Chapter Text
-Instance 1-
Another case, another win.
Miles Edgeworth was a man who rarely indulged himself, but he exceptionally allowed the spring in his step on the way back to his office, and basked in the sweet glow of victory. A perfect win, he expected nothing less. The defense hadn’t stood a chance against him.
Now all he needed to do as he arrived to the 12th floor was file out the paperwork so he could focus on the next case, making it another perfect victory on his record. As it should be. Perhaps he would spend the night here with his work. It was late, after all, and a good cup of tea would easily replace a night’s sleep. He entered his office, switching the lights on.
That’s when the first tremor hit.
The lights flicked off abruptly, the ground shook, and his mind was instantly overcome by an all consuming terror. The tremors reverberated in his whole body, settling in his bones, burrowing under his skin, making his ears ring with a thousand gunshots.
Before he could blink, his legs gave out. He landed on the ground with a thud, the pain of the impact not even registering with how his whole head was filled with the rumble, his body limp on the trembling wooden floor, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t breathe-
The ground stopped shaking abruptly.
Miles Edgeworth lay there, shaking, gasping for air, black dots dancing at the edge of his vision, and tried desperately to stop the scream echoing in his head like a broken record. The quake in his hands receded slowly, and silence finally fell, numbness settling over him like a suffocating blanket. It was only when his mind stopped telling him the room was going to shrink on him that the shame kicked in, white hot shame that made him sick.
He’d had a crisis. Again.
His hands tightened into fists, nails digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood. He was supposed to be beyond this. It had been 12 years, and he still couldn’t get over it. The dark walls of that elevator bore down on him wherever he went, taunting him, crushing him, leaving him no respite. He was a Von karma disciple now, and perfection didn’t care for nightmares, neither did the court. Those little crises only made him look weak. He rubbed at his eyes viciously, berating himself for letting tears fall in the first place.
No one would know. He was the demon prosecutor, he was ruthless and had a perfect record, no one could-
Get yourself together, foolish boy, said Von karma in his head. Edgeworth stilled.
His mentor would know. He always did, somehow, always smiled coldly after an earthquake, always reminding him of his failures. Pathetic. The older man didn’t even need to say it anymore, the word was engraved in Edgeworth’s brain, forever associated to anything that came close to vulnerability or mourning.
Edgeworth took a deep breath. His mentor wasn’t here to sneer at him right now, and they probably wouldn’t run into each other for at least a few days. He wouldn’t have to deal with him for that long, and he didn’t even try to pretend he didn’t feel relieved by that. At least he hadn’t blacked out his time.
Sighing, he got up, or rather, tried, his legs not cooperating and far too weak to support his weight. He cursed under his breath, the familiar anger at his own weakness replacing everything else. He somehow managed to get to his desk, and used it to prop himself up, going around it to plop in his chair.
The door chose that exact moment to slam open, a panting detective barging in with his usual lack of finesse, bordering shouting,
“Mr Edgeworth ! Are you okay ?! I came as soon as I felt the earthquake back at the precinct ! Are you hurt ?”
The door closed quietly. Edgeworth barely resisted the urge to grip his arm under the concerned stare (pity, pity, pity-), instead straightening his spine and glaring at the fool. His already fraying control was declining rapidly, and the last thing he needed was a bumbling fool to add to his nerves.
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine,” he said sharply.
The detective didn’t even flinch at his tone. He looked around the room, eyebrows furrowed. Edgeworth did too, and realised the tremors had sent most of his files on the ground. He could already feel a headache coming. He looked up to see Gumshoe staring at him again. It felt strangely like he was seeing through him.
“Uh… actually, sir, I’m sorry but you look kinda-“
“Detective,” he hissed.
Gumshoe stood straighter on instinct. The big oaf was still staring, at his red eyes and clenched hands and messed up hair, as if he had any right to, as if he cared, and Edgeworth burned.
“If you waste your time trying to assess my well-being every time there is an earthquake, which I will remind you is none of your business, I don’t imagine your career will last long,” he spat at him.
Gumshoe’s shoulders dropped and he fixed his stare on the ground, looking hurt. Edgeworth smothered the guilt as soon as it came. At least he wasn’t being gawked at anymore ; he would almost certainly punch something if he had pity directed at him again. He was a Von Karma disciple, for god’s sake. Brown eyes flitted on him again, probably expecting something else. Edgeworth glowered back. He wouldn’t lose, even less to this detective. Gumshoe shuffled from foot to foot for a bit before sighing when he realised this was all he was going to get.
“Well, if you’re sure, sir,” he mumbled dejectedly.
Edgeworth almost sighed in relief. He could finally have peace. He nodded, and the detective turned around, slowly making his way to the door, obviously trying to give him time to change his mind. It should have annoyed him even further, but instead Edgeworth felt his stomach sink. The bothersome detective was leaving, he should be feeling relieved. Why wasn’t he ?
A gunshot. A scream. He can’t breathe.
This was fine, he told himself. He’d gone through too many nightmares to count on his own, he didn’t need help. He had to deal with this alone. He’d never achieve perfection otherwise.
The door started to close behind an olive coat, and Edgeworth felt nauseous, dread engulfing him, body freezing in panic for the second time that evening.
A little boy, alone and scared in a hospital room. (Your father is dead.) A little boy, alone and ashamed in a big mansion. (Do not disappoint me.) A little boy, alone and sad-
“Detective,” he rasped.
The man turned around so quickly he bumped into the door.
“Yes, sir !”
Gumshoe paused in the doorway, hopeful puppy eyes landing on him. Edgeworth took a breath around the acid in his throat. Then another, when it wasn’t enough to make his hands stop shaking. And another. He watched with mounting dread as the detective’s brows furrowed, more and more with each second spent in suffocating silence.
