Chapter Text
September 30th, 12:00PM
Prosecutor’s Office
Room 1202
Pen in hand and a cup of tea in another, it was rather calm today and Miles Edgeworth was rather relieved of that. Himself working away on his notes and papers before he’d call it a day by four in the afternoon, though he’s certain that he could do more to knock down the towering heights of things on his checklist for the day. With this much, any other person would think he was the chief prosecutor, instead of a sabbatical lawyer! But to pace himself, understanding the notion that work couldn’t be akin to a sprint, but a marathon. And he did promise several people about taking his time with less urgent matters.
Miles would think that’d be silly and he still does think so, but then he winced a little. He grumbled, setting down his cup to grasp his hand holding the fountain pen. He gently rubbed against his wrist and felt a sharp pain seer through his whole entire arm. Sucking a breath in, the pen drops to the table and Miles leans back in his chair.
He could only think, ‘Not again.’
This would be the third time his hand was strained from all the writing he’s done for the last four hours. He sighed. He’s only twenty-six! How could he be straining his body already?
‘Aren’t I a perfectly healthy man?! These setbacks shouldn’t be happening!’
Then, he scowled. This is actually expected, he’s very much in and aware of his denial. But that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. He had been taking rigorous notes of overseas justice systems, but over two years of studying abroad and prosecuting with very little breaks has finally started taking a toll on him. So he’s conceded to everyone’s concerns. Less rigorous writing and more (begrudging) patience around the setbacks he may come across.
Sure, it was a little irritating, but Miles knew they meant well. Especially coming from Phoenix and Maya.
When he started doing his weekly video calls with Wright and the occasional Ms. Fey, they had immediately noticed him and called his strained wrist out. Edgeworth closed his eyes, recalling the memory not so long ago.
— —
“Edgeworth, what’s up with your hand?” Wright was taking a bite from his sandwich, obnoxiously leaning his entire body against a dining chair.
“What do you mean, Wright?” The prosecutor paused his writing and raised his eyebrow. He wasn’t doing anything remarkable, just scribbling notes in a book.
Wright looked at Edgeworth with a nonchalant shrug. “I mean, I don’t think anyone holds their wrist or arm straight like that when they write.” Then, the typically blue clad lawyer smiled. “Unless you happen to act like a stiff cyborg with your stilted movements, further proving that you’re a robot?”
“EDGEWORTH’S A ROBOT?” A very loud Maya Fey scream echoed from the speaker of his laptop, though she was nowhere to be found on the screen.
“URK–!” The prosecutor felt his ears heat up. It had been ten minutes since the video call had started and Wright was getting another jab at him with that robot nonsense with Ms. Fey joined in on his carnage.
“Absolutely not, you cannot say that!” He scoffed, and shook his head in annoyance. He saw that man’s mouth quirk up even more, forcing Miles to quickly dart his gaze away. Edgeworth would rather try and pretend that Wright couldn’t see his face, though he had no idea if he failed miserably.
“Well, you’re not really proving your point with your polished speech either, Edgeworth.” Edgeworth frowned deeply at hearing that, knowing for sure he had been caught.
‘Wright sounds so smug already, damn him.’
The prosecutor sneered as he leaned against the table and crossed his arms. “So if I’m a robot, what makes you? A porcupine? Anti-bird spikes? Icicles attached to a human body?” He mused to the defense attorney. “I was unaware a hedgehog could be a lawyer, but here we are.”
That man burst out with a boisterous laughter, a noise that made Edgeworth’s heart soar and thump against his chest. Ms. Fey’s cackle followed as she came into frame and landed her arm against Wright’s shoulder, jabbering and pointing at him while Wright swatted the girl’s arm away from the screen with a lovely grin across his face.
This was what he needed today. Just these people on video call. A little obnoxious and sometimes snarky, but he stopped feeling alone about his trips around Europe to discover more about legal codex and justice systems. He no longer felt like he was stuck on this rocky planet without anyone. He was with people who care about him and wanted to know his days traveling.
