Learning to Trust Again— Ace Attorney (Phoenix x sick!Edgeworth)

[Hachimitsu Tea]

I never get tired of embarrassed, vulnerable Miles Edgeworth and I hope you guys don’t either

 

It took Miles a moment to realize that the sound of rapping at his office door wasn’t just the throbbing of the headache that had been plaguing him since he woke up that morning. He glared blearily in the direction of his unknown visitor. How wrong would it be of him to tell the person on the other side of the door to go away? Miles squeezed his burning eyes shut, knowing that he couldn’t do that. In his line of work, there was a decent chance that anyone at his door could have genuinely important business.

“Yes, what is it?” he called tersely.

A familiar spiky head poked itself into his office. Miles’s heart stumbled over the tired rush of contradictory feelings that the sight of Phoenix’s face provoked. On one hand, Phoenix, emotional and impulsive and frankly ridiculous though he was, had come to occupy the role of loyal, supportive comforter in Miles’s life. It was a position that, had anyone asked him a few years ago, he would have dishonestly insisted that he neither needed nor wanted anyone to fill. Considering the romantic feelings he harbored towards the man (which had grown so strong that even he, skilled though he was in denial, could no longer pretend that they didn’t exist), Miles found himself shamefully glad to see Phoenix appear in his office when he wasn’t feeling well.

On the other hand, Phoenix’s opinion of him mattered to Miles perhaps more than anyone else’s, and he didn’t want to let Phoenix see him in such a vulnerable and pathetic state. So Miles did what he did anytime he felt weak, self-conscious and cornered; he clenched his jaw, squared his shoulders and glared at his visitor. Phoenix’s smile faltered at the sight of Miles’s reaction. Normally the prosecutor would have considered this reaction a victory, but when it came to Phoenix, he just felt guilty and disappointed in himself.

“Hi, erm… i-is this a bad time?” Phoenix asked sheepishly. He edged part-way into Miles’s office, frozen nervously in the doorway.

Miles could feel his nose threatening to drip, and without thinking, he gave a wet sniffle that caused him to cough. He stifled it as quickly as he could, but little coughs kept slipping out as he tried to talk through it.

“Keep it brief,” he choked, his eyes watering with the effort of not letting himself be completely overcome with coughing. “I’b very busy.”

Predictably, Phoenix’s brow furrowed right away. If Miles wasn’t so preoccupied with trying to get himself under control again, he might have sighed at his inability to maintain his strong front for even a few seconds.

“Edgeworth… you ok?” Phoenix asked. “You need some water or something?”

“State your busidess, Wright,” Miles said hoarsely. “As I said, I’b busy.”

His voice sounded cold and harsh even to his own ears, and though that was what he’d been going for in hopes of getting rid of Phoenix before the defense attorney figured out that he was ill, he felt bad about it. He would need to apologize later for treating him so rudely, but right now he just needed Phoenix gone.

“R-right,” Phoenix stammered, shuffling further into the office and flipping through the contents of a file folder in his hand. “I wanted to ask you about this contract… if I can find it… Oh, here we go. Ok, so in this clause, it says--”

Miles realized a fraction of a horrified second before it happened that he desperately needed to sneeze. It was too late to fend it off; he’d have to do his best to hold it in. His eyes fluttered shut uncontrollably as Phoenix took another step toward him and began to read the clause that had been troubling him.

“Hnt...ch!” Miles’s first sneeze was stifled almost silently, but to his dismay, the tickle in his stuffy sinuses only worsened. “Hngtcht-- chooh…”

The second one was not so successfully stifled. Phoenix stopped reading, looking up at Miles in slight surprise. Miles didn’t have the opportunity to notice, because a third sneeze was on its way, and he could already tell that it was going to be a strong one. In a last ditch attempt to quiet the approaching sneeze, Miles pressed his fist roughly under his nose and turned away from Phoenix in his chair.

“Hut--kchoo! Hutkshooh!”

