von Karma, he never said a word about it. I'm sure he gained some perverse pleasure from seeing me intermingle with the household staff."
Phoenix breathed in through his teeth. "Yikes." He laughed nervously. "Well I'm glad you learned how to cook, and that I can put the fruits of that knowledge into my mouth because I am starving."
Edgeworth smirked and gave the pan a stir. "Not quite yet, I'm afraid. Soon though."
Phoenix groaned and dropped his forehead onto the countertop. "But it smells so good," he mumbled into the granite.
"Soon, soon," Edgeworth assured him.
True to his word, Edgeworth started arranging food onto their plates and shutting off the burners. Phoenix watching intently, sniffing the air and licking his lips. Edgeworth was holding several utensils, leaning a little far over the counter, his glasses sliding dangerously down the tip of his nose.
A few seconds later, Phoenix came up behind him. Edgeworth bumped into Phoenix and spun around in alarm. They were nose-to-nose, close enough to feel each other's breath, Edgeworth's lips parted in surprise. Phoenix reached up, grasped Edgeworth's glasses and placed them up on the bridge of his nose. Phoenix lingered for a moment longer and then backed away, his cheeks pink.
"Sorry, it looked like they were gonna fall," he said sheepishly.
"R-right," Edgeworth stammered. He nodded and turned back around, gripping the edge of the counter until his knuckles grew white. "S-Shall we eat?" he said, grabbing a couple of serving spoons and handing a bowl off to Phoenix.
They brought the food to the table along with a bottle of wine. Pess danced around their legs, trying her best to bring them tumbling to the floor, and the food along with them.
"Pess," Edgeworth said in a commanding tone, not unlike the one he used in court. She stopped and sat down, watching patiently with her tongue rolling out of the side of her mouth.
Edgeworth gave a small hum of approval at Phoenix's place setting skills and laid the food out in the middle of the table.
Phoenix somehow mustered up the strength to wait until Edgeworth was seated before he started serving himself. Edgeworth watched with a warm smile as Phoenix heaped the side dishes onto his plate.
Over dinner they talked about their work lives, their subordinates and the strange things they got mixed up in. Edgeworth poured wine for the both of them. Phoenix looked at his glass like it was an old familiar friend.
When they had finished, Phoenix took their empty plates to the kitchen before Edgeworth could even get up.
"What are you doing?" Edgeworth asked, standing in the kitchen entrance.
"I'm not gonna let you wash the dishes after you spent all that time cooking dinner," Phoenix said as he turned the faucet.
Edgeworth smiled and shook his head. "You know I have a dish washer."
Phoenix shrugged and picked up the brush.
Edgeworth sighed. "Wait a moment," he said, and ducked into the hallway closet.
He came back and walked up behind Phoenix holding a black apron over his arm. He lifted it over Phoenix's head and brought the strings around to the back. He pulled them taut and made a perfect bow, letting his knuckles brush against the small of Phoenix's back.
"There," he said gently, standing back to admire his handiwork.
Phoenix, his spine stiff as a board, shot out a high pitched "Thanks!" and went to work on the stack of dishes in the sink.
Edgeworth leaned against the counter and watched him, oddly charmed by his domestic capabilities. When the dishes were all sitting on the drying rack, Phoenix took off the apron and handed it back to Edgeworth with a soft thank you. Edgeworth disappeared down the hall and came back empty-handed.
They stood in the middle of the kitchen and stared at each other.
"So…" Phoenix said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Movie?" Edgeworth suggested.
"Absolutely," Phoenix replied. They went to the living room, where Phoenix marveled at Edgeworth's massive entertainment center.
He dropped to his knees in front of the movie collection and started browsing.
"I didn't even know there were this many Steel Samurai movies," Phoenix whispered in awe.
Edgeworth coughed. "Yes, well, there may be some stage productions mixed in there. Let me know if you see something you'd like to watch. I have streaming options too."
"Hm," Phoenix said, tapping his finger against a stack of Eurovision DVDs. "Maybe we can find something neither of us has seen?"
Edgeworth gestured to the remotes on the coffee table and Phoenix plopped down on the couch next to him.
"Let's see here," he said, tongue sticking out, pressing buttons to figure out which control did what.
They browsed through a selection of movies until Phoenix stopped on one. It was a cheesy-looking courtroom drama. Phoenix turned to Edgeworth with a grin.
"Really?" Edgeworth asked. "You don't get enough of that at work?"
"It could be funny," Phoenix said in a sing songy voice.
Edgeworth groaned. "Alright, alright, we can watch it."
It was more entertaining than they'd expected, and they were laughing within the first ten minutes. Every wild inaccuracy and ham-handed line made them chuckle and groan. At one point Edgeworth broke down, shaking with laughter at the absurdity of the dramatized case.
"I'm a little insulted by their portrayal of the defense attorney," Phoenix said halfway through, his arms crossed. "Like he's some slimey skeezeball who uses lies and dirty tricks against the angelic prosecutor."
"Your point?" Edgeworth said lightly.
Phoenix glared at him and Edgeworth just smiled.
