Chapter Text
“Morning Mr. Edgeworth!” Miles recognized the cheerful voice of one young Kay Faraday. She had burst through his office doors, at her usual time, with a usual assortment of drinks carried in her hands.
She brought a warm cup of Earl Gray tea over to him, already sipping through the straw of a very colorful drink.
Miles paused from where he adjusted his cravat in the mirror to accept the beverage from her. “Thank you, Kay.”
“What’s got you so happy this morning?” She asked, circling around the desk and propping herself into his desk chair.
“Nothing in particular.” Miles did a final look-over of his outfit for today. It didn’t stray from the usual. Maroon suit, white undershirt, frilly cravat, all in their rightful places. He frowned. He had gotten this suit dry cleaned and pressed so it would be perfect for tonight, but it was what he wore every day. Should he have gone with something else?
“Kay.” He paused, looking over at the girl, in her usual “creative” clothing. He hesitated, realizing it might not be best to ask her for fashion advice.
“What is it, Mr. Edgeworth?” She frowned, waiting for him to continue his statement.
“Nevermind.” He looked back at his reflection. It had come too late to doubt himself. He had been planning this evening for months now, a change of wardrobe would just distract him.
“Mr. Edgeworth, you’re acting weird. I know there’s something you’re not telling me!”
Miles Edgeworth had been foolish to assume something as big of a deal as this would pass by Kay anyways.
“Kay… Can you keep a secret?”
She bolted from the seat. “Yes! Yes, I absolutely can!” She did a zipping motion over her lips. “Whatever it is, Mr. Edgeworth, thief’s honor! I won't tell a soul.”
“Well, you seem quite eager to know.”
“Obviously! I hate being left in the dark. Now tell me what it is!”
“Hm.” Miles turned to face Kay, who looked as if she was about to explode. “Are you sure you won’t tell anyone?”
“Yep! I pinky-promise!”
“Pinky promise?”
“Yes! It is the most sacred type of promise.” She extended her pinky finger towards him.
“And why is that?” He eyed her finger curiously.
“Uh, well. I think it means that if I break my promise, I’ll have to cut off my pinky!” She said more cheerfully than one would expect when discussing such a gruesome act as the mutilation of a finger.
Miles chuckled at her enthusiasm, “Well, that surely won’t be necessary.” He extended his own pinky finger and Kay intertwined the both of them. “But I appreciate the lengths you would go to.”
“Of course! Now, what is it? What’s the big secret?”
“Well, Kay.” Miles took a deep breath in. He hadn’t said this out loud to anyone yet. “ Tonight is the night I plan to propose to Phoenix Wright.”
“Eek!” Kay squealed. “No way! Yay Mr. Edgeworth! This is so awesome!” Kay bolted around the desk to envelop him in a hug.
“Please don’t celebrate so soon, he has yet to accept my offer.” He patted her head awkwardly. Still unfamiliar with the correct way to go about being hugged.
“Oh, please! He’s as smitten as you are! There’s no way he’ll say no.” Kay gave him a reassuring smile. “So, What's the plan? Nice dinner, walk along the boardwalk? Ooh! Maybe a romantic nature scenery?”
Miles began to doubt himself, those plans did seem quite perfect for a proposal. He shook his head, he had this all adequately planned out, last-minute changes would cause unwanted conflict and stress.
“A simple dinner, as we usually do.” He knew Phoenix. He wouldn’t want an outlandishly grand display of affection. Would he?
Kay raised her brow at him.
“It is in a perfectly nice place. One he is familiar with.” Miles eyed her suspicious look, he felt as if he were being cross-examined. “It serves his favorite dish and is perfectly capable of providing romantic scenery when required.”
“Alright, Mr. Edgeworth. You know him better than I do, after all.” Kay leaned back to sit atop his desk. Something he had scolded at her before, but he refrained from it this time.
“What are you wearing? Do you have that figured out yet?” She asked.
Miles tried to not look shocked by her question. He looked back at his reflection in the mirror, now more skeptical than before. “Well… I was going to wear what I usually do.”
