Archive of Our Own ^beta

He couldn’t stop looking at those hands. Perfect for gently gripping the handle of a teacup and sipping it poshly. Gesturing to the evidence and updated autopsy reports. Gripping into fists every time he spoke to him. He’d look to Edgeworth’s sneering face, twisted into a furious furrowed look with bared teeth before focusing on the hands crushing a portfolio in between them. The pure anger radiating from just the tight grip crumpling the papers.

This wasn’t the boy he knew. The polite kid who stood up for everyone. Small hands pointing at an accuser and proclaiming ‘not guilty’ for the entire class. The hands of a small boy untouched by death and trauma, protecting the innocent with words and not fists.

Now he used his words to throw anyone with even a word against them into jail. He changed from protector to condemner. From his father to upholding and gripping the legacy of Manfred von Karma with everything in his power. His hands a titanium grip on a legacy he never even wanted but it would destroy him if he ever let go.

At least, that was what Phoenix always thought of Miles’ hands.

When it came to the opposing perspective, something both were somewhat familiar with, it gave new rise to ideas.

When it came to Wright, he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about his hands. Pointing at him as though accusing him of a crime he had never committed. Gripping onto shreds of evidence and weaving them into a shield. Sometimes it reminded him of being protector at a young age, proclaiming a lack of evidence and guilt to a young boy with spiked hair, sobbing before the entire class. Back when he could still feel the soft touch of his dad’s hand wiping away tears and holding him close when it was cold before… he could remember the grey of the gun, shaking and shivering in his grip. His weak grip, wanting to release the gun and wanting to remove the threat. The day he stopped being a protector.

Now he held onto dark legacies and damning the guilty to their final fate as prisoner. He was an executioner holding files and documents in his wavering grip as he sentenced every criminal he came across. Sometimes, he wished he failed, wanted to let one trial turn out the way von Karma detested, but he couldn’t let go of the legacy. Not until Wright.

Not before Wright had wrenched his way back into Miles’ life. He had clawed his way back in, fighting for justice thanks to an inspiration he’d been given as a child that had led them this far. How far it would lead was a case for another day, today it led to a dark stone echoing a memory of Miles’ from long ago.

He stared at the grey stone. Engraved with the day he lost himself, his friends, his everything. He fell to his knees, letting the warm tears streak down as his hands wove into his hair. Fingers quivering as he choked on sobs in the foggy midnight. He didn’t need to be able to see through the tears to know what was carefully engraved on the marker. It’d been emblazoned on his mind since he was nine years old.

Gregory Edgeworth
Beloved son and father

He’d been buried without his attorney’s badge, one of the few things Miles had held onto over the years. He couldn’t believe he was older than his father would ever be.

“I never wanted to outlive you.”

He heard the crunch of grass and his breath hitched. A familiar silhouette was approaching with slow steps. Gentle hands carefully wiped his tears.

“Phoenix.”

“Miles…”

“Phoenix. I’m older than him. I shouldn’t be-I- I- I-”

“Let’s get home, Miles. You need some rest. A good night’s sleep. Come on.”

“…Alright,” he whispered as featherlight as possible, hands trembling as he stood.

Over time, Phoenix could begin to see the shake in the fingers as Edgeworth made arguments and claims to determine a man’s fate. Hands quivering as he gave statements and called forth detectives that  rubbed their sweat onto their slacks. He began to see how the shaking left when Miles sipped tea, how it faded every time he played and pet Pess, how it was gone when he gripped Sebastian on the shoulder or gave a firm handshake to Apollo. As the years went on and Edgeworth became Miles again and sometimes a loving Mr. Edgeworth cheered from Pearl, his hands stopped shaking during trials, being steady and strong as he delivered shattering revelations and disarming dissertations to the court.

As they grew to be friends again, then lovers, Phoenix began to think about how Miles’ hands would look with a band of gold on his finger. Glinting in the light of the courthouse every time he battled to prove guilt versus innocence. Clinking against his fragile teacup with every sip. He began to think greatly about Miles’ hands and how they had once again been holding up a legacy, but not a tainted one. He was once again holding up his father’s legacy, protecting the innocent and condemning the guilty rather than treating trials like a scorecard and checking off every failure and success.