They were his… friends. Not acquaintances, not peers. Friends.
“Ooooouuuuch,” Ms. Fey grimaced as she looked at Miles. “Edgeworth, y’know Nick has a point about your hand! I mean– look at how you’re grasping your arm!” She pointed at the screen and Miles looked down to see his hand clutching at the pen. He could feel the feeling of shame build up, though not from his confounded feelings from his friends’ comments. Simply the aching nerves in his arms that have been sore for a long time.
“What’s up with that?” She asked. “Did you get hurt or something? Hopefully nothing as bad as that bonk on the head when you returned to the states a few weeks ago.”
Miles sighed and shook his head. He clarified, “I’ve simply been trying to avoid straining my hand, that is all. Learning abroad means more work, but my hand’s taking the blunt blow of all it.” He looked at the books to the side, seeing a large stack of untranslated copies of legal text he would need to read before he could leave Munich.
He turned back to his laptop screen. “Unfortunately, this work is important and I…”
Edgeworth stopped. His eyes found Wright and Maya stopped looking at him. Conflicted expressions mirrored at each other while looking at each other. Both with furrowed brows that were both soft, yet clashed with their clenched frowns. “What is it?” Edgeworth tilting his head.
“Er… Edgeworth. Maybe you should be more careful about your hands and arms,” Maya turned back, closing her arms together and rubbing her shoulder, all the while she shuffled down in the chair next to Wright. “Y’know, rest ‘em? Give them breaks.” She looked hesitant, her fingers fidgeting against each other as she looked back at Edgeworth.
“I understand that,” Miles raised an eyebrow, his arm now sprawled down onto the desk, feeling a recalling strain in his wrist. He shook off the flash of pain and continued, “But also understand that I must get this work done.”
“It’s not that.” Wright clarified quickly, “You are aware you tend to overwork yourself, especially if no one’s there to stop you, right?” His frown deepened as his usual cheerful expression was replaced with something more grimly and reprimanding towards Edgeworth.
“Wh–” Miles shook his head in surprise. ‘What were they trying to say?’
Edgeworth knew they weren’t trying to be condescending. But something felt sorely off in this change of conversation. They looked oddly concerned. “Please, I think I can check up on myself. I can stop myself whenever I can.” Edgeworth spoke clearly.
“We just don’t want you to overwork yourself, ok?” Maya smiled, but it didn’t quite reach the same winning grin as before. “No need to hurt yourself to do your job.” The young Fey tilted her head and darted her eyes towards Phoenix.
Wright instantly noticed and rolled his eyes. But with his rather calm demeanor, it seems that, either way, he agrees with Ms. Fey. “If you’re doing interviews with legal people, record them rather than take notes. Might take some strain off your wrist,” he suggested.
Tsk.
“Surely you two aren’t trying to parent me in things I am already aware of trying to improve–”
Wright’s earnest grin immediately flashed back at Miles, that man raising his hand out to the screen and his other on his heart. “Absolutely not, my dear Edgeworth!” Blinking, Miles realized his face felt hot to the touch at that cringey dramatism from Wright.
‘Goodness, I’m becoming more pathetic than imaginable,’ he thought.
He dropped his pen gently onto the table and crossed his arms. “Then, what are you trying to do?” Edgeworth leaned into the dark office chair, flinching as his back felt a little sore to the touch.
“We obviously care about you! So do us a favor and take care of yourself!” The Fey girl pouted. “It does no one good if your wrists are going to get carpal tunnel at twenty-six!”
“I’m not going to get carpal tunnel, I’ve taken enough breaks!” The prosecutor spat back, though it lacked any heat to really make a dent into the two’s infallible spirits.
“And how many is ‘enough’, Edgeworth?” Wright raised an eyebrow, his lip jutting out in very unconcealed suspicion.