Eventually the novelty wore off, but the story was just compelling enough that they kept watching. Edgeworth looked over and saw that Phoenix's eyes were closed, and his head tipped back.
"Are you alright," he said, touching Phoenix on the shoulder.
Phoenix was quiet for a second and then blinked. "Huh? Wha?" He saw Edgeworth watching him with concern. "Oh, sorry. I didn't really get a lot of sleep last night."
Edgeworth leaned his head back against the couch. "Should I be offended that my presence wasn't enthralling enough to keep you awake?"
Phoenix waved off the comment as he yawned. "You know I can sleep anywhere. Sorry about that."
"It's fine," Edgeworth said.
They went back to watching the movie. About ten minutes later, Edgeworth heard a peculiar whooshing sound, and suddenly he had a lap full of Phoenix Wright.
Edgeworth looked down in silence at the entire top half of Phoenix slumped over his legs, face down towards the carpet and snoring gently.
Pess was sitting up and staring from her bed next to the couch. Edgeworth gaped at her and back at Phoenix.
Unsure of what to do, he gave a gentle push so his arms weren't trapped under the heavy sleeping body, and wondered how Phoenix would react if he woke up in that position.
Edgeworth shifted around and let his arms rest at his sides. He stared down at Phoenix's back, the soft wrinkles in his waistcoat and the fine hairs at the back of his neck, and sighed. Without thinking, his left hand inched its way toward the little spikes of hair at the back of Phoenix's head. His fingers trembled a breath away from Phoenix's neck and he pulled away, softly cursing at his weakness.
"Phoenix," he said, keeping his voice low, rocking Phoenix back and forth by his shoulder. "Phoenix, wake up."
Phoenix mumbled dreamily and rubbed his face against Edgeworth's leg.
"Maybe you should stay the night," Edgeworth said.
At that, Phoenix snored himself awake. He blinked and tried to turn his head to see where he was, but he couldn't move. After a few seconds he gave up and returned to his apparently comfortable position.
Surprised that Phoenix hadn't immediately launched himself away on gaining some consciousness, Edgeworth tried again. "Is it alright if I call Trucy and tell her you're staying over?"
Phoenix didn't reply, so Edgeworth thought he had fallen back asleep. A moment later, however, Phoenix lifted his hand and gave a feeble thumbs up.
Edgeworth somehow managed to dig his phone out of his pocket. He quickly called Trucy, who said something high-pitched and incoherent upon hearing that Phoenix was staying over.
"I'll have him back first thing in the morning," he reassured her.
"No problem Mr. Edgeworth! Keep him as long as you'd like!" she replied.
"Oh, and Trucy," he said, knowing it was futile. "Please don't tell anyone about this."
"No, of course not. It's just between us." She made a motion like she was zipping her lips even though he couldn't see her.
"Sweet dreams, Trucy," he said.
"Goodnight, Mr. Edgeworth!" Trucy said. "Oh and have fun," she added before hanging up.
He sighed at his phone and dragged his hand down his face.
Below his arms, Phoenix snored loudly.
"Let's get you to bed," Edgeworth said. Phoenix mumbled an unintelligible response.
Edgeworth considered himself to be fairly strong, but even so, a deadweight Phoenix Wright was more difficult to move than he'd anticipated. When he finally managed to get Phoenix off of his legs, Phoenix miraculously woke up and pushed himself the rest of the way up. He was still half-asleep, but just conscious enough to move.
Edgeworth stood up and lent Phoenix his hand. He wobbled to his feet and Edgeworth took his arm and pulled it over his shoulders. Phoenix slumped against him and they walked that way until they got to the stairs, where Edgeworth stood behind him and pushed gently, holding Phoenix's hips to make sure he didn't fall. He guided Phoenix to the guest bedroom and flicked on the lights as they passed the doorway.
As soon as they reached the bed, Phoenix fell down on it face first. Edgeworth chuckled and helped push his legs up onto the bed. "There we go," he said when all of Phoenix's limbs were off the floor. He sat down on the edge of the mattress and started removing Phoenix's shoes. Even in his drowsy state, Phoenix managed to unbuckle his belt and pull it partway through the loops. Edgeworth pulled it the rest of the way and set it down on a stool in the corner. Finally, he got to work on the buttons of Phoenix's fitted waistcoat, his nimble fingers and years of experience with undercoats enabling him to make quick work of it.
As his thumb curled around the edge of a blue satin button, it hit him how utterly domestic their evening had been, and the vise on his heart gave a merciless squeeze. He felt out of breath, and quickly finished removing Phoenix's waistcoat, desperate to put some distance between them.
He walked out the door and Pess ran past him, leaping up onto the bed.
"Pess," he hissed, "leave him be. He's very-"
He stopped when he saw Pess stretch out alongside Phoenix. With a low murmur, Phoenix snuggled against her back, burying his face in her soft fur. She yawned and lay her head down.
A small smile pushed past Edgeworth's lips. He turned and flicked the lights back off, with a whisper of "goodnight" into the darkness.
