Work Text:
It was a turbulent day at the Prosecutor’s Office. Streamers were wrapped around poles, pink and red confetti was raining through the hallways, and confessions of love seemed to linger in the air. Yes, it was Valentine’s Day. He was seriously considering outlawing the holiday.
Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth had taken down corruption throughout the precinct. He had defeated international smuggling rings on multiple occasions. He had been responsible for the conviction of some of the most dangerous criminals in the country. And yet, here he sat slumped over his desk, head in his hands as he pondered the notion of the foolish holiday making itself known around him. A little black diary sat next to his latest case. He sighed as he recorded the chain of events that had occurred over the days leading up to the event, then laid his head back down. Perhaps he could rest for a while.
Edgeworth had never been one for celebrating love. When he was younger, he had no time for notions of “romance” and “partnership”. While the people around him fancied themselves involved in such situations, he was focused on his studies and excelled in every area. Of course, there was that one time, but he would prefer not to think about that.
This time, however, was different. He had been dating Phoenix Wright for six months now, and while they were arguably the happiest months of his life, it had been a challenge navigating the norms of dating life while serving as Chief Prosecutor full-time, not to mention Wright having his hands full with his own firm.
With the complicated and all-consuming nature of his work, he had forgotten the customs of Valentine’s Day until a week before the event. He knew it was customary to give one’s partner a present, but couldn’t fathom what Wright would want. Realistically, he could’ve gotten him something monetary, but even he knew that that wasn’t heartfelt or meaningful at all. After extensive research, he had concluded that chocolate was an acceptable present, along with flowers, but thought that it was too generic for Wright. A quick phone call to Franziska told him that “even burgers are a far superior present than that, you foolish fool.” Someone as irreplaceable as Wright deserved something just as special… but Edgeworth had no idea what.
That was how he had found himself sitting on a massage chair, a speaker being used as a desk in front of him. Shuddering, he raised an eyebrow as he looked at the host of this ungodly furniture, who was perched on a speaker nearby.
“Prosecutor Gavin, dare I ask why you are using a speaker as a desk instead of the standard desk allocated to all prosecutors in this building?”
Gavin smirked at him before straightening up. “Well, Chef Prosecutor Edgeworth, it’s just more fun this way. No one wants to do paperwork sitting at a normal desk, ja ?”
The glare the man leveled at him made him deflate slightly. “I-I mean there’s nothing wrong with that… nothing at all. I just prefer a little flamboyance in my life.”
Though he certainly seemed as “glimmerous” as Ema often claimed, Edgeworth surmised that perhaps Gavin did know what he was doing. Wasn’t he known for writing love songs and such? Love thy guilty, or something?
“Erm… yes, anyway. I wanted to ask for a personal favor, if you don’t mind. I assume I do not need to ask for your discretion?”
“Of course.”
Edgeworth sighed. “I… need some advice on a certain situation I find myself in.” Edgeworth didn’t like the smirk that returned to Gavin’s face as he played with his hair.
“My, my, could this be about a certain defense attorney, Herr Edgeworth?”
Edgeworth glared at him, making the other man gulp, but realized that he wasn’t going to get anywhere if he wasn’t honest. “I suppose it is. As it happens, this is our first time celebrating Valentine’s Day together, and I’m not quite sure what to get him. You seem to know a lot about these things… what would you suggest?”
Gavin seemed to think before answering. “Hmm… that really depends on the couple, as everyone is different. Have you tried a grand gesture of sorts? I assume you don’t want to just send him flowers or chocolates, so this is a step up from that. I have to warn you, though, that sort of thing isn’t for everyone. Mein liebling hates it…” Edgeworth couldn’t quite make out the last part, and said as much. The other man flushed red. “Nein, it was nothing.”
A smirk of his own graced Edgeworth’s face. “ Du bist nicht der Einzige, der Deutsch sprechen kann… liebling. ” He was a deep scarlet now, the flush quite clearly evident despite his tanned skin. “ ÄH - any way, I think if you get him something that speaks to the state of your heart, he’ll love it.”