Miles took a moment to remember the last time he rested his hand. He was doing it right now, as he massaged his wrist, wasn’t he? Well, he supposed there wasn’t really a time when he actually did something else but write. Even at his leisure, he was writing notes and ideas that came to his head in his moleskin book. His eyes darted to the side, caught in the act so they say. That’s why they were concerned.
He heard a sigh from his laptop and turned back. “Edgeworth… that’s not a good sign.” Wright said.
“I–” Miles scoffed, “It’s nothing to be worried about. It was way worse when I was younger.”
“That’s even more concerning!” The other man smacked his hand down against the table, lifting himself up with distraught eyes.
“Edgeworth, don’t do that to yourself. That’s going to be bad down the line.” Wright’s expression morphed into something more somber, with his lowered eyelids and rather unhappy frown.
Miles resisted the urge to roll his eyes, seeing as Wright and Fey are showing an amount of sincere concern. Instead, a groan left his lips. “Why would my hand be so of utmost importance to you all?”
He straightened up and pulled his chair closer, but his eyes looked away in strain of horrible eye contact (he was never really good at that). He says, “I doubt these reactions are required for such an obstacle. It happens naturally to us eventually.”
“Because Mia also had the same issue when she was alive.”
Miles’ eyes widened. When his gaze returned to the screen, Maya’s regretful eyes and a weak smile came down as she tilted her head down. Wright took note of it immediately as he started patting her back slowly.
Maya sighs, “I remember she used to complain about having to write a lot when she was at her first attorney’s office, and she started getting aches on her arms as a result.”
Guilt sank through his aching fingers, pain splintering into each joint.
Mia Fey. Miles remembers her being the dearly departed for both of them, a tenacious lawyer up until her passing. Maya mentioned how much she studied to beat the odds of her difficult upbringing. Edgeworth can imagine. Late nights writing notes, reading tombs of legal text, difficult tests to take. It’s always an honor to find a way to becoming a lawyer, having worked hard and done as much as one could.
‘But there's always a price to pay for that, isn’t there?’ Miles recalled, the soaked guiltiness dripping down into his gut.
Not enough to be overwhelming, but enough to feel the pain.
“I see,” Miles looked away, his hand clutching his arm. “That is a more critical cause for concern. I apologize for my ignorance.” He clenched his teeth, guilt vanished into shame that he quickly shook off. “I didn’t realize that this topic held significance to both of you.”
Miles heard a sniffle and then Maya exclaimed. “T-then! You have to take care of yourself!” She had started shaking her clenched hands around to properly show her faux vexation. “Promise us, my fellow Steel Samurai ranter! Or it will end badly!!”
Edgeworth couldn’t help but smirk, especially as his ears were blessed by the following chuckles of that man. His usual cool face soaked in warmth like a hug.
“Yeah, we care about you, Edgeworth. We know you well and understand that your work is important. Buuuut,” Wright smirked and leaned his head on his arm, his lovingly endearing smile making Edgeworth feel even more pathetic for the defense attorney. “...Can’t do much to fix a legal system when your hands are broken, right? It’d be a shame if you weren’t able to point in a courtroom anymore.”
While Wright was joking, he and Maya did have a point. Edgeworth could tell from how he felt his usually straight face start twisting the mouth into a smile. He does want to try and follow their advice. Least he can do for all they’ve done for him.
“I’ll…” He stammers, before conceding with a warm feeling marring his face. “I shall try and incorporate your advice into my life. I promise that, at least.”
“Not just that! Make sure to enjoy wherever the hell you’re going to! Take pictures, walk around, shop! Actually–!” Maya slammed her hands down onto the table as she pushed herself up from her seat. She walked away from the screen, with Wright looking towards her and immediately rolled his eyes.
“Oh dear god, Maya…” Wright rubbed his face with an exasperated expression, looking rather done with his assistant (or was it sister now? They always acted very sibling-like).
Seconds later, Maya comes back with a long paper list. She starts laying it flat on the table, bringing a finger down to what seemed to be a header. “If you’re in Munich, you can get all kinds of Steel Samurai merch.”