“…Sir ?”
Edgeworth looked down at his desk. He tried to shove down the dread with sheer willpower, to no avail. His control and composure had been all but shot to hell by now. Weak. Just like your father.
“Stay ?”
He’d meant it as an order. It sounded more like a plea. (How low are you going to sink, you pitiful-)
“Of course sir !”, Gumshoe agreed warmly. Edgeworth had to remind himself to breathe.
“I can help you with those, if you want ?”
Edgeworth blinked. Those ? Oh. The files. He heard the door close, and a moment later worn out shoes stopped just at the edge of his field of vision, in front of the desk. Waiting patiently for an answer. Nausea raring up again, the prosecutor nodded, not trusting himself to look up. (Pathetic.) The shoes disappeared somewhere to his left, reappearing some time later to cross the room and put case files away in their rightful place. Edgeworth’s shoulders slowly dropped when he realised the detective wasn’t about to ask questions he couldn’t answer. He leaned back in his chair, letting out a breath, trying to expel the remnants of post-earthquake dread.
For a little while, only the shuffling of papers and heavy footsteps could be heard in the 12th floor office. The only light source was a dim glow from the window, neighbouring buildings basking the room in a warm light. It was strangely soothing, a kind of peaceful the prosecutor hadn’t felt in a long time, and certainly didn’t expect to associate with a boisterous and quite frankly annoying detective. He closed his eyes and focused on it, trying to replace Yanni Yogi with green coats and friendly smiles.
He dozed off without even noticing.
–-
When he opened his eyes again, the first thing he noticed was that it was bright. Too bright. He realised with a jolt that it was early in the morning, and berated himself for dozing off. His skin crawled at the thought that he’d fallen asleep so easily with someone else in the room.
While it wasn’t the first time the prosecutor spent the night in his office, it was the first time he awoke to the sight of a green coat.
Draped on him.
What ?
Edgeworth frowned in confusion. A noise made him look up, only to see the detective, busy dusting the shelves. He had removed both his coats (one of which was on the demon prosecutor, but he tried not to think about it), and was humming under his breath, dusting rag in hand. Growing more and more confused, Edgeworth observed the scene. The files were back where they belonged, not a single one out of place. A black vest was strewn across the sofa, which looked somewhat rumpled. Detective Gumshoe had lent his green coat to him overnight, and looked even more disheveled than usual. Still somewhat sleepy, the prosecutor took a moment to make sense of everything. The only logical conclusion was that the detective had spent the night here, on the sofa. The realisation confused him even more. Why in the world would anyone do that ? He wasn’t a child, he didn’t need to be watched during his sleep ! He didn’t need help, or company, or… or coats that served like blankets and made him feel warm and safe. He didn’t.
He glared daggers at the detective, who was still oblivious to his boss’s wakefulness, and watched him work for a moment, anger and confusion and shame and something else battling for dominance in his chest. The confusion won out, and he cleared his throat loudly. Gumshoe jumped, then smiled upon seeing him awake.
“Sir ! Did you sleep well ? Sorry, just thought it’s been a while since I dusted your office.”
He’d last done it only 2 days ago.
Gumshoe smiled again, and Edgeworth felt strangely lost. Why did his chest feel so tight ? Why wasn’t the detective pressing him on what had happened yesterday ? Was he trying to spare him out of a misplaced sense of duty, or was he just that stupid ?
And how in the world had Edgeworth managed to sleep an entire night without nightmares ?
“Ahem. I did. I- ngh. Good work, detective. That will be all. We should both get back to work,” he said, voice stilted, hoping he wouldn’t have to say much more to get him to leave, because his mouth appeared to be completely useless at the moment.
Gumshoe preened at the rare compliment, missing the message completely.
“Of course, sir ! I’m glad you’re feeling better !”
Was he ? Why do you even care about that ?
Gumshoe was quiet for a moment, then nodded to himself, apparently satisfied about something. For someone so simple-minded, he could be strangely hard to read sometimes.
“Well then, I’ll go back to the precinct, Mr Edgeworth. Call me if you need anything !”
“Hm.”
He felt the sudden urge to thank him. (For what ?) He very wisely chose to keep his mouth shut, not wanting to encourage even more reckless behaviour.
Gumshoe took his black vest and made his way to the door for the second time, smile still somehow on his face.
“I’ll see you soon, sir !”
Surprisingly, the thought didn’t fill him with dread. The door clicked shut, and in the returning silence of his office, Edgeworth realised something.
The detective had forgotten his coat.
-Instance 2-
“I can’t believe I’ve -Huff- never been to your office, Edgeworth !”
Edgeworth paused his ascent of the stairs and looked back at the girl with purple robes panting a few steps lower.
“You haven’t had any reason to go there, miss Fey.”
The spirit medium took a few deep breaths before responding. She was carrying her wood sandals by hand, and Edgeworth had to make a conscious effort not to cringe at the thought of her bare feet on the dirty stairs.
“Yeah but still ! Nick’s been there !”
“He was investigating a case involving me, and you were in Kurain at the time, if you recall.”
“Still,” she mumbled. “And how the hell do you climb 12 floors without dying ?! You’re not even sweating !”
Edgeworth turned around and ignored her death glare, going back to climbing the stairs that led to his office floor.
“I have practice,” he said calmly.
He smiled to himself as Maya groaned behind him.
–-
They both managed to get to the 12th floor in one piece, with a lot of waiting on Edgeworth’s part and a lot of complaining on Maya’s. Wright and Pearl were down the street, getting food for all of them. Edgeworth had initially shuddered at the thought of so much food getting into his office, but ultimately accepted when Maya had insisted she needed to see his office and eat a burger. At the same time.