He’d made a mess in his fist, he realized with revulsion and humiliation. He groped blindly around on his desk without turning around again, searching for his box of tissues. The box was suddenly bumped lightly against his searching fingers and Miles seized a handful of tissues which he used to frantically clean himself up. The mortifying realization that Phoenix was the one who’d helped him locate his box of tissues lurked at the back of his mind as he tried to blow his nose as quietly as possible. His ears were growing warm.

“P… pardod be…” he mumbled.

“Bless you,” Phoenix said. “Edgeworth…”

Miles wiped at his eyes, hazarding a quick glance in Phoenix’s direction. The defense attorney had set down the box of tissues and was striding towards the door, and for one confused moment Miles almost hoped that he was leaving, but instead of exiting through the door, Phoenix closed it hesitantly. Suddenly Miles could feel his heart in his throat. Before Miles could decide exactly how to feel about this development, Phoenix was approaching him again.

“Hey…” Phoenix began. His tone was soft and cajoling, as if he were addressing a skittish animal or child. Miles’s pride bristled indignantly at this, but he couldn’t help noticing the way it also caused his heart to pound. “Are you not feeling well?”

He knew I’d be embarrassed to talk about this and thought to close the door before asking me so that no one else would hear, Miles realized, his cheeks warming. He found his chest overflowing with warmth and appreciation at Phoenix’s considerate action. Honestly… how am I to resist you when you behave this way?

Miles wanted to be honest with him, he really, really did. He owed Phoenix that after all the man had done for him. But when he opened his mouth, the words that came out were a miserable and thoroughly unconvincing “I’b fide, Wright... What did you wadt to ask be about the codtract?”

It took a moment of uncomfortable silence for Miles to gain the nerve to actually look at Phoenix again, and when he did, he regretted it. Phoenix looked hurt. Miles wished he could take back his lie. Clearly Phoenix had seen through it instantly. Why, why did he have to be such a spineless weakling? He was ashamed of himself.

“Edgeworth… I’ve proven that you can trust me by now, haven’t I?” Phoenix asked sadly. “I mean… I’d trust you with anything, and I kind of hoped that after all we’ve been through, you… might feel the same.”

Miles sniffled and cleared his throat guiltily. “...Y… yes, of course, you’re right… I’b sorry… I do trust you, it’s…” He licked his chapped lips nervously, trying to gather his thoughts. “As you kdow, I had doh ode I could trust for bady years a’d dow bistrust is so idgrai’ed id by habits that it will take be sobe tibe to udleard it… Cad you bri’g yourself to be patiedt with be while I work through this?”

The prosecutor chanced a glance at Phoenix. Phoenix gave him a small reassuring smile, his fingers brushing Miles’s wrist on top of his desk.

“Yeah,” Phoenix said. “Take your time… I know it’s difficult, but you’re doing so well. You’ve come so far.”

Miles felt that cursed giddy warmth welling up in his chest again. Feeling restless all of a sudden and unsure of what to do with himself, he got stiffly to his feet and turned towards the window behind his desk.

Get ahold of yourself, Miles Edgeworth, he told himself sternly, trying to ignore the swimming and pounding of his head. Trusting him doesn’t mean losing your head. Wright is interested in women, and you’ll only embarrass yourself getting your hopes up for anything else.

As if to rebel against his inner voice of reason, Miles’s imagination chose that moment to supply him with an image of him and Phoenix kissing passionately. The tickle in his sinuses flared up again with a vengeance at this tantalizing thought. Miles pressed his fist under his nose again, his breath hitching.

“Hhhhh...hh...hhhh’tcht! Ht’ktch...chooh… Huhhh...hitkchoo! Ht’ktchoo!”
The world felt as though it were pitching and swaying beneath his feet. If Phoenix hadn’t come to his side in a heartbeat, Miles might have lost his balance. His warm hand settled reassuringly on the small of Miles’s back, steadying him. Phoenix nudged Miles’s arm with the tissue box again, and Miles took some, burying his blushing face in them and blowing his nose quietly but productively.