“Maya, don’t make Edgeworth your way to tour cities through exclusive merchandise.” Wright gave a flat unimpressed stare to his assistant, to which Maya blew a raspberry in his face.
“Well, he’s in Munich, right?! So he might as well get something ,” Maya rolled her eyes back at the defense attorney and grinned back to Edgeworth. “What do you think, Edgeworth?”
“Hm.” Edgeworth pondered, pleasantly surprised by the idea. He hadn’t realized how wide the franchise could be outside of the states and Japan, though maybe he shouldn’t have underestimated the power of one of his favorite shows of all time. Maybe that would be an adequate use of time while he rested after his studies.
“Edgeworth, I know we said to take it slow. But also, don’t fall into the trap of Maya’s Steel Samurai obsession..” Wright sighed.
“Hey! It’s relaxing! Right?!” Maya says, huffing to the attorney.
“No, I'm Wright.” He teased.
“Shut up, that joke is so OLD!”
Miles found himself smiling just a little. He certainly isn’t blasé, but the duo on his screen always had a feeling of sweetness he wasn’t used to. They were like a pair of annoying familial raccoons, nagging each other and others, all the while being a troublesome kind of disturbance. Not like he minded. “I’ll take that into consideration whenever I am out and about, Ms. Fey.” He says, giving her a nod.
Before Maya could utter another word, a bunch of clutter could be heard in the distance. “MYSTIC MAYAAAAAAA–”
“Coming, Pearly!” Before he knew it, Maya dashed off the camera.
Wright sighed and smiled bashfully at Edgeworth. “I think Pearls toppled her drawer again.”
Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. “Surely, it must be time to bolt those wardrobes down? Lest you get into another one of those incidents, or an earthquake comes and shakes everything in your apartment, Wright.”
To which, Wright shrugged. “Would if I could, but that’d take at least a few days. Days I don’t have, unfortunately.” He pouted, and crossed his arms. “Besides, there hasn't been any bad disturbances lately, and the girls will be going back to Kurain in a few days.”
“Procrastination at its finest, hmm?” Miles smirked at that man, who let chuckles and snorts escape that always made Miles feel any smugness transform into kind affection. It’d been awhile Edgeworth felt this content, having been so busy with conferences and working as a prosecutor at once. Still, he could allow himself to enjoy time with his friends, especially a friend who laughed like this all the time.
Wright wheezed his throat so he could answer back with, “Maybe. Though, I think I just want to spend as much time as I can with them before they go..” Wright smiles, leaning against the table. “Bolting stuff down is the least of my priorities, anyways. Besides, if I was busy with stuff like that, how would I have time to bother my magenta prosecutor?”
“It’s burgundy, Wright.” Edgeworth says, already having an inkling that the man had specifically said ‘magenta’ to be easily annoying to the prosecutor (Wright was an artist, after all).
“...And you bother me plenty already.”
“Really? And I was under the assumption that we haven’t spoken for a week!”
“Ah, yes. It’s not as if you sent pictures of yourself, Pearls, and Ms. Fey at that ridiculous theme park.” That almost left a sour note in Edgeworth’s mouth, seeing as that day was… extremely strenuous at best. And somehow, Wright was able to snap a picture of the prosecutor investigating that day (because of course he did).
“Hey, to be fair, technically you didn’t let me know you were in the country then,” Wright pointed out.
“You assume I was jealous to see you all out and about without me?”
“Maybe~?” That man simply smiles. “Though, if you tell us in advance, I would be happy to grab tickets for that Steel Samurai show happening in the fall.”
The prosecutor smirked, tapping his finger onto his arm. “So you can fall asleep again at the expense of your own money?”
“Hey! The last stage play was really slow for the intermission, alright?”