(I’ve been kidnapped for 2 days, she'd said, and one dinner at the gatewater hotel isn’t nearly enough to make up for it. …Don’t tell Nick I said that, though. He feels bad enough as it is. Beside, it’s gonna be cool to hang out just the four of us ! I bet your office is real classy.)
So here he was, unlocking the door to his office with an excited spirit medium behind him. He opened it with a mounting sense of dread. She immediately went inside, not even waiting for him to switch on the light. When he did, she gasped.
“Holy SHIT is this a steel samurai golden edition figurine ?!” She but screeched, spinning around wildly to look at him with something akin to wonder on her face. Oh god. Of course she would know about it, she was a steel samurai fan after all.
“Erm. It is, yes,” he replied unsteadily.
Maya pounced on the figurine, only stopping with her face inches from it.
“This is awesome, I dreamed of having one when it came out, oh man look at the level of detail !”
Edgeworth closed the door behind him while she went on gushing about it. He was suddenly very thankful that the prosecutor offices were soundproof.
Maya was hovering over the figurine, a giddy smile on her face. She turned to him, eyes sparkling.
“How did you even get that ?! Can I touch it ?”
“Nghh, I- Yes, you can.”
The truth was that it had been a gift from that… dreadful old woman, a fact he tried his best to forget. (How she had gotten it, though, he couldn’t help but wonder. He'd been very reactive when the site had started the sales, and even then he hadn't managed to secure one.
As per anything regarding Wendy Oldbag, this was a mystery better left undiscovered.)
Miss Fey squealed before reverently inspecting every crevice of the object. Edgeworth usually didn’t trust just anyone to touch it (not even Gumshoe), but he knew she would take the utmost care of it, as she was perhaps the only person he knew who could understand its value. Edgeworth sighed. It came out more fond than intended, but thankfully Maya didn't notice. Pure unaltered joy was bouncing off her in waves, it was a far cry from her crying famished self of only a few days ago. Perhaps accepting her request to come here had been a good idea after all.
She gently picked the figurine up, smile turning wistful.
“I miss the show. I wish they’d made another season with the evil magistrate…”
Edgeworth frowned and silently debated with himself, looking at the door anxiously. Wright and the small Fey could arrive any minute. He and Maya shared a common interest in the steel samurai, yes, but was he willing to tell her ?
A part of him said it was stupid and childish and he shouldn’t even have that figurine in the first place (it sounded a lot like Von Karma, unsurprisingly). Another urged him to share this with Maya, to make her smile, to seize the chance to talk with someone about it. Hadn’t she said they were friends ? The truth was, he didn’t really know how to be a friend.
The only “friends” he had were either made when he was nine, or had appointed themselves as his friends without his input. But maybe… he could make connections by his own volition now. Make it a conscious choice. He looked at the spirit medium in front of him, small yet fierce, caring and so so brave.
He cleared his throat. Maya looked up, blinking at him.
“Well… I heard a group of fans was going to make their own version of another season focused on the dynamic between the steel samurai and the evil magistrate. It will of course not be on the level of the original show, but…”
He trailed off at the look of pure delight that was back on miss Fey’s face. She was practically bouncing with excitement, only restraining herself so as to not jostle the figurine in her hands. Edgeworth opened his mouth, then closed it again. His legs itched with the sudden urge to flee, his mind screaming at him to run away at the prospect of exposing himself to refusal, to failure. To being known. He stood his ground.
It’s now or never. Just do it.
“Would you perhaps…”
Maya’s eyes sparkled even more, if that was even possible.
“Ngh…b-be interested in watching them with me ?”
“YES!” she shouted, grin splitting her face so wide Edgeworth’s face hurt in sympathy.
“Ohmygod this is gonna be great, I’ve never actually met anyone else who’s a fan, I mean I’ve been pestering Nick to watch but he doesn’t get the pure genius of it- Oh we are so having a steel samurai marathon.”
A marathon ? Unease started clawing up his chest. …Just what had he gotten into ?
He closed his eyes briefly and pushed it down, trying to rationalise. Being able to discuss the series in depth and watch this new instalment with a fellow fan would surely be beneficial for both of them. Sharing this particular interest was a blessing, he reminded himself, especially if it brought such light to miss Fey’s eyes.
(Just call me Maya, Edgeworth)
Miles smiled. It felt too wide on his face, alien, but he chose to smile all the same.
“I look forward to it, Maya.”
-Instance 3-
It wasn’t particularly hot outside, yet he felt about to have a heatstroke.
Edgeworth had been called earlier by one Phoenix Wright, with an urgent tone, and had rushed to the Wright and co law office expecting a real emergency. Considering Maya had been trapped in a freezing cave to protect herself from a vengeful spirit just a few days ago, disregarding speed limits and red lights had seemed justified. (Just how many times was fate going to put this girl through traumatic events, Edgeworth had to wonder.)
He’d expected anything, from Maya having a meltdown to another kidnapping, anything but Wright beckoning Pearl his way and telling him to watch over her.
Edgeworth had never babysitted in his life.
Wright didn’t seem to mind one bit when informed of this, saying he trusted him to babysit Pearl for a short while, and later on they would eat lunch with the whole group. (He pointedly did not think about Wright saying he trusted him.) Peering inside the office, he couldn’t see Maya. Wright caught his eye, smile falling.
“We’ll meet you at the burger place when she’s ready,” he whispered.
It seemed his first hypothesis had been correct, then.
When informed of the change of plans, Pearl accepted readily, saying something about spending time alone with their “special someone”, which made Wright sigh wearily. Edgeworth accepted as well, and that was it.
Which was how he found himself outside on a sunny day, with a child in robes next to him, trying to find a “burger joint” based on incredibly vague indications.
