Maya could admit it.

She really could.

She could admit that the feelings she had felt for Phoenix Wright were completely real.

When she decided (in that split second) to date Charles, it was a knee-jerk reaction. It felt to her like maybe she could get back at Phoenix for making her feel the way she did. Maybe it would help her prove to herself that what she felt for Phoenix was something else entirely.

On the contrary, being with Charles made her realize the exact opposite than what she expected.

When Charles cupped her chin, looked at her with soft eyes and said the one thing some girls long to hear their entire lives ("I love you,") Maya squirmed where she stood. She smiled and answered the best she could. ("I… me too.")

It was pathetic, she realized. And maybe a little unfair to Charles. At the same time, she couldn't bring herself to lie to him. That's why she never said it. She wanted to say it when it was real, when it felt absolutely real to her.

But that real feeling never came. Even after a few months of dating, with stolen kisses in the hidden hallways of Kurain, Maya's heart barely drummed above the usual beat.

But when she thought of Phoenix back home, another sort of emotion would awaken. It felt like anger and a heaviness in her head at other times. When she was lost in thought, she'd stare at the cloudless sky and feel both sad and happy thinking of Phoenix but she didn't understand why.

She missed him deeply. She missed the times they spent together once upon a time. She missed his reassuring smile, his subtle touches, his voice wracked with emotion or without. She missed him around the office, working, complaining, talking, eating. Doing pretty much anything with her or even without her.

The mere presence of Nick was painful.

Painful in the sense that she couldn't have more. It wasn't enough to be near. It wasn't enough to hold him close in a hug and have him dedicate his words only to her in a single moment. It was never enough because everything behind those motions was purely platonic.

And Maya knew and understood that friendship is important. She appreciated it above all that she had. She cherished it like a rare gem. More important to her than anything on the planet.

But in her eyes, the ones that watched him working across the room, to be loved as a friend is not really being "loved" at all.

And when she watched Charles profess his love for her she could only feel a sorry guilt for not feeling the same way. Maya suddenly understood what it meant to love someone because she knew that she didn't love Charles.

It was caring about them. It was wishing Nick happiness even if she didn't have hers. It was smiling (eyes filled with tears) while she spoke on the phone with him as he relayed the details of his newfound relationship with Iris. It was asking questions even if the answers hurt. It was being happy for his happiness.

Maya understood right then, talking on the phone, that what she felt for Phoenix Wright, her friend, her employer, her greatest chance meeting… was love.

She grieved for her emotions.

Late at night in bed when she tried her hardest to fall asleep, memories and invented scenarios played endlessly through her head. Strengthening the feeling she knew would be impossible to get rid of.

But she figured it out slowly over the weeks. She understood the anger and the constant sadness and flipping between emotions. The way she felt for Nick was driving her mad. That closeness between them was staggering; the distance was miniscule. And yet, still, she could not reach out and touch him.

"Maya? Are you still there?"

"I'm glad we got to talk like this… I knew things kind of ended on a weird note when you left…"

"…"

"I-I'm sorry I didn't see you off. I thought maybe you didn't want me to be there for some reason…"

"…It's okay, N-Nick! And why, uh- why wouldn't I want you there?"

"Oh, there you are! I just thought… uhm, what with how things were between us…uhm..."

"Oh my gosh, Nick, it's…that's all behind us now. It's been months!"

"I suppose you're right."

"Anyway, sorry, I-"

"Maya?"

"I have to go now… Kurain duties and all! It was nice c-catching up!"

"Of course. I'll try to call more, okay?"

"Yes! Uh, tell Iris I said "hi"!"

"Tell her yourself sometime! I want you back here eventually! This office is a wreck without you. Or maybe it is with you…"

"Haha…goodbye, Nick."

"See you soon, Maya."

The phone clicked dead with a deafening beep. Maya reached shaking hands up to her cheeks and wiped away the dampness. She touched her lips next. They were quivering in their best attempt at a smile. Slowly, she put the phone back on the hook and walked back up to the main compound.

The work here was hard sometimes. The meetings were dull. The people were old and grumpy. Pearly was her only salvation… and Charles of course. She often forgot about him. He stuck around far longer than she anticipated he would.

Again, the cruelness of her thoughts gave Maya a feeling of guilt and yet that feeling was easily washed away when she spotted Charles chatting with the other young spirit mediums. He had their utmost attention.