“God bless you,” Phoenix said sympathetically. “...Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

Miles sniffled self-consciously as he disposed of his tissues. Phoenix’s hand hadn’t left the small of his back, and he could feel the inviting warmth of his body at his side. Heart nearly hammering its way out of his chest, Miles decided to try something bold. Head still spinning mercilessly, cheeks burning, Miles angled himself toward Phoenix and awkwardly shuffled closer.

Was it his hopeful imagination, or was Phoenix’s breathing quickening at his increased closeness? Their chests bumped lightly, and Phoenix didn’t pull away. Miles, dizzy with fever, congestion, and disbelief at his own daring, let his forehead rest awkwardly on Phoenix’s shoulder. His friend’s gentle hand, the one that wasn’t on his lower back, alighted on his elbow, uncertain but inviting.

“Hey… what is it?” Phoenix asked. “You alright?”

Miles sniffled again, his hands hovering shyly at Phoenix’s hips, then settled there. He could feel his palms sweating with nerves and prayed that Phoenix couldn’t feel this through his suit.

“I… I thigk I have a cold…” Miles breathed, embarrassment clear even to his own ears.

“Oh, Edgeworth…” Phoenix’s arms wound around him in a proper embrace. Miles’s heart skipped a beat as Phoenix nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck, pressing his cheek against Miles’s. “Mm, yeah, that’s a fever.”

“I… I see…” the prosecutor mumbled. He felt like he should have something more useful to say than that, but his already illness-fogged head was feeling incredibly fuzzy with Phoenix’s closeness.

Phoenix gave him a gentle squeeze and rubbed his back. “Thank you,” he whispered, “for being honest with me.”

The unabashed tenderness in Phoenix’s voice sent a pleasant shiver down Miles’s spine.

“M-mbb,” he croaked.

You’re being a fool, he told himself. He likes women. Not men, not you. Women. It was difficult to convince himself to care when Phoenix was holding him like this. Perhaps while he was unwell, just until he was on his feet again, he could indulge in a little wishful thinking. Knowing he’d regret this later when he inevitably had to come back down to earth, Miles clutched Phoenix closer.

Phoenix’s lips grazed the rim of Miles’s ear and he could feel himself going red all the way to the back of his neck.

“You should be home in bed,” he advised softly. “You’ll get over this cold faster if you take proper care of yourself.”

Miles was hardly listening; he was too distracted by Phoenix’s closeness and the way the excited shivers this caused were going straight to his sensitive nose. His face scrunched up as he twitched his nose, hoping to ward off the tickle. God, was he ever glad Phoenix couldn’t see his shameful expression right now…

“Hhh… dgh… hhh-hih…! Htcht! Hutcht! Hahhhh… h-htkcht! Htkcht!” Miles snuffled wetly and scrubbed at his nose over Phoenix’s shoulder.

“Bless you!” Phoenix said, rubbing his back again. “Holding them in always makes me sneeze more. You’d be better off just letting them out.”

Phoenix was right, and as loath as Miles was to allow Phoenix to hear him sneeze, his head was pounding painfully with the pent up force of holding them in. He tried to separate from Phoenix so that he could pitch into a handful of tissues rather than spraying all over his friend’s shoulder. To his bewilderment, Phoenix held him fast, refusing to let him go.

“W-Wright… Htksht! Ksht! Let go, I cad’t… hpkch! Hggkcht! Ughhh… I deed to… hh… huhhh… hutkcht! Hggsht! Hukcht!”

“It’s ok, I… I don’t mind if you sneeze against my shoulder.” Phoenix sounded embarrassed, but not as much as Miles felt at this invitation. He couldn’t be serious.

“Dod’t be rih-ridiculous, I… Hpptsht! I couldd’t possibly, it’s udsaditary!” Miles squawked, struggling against Phoenix’s grip.

Suddenly there was a pair of warm, soft lips pressing against Miles’s jaw, just below his earlobe. Miles gasped and shivered, his face going scarlet. That loss of concentration was all it took for him to lose control.

“Hhhikshoo! Hkktchoo! Hghhh… huh-hutchoo! Ktchoo! Iggtchoo! H-h-hikktschoo! Hukkish!”