“So slow that you fell asleep? ”
“Yeah?” Phoenix said with confidence of the obvious. “Besides, you, Maya, and Pearls have to stay awake for three hours so you get the full story. Not like you have it on video…” Phoenix paused, and looked at Edgeworth dead-on. “...do you?”
Miles rises to the bait, almost. His smirk turns a little coy, curling up mysteriously. “Can you guess, Phoenix?”
“Of course you would!” Phoenix snorted and then started laughing. The chuckles that made Miles feel heart palpitations increase tenfold.
Splitting headaches somehow subsided when he was able to see his friends again, no matter how antisocial he was. Then, that man turned his head toward Edgeworth, his eyes of dark oak shining at the screen, along with a tinge of a sky in each of his eyes. Tantalizing pupils that made Miles wish to be there in person just to see them closer. But studies came first. Then, soon, he could return home. So close to seeing him again–
The prosecutor quickly realized he was staring and cleared his throat. “W-w-with that in mind, Phoenix–!” He coughed a bit, hoping to have the anxious stumbling leave his throat, “I will take yours and Maya’s thoughts into consideration. In fact, once I return to Japanifornia, I’ll be having my optometrist appointment.”
Phoenix grinned, flinging his arms out in a wide stretch. “Finally~! How long have I been bugging you to get those!”
Miles rolled his eyes, closing his moleskin book and setting it aside. “Yes, yes. Point taken. I’ve just been apprehensive about it. That is all…” He conceded. Despite the admittedly calm feeling in his head, it was paired with half the parts of wariness. Would he look too much like him?
Wright looked off for a moment, his expression unreadable until it turned utterly soft towards Miles. “Is it… because they remind you of your dad, right?” Phoenix’s voice was cautious and curious, though his face was entirely filled with a worry that Miles could only wish didn’t have to appear after such a pleasant conversation. But of course, nothing escaped the defense attorney.
“....Was that more of a simple conclusion than anything?”
“Yes.”
‘Immediately?!’
“Nrgk…” A brash grunt left from Edgeworth’s mouth. “I suppose it was part of the reason… Another was just this baseless need to be perfect. Glasses mean less than perfect eyesight,” he rubbed the bridge of his nose, a burning feeling behind his face that he wished to freeze over. “But fortunately, I’ve left that mindset years ago.”
“OBJECTION!”
That nearly takes the prosecutor off his chair, knocking over everything on his desk with him. He clutched back and settled the chair down, his head marred with confusion as he looked back. “W-what was that about, Phoenix?!”
“I believe the prosecution is ly~ing!” Phoenix’s sing-songy end tone with his pointed finger at the screen with much entirely unnecessary gravitas as in court, with a cheeky grin lacing his face. “He’s not being entirely truthful with himself!”
Miles sat straight in his seat, pushing his arm against the chair in need to steady himself with these theatrics. “That’s your opening statement?!”
“Not only that, but I believe you inherently still have that perfectionist mindset!” Phoenix finished.
Edgeworth groused, finding his arm immediately being his crutch as he leaned closer to the laptop. “And w-where is your evidence?!”
“Well firstly, the fact that you decided to put off glasses means you were ashamed of having glasses.”
“That’s your proof?”
“I’m getting there! You say inherently you have removed the mindset from yourself, but if you had, you’d have gotten glasses by now!” Phoenix exclaims.
‘Ah, that is a good point…’ Miles had to admit that it is very much true, having already started to lose his clear vision by the time of the Matt Engarde case. Though there was much more to this.
But Miles wasn’t about to say that. “Well, I-I’ve been busy and…” he countered.
“Ahhh, you say that, but you were in the states before heading to Munich!” Phoenix pointed out. “You also hung out with me and Maya for a good chunk of that.”
Miles felt himself scoff as he rolled his eyes. “You two make me plenty busy, seeing as you planned silly get-togethers.” Wright looked very unconvinced before Edgeworth continued, “I was also dealing with a plentiful amount of cases, so I had been preoccupied before I visited.”
Wright huffed into a cocky smirk. “And yet, the man who would prioritize his friends over basic necessities? Astonishing!”