Edgeworth thought it over. Yes, it did seem like a good idea in theory, but…
“Gavin, how am I supposed to know what the state of my heart is? I… must admit, I am not very experienced in these matters.” Though he felt a bit embarrassed to be admitting this to his subordinate, it was better than remaining entirely clueless and possibly messing up one of the most important relationships in his life. Phoenix was incredibly precious to him, and the thought of inadvertently hurting him made him involuntarily wince. The expression seemed to be written on his face, as there was a shift in Gavin’s eyes. Suddenly, he stood up, snapping his fingers as he did so.
“Perhaps we need a change of scenery. Come walk with me, ja ?” Though feeling a bit confused, Edgeworth complied.
The two men walked over to Gavin’s wall of guitars, which was next to the window overlooking the garden below. “As you know, besides prosecuting, I produce music for a living. I know you don’t care too much for my other career, but have you ever contemplated why?”
Edgeworth thought long and hard, but couldn’t deduce a reason other than that he was good at it. The wall of guitars looming over him certainly seemed to think so.
“In a way, yes. But it’s deeper than that… music is my passion. One of many, in fact. My career stems from the fact that it brings me genuine joy to play, to create, to bring purpose into the world through my craft.”
Gavin turned to Edgeworth, motioning him to look at one of the guitars in the corner. Upon closer inspection, Edgeworth noticed that despite the superior build quality of the wooden base, one of the strings was barely hanging on to the peg. It seemed to be a millimeter away from snapping. The other five strings seemed to be in perfect condition, though, a brightly glistening red one catching his eye.
“Love is like music, in more ways than one. In this case, it is fragile, and beautiful. It makes you vulnerable in that it makes you more susceptible to any action the other person takes. However…”
He tried to play the weak string, which produced a twangy sound that made both men wince. Suddenly, it snapped in half, causing Edgeworth to jump a little.
“One must proceed with caution, or it can produce a discordant note in even the strongest relationship. Like a harp discarded on a beach with rocks, or a dream shattered because of a false reality.” The man grimaced, lost in his thoughts for a moment before returning to the guitar. “It’s incredibly precious. Love that encompasses your heart like that only comes once in a lifetime.”
While Edgeworth could see the point he was making, he wasn’t quite sure what it had to do with him.
“Supposing that this is all true, how would it relate to my problem?” he said, the thought of all the paperwork he had waiting for him leading to a note of irritation seeping into his voice.
“Patience, Herr Edgeworth.” Gavin pulled a new guitar string out of his pocket and quickly removed the old one before winding the new one onto the peg. “But, like most things… love is repairable. It took me a long time to learn this, but most relationships are. It is the strength of such a relationship that will pull you forward when you are the most broken. It will inevitably bounce back, so long as it is pure, healing itself and leading to an aftermath stronger than you could ever imagine.”
He put the guitar back in the case. “That… is the guitar I played the night it went up in flames. The end of the Love Love Guilty tour, if you remember.” Oh, so that’s what the song was called. Edgeworth couldn’t say he did, but he vaguely recalled hearing about Wright’s protégé taking a case involving something similar on. Nevertheless, he reached out and tentatively patted the other man on the shoulder. “I’m sorry that happened to you. It seems that your guitars are quite precious to you, and it is incredibly unfortunate that such a situation occurred. I hope you were compensated, at the very least?”
At this, Gavin laughed, the first time he had heard him do so since he entered the room. “ Nein , not really. I ended up paying for the repairs myself, with a little help, but it meant much more that way. This was the last thing I needed to fix, and it seems that you showed up at the perfect time to witness it.”
The atmosphere in the room grew serious once more, both men looking over the newly- restored guitar; one was smiling softly, while the other was lost in thought. Edgeworth was the first to break the silence.