He sneezed helplessly into Phoenix’s shoulder. By the time his fit subsided, he was panting and shaking, his head swimming violently and his nose positively gushing. It was a good thing Phoenix was still holding him, otherwise he probably wouldn’t still be upright. Phoenix was still rubbing his back, murmuring soft, intimate blessings after each sneeze. He didn’t seem to care in the slightest that Miles had made a bit of a mess on his shoulder.

“W-Wright… I’b so sorry, I… I’ll pay to have your suit clea’ed,” Miles said thickly, exhausted and thoroughly embarrassed.

“It’s ok, I don’t mind,” Phoenix assured him. “Are you alright?”

“I… could use a tissue…” Miles admitted shyly.

Phoenix separated from him at last, his cheeks noticeably pink, and handed him the box from the desk. Miles accepted them gratefully and turned his back to blow his nose. He wasn’t sure what to make of the fact that Phoenix seemed unwilling to release him completely; his arm remained around Miles’s waist, supporting him.

He kissed me, Miles thought numbly. I… don’t think I imagined that. Wright kissed me. Does this mean he… But… His mind swirled with half-formed, confused thoughts, his heart throbbing hopefully in time with his aching head.

“Why don’t I take you home?” Phoenix offered gently before Miles had a chance to arrive at any conclusions. The defense attorney’s cheeks were still flushed as he reached up and ghosted his thumb over the dark circle under Miles’s left eye. “You look exhausted.”

Miles’s eyelids fluttered slightly at Phoenix’s touch. Admittedly, Phoenix was right; he hadn’t slept well last night because of his cold and he was feeling it acutely now. But he found himself unwilling to part from Phoenix.

I’m acting like a child, Miles thought, feeling ashamed of himself. A small cold is no reason for me to get clingy. I’m a full-grown, independent adult.

“Wh… what will you do?” he asked in spite of himself.

Phoenix gave him a shy smile and rubbed the back of his head. “Well… I could… uh, I could stay if you want. With you, I mean… I’ve been told I’m good at taking care of sick people. Th-that’s what Maya and Pearls said, anyway. N-not that you probably need me, but you know… I could bring you things so you don’t have to get up, and… and just be good company. It’s no fun being alone when you’re not feeling well.”

Miles couldn’t believe the way the situation was going. When he’d awoken this morning, he’d been certain that Phoenix liked women and had no romantic interest in him but now… now he was wondering if this evidence, the fact that Phoenix had kissed him and held him and offered to care for him during his illness, was sufficient to justify drawing a different conclusion. Miles swallowed hard, afraid to hope, but also needing to see how things would play out. If there was a chance that Phoenix might return his feelings, then…

“I… if you truly have dothi’g better to do,” Miles mumbled, gripping his bicep and averting his eyes awkwardly.

Phoenix smiled again, and the sight of his apparently genuine joy at being invited to care for him made Miles’s heart trip all over itself. “Let’s go, then. We’ll have you feeling better in no time.”

As cynical as Miles had become in his adulthood, the warmth in Phoenix’s eyes and touch had Miles actually believing him.

[Guest]

This is too cute for my heart to handle!! Poor Edgeworth, he's so miserable he can't even think straight, and sneezing on Phoenix's shoulder? 

 I love this fic, you write such great Ace Attorney stories Hachimitsu, I always enjoy them so much!

[Arty]

Ahhhhh my heart MY HEART!!!!!!!!!!!! Im dead. Ya hear!? Deaaaaadddd. This is what gets me. A nice cup of MilesxPhoenix!!! With a spoonful of caretaking. 

[SpookyBoi]

My original boys, man I really love me some good Klapollo but it's always nice to get back to the ones that started it all, and read some good old fashion Wrightworth. I love how flustered both Phoenix and Edgeworth are around each other because they're just so cute!!!

Thanks for writing this awesome fic @Hachimitsu Tea it was a treat to read.

[LeapYearKisses]

I love how Edgeworth has to work up to telling him, and how Phoenix encourages it, even though the cold is pretty obvious. Makes me feel all fuzzy inside! And of course, Edgeworth having a fit against Phoenix's shoulder... Mmmm.