“Wright…” Edgeworth growled, but it sorely lacked luster compared to Wright’s cheeky disposition. Rather, what felt didn’t lack anything was the heat in his cheeks. He would have started rubbing them if that man didn’t continue.
That man then morphed his smile into something as innocent as can possibly come from Wright, “Unless you want to say you want to say you’re a procrastinator?”
“Procrastinator?!” Miles yelped, almost feeling knocked off his seat as offended he was at THAT notion. Anyone who would accuse the prosecutor of procrastinating would certainly feel his wrath. If anyone wasn’t Phoenix Wright, that is.
“Or are you a currently overworking prosecutor who wishes to achieve perfect studies to the point of carpal tunnel?” Wright pointed directly at the camera, eyes wide with electrifying joy.
Miles slammed his hand against his desk unwittingly. “NRGK–! PHOENIX! I don’t have a carpal tunnel!”
“But does that mean you admit to being an overworked prosecutor?!”
“N-NGHOO–! ABSOLUTELY NOT, THAT IS NOT ADMISSION OF–”
That man. That damnable man! His voice, laughter and smile all rang with hysterics and absolute joy. His body had leaned all the way back in the dining chair as much as likely it could before it tipped. Miles bit his lips, but immediately sighed with a smile he couldn’t stop spreading across his face. Phoenix was that damnable man, yes he was. But not so much when he laughed like that.
“Ahah…” Phoenix wheezed a little, clearing a stray tear from his eye. “Sorry, Miles. That was not meant to be a jab at you. Not intentional!”
Miles shook his head, leaning his head against his hand. “What was that supposed to be then?”
That man’s smile momentarily seemed to go rigid, before smoothing out into a natural smirk Miles’ would recognize any time during court. It’d be irritatingly charming of that man to do, seeing that he’d be insufferably correct about something or pointing out an inconsistency. But it also clutches something in Edgeworth’s chest with insurmountable impulses. Maybe because he’s being looked at with such… such…
‘What was it exactly?’ Whatever it was, it stayed as that man spoke.
“It’s a sign that you have to take care of yourself more.” Phoenix said, finally drawing Miles back to meet his digital gaze. “We– umm… y’know…” That man waved his hand around to conjure the idea, though he himself looked a little lost on what to say.
Miles raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know, actually. Maybe you could try and create a more compelling argument for me, Phoenix.” He rolled his eyes, unable to keep this feeling of pompousness surging from his face. “Though, I understand that it can be difficult sometimes for your caliber."
“HAH!” Phoenix smacked the table, and leaned far back into his chair with a graciously handsome grin and an undeniably addictive laughter, even if Miles has heard it so often already in this one conversation. Never one to admit it, but it utmost made his heart race significantly, like time rushing forward. Miles felt his smile grow wider, a chuckle escaping his mouth.
“We care about you, Miles!” The man leaned way closer towards the camera, his face filled with an odd determination that surprised the prosecutor. Phoenix continues, his eyes softening but continuing the very excitation that the prosecutor could feel emanating from the screen. “You are a good friend, y’know? It’s natural we worry about you, especially with your less than healthy work habits.”
Then, it’s the expression Phoenix gave. Miles remembers it so well. Blue and brown eyes twinkled at him, still showing a kind of compassion that is so reminiscent of the past and continues to be his present. That man’s smile grew to be quiet, however. Unseen. Near invisible. But Miles remembered everything well, even after the many weeks that have passed between then and now.
“So if you care for us, Miles, make sure to take care of yourself too, okay?”
— —
“Of course, Phoenix.”
Miles clutched the pen as the memory engulfed his thoughts, letting that hand sit on his waistcoat. His face felt a strange warmth emanating from those thoughts, changing from intricate plans to all the chances of normal conversations where his friends aren’t just lawyers and justice good-doers. They were people he could rely on in many, if not all, circumstances.