God, he was tired.
Miles steeled himself and began the walk towards their destination, Pearl following dutifully. Better not to waste time. It was completely silent, thankfully (he wasn’t in a state to endure endless chattering right now). But it seemed karma was against him, because the sidewalk was quickly becoming crowded, people pushing and talking loudly, just the way that grated on his nerves. There seemed to be a new café opening, or a circus, hell if he cared.
He plowed his way through, people mercifully getting to the side when they saw his glare. He only remembered after a few meters that he was supposed to have a child next to him. Miles looked next to him in panic, only to settle immediately at the sight of her. So he hadn’t lost her in the five minutes since her caretakers had entrusted her to him.
Good. (It was kind of pathetic of him to be so relieved by that.)
She was, however, hunched over on herself and biting her thumb, eyes darting everywhere, looking lost and terrified. Miles felt a pang in his chest at the sight.
He knew that Wright and Maya had to talk, but as far as Pearl knew, the two adults she trusted most had just left her in an unknown environment with a man she barely knew. The fact that the place was crowded and loud didn’t help.
They still had quite a way to go, and keeping an eye on her to make sure she didn’t leave his side while sidestepping people was frankly unpractical. With her size, she could easily be knocked over, get lost, or taken… or simply have a meltdown, judging from her anguished look. Edgeworth could definitely relate on that last part. He tried looking around quickly for a less crowded path, and huffed frustratingly when all he could see was more people. He glanced at Pearl, weighing his options. He couldn’t very well pick her up, but… He thought of a small Franziska, no more than 4, and slowed down.
He leaned closer to her level, trying to make himself as non threatening as he could. Pearl looked at him, still chewing on her thumb, obviously confused.
“You can hold my hand, if you want to.”
She turned to him with wide eyes, her hair loops bouncing at the sudden movement.
“I can ?”
“Of course,” he assured her as gently as he could. Which wasn’t very gentle at all, but she didn’t seem to mind, clearly relieved.
“Thank you,” she said timidly.
Ever so polite, this girl. She truly was a sweet little thing. (Franziska had hit him with her riding crop when he’d asked.)
He held out his hand, and she took it, squeezing like her life depended on it. Edgeworth winced, suddenly feeling sympathetic for every time Wright had taken the brunt of her punches. He resumed walking, now with a small hand engulfed in his. She could only hold three of his fingers, and the observation made something fierce and warm curl up in his chest. They walked through the crowd until their next turn, and Edgeworth breathed easy again at the sight of a more empty street.
If his memory served him right, the “burger joint” should only be a few streets over.
A sudden tug at his hand made him slow down his pace, until he stopped completely. Pearl was dragging behind him, not even aware of it, eyes wide with wonder and fixated on something to their right. Edgeworth turned, curious as to what had captivated the young girl, and found himself face to face with a clothes store. Girl’s clothes, if the sheer amount of pink was to be believed (did all women really like pink ? He was pretty sure that was just an urban legend, but then again what did he know ?) She was looking at it with stars in her eyes, like she’d never seen anything like it. Considering she’d always been sheltered in Kurain village, she probably hadn’t.
“Pearls ?”
The girl flinched and lowered her head at the sound of her name, making his stomach sink.
“I’m sorry for getting distracted, mister, it won’t happen again,” she said meekly.
Miles stared, and allowed himself a single very self-indulgent thought. Fuck you, Morgan Fey. (His therapist would be proud.)
He looked at the store, then at his watch, then at Pearl, thinking. Wright and Maya were sure to take some time, meanwhile he and Pearls were early and close to the rendez-vous point. A small trip to the store wouldn’t make them late. They could afford to take 10minutes to look at… pink… children’s… clothes…….. Nghhh.
Why was he considering this again ? Ah, yes. The reason was right next to him, in the form of a small girl who was sneaking glances at the frilly pink dress in the display with a guilty look on her face. Miles inwardly sighed, then steeled himself (he seemed to be doing that a lot, today) and cleared his throat to get Pearl’s attention.
“Why don’t we go inside ?”
The surprise quickly melted off her face, and she started chewing on her thumb again, brows furrowed.
“But- Mystic Maya and Mr Nick…”
“We still have time before we need to meet them. If you want to go inside, we can.”
“…Yes please,” she all but whispered.
He stepped towards the door, gently tugging her behind him. For how enthusiastic she had seemed moments ago, she now looked terrified. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all.
The door closed behind them with a ding, and they stood there, admiring the vast expense of clothes upon clothes and children running between the aisles.
Miles had to admit he was completely lost in this kind of environment, but he was a little reassured to see that at least he wasn’t the only one. It made sense when he thought about it, after all, both of them had been confined in a strict household for most of their childhood. Public stores were alien to both of them. Pearl was practically glued to his side, clinging to his hand like a lifeline, and Miles couldn’t blame her.
They were starting to attract strange looks, though, so he guided her towards the closest rack, observing her reactions closely. Her wariness faded quickly enough, soon replaced by awe before the blue jeans and purple T-shirts.
It went like this for a few minutes, Miles taking her closer to the racks she was eyeing until she felt confident enough to lead him wherever she wanted. They inspected the whole shop in comfortable silence, hand in hand. It was certainly a strange experience, but not in a bad way. He felt himself relax gradually, going so far as to even smile (watching Pearl discover sneakers was somehow therapeutic).
Time trickled by quickly, and before he knew it the 10 minutes were up. They needed to make their way to the restaurant soon, or they would be late. Though Miles felt wrong leaving the store just like that and cutting Pearl’s fun short when she was only starting to enjoy herself. Maybe he could buy her something ?