His hands were a shield for the victims of circumstance, protecting them from the blood spray and shrapnel of truth from guilt. The uplifted the innocent by putting away the guilty in silver bonds glinting in the light of courtroom. Just as serious and final as what he was about to do.

He’d invited the prosecutor to a night out, Franziska and Maya keeping an eye on Pearl for a few hours. He felt his own hands shake as he went into the dim restaurant, one of Miles’ favorites as it served near authentic Italian food like that he could only ever get over in Italy, which he’d never let Phoenix forget. He let his hands shiver at the nerves as he sipped champagne before he began to really wax poetic to Miles. But his dashing opponent beat him to it. Dropping to a knee, his strong hands outstretched with a shining silver band facing him. A new beginning offered to him as he pulled his own ring out, tears dripping down as he laughed and embraced his closest and dearest ally and friend.

Not even a year later was their ceremony and reception, with dozens in attendance from prior clients to close friends. Franziska was determined to discreetly wipe away her tears while Maya sobbed into the sleeve of Larry’s suit. The only people crying more her were Phoenix himself and possibly Will Powers and Dick Gumshoe, both wailing after the reception with sweet words and bone-crushing hugs that Phoenix still claimed had left either bruises or fractures in his shoulders. Phoenix watched as Miles’ hand stayed steady the entire time, he was signing the papers declaring them husbands before quickly signing his own name and kissing him again. Gently gripping his neck and going in again and again until they were both laughing so hard, he was crying again.

Both of their hands glinted with sterling silver bands, less flashy than gold and more elegant with engravings within each band.

‘The hands that support me’

Because, though he didn’t know it yet, Miles would come to pull him by the scruff of his neck, dragging him out of the dark and tossing him into the light. Slapping him with reasons to continue and keep caring. His hands would gently caress his cheek and hold him while Miles whispered sweet nothings into his ear. He would then grab ahold of Edgeworth’s hand and let himself be pulled up. Miles would support him through everything that came after.

Miles would also end up supporting the lovely little girl that came into their lives. Trucy, who used her innocent hands to summon cards and spread joy, was love incarnate. She loved her father when he disappeared into smoke and mirrors, she loved her mother who had been dead to hear since she could toddle, she and Miles loved him when he could barely love himself. Her best magic trick had always been making others laugh when they thought they couldn’t be happy again.

Phoenix would gaze in contentment as Miles lifted Trucy up and hugged her, Pess barking at his knees. He would hug Trucy and ensure that they loved her even though she wasn’t at their wedding. Gently wipe her tears away as protector and comforter.

Then came the next generation of prosecutors and attorneys.

He noticed Apollo and Klavier staring at his hands, then Miles’ hands, and then back to him. A question stuck on their tongues, but never raised. He continued to share in his happiness, toned down with time though still strong and everlasting.

Soon came the day they asked.

Asked, is putting it politely. Apollo had evidently gotten fed up with questions from Klavier about it (or had gotten too curious himself). Klavier, who was frantically trying to pull the shorter man back as the words left his mouth, had the most panicked look Phoenix had seen in months.

“Mr. Wright? Are you married?”

He choked on his coffee, hot and brown liquid dripping from his mouth as he reached for the closest paper or fabric that wouldn’t take too much damage. He looked at the glimmering band on his slightly  tanned hand.

“Ummm… Yes? That’s why I wear a wedding band? Why do you ask, Apollo?”

“Well, Klavier and I-“

“Oh no, don’t bring me into this!”

“-have noticed that you wear a ring and have never mentioned having a spouse or a partner. I thought you were single, I guess Klavier was right though.”

Phoenix chuckled while going to take another drink.

“Who are you married to though? Is it that Lang guy that comes to LA sometimes?”

He would never drink liquid around Apollo again. He looked down at the stain on his tie, shirt, and jacket before groaning.

“Apollo. I am not married to Lang. That guy is seriously-”

A phone began to ring, and Phoenix felt the vibration in his pocket as the Steel Samurai theme played. He quickly answered.

“Hello, Miles!”