“Mr. Edgeworth! This is a special occasion! You can’t wear what you’d usually wear!”
“I… can’t?” He supposed it was quite… Usual.
“Well, I don’t have many other options.” Miles tried to visualize the wardrobe he had at home. Several identical suits, a few clothes for casual wear, and pajamas floated through his memory.
“Then we’ll find you something! Ooh, I know what this calls for!”
“Kay-”
“Shopping! Oh, Mr. Edgeworth please let me help find you an outfit for tonight.”
He frowned at his own reflection. Kay was right, tonight was special, and Miles Edgeworth had to look the part.
“Well, I suppose it couldn’t hu-”
“Yay! Oh, I’m so excited!” Kay jumped to her feet, grabbing her drink and Miles by his sleeve. “Let’s go!”
*
With Miles as the chauffeur, and Kay on aux duty, the two of them quickly arrived at their first department store.
It smelled of expensive cologne, and the overhead fluorescent lights cast a blinding aura of white, reflected by equally white and perfectly polished tile floors.
Expensive suits and dress shirts hung along racks that decorated the hallway. At the end of this array of clothing was one long counter with a single cashier behind. She greeted them as they entered, along with a quiet chime of a bell.
“Hm. So what color were you thinking?”
“Color? Well, I’m not sure…” Miles had preferred to stick to one essential color pallet, which consisted of, frankly, only one color. It had been a while since he had been out of his comfort zone.
“Ooh! Mr. Edgeworth! What about this navy suit here?”
Miles cringed looking at the suit. It had looked too similar to Phoenix’s usual court fit. He imagined the two of them, arriving at dinner, in the same outfit, and the embarrassment that would bring.
“Definitely not.”
Browsing ensured. Kay suggested suits, some were promptly rejected, and others made it as far as the changing room before being discarded. They had spent almost an hour in the store before the woman that previously stood behind the cash register had approached them.
“Good afternoon, I couldn’t help but observe the two of you, and well, wanted to suggest something.” The saleswoman held up a cream-colored suit. It had beautiful stitching and a wonderfully complemented black waistcoat beneath.
“Mr. Edgeworth! This one looks perfect! Dontcha’ think?”
Miles grew flustered, quite too captivated by the suit before him. He shelled his embarrassment. “Yes. It looks perfectly adequate. Thank you, would you mind if I tried this on?”
“Not at all!” The woman seemed happy she could be of help. “May I ask what’s the occasion?”
“He’s proposing!” Kay exclaimed excitedly.
The saleswoman sent an alarming glance between Kay, and then to himself before Miles had realized the assumption she made.
“Oh, God no. No, it’s nothing like that. I’m proposing to my boyfriend tonight. Kay is just here to help.”
He noticed the relief that filled her expression and felt a bit disgusted she had made such a connection in the first place.
“Well, congratulations! I hope it goes well. Let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with.”
“Thank you.” He sent her a polite smile as she quietly retreated to the back of the store where they had first seen her.
Miles turned back to the dressing room, seeing Kay examining her hands with a worried look on her face.
“Kay? Is something wrong?”
She looked up at him, with eyes that almost held tears. “I’m sorry Mr. Edgeworth.”
“Whatever for?” It was surely not her fault the saleswoman made such an assumption-
“I broke my pinky promise… I told her your secret.”
“Oh… Kay.” He knelt down to her height. “It is quite alright that you did that. I am not upset that a stranger knows about my plans for tonight. I would only be upset if you had told Phoenix. Alright?”
“Ar-are you sure it’s okay?” She looked at him, still upset.
“Yes, Kay. Of course, it is. I appreciate you being so worried, though.”
She finally smiled.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Try on that suit!” Kay said with her usual bubbly grandeur.
He smiled at her and entered the changing room one last time.
*
Miles had purchased the suit, it really was perfect. Kay had also convinced him in purchasing one of the designer colognes they had on display behind the counter. She had claimed it smelled “Unbelievably handsome!” Miles was unsure how a scent could smell handsome but he refrained from saying so, as he had partially agreed with her.