Even if their methods are…unorthodox at worst.
There was Kay with her absolute optimism and unshakable humor. Franziska with her somewhat caring demeanor under her strict attitude. Gumshoe with his resilient vigilance and thoughtfulness. Phoenix and Maya with their can-do attitude in ever-present damning circumstances. It was unfamiliar, a different language he was getting used to. People he’s known for several years that he didn’t dislike their presence in his life? Unheard of!
He grasped his teacup, the smell of sweetness ever aromatic even after it had been long since poured. He sipped from the cup slowly and exhaled slowly. He considered calling it a day. His wrist would absolutely join in on this assertion, and to credit its pain, he’d been working since 9AM. He checked his watch.
12:05pm.
Remembering what the defense had to say as he took another sip, it’d be crucial to turn in all the work he had currently and have his lunch. If his wrist felt better afterwards, he could certainly get a few more files sorted in time. ‘ Excellent, that’d be crucial and productive to do–’
“HI, MR. EDGEWORTH!”
Miles nearly spat out his tea onto his papers, but instead, the tea seemingly had a hiccup through his throat. He hacked into arm, turning away from his desk, before looking ahead to the door of his office.
One Kay Faraday had the door open with jade eyes pointedly staring at the prosecutor.
“Urk–! Kay, what did I say about knocking?!”
“Oop-!” Kay closed her mouth shut, looking like she was caught guilty and felt his ever present glares. She usually never did, but this case was an exception. Her cheeky little smile did twitch downwards some as she twiddled her thumbs.
“Sorry, Mr. Edgeworth! That was a-my-bad! Did ya spill your tea?” Kay replied sheepishly.
“...No,” he shook his head. “I am fine. Nothing’s been affected. Please… knock next time however. I’d rather avoid choking as my cause of death.”
“That’s a little morbid. I thought it would be getting carpal tunnel squared!”
He lowered his eyes with an unimpressed glare, very ineffective against Kay as her trademark cheeky smile appeared. “You’re all absurd and nothing else.” Miles scoffs before taking another sip of his tea, while eyeing around for any spills.
“Of course! Only the best kind of absurdity from the Yatagarasu!” She raised her arms out and bowed, before straightening back up with a confident pop into her step, “I could never be anything else!”
Miles rolled his eyes, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Is there a particular reason explaining why you’re here today, Kay?” If Miles had to guess, she just wanted to drag him somewhere, which would inevitably lead to some mess. That has happened more than he would reasonably count.
“Wanted to ask you if you wanted to join me and Gummy for lunch! It’s been toooooo long since we all got to hang out!” The young Yatagarasu looked at Edgeworth with eager eyes.
His brain paused for a moment before replying with, “Kay, I saw you both a week ago.”
“EXACTLY! How could it be a week since we last saw each other? That. Is. Criminal!” She huffed and shook her fists.
Miles raised an eyebrow. “If that were a crime, how long would the sentence be for not seeing each other since April?”
“Hmmmm….” She tapped her finger on her arm, eyes closed and a jutted lip, before immediately shifting to something more mischievous, “Dunno! Only thing I want to know is whether you’re coming with us!”
“Oh? I’m given a choice now? What an honor,” he quipped.
“Pshhh, please!” She waved her hand away, “If you don’t come this time around, I’ll drag you out of your office for another reason. Easy peasy! After all, what did we say about your carpal tunnel?”
Miles’ flat stare, again, did no wonders on Kay, who had her diligent smirk on her face. He sighed and replied, “Well, I had decided to take a break now anyways. So I’ll take you up on your offer.”
Kay’s smile widened in victory and she immediately propelled herself up in a cheer. “Hip-hip! Hooray!” Miles was very glad he had his tea cup in his hand, because his pen started to roll away before he swiftly placed it back into his drawer. “Gummy wants to go to the sandwich and soup place near Fern Street,” she added
Miles stiffened. That street of all things? If Fern St. was any indicator of something bad, he’d certainly be the one to know it. Since he was quite literally given a report on suspicious activity in that area. “May I please suggest something else? Somewhere less likely to cause trouble.” He groused at what he remembered.