He looked around, trying to find something adequate. His lack of knowledge stared him back in the face. He scowled, trying to come up with a better idea. Clothes were out of the question, there were too many things he could get wrong, and besides he wasn’t her caretaker, he didn’t want to overstep his bounds. So, what did that leave him with ?
Oh, of course.
Clothes were too much, but what about something smaller ? Surely a small trinket would be alright. There was a small accessories section at the far end of the shop, with one pink bracelet that had captivated the young girl earlier. Hopefully she’d like it.
“Pearls ?”
The girl turned to him, stepping away from the dress she’d been inspecting.
“We need to leave soon if we want to make it to the rendez vous on time.”
Her face fell, launching a direct stab of guilt to his heart.
“Oh… I see.”
“There’s one last thing I want to do before we leave, is that alright ?”
She nodded dutifully, and followed him without a fuss. He picked up the bracelet, Pearl peering at it curiously from his side, and made his way to the counter. He had to let go of her hand to pay, and soon enough they were outside, with a small parcel in Miles’s hands. He opened it and took the bracelet, handing it to Pearl. It was elastic, with pale pink, purple and white beads.
“Here, this is for you,” he announced.
Pearl stared. And stared some more. Miles resisted the urge to grip his arm, looking to the side, suddenly less sure of the brilliant of his idea. He shouldn’t have bought anything, he was clearly overstepping. But she’d seemed to like it, before, didn’t she ? Had he misinterpreted ?
A small voice interrupted his thoughts before they could spiral.
“You bought this for me, mr edjiwerth ?”
“Erm, yes, I did.”
Pearl folded herself in half so suddenly he nearly jumped out of his skin- Oh. She was bowing. Wait. She was bowing to him ?
“Thank you so much ! I’ll treasure it always !” she exclaimed happily.
She got back up, bouncing up and down with a big smile on her face. Miles couldn’t help the way his lips curved upward. He gave the bracelet over, watching as she stretched it to fit on her wrist and admired it with sparkling eyes.
A vibration from his pants pocket made him come back to reality with a jolt. He got his phone out, checking the new message.
“Maya and Wright are on their way, we should rejoin them,” he informed her.
Pearl nodded excitedly and took his hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. Miles blinked, caught off guard, before remembering himself and guiding them away from the shop, scowl long gone. He hoped she’d never apologise for being excited about something ever again.
--
They arrived at the place with a few minutes to spare, and settled at what Pearl told him was “mr Nick and Mystic Maya’s special table”.
Maya and Wright arrived late, and something in his chest loosened at the sight of them. They both looked exhausted, but happy to see them. As soon as they got seated, Pearl brandished her arm and showed them her new bracelet, gushing excitedly about it.
“Wait wait wait ! You went shopping ? With Edgeworth ?!” Maya cried out.
Pearl nodded enthusiastically, and Edgeworth had half a mind to just make a run for it. The way Maya was gaping and Wright was smirking knowingly at him was definitely not helping. He huffed, willing his face to stop feeling like a furnace.
“Since you two are late,” he threw a pointed glare at them, “we took the liberty to order, and I advise you do the same.”
Thankfully, Maya took the bait, diving into the menu and choosing the biggest burger they had with glee. It was comforting to see her back to her glutton self. Wright, however, kept smiling at him, menu still on the table. He raised an eyebrow at the man, who just smiled wider. What a fool.
“Aren’t you going to eat, Wright ?”
“I already know what I want,” murmured the man. While staring at him. Miles felt himself flush against his will, and scowled. Get your mind out of the gutter, he’s talking about food.
He turned towards the girls, who were now deep in conversation (about clothes, how fitting), pointedly ignoring the man next to him. Which became impossible when Wright leaned close to him and talked in a hushed tone, so the girls couldn’t overhear,
“Pearls doesn’t have a lot of things that aren’t impersonal channeling stuff. You didn’t have to buy her that, I mean, I’m glad you did, it’s just- What I mean is thanks. She really likes it.”
He huffed quietly.
“Of course.”
He didn’t mention how he’d briefly considered buying half the store.
Though he wouldn’t mind buying a entire wardrobe for such a sweet, polite girl.
Pearl was chatting animatedly with her cousin, all earlier quietness long gone. She still hadn’t let go of his hand.
“Mister edjiwerth, mystic Maya says they have tea with tapeeoka bubbles in it ! Do you want to try it ?”
He had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but her enthusiasm was contagious.
Oh well. They could discover it together.
“I would love to.”
-Instance 4-
Miles Edgeworth suppressed a sigh for what felt like the millionth time that day.
Of course, the one day he made time in his schedule for something personal (other than flying to someone’s bedside in the middle of the night) had to be the day he forgot to take his case files with him, forcing him to go back to his office to get everything in order and of course prosecutor Payne had to intercept him to talk about something asinine while he was anxious and carrying flowers and-
This time he did sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose to stave off the headache he could feel coming at the mere thought of that insufferable prosecutor.
This wasn’t how he had envisioned the day. (He hadn’t envisioned anything at all, quite frankly, since the trip to the florist and clearance of his schedule were completely spontaneous decisions. But still.)
Trying to will his mind away from unwelcome thoughts, Miles started gathering what he’d come for.
A few minutes of shuffling and organising later, and he had everything he needed. He likely wouldn’t come back to his office for the rest of the day, so he needed to take his current work home with him, just in case. Suitcase under one arm and flowers in his hands, he took a few seconds to breathe. Just thinking of where he was going was making him anxious. He exited the room, closed the door, and locked it behind him before he could second guess himself and hole himself up in his office.
He made his way through the (quite empty now, thankfully) corridors of the prosecutor’s office, turning around the corner-
And barely stopped himself from bumping into someone, pressing the flowers close to his chest so they wouldn’t get crushed.