He listened to the prosecutor offer up going to lunch as he walked away from the conversation, having been saved by the prosecutor once again. He immediately accepted, asked Miles if he wanted to pick him up, and once he’d gotten an affirmative answer, he scurried to his office to collect his wallet and keys, pretending he’d forgotten about Apollo’s inquiries even though the young attorney was sputtering out questions for him, his German beau still looking a little lightheaded. Phoenix was still reeling from the realization that his employee didn’t know who his husband was and he didn't know how to tell him that was Edgeworth. He then winced when he looked down and saw his coffee stains and immediately went to change his shirt and tie to something that didn’t look as though Godot attacked it. As he was fighting with his tie, he heard his phone ping and he saw a message from Miles.

When he came back down and met Miles at the door, he nearly dragged the man to the car trying not to laugh as he told Apollo and the others to behave while he was gone. When he sat in the passenger seat, he began to gasp for air as he laughed, to Miles’ worry, though he kept the retina-searing car steady.

“Phoenix? Are you alright? What happened?”

“Miles. Miles, oh my god. Oh. My. God. Apollo doesn’t-he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know!”

Miles froze for a moment but kept on driving.

“Doesn’t know what? Wright, do not tell me-”

“It didn’t even cross my mind! Everyone else we’ve worked with knows! Even Payne knows!”

“Almost everyone we work with was invited to the wedding, you… Wright, you amaze me sometimes. Now let’s go, you probably haven’t eaten breakfast and I only have so much time to go to lunch where we will be discussing this further because, good heavens, your employees should have known by know. Luckily, yours are not as willing as mine to send you on a blind date.”

Phoenix let a final bark out, “You probably could be gone for a whole day and they wouldn’t mine, Miles. C’mon, they can last a little while without you. Also, Pearls would have absolutely sent me on a blind date with Maya when she was younger, which, while gross, was understood given her upbringing. She almost did once, you know. Maya was quick to stop her and tell her I had another person in mind as my special someone.”

Miles’ brow twitched and his hands tightened on the wheel.

“Well, your ‘special someone’ would really like his husband to eat his lunch while he discusses certain things with you.”

“…I’m not getting out of this conversation, am I?”

“Wright,” drily came from Miles as he parked the car.

“I love you very much?”

“Get out of the car, you know what to order.”

“It was an accident!” defended Phoenix, unbuckling.

“How do you accidentally forget to tell your employees that you’re not only married, but you’re married to their close friends’ boss? Sometimes, I wonder what the thought process in your head looks like.”

“Bold of you to assume that I have a thought process.”

Edgeworth barked out a laugh, “Get out of the car, we’ll discuss this over food.”

The back and forth continued as they went into the restaurant and while they ate while trying to come to a decision.

“You know, I think Apollo and Klavier are dating. I think that is a thing.”

“Wright. You can’t just slap a new subject into the conversation when you don’t want to discuss what we need to discuss. I know it isn’t ideal having to reveal this again like during the Lang incident, but we must. Now, Apollo doesn’t know you’re married to me. How do we approach this?”

Phoenix sighed, taking another sip of his drink.

“What if-And hear me out here-What if we had a small celebration of our anniversary and actually invited them? It's been almost five years of marriage after all. Our anniversary is about two weeks from now. If you’re not opposed, I guess we can unveil my mystery husband then? That way it’s not a mystery and people can stop asking who either of us is married to. Deal?”

“Sounds fair, let’s do it. It gets Apollo out of your spiky hair, and it will quell flirting from clients. I can set up food if you want to determine our guest list. I don’t want a repeat of the shrimp incident, now do we?”

“I thought we agreed not to discuss the shrimp incident,” Phoenix muttered before clearing his throat, “I think that sounds agreeable. Should I send Larry an invitation after last celebration he went to?”

“I think he might start another war if you don’t, but we’ll have to find someone to keep an eye on him.”

“Franziska?”

“Maya. If he acts up and takes Maya away from Franziska to deal with whatever he causes, it will have two people watching him like a hawk.”

“Smart idea. He’ll never get away with anything with both watching him.”

The two continued making plans until they finished their meals, at which point they returned to work knowing what would happen in a mere 10 days.