Phoenix woke in the morning feeling well rested and confused. He was in an unfamiliar room wearing rumpled date clothes covered in dog hair. He sat up too quickly and got a head rush, blinking in the light streaming from the window. After letting out a loud groan, he scooted to the end of the bed and blinked around at the large, lavish room he'd slept in. Oh right, he was in Edgeworth's house. And he'd stayed the night…at Edgeworth's house?
He lumbered through the hallway until he found a bathroom, and tried as best he could to fix himself up. After a few minutes of fussing he still couldn't get his spikes quite the way he liked them, so he gave up and went back to find his missing pieces of clothing.
Following a delicious scent and a soft humming, he wandered down the stairs. The sound got louder as he made his way to the kitchen, where he saw Edgeworth standing at the stove and humming to himself. Phoenix walked up behind him and peered at what Edgeworth was making.
Toast. Eggs. Sausages that looked absolutely delectable.
"Oh honey," Phoenix said, his voice cracking with sleep, "it's just what I always wanted.
Edgeworth rolled his eyes and kept his focus on the skillet. "Good morning to you too. Sleep well?"
"Yes. Although my mouth kind of tastes like dog. I'm not sure if that has something to do with the dog I slept next to or if it's just morning breath."
Edgeworth chuckled. "You're welcome to use one of the spare toothbrushes. There should be one in the downstairs bathroom."
"Thanks," Phoenix said, taking a short jog over to the bathroom to scrub his teeth clean.
When he came back, Edgeworth was nearly done and Phoenix was salivating again.
"You were pretty tired last night," Edgeworth said, glancing over his shoulder.
"Yeah, when I said I hadn't gotten much sleep, what I meant was that I hadn't gotten any sleep."
Edgeworth shot him a worried look and Phoenix shrugged.
"I'm good now. Thanks for letting me stay over." Phoenix tapped his chin. "Wait, does Trucy know?"
"I called her last night. You said it was okay."
"Huh," Phoenix said. "Well that'll be fun when I get home."
"I asked her not to tell anyone that you stayed the night, so I'm sure only half the world knows by now."
"Fine by me," Phoenix said. Edgeworth raised his eyebrow. "They'll think we had a good date. It can only help our cause."
Edgeworth sighed. "I suppose."
Phoenix helped him carry breakfast to the table as he had at dinner, but now with the warm glow of the morning sun on their skin.
When they were seated Phoenix made a move for the food and Edgeworth just waited, watching him spoon things eagerly onto his plate.
"Thanks for making breakfast, by the way," Phoenix said while Edgeworth served himself.
"Of course," Edgeworth replied. "Taking the time to make an actual breakfast is a luxury I don't afford myself much these days."
"Well, kudos to the chef," Phoenix said, rubbing his hands together. He couldn't hold back anymore so he cut off a piece of sausage and popped it into his mouth. He chewed a few times and his face grew pained, his eyes on the verge of watering.
"Are you alright? Is something wrong with it?" Edgeworth asked, his brow creased.
Phoenix finally swallowed, breathing hard. "Marry me," he said in a strained voice, looking up into Edgeworth's eyes.
Edgeworth gaped at him wide-eyed, and then smiled. "I'm glad you like it," he said, starting in on his plate.
Phoenix groaned and slowly started cutting up the rest. "I almost don't want to eat it. I don't want this to end."
Edgeworth blushed under the praise. "I'll give you the recipe if you'd like."
"I'd love it," Phoenix said around a mouth full of sausage, "but I doubt it'll come out half as good unless you're making them."
"I could instruct you," Edgeworth offered.
"Or you could take me up on my proposal, and then I could have your hot meat in my mouth every day."
Edgeworth choked on a piece of egg, and Phoenix winked at him.
"You aren't nearly as clever as you think you are," Edgeworth stammered, blushing harder.
"Uh huh," Phoenix said, and continued to stuff his face.
When their plates were finally empty neither of them wanted to move, sated on heavy breakfast foods and sluggish in the warmth of the morning.
In the end they forced themselves to leave the table. Phoenix consented to putting the dishes in the dishwasher, not up to the task of cleaning up after their meal.
He knew that he needed to be getting back to Trucy, so he asked Edgeworth to drive him home. They talked quietly on the ride over as they drove through a city just beginning to crest with Saturday morning go-getters.
Phoenix said goodbye to Edgeworth outside their front door, shaking his hand and thanking him for the evening. He had the urge to give Edgeworth a warm hug in the nippy chill of the morning air, but he wasn't sure what the appropriate fake-first-date etiquette was, so he left it at that.
He unlocked the door as quietly as he could. The lights were still off so he went to the kitchen to see if there was anything simple he could fix for Trucy before she woke up. Maybe he would take Edgeworth up on his cooking instruction offer so he could share it with his daughter. She'd been interested in learning to cook real, non-frozen meals.
Standing at the stove, making a small stack of pancakes from a boxed mix, his thoughts drifted back to the night before. He flipped a pancake and started humming to himself as he smiled at the flowers on the counter and the memory of Edgeworth laughing.