Said someone stared at the bouquet in his arms as though it had personally offended her.
“Miles Edgeworth. What. Are those ?”
The truth was, he didn’t even know. He didn’t remember if he ever had a flower preference, and everything looked the same to him at the florist, too big and colourful and alive, so he had picked the most neutral bouquet he could find without being ugly.
The white flowers now felt heavier than stone in his arms.
Franziska Von Karma was glaring at him, like she usually did, though it felt strange to see it in this context again. They had both yet to go back to Europe, after the debacle with Simeon Saint ; they were staying in LA for now, both for their own agenda, which very rarely coincided. Miles distantly realised he couldn’t remember the last conversation they had face to face about something other than a case. He didn’t know if it made it easier to answer her question.
“They’re for my father. I plan to visit his grave today,” he said, stilted.
The soft Oh that left her lips took up the whole room, making it hard to breathe.
The flowers’ wraps creaked in protest in his arms, and he forced himself to loosen his hold. She didn’t interrupt the following silence. The hand at her hip was deathly still on her whip, and he knew that look. It was a perfect facade, trying to hide discomfort and grief, and something in his chest fell away like chipped glass.
He probably wouldn’t get another opportunity like this.
“Would you like to accompany me ?”
Franziska froze, surprised by the outburst. (This is unfit of a Von Karma disciple, her surprise told him. He’s as good as dead, and this isn’t about him, he bit back.)
He was almost expecting the snapping sound of her whip, and the familiar anger that came with it.
The rising emotion in widening blue eyes, he definitely wasn’t.
It felt like the following silence swallowed them both. Then Franziska took a breath, and the world didn’t tilt off axis.
“Yes.” Her voice didn’t shake.
–-
The ride to the cemetery was a blur. Next thing he knew, he was walking down a narrow path between stones of all shapes, looking for the one he vaguely remembered from the funeral. (And god, had he really never visited since ?)
At least here, they were on even ground. Neither knew how to mourn, or how to bury ghosts. Or what the flowers meant. He put them down on the gravestone anyway, next to “loving father”. They were so white it hurt to look at, but he didn’t avert his eyes. They both stayed here for a moment, just absorbing the sight.
Ironically enough, Franziska was the first one to speak.
In hindsight, he shouldn’t have been surprised, truly. Even here, she was making this a competition, in true Franziska fashion. That didn’t mean it hit him any less hard when she said his father’s name.
“Gregory Edgeworth.”
She paused, lost. Miles looked at her, idly wondering if she had ever visited her own mother’s grave. Knowing Manfred Von Karma, probably not. Perfection didn’t allow any distractions, after all.
Sensing his eyes on her, Franziska’s hand flexed, reaching for a whip that wasn’t there. She’d left it in the car earlier, probably her own way of showing respect to the dead. Now, it only made her look smaller, next to the greys and blacks of love long lost but never forgotten, a love, Miles realised, that she’d never known. Perhaps they weren’t quite on even ground, even here, after all.
Franziska spoke again.
“I heard a lot about you, mostly from that foolish attorney in your office. He made you sound like the kind of man people can trust, though… I would have liked to see that for myself.”
She cleared her throat, back going straight.
“Your foolishly fool of a son has become a remarkable prosecutor. You ought to be proud of him.”
Edgeworth felt his chest warm at that. Straight to the point, as usual.
“He’s not perfect, but… he’s my little brother. I-“ she inhaled deeply. “I’ll watch over him for you, make sure he doesn’t do anything foolish.” Her hands twisted on themselves, and Miles realised they were blurry.
“Thank you for giving him to me,” she declared softly.
Rib cage feeling impossibly tight, Miles noted distantly that he should have brought her here sooner, and that he should have brought tissues. He pretended not to see her eyes glisten, and she mercifully did the same for him. They stood in the silence, Miles taking a few shaky breaths and blinking back the tears to try and ready himself. (He would never be ready.)
He kneeled with unsteady legs in front of the tombstone, pebbles digging uncomfortably into his suit, and stared at grey stone. He’d wanted to come here so many times, and yet avoided it like the plague, had wanted to say so many things… but now that he was here, his tongue felt like lead in his mouth, his throat too tight to even breathe. Franziska truly had beaten him this time. He slowly put a hand on the stone, feeling the letters engraved in gold. It was cool to the touch (father used to be warm, warm). Miles closed his eyes.
“Hello, father,” he whispered.
Once the first words were out, the rest flowed easily, heart opening and spilling itself everywhere, a splash of red on a monochromatic decor.
“I’m so sorry for not visiting sooner. I was… scared of coming here. Terrified, really. But I’ve come to realise recently that fear shouldn’t keep me away from the people I care about. And you were the first ever of that list.” His voice wavered dangerously, and he took a deep breath to steady himself.
“It’s been… hard without you. I went to hell and back, but I think I’m doing better now. I am doing better now,” he corrected softly.
“You don’t need to worry about me not being able to make friends anymore. I don’t know how it happened, but I have more than I can count.” He thought of family, of Franziska and Wright and Gumshoe and Maya and Pearls and Kay and agent Lang and Eustace and Ema and Larry, and all the people he’d met and all the people he could count on, and smiled.
“I’m in good hands now. I… Thank you. For everything. For loving me. For giving me your passion for the truth. For being the best father I could ever ask for.”
I love you, he didn’t say. But he didn’t need to, Gregory Edgeworth had always known that. Miles had known too, at some point, that his father loved him. For the first time in ages, he let himself believe he deserved it.