"What's going on, you guys?" Maya spoke in a stoic tone, tired from her phone call with Nick.

"M-Master Maya!" The young spirit mediums squeaked, bowing slightly in politeness. "We were just learning more about the city from Mr. Charles."

"Yup, that's me! Big city guy!" Charles laughed, throwing his arms out proudly. The tiny spirit mediums giggled.

Maya couldn't bring herself to react. Instead she smiled lightly and continued on into the compound. Charles followed after her, looking concerned. He touched her shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay? Your eyes are all red."

Being asked if you're okay when you're trying your hardest to remain okay always released the floodgates. Maya burst into tears, bringing her arms up to block the sight of her face from Charles. Even now, she didn't like him seeing her so vulnerable.

"Hey hey hey, don't cry, don't cry…" Charles rubbed Maya's back gently. Maya sobbed louder. She couldn't stand when Charles was so nice to her. The guilt of wanting to break up with him made her feel all the more worse when he was so kind.

Charles sat her down on a stairway and continued talking to her in a soothing voice. "What happened? Did you hear some bad news on the phone?" His eyes were filled with empathy. Maya suddenly felt like she didn't deserve such a nice boy.

Scratching at her tear-soaked cheeks, Maya forced another smile, not wanting to call attention to her conversation with the faraway lawyer.

"I'm okay, I promise," she strained to say.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Charles asked in a whisper, leaning close.

"No, no, it's going to be fine," she lied.

Charles smiled all the same and gave the Master of the Kurain channeling technique a musical kiss on her wetted cheeks.

The look on his face of pure adoration made Maya feel sick. She turned away from him again. Charles's smile was replaced with a frown.

Later that night, after dinner, Charles sat down with Maya. He didn't understand her behavior lately and frankly it was beginning to bother him. Now, he is a decent man, he knew this and to see Maya suffering was a painful thing to endure.

"Maya…" he asked in a soothing voice.

"Yes?" She returned a half smile.

"I'm going to cut right to the chase if that's okay with you." The boy's eyes were filled with nothing but seriousness.

Startled, Maya put down the glass she was holding and turned to her boyfriend. "Okay, I'm listening."

"Uh… what's been up with you lately?" Charles scratched his head, he didn't want to sound so aggressive. It was not in his nature. "Ever since we came here, you've been nothing but weirdly distant. And you look so sad all the time… what's wrong? I just want to know the truth. It pains me to see you hurting." Charles breathed out a long sigh, awaiting her response.

Caught unawares, Maya became flustered, "Ah, um, it's nothing! I'm telling you. It's just tough being Master, okay? It's a huge amount of responsibility to take on and I guess it's just taking its toll on me."

Charles raised a slim eyebrow, having a hard time believing her. Over the days, he found it easier and easier to figure out when she was trying to hide her pain.

"Come on, Maya… do you not feel comfortable telling me things?"

Maya got on the defensive, "What do you mean? I tell you as much as I need to." She turned away and swiped at her sleeves distractedly.

Charles sighed, "I can tell when you're lying. And I feel like you've been lying to me almost every single day! You say you're okay but you always appear so… so sad!" All notions of approaching the subject tactfully had flown out the window.

She regarded him with a passive look and he continued, "If there's something ever bothering you… I want… I want you to be able to tell me. Because I'm here for you, all right?"

Tears filled her eyes as he spoke. Once again, his selfless attitude was destroying her. How could she break the heart of a kind boy like this?

"C-Charles…" she whimpered, "you c-can't understand! I can't tell you…"

"Maya, Maya, please," he moved closer to her, wrapping an arm over her shoulders, pulling her to him. She was stiff as a board. "Please what's wrong? I'll listen, I promise."

"Oh god," she mumbled, wiping tears away.

He put his hand over hers, squeezing in a reassuring way. Charles smiled. Maya turned away, fighting off more and more tears.

"Charles…"

"Yeah? What's up?" He rubbed her shoulders gently.

"C-Charles…"

"It's okay, I'm here..." He pulled her even closer.

"…I want to break up."

…

AN: Sorry, another short chapter. School has been insane. Anyway, this chapter is more documentation of the passage of time between Nick and Maya. Things change, people drift, life goes on I suppose. People get hurt, feelings get hurt. All is progression...