He was feeling even more confident about tonight than before. His plans were set and now perfected, and it would all catch Phoenix Wright entirely off guard. There was no way he would know.
*
“I’m telling you, Maya, I know!” Phoenix exclaimed from the kitchen, where he was arranging an afternoon lunch for the two of them.
Maya finally tore herself away from the television screen to meet him in the kitchen. “Really?!”
“Yes. I’m sure of it. Tonight’s the night.” He slicked a piece of butter onto the frying pan.
“And you’ve figured this out how exactly? Cross-examining him? Maybe pulling out your handy-dandy stone?”
He chuckled. “There was no need. I simply know Miles. I could tell.”
He placed one slice of bread onto the pan.
“Oh yeah? And why is tonight the special occasion? It's a-'' Maya eyed the calendar on the wall, “Tuesday! There is absolutely nothing special about Tuesdays.”
Another slice. “It’s not just any Tuesday, Maya.”
“Then tell me, Nick, what's so special about this particular Tuesday?”
Bread slices were flipped and a piece of cheese was placed onto each one.
“It is in fact the anniversary of me and Miles’ reconnecting.” He said matter-so-factly, turning to her.
Maya laughed lightly. “Which time?”
“Hey! I’ll burn your sandwich.” He threatened.
“You wouldn’t dare.” She sipped on a can of soda she had stolen from Phoenix’s fridge. “Anyways, how do you even know that?”
“Miles had it written on his work calendar. Along with a big circle around the date.”
“Pssh. That could mean anything. And since when do you go snooping through your boyfriend’s things?”
“I wasn’t snooping .” He placed the completed grilled cheese on a plate and began on the next. “He just left it open one day that was all.”
“Right, right.” Maya walked over to him and took the plate for herself. “Well, you’ve convinced me. So what does this mean?”
“Hm?”
“Well, now that you know, what are you going to do about it?” She took a bite of her sandwich, which surprisingly did not burn her mouth off.
“Nothing I guess. I can’t ruin the gesture with an ‘Objection!’ or anything.”
Maya shrugged. “It’s good to be prepared I suppose. I’d hate to be caught off guard by that sort of thing.”
“Remind me how you and Franziska got engaged again?” He teased, sliding his own sandwich onto a plate.
“Hey! I was totally in the know!”
“Oh, so am I remembering a phone call which consisted of ‘NICK OH MY GOD NO WAY!’ to be just an elaborate ruse from you?”
“Yes. That is exactly what happened. I was tricking you. And hey! I don’t sound like that!”
“You sound exactly like that.” He sat next to her at the dining table, smiling widely as he bit into his own sandwich, which was, indeed, still way too hot.
Maya laughed as she watched him almost spit it back out onto the plate. He glared at her.
In the middle of his hateful glance, his phone rang.
He finished chewing as quickly as he could, ignoring the fact that his mouth was burning, and answered the call.
“Hello?”
“ Phoenix.”
“Well, hello there Miles.” He sent a wink toward Maya, who responded by rolling her eyes.
“ I have set aside dinner plans for the both of us tonight. I will be picking you up at 7:00. Please do not eat too much before then.”
“Oh, sounds exciting. What’s the occasion?” Maya ignored the obvious cheeky look he was giving her.
He heard Miles hesitate to answer over the line. “ Um. Nothing of the sort. It is just a nice dinner for the both of us.”
“Do you think I could bring along Maya? I’m with her right now and we had plans for later tonight.”
Maya sent a dumbfounded glance his way that screamed ‘What are you doing?!’
“ What?! No! I mean. Miss Fey would be welcome to join us any other night but I had set aside plans for just you and I. I apologize if they interfere with anything else you had arranged.”
“I’m just joking Miles, date night sounds lovely. I’ll be ready at seven.”
“ Excellent. I will see you then.”
“Okay, Goodbye Miles. Love you.”
“ ...Love you too.”
And the line ended.
“Oh my god.” Was all Maya had to say.
“What?”
“You are evil, Nick.”