Silver bangs slowly lowered under the weight of a feeling he’d forgotten, and black boots and thighs joined Miles on the ground. A shoulder touched his, tentatively. He pressed back. It was an anchor, an apology, a mutual unspoken understanding, something to rely on when the world was against them. It felt a little bit like love. To think he’d almost lost this when writing five words on a sheet of paper…
Franziska’s shoulder was warm against his, the stone cold under his fingers, the tears silent on his cheeks. Miles Edgeworth emptied his thoughts of a cruel mentor, and basked in the presence of the people who mattered. His chest felt tighter than ever, and yet breathing had never been easier.
-Instance 5-
In the week since Simeon Saint’s arrest, Kay and him had developed some kind of routine.
Edgeworth would work in his office, as always, and Kay would find her way inside with progressively stranger ways. From the window (how did she climb 12 floors ?!), picking the lock on his door, the air vent, sleeping under his desk to surprise him… (she took at least a decade out of his lifespan.) She usually came with her own food, sugary treats that made his teeth ache just looking at them, and ate next to him while he worked, in a comfortable silence or to the sound of her chatter. It was strange, but not in a bad way. Edgeworth had come to appreciate Kay’s presence, and the fact that she always cleaned up the crumbs before leaving made him loathe to eject her.
Today was no exception. She’d gotten in from the window, nearly gave him a heart attack, and had proceeded to talk about a stray cat she’d petted earlier for about an hour. When she ran out of things to say, she took a bite of her sandwich (it’s a bagel, Mr Edgeworth), and hummed under her breath. Edgeworth, meanwhile, was neck deep in paperwork, the formalities with his returned badge and the numerous cases they had solved giving him a seemingly endless pile of reports to look through. (It didn’t help that he wanted to make sure each trial was handled properly in his absence from the court, especially as he would soon be going back to Europe)
“So,” she said, munching on her bagel. Crumbs fell on the desk, and Miles had to force himself to not externally cringe. She would clean it up later.
“Are you free next week ? Eustace and I were thinking we could do something, the three of us. Like, I dunno, watch something. Can you believe he’s never seen the jammin’ ninja ?!”
Edgeworth evaded her gaze, case reports all but forgotten. He knew he couldn’t avoid the subject forever. He still didn’t feel ready to broach it, but he owed Kay the truth. He put his pen down, gathering his thoughts.
“I’m afraid I won’t be available. I will be returning to Europe soon. I… hadn’t planned to stay for so long, to be completely honest.”
Kay’s face fell.
“…Oh.”
That was the part he always dreaded. The quiet disappointment, echoes of the times he’d left hurt in his wake. He didn’t want this, but he wasn’t quite ready to come back completely. Not yet. But this time, he intended to warn the people he cared about before leaving.
“When’s your flight ?”
“In two days.”
Kay nodded and looked down at her hands, hiding her face from view, bagel discarded. His heart clenched painfully.
He’d been thinking about something for some time now, about tying loose ends and warning before he left.
Out of all the people he left behind in LA, he knew most of them were in good hands, and weren’t alone. Wright and the Feys had each other, Gumshoe had his own life (and a girlfriend, from what Kay had told him… Maggey, was it ?), and Eustace was staying with judge Gavelle and her son.
But Kay… from what little he’d heard about her relatives, they weren’t the type of people who could take proper care of her, much less understand her. He didn’t even know where she’d been staying during these past weeks, but he knew for a fact that she’d fled her relatives to avenge her father’s death, and no one had claimed her to be missing or done anything to bring her back. Whenever he or Gumshoe asked about it, she evaded the questions. Honestly, Miles would have found their names and address and sued them for child neglect long ago if it didn’t mean betraying Kay’s trust.
Now, the only thing he could do was ask what he had rehearsed in his head countless times during the past few days.
But here, looking at her, small and lost and valiantly trying not to show her disappointment, words failed him. Kay was upset, and thinking logically had always been difficult when Kay’s well-being was involved, afterall. She was part of those few people he would give up his badge, charter a plane, and mostly do anything for. But even then, it was different with her. She had wormed her way into his life so quickly, yet he sometimes felt like he’d known her forever. Always that energetic teenager with a flair for dramatic entrances, with a heavy legacy and a bright future. She was fidgeting with her badge, looking down at her feet, and Miles felt this visceral need to make her laugh again.
He wanted to give her everything he’d lost in that elevator, everything she’d lost in that courtroom. He wanted her to be happy and safe.
She deserved someone who wouldn’t leave her behind. Maybe it was about time he became that for someone.
Bright green eyes, unruly black hair, a scarf that probably hadn’t been washed in weeks.
He’d never felt more sure of anything in his life.
“Do you want to come with me ?” he asked when he found his voice again.
She looked up abruptly, eyes wide, disbelief written plain across her face.
“Huh ? Wait, you mean- to Europe ?”
“Yes. That is, only if you want to. I would never force you to abandon the life you have here.”
She was still looking at him as though he’d grown a second head.
“…I thought you wanted me to continue my studies,” she said quietly, eyes narrowing with suspicion. Testing. He gladly took the bait.
“I do. There are fine universities and the such there, and I would of course help you apply to whatever you want. Ema is studying forensics in France, and I only heard good things from her.”
Her hands tightened at the mention of her friend. She battled with herself for a moment, green eyes clouded with something that might have been hope.
“I, uh, I don’t think I have enough to buy my own place right now. And I don’t even speak German !”
“You wouldn’t have to. I… was actually thinking you could stay with me, at least until you figure out which arrangement you like best. I have a spare room, and you’re more than welcome. Though of course, if you want your own place I could help finance it. As for the language, I have no doubt you will pick it up easily enough.”
She shook her head rapidly, almost desperate.
“You don’t have to- I- I can pay for my own stuff, I just need to find a job-“
“You’re 17, Kay,” he interrupted her. He went on, trying to sound more gentle, “You shouldn’t have to. And I have more than enough to provide for two.”