“Oh, do you know the place?” She tilted her head, her long dark hair following suit.
“Be it as you may, but I hear that area has been on the constant radar of the police department due to unwanted activity. I’m surprised Gumshoe wants to be around there, seeing it increases our chances of being dragged along to some kind of investigation.”
“Like what? Can’t be worse than what we’ve all been through, riiiight?” She smiles, which to the edges of her mouth slowly curls downwards as Miles looks on with a very dead-eye stare. She started to look a little more concerned at the suggestion being true, though Miles can’t really fault her with everything that transpired months ago.
“Right?” She whispered with exasperation.
Miles relented the stare, and finished his tea. “Surprisingly, it isn’t the worst experience as far as I’m hearing. But I’d rather not get involved unless it’s urgent.”
He turned his seat around to set the cup on a tray by his window and lifted himself up from his chair, “However, if Gumshoe would certainly like to eat at that establishment, I won’t argue as long as the food is satisfactory. Can he at least confirm that?” The prosecutor raised an eyebrow, collecting his files and papers with careful consideration of their placement.
“He said he likes the food! I don’t know how that’d really factor things in for you, considering you probably eat at really fancy places,” Kay remarks simply, shrugging.
“I don’t always dine at high-end restaurants, Kay. Especially with how busy I am.” He scoffed, walking to the shelf to his left and taking out a file folder to place some papers in.
“But you have incredibly high standards!” She pointed out.
“Kay, does it not occur to you that I may have my own standards because I also cook to survive?” He turned to her with sensible eyes. “That’s something you have to learn as well, at least basic kitchen skills.”
“Ugh– yes, dad. As if you hadn’t reminded me twenty-thousand times after you left for Europe.” Kay rolled her eyes and raspberries in the general direction of Edgeworth. “Y’know how busy I was for the last three months? So busy! It’s not easy being a private investigator and a detective at once!”
Edgeworth shook his head, fully aware of Kay’s rather ridiculously difficult goal she wanted to accomplish. The dual process of being an investigator and a training detective. A feat technically possible, but fairly uneasy when considering the workload for both professions. While Kay is an astonishingly observant and determined person, Edgeworth had concern simmering on the back burner.
That’d she do something reckless again, get into danger and find herself injured. Or worse.
The incident in April still makes Edgeworth pause for thought. Such unlucky accidents happen way more times than anyone should be comfortable with, and he was very much hoping a streak of his loved ones being in danger would find its end eventually. “I told you to take your time with these kinds of studies, Kay.” He said firmly, extinguishing such worrisome thoughts from his mind.
“Why?” Kay huffed in annoyance. “Can’t I try to get there a liiiittle faster? What’s the worst that can happen? A detective too amazing for her own good?”
“I understand your excitement to start working,” he stepped forward to be in front of Kay, and placed his hand on her shoulder. “But please, take your time. There is no rush, and there’s a possibility you may change your mind on career choices later on.”
“ I haven’t felt this sure about what I wanted to do in my life, Mr. Edgeworth .” She spoke succinctly with a serious expression, though her emanating attitude fell short with her wide eye stare. Miles smirked and promptly dropped his hands to cross his arms.
“Of course you are, but a word of advice is to look a little less like you’ve had too much caffeine, Kay.” He shifted and headed to the door, opening it wide open, “We’ll talk more about this while we get Chief Detective Gumshoe. Let’s go.”
Kay paused, looking at the side with an intense thought under those brimmingly excited eyes. It was a little long for a stare, like she was processing Edgeworth’s words, understanding what she just had heard.
But before he could mention anything, she turned around towards the prosecutor and grinned, following Edgeworth’s lead. “Does this meal have Edgeworth insurance?”
“Absolutely not. Pay for your own meal, Kay.”
“Aww…”