Prompt: Holidays
Respect for tradition had long been ingrained in Edgeworth's life, and the close of the year was no exception. So, he was at this courthouse gathering, full of his friends and colleagues, waiting for the clock to strike midnight. Earlier, he had endured the small talk and banter; at this moment, he was counting the minutes. He stood to the side, catching glimpses of faces he recognized.
Blackquill was identifiable by height alone, and that was definitely Athena Cykes accompanying him. Klavier Gavin had decided to spend this New Year's Eve in the States, so he had drawn a number of people into his orbit. Detective Skye had been in its periphery, pulled closer to the center now. Franziska's flight had been fortunately on time, and she was gesturing to a rapt audience, providing stern guidance to the new class of prosecutors. He had spotted Wright's adopted daughter and Maya Fey's cousin among the adolescents, but no other sign of their guardians yet. And the judge had passed out in his usual seat.
Some of the others in his department had greeted him. "Chief Prosecutor, you made it!"
"Yes, good to see you. Happy New Year."
They all seemed surprised he was present, but they didn't know better. New Year's was preferable to Christmas, in his opinion.
Finally, the wait was almost over. An animated clock was projected onto the wall, the most important evidence of tonight, and the room devolved into one raucous chorus. "Three…two…one! Happy New Year!" Cheers went up, people coupling for the traditional kiss. Fireworks reverberated outside the building. Edgeworth used it as his cue for retreating, his hand already on his keys.
But the crowd moved, and he saw them. Wright and Maya were standing perfectly still, oblivious to everyone else.
He easily remembered Wright's excited phone call, that they were working together again. When she stepped foot in the courtroom, the gossip exploded. The memories of cases, years of friendship, rumors of their experience in Khura'in. Speaking from his side of the bench, Edgeworth was also aware of how readily they picked up from where they left off. It was as if their partnership had never paused, only subtly different by stolen glances at each other and their nervous smiles when they brushed hands.
To be honest, observing them was more excruciating tension than this holiday celebration.
The seconds stretched. Maya seemed to ask a question, her expression playful, but she had lifted her face. Wright never delivered a verbal answer; instead, he leaned down and kissed her. Perhaps, it was intended to be chaste, but her hands looped around his neck and he deepened the angle. At this point, it was far longer than a kiss to ring in the new year.
Edgeworth couldn't help smiling. It was about time, although it had to take a holiday tradition for their mutual realization to happen. A happy ending to the evening, at least. He looked away, giving them privacy, and recovered his coat. He had his hand on the main door handle when a terribly familiar voice interrupted.
"Leaving already? Too lonely to stick around?"
He tried not to flinch. "Well, you also arrived by yourself."
Too late, he noticed the smear of lipstick, highlighting Larry's smug grin. "Oh, I'm off the market now. What about you, Edgey?"
He intoned. "I never planned for a change in that regard. Have a good night, Larry." He strode into the cold, ignoring his friend's distant inebriated shout.
"I swear, you'll get your kiss, whether you expect it or not!"
As he would later find out, such a prediction ended up coming true…but that was another story.