“I- Uh.”
He only realised then what was disturbing him in Kay’s questions.
She was pressing him. Looking for a contradiction, a flaw in his logic.
A lie.
He would’ve smiled with pride in another context. Now it only made his heart ache at the familiar fear on her face.
“My aunt kind of can’t sign school papers if I’m in Germany,” she said quietly.
Edgeworth took a deep breath, preparing himself for the most sensitive part of his reasoning.
“Well. As we have established, you are still a minor. I would, of course, never take a teenager to another country without ensuring they have a legal guardian who can travel with them.”
Kay was looking at her hands again, which were coiled tense in her lap. Edgeworth smothered the impulse to reach for her. Not now. Only years of battling in court kept his voice from wavering.
“I would be ready to fill that role. Again, only if you want me to. I- I would never pretend to replace your relatives, or…”
Or your father. The words hung in the air between them, silence stretching with each second ticking by.
A tendril of uneasiness sneaked its way around the prosecutor’s heart at Kay’s silence, and squeezed. This was a bad idea, he realised with a sinking feeling. She’d lost her father, a prosecutor, of course she didn’t want him to hold that title. And she had just reclaimed her heritage, why would she want to leave the country ? Oh lord. Starting to slightly panic, Miles had to consciously remind himself to stay quiet and not ruin this even more.
He’d come this far, he couldn’t backpedal now. Kay would tell him yes or no, and he would have to accept it. He hadn’t felt this nervous in quite some time. He almost jumped when Kay spoke again.
“Why ?” she whispered.
Edgeworth swallowed. The truth, tell her the truth.
“I would feel much more at ease knowing you are safe and near, after all that has happened. And… as the detective is staying in LA, I might need an assistant. The great thief yatagarasu is a precious investigating partner.”
Silence, again. That wasn’t all of it, but Miles Edgeworth had never quite known how to excavate his feelings and expose them to the light, much less how to express them.
Though that became the very last thing on his mind when he saw glassy green eyes trained on him, paired with a small smile that felt like a miracle.
“You’d let me investigate with you ?”
I would let you break into my office everyday if it meant I could see that smile.
“Always.”
It felt like promising much more than just that. It felt like it didn’t even matter, because she’d already broken into his heart and made it her home some time ago.
She smiled, all dimples and teeth and tears, and promptly buried herself in his arms.
“Yeah, I’ll come with you,” she said, teary and muffled from where she was pressed against his suit.
It took Edgeworth a ridiculous amount of time to make sense of the words. When he finally did, a wave of relief so big engulfed him, he could have joined her crying.
“I’m glad”, he managed with an embarrassingly wavering voice.
Kay made a sound, half sob half laugh, and squeezed him so hard she could have been Gumshoe. He managed to wrap his arms around her after a moment, and she settled comfortably on him, curling in his lap like a kitten asking to be held. They stayed like that, hugging and crying on his chair in an empty office, for what felt like hours, bagel long forgotten on the desk.
He released his hold after a while, and Kay extracted herself from his arms, sitting on his desk again. He couldn’t even muster the energy to be annoyed. After wiping her face with her sleeves she smiled again, this time a Cheshire grin that mad him remember exactly who he was dealing with.
“So,” she started with an air of faux innocence.
He raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.
“Now that it’s settled, when do you adopt Eustace ? I want a brother.”
Miles Edgeworth then proceeded to choke on air and cough his lungs out, while his newly acquired daughter wheezed and laughed at him like the little traitor she was.
–-
The flight for Germany went smoothly (not much turbulence, thankfully), with Kay vibrating out of her skin at her first time on a plane (he had warned her not to eat too many snacks). When they arrived at his apartment, hours later, Miles took a minute to take everything in after opening the door. It had only been a few weeks since he left, but it felt good to back. Kay immediately abandoned her bags to fling herself on the couch, her eyes widening when she sank into it.
“Holy sugar this is so comfortable !? Hey, can I sleep here ?”
Miles rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him, tuning out her antics.
He’d lived (with interruptions) in this apartment for almost 2 years now, since his “death”. It had been a new beginning, and a space he’d carved out for himself during difficult times. Back then, he would have fled again at the mere idea of someone intruding upon that. But now…
His phone pinged in his pocket, and he turned it on, letting an enthusiastic Kay discover the place (she got bored of the couch fairly quickly). He had two unread messages.
Franziska [6:42] : Miles Edgeworth, you will alert me when you have landed.
Franziska [13:26] : Can you not follow a simple instruction ? Do not let this foolish behaviour of yours contaminate my niece, you foolish fool.
Miles smiled and put his luggage down to type out an answer. Franziska had always had a soft spot for Kay, and had taken to calling her her niece immediately after the news. He had to admit it felt right.
An excited shriek made him jump out of his skin as soon as he’d hit send.
“OH MY GOD Mr Edgeworth you have a DOG ??!!”
“Ngoooh-! Kay, don’t scream like that !”
But she wasn’t listening, too busy petting a white borzoi who was immensely enjoying the attention. When his heartbeat came back down, Miles whistled, and Pess immediately ran towards her owner, barking and wagging her tail. She looked happy and healthy, so the person he’d engaged to take care of her must have been a good fit. He hadn’t realised he’d missed her so much. He scratched her behind the ears, making her tail wag even faster.
“This is Pess. She’s been my companion for a year and a half, now. You must have already noticed, but she loves being petted.”
Kay came closer and joined him, fawning over Pess, who was more than happy with the double scratches.
“Pess, this is Kay. She will be living here from now on, so I expect you to treat her well.”
“Awwwww, of course you’ll treat me well. Won’t you, Pess ?”
Pess barked. Kay grinned even wider.
“Good girl !”
Indeed, it was good to be back home.