“I think I see what you mean now. You’re saying that no matter what I end up getting for Wright, he will like it because it is from me. And even if he does not, there is nothing I could give him to permanently damage our relationship because love is more resilient than that, so long as we both truly love each other. Am I correct?”
Gavin looked at him with a proud expression. “Indeed, Herr Edgeworth. It seems that the student has become the teacher. Now, I suggest you start thinking about what you’re going to get him, though I wouldn’t worry too much.” He smiled as he thought of his own present. “And remember, the state of your heart will make itself known in your gift, so there’s no need to overthink it.”
Edgeworth sighed, but managed to crack a small smile. Though he tried to hide it, Edgeworth could see that Gavin was shocked.
“Thank you… Klavier. I know that this isn’t very orthodox, and it is certainly not in your job description, so I truly appreciate the time you’ve taken out of your day to advise me on this matter. Remember that my door is always open to you if you’d like to discuss anything, anything at all.”
A look of mutual understanding passed between the two, before Gavin responded with a small smile of his own, a bit watery at the edges. “Thank you, Herr Edgeworth. I’ll be sure to take you up on your offer.” The two shook hands, then Edgeworth moved to leave.
As Edgeworth exited the younger man’s office, he couldn’t help but feel that he’d learned something worth far more than Manfred’s teachings. Love was boundless, and he couldn’t help but feel a little bit lighter as he thought of the perfect present for Wright. Meanwhile, Klavier was pondering his last words. “Anything at all, huh…?”
***
A knock sounded at his door, causing him to quickly lift his head up as though he had never been laying on his desk in the first place. This sent a flurry of papers into the air, and he hurried to catch them before seating himself and inviting the person in, admittedly out-of-breath. He needed to work out more.
“You may enter.” He hoped he didn’t look too flustered as he adjusted his glasses. The man who walked in was none other than Wright, the source of all of his problems, who had an exceptionally smug look on his face for someone who lacked all decorum and commonly fumbled his way through life.
Approaching his desk, Phoenix contemplated pulling out a chair before walking straight up to him. “Hiya, Miles,” he said, leaning over his desk coyly. Edgeworth blushed slightly as he made eye contact with the deep blue of his irises, the pink hue unfairly bright on his pale skin, before turning back to the papers on his desk. Suddenly, his vision was obscured by Wright’s spiky hair. Involuntarily, he noticed that it smelled like strawberries. He leaned back and glared, pushing his glasses up as he did so. “Stop leaning on my desk, Wright. You’re going to knock something over.”
Phoenix smirked at him and seated himself on an empty corner of the desk before scooting closer. “So I got your present, Miles. Tell me, is it true?” Edgeworth flushed a crimson red, blaming the man in front of him for his current state of embarrassment as he looked anywhere but him. “I- I don’t know what you’re talking about, Wright!”
“Oh, really?” The man’s eyes sparkled, the mischievous glint that always appeared before he did something stupid making itself known. Oh, how he loved those eyes. Edgeworth chided himself for thinking such childish thoughts, just as Wright jumped off the desk and into his lap.
“ Wright! What is the meaning of this?” he hissed as he landed on his lap with an uncomfortable oomph. Phoenix grinned up at him, a lazy smile stretching across his face as he made himself comfortable. He had the energy of a small puppy, and apparently the cuteness as well, because Edgeworth couldn’t bring himself to push him away.
“Oh, you know… just here to bother my demon prosecutor boyfriend because apparently he loooves me…”
Deciding that he’d had enough of this nonsense, but too enamored to actually move the man sitting in his lap, Edgeworth resorted to working around him. He reached for his laptop, dodging Wright’s arms that were suddenly clinging to his neck.
“You smell like sandalwood. Has anyone ever told you that?”
Edgeworth huffed. “No one has ever had the audacity to smell me before, so, no, Wright.”
Phoenix laughed, a beautiful sound that carried itself into Edgeworth’s heart and made a home for itself there despite his mock anger.
“You know, I wasn’t kidding. You’re probably the first person to ever give me such a well-thought-out and beautiful present. When I first saw it, I started crying. Trucy had to get me a magical handkerchief out of her hat.” The soft blush on Phoenix’s cheeks made him glow almost ethereally in Edgeworth’s eyes.
After thinking over what Gavin had said, Edgeworth had decided to give Wright the gift of trust. He had taken the pages of his diary detailing every time he had discussed his feelings for Wright and created a poem out of each one. They ranged from the childish musings of a nine-year-old to those of a matured, yet still lovestruck man that he had become in the present. At the end, he had attached a photo of which existed only one copy in the world: Young Phoenix and Edgeworth sitting atop a hill discussing their futures intently, while Larry chased a butterfly with his net in the background. A small blush could be seen on both of their cheeks.
Edgeworth had found the photo when he went through Gregory Edgeworth’s belongings fifteen years later. The man had captured a candid moment, one shared between the purest of souls at an innocent age. Years later, the photo still made him tear up. It reminded him of a better time, and yet he couldn’t help but be grateful for the way things had worked out in the end. Sometimes he felt guilty for his happiness as if his father’s passing meant that it was wrong of him to want to experience joy, but throughout the years, Phoenix and all of their friends had helped him realize that this wasn’t true.
“Miles?”
The sound of Phoenix’s voice snapped him out of his reminiscence. Suddenly, he felt a gentle touch wipe his tears away. He hadn’t realized that he was crying. “Nothing to worry about, darling. I was just thinking about the past.”
Phoenix smiled at him, his hand still resting on Edgeworth’s cheek. “It was incredible, you know. And of course I miss the happier, uncomplicated times with you and Larry.”
At this, Edgeworth snorted. Phoenix laughed, then continued on, his tone growing serious, yet gentle. “But, Miles…every moment spent with you is a moment I wouldn’t trade away for the world.”
Somehow, Phoenix always found a new way to take his breath away. When Phoenix brushed a stray hair out of his face and tucked it behind his ear, Edgeworth couldn’t help but think about how much he loved this man. He traced the faint scar around his lips with his thumb before leaning down to kiss him softly. “I love you too, Phoenix. More than I could ever tell you, but I’ll spend every single day trying.”
Phoenix smiled softly, and rested his head against Edgeworth’s shoulder. After a peaceful embrace, he leaned back, though still entangled in the prosecutor’s arms, and his earlier smile shifted into more of a smirk as he waggled his eyebrows. He leaned closer, his voice dropping a few octaves, and said, “Well, I can think of one way you can tell me. I haven’t given you your present yet, Mr. Prosecutor.” Edgeworth shivered as he smelled the peppermint on the man's breath.
He smirked back, his gaze drifting to Phoenix’s lips. “The prosecution has no objections.” As the two melted into each other’s arms, faint knocking gave way to three very traumatized individuals.
“Ach, Herr Edgeworth, I’ll come back later-”
“KLAVIER WHAT THE HECK YOU SAID THIS WAS A STORAGE CLOSET-”
“Both you and the fop need to chill out.” munch munch munch “Please give me my paycheck so I can get out of here; he refuses to pay me until I tell him that I like his music, and I would rather jump into Niagara Falls.”
Edgeworth and Phoenix jumped out of each other’s arms, the former accidentally dropping the latter in surprise.
“Ow!” Phoenix cried, rubbing his head. He looked up at the three outsiders and laughed slightly dizzily. “Oh hey, look, Miles. It’s three of our children.”
Edgeworth sighed for quite possibly the fiftieth time that morning, albeit quite fondly, and leveled a glare at one Klavier Gavin, Apollo Justice and Ema Skye as a small chocolate snack bounced off his forehead. At least the young Ms. Skye looked slightly sheepish, with Gavin looking unashamedly proud of himself while Mr. Justice tried to escape through a wall.
Perhaps he should outlaw Valentine’s Day in the Prosecutor’s Office after all.