Because I Trust You

It was getting awfully late. Phoenix had just walked in the door to his tiny apartment after a long, long day. The longest in his life, it seemed. But at least...

At least Maya was safe now, and he could finally get some sleep.

That's what he thought as he flopped down onto his futon, kicking aside an empty soda can that had somehow weaseled its way under his blankets. He closed his eyes but his body refused to relax. Phoenix's eyebrows knitted together as he tried to position himself comfortably. He looked at the clock on the TV in desperation. 8:07 PM. He was tired, and dammit, he deserved to sleep after the hell he just went through. His internal clock kept ticking away, the damnable sound ringing through his ears.

And all he could think about was Edgeworth.

That is, until his phone started ringing. He fumbled through his pocket and extracted it, flipping it open without checking the number.

"Hello?"

"Wright. I...it's Edgeworth."

"Hey! Uhm...Hi! What's up?"

"...Er...I was wondering if...You see, Wright."

Phoenix listened intently, soaking in every breath the man on the other line took.

"I...can't seem to take my mind off of the events of the day, and I think it would be best if we...er...spent some time together. I mean, to talk about things. I..."

"I would like that very much, Edgeworth!" Phoenix nearly shouted, startling himself and Edgeworth in the process, "Uhm...I don't have a car, so..."

"I am able to come and pick you up, Wright."

"Okay. I'll see you..."

"In ten minutes, Wright. Please be prepared by then."

"Right! Ok! Ten minutes!"

Edgeworth paused, seemingly unsure of how to finish. Phoenix couldn't help but smirk to himself. Oh, Edgeworth. You really are bad at this sort of thing, aren't you?

"Bye, Edgeworth."

"Right. Goodbye."

Phoenix closed the phone and jammed it back in his pocket, then went about grabbing bits of garbage off the floor. That was when he realized he had never given Edgeworth his address.

Shit-shit-shit! Should he call him back? It wasn't like Edgeworth to forget something like that! M-maybe he knew his address, like he got it from someone, or something like that. Yeah, that seemed right. Edgeworth must have known his address so that if he needed to, he could consult him on a case after hours. For practical purposes, of course. He went back to hastily cleaning his living room, shoving as much crap as he could in the trash barrel.

Practical purposes? What exactly was so practical about tonight? Edgeworth had never seen it necessary to seek him out before the incident of his disappearance. If he knew Phoenix's address for practical purposes, he'd have used it by now, right? What if...What if...

He had actually cared to find out for personal reasons?

Phoenix's heart thudded in his chest as the thought occurred to him. Ever since that first time he met up with Edgeworth in court he had hoped that he would be able to have his old friend back. He had planned the entire reunion out in his head: smiling and laughing, drinking and talking about the good times. He had dreamed so many things, and they had all dissolved the second they met with the ice-glazed stare of a hardened, tortured man. Phoenix knew something had to have happened to Edgeworth in those years they spent apart, and as he slowly began to realize how much he had changed, he began to think that the Edgeworth he had known was really dead. That's why he accepted things so easily (at least he was able to tell himself he did) when he thought that Edgeworth had really died one year ago.

But Miles Edgeworth had returned. And he had changed.

He finished cleaning within mere moments of the buzzer sounding at his door. He jumped a little, the sound breaking his train of thought. He pushed the button to unlock the front door, then waited to hear footsteps down the stairs.

Oh, God. Why am I so nervous? His hand was already on the doorknob, slippery with the dampness of his hand. Tok, tok, tok. The footsteps stopped, shortly replaced by soft rapping of knuckles on hollow wood.

Phoenix, in an attempt to not look completely stupid, waited until the third knock to open the door.

Edgeworth's eyes immediately snapped up to meet Phoenix's, a slightly shocked expression gracing his face for a fleeting moment until it was replaced by his professional stoicism. He cocked his head slightly, smirking.

"Anxious, are we, Mr. Wright?"

Phoenix gaped at him wide-eyed. He looked him over, stupefied by the man's casual attire. He was wearing a pair of fitted tan slacks with a black button shirt. Of course, the clothes were still impeccable, still very much fitting the man's ordered lifestyle, but to see him in something so unadorned and, well, relaxed was...was...

What was it? Surprising? Astonishing? Edgeworth did something even more startling, though, when he chuckled - chuckled - at Phoenix's obvious bafflement. He shook his head, smiling, his hair falling across his cheek in short sweeps. Phoenix tried so hard to breathe, to think, to do anything but stare at the smile burning like a wildfire over Edgeworth's face. All he managed was to look down at his own clothes, dingy and rumpled after a long, hard day.

"N...no. Just...erm. Come on in, I just need to change real quick. Sorry."

Edgeworth was still smiling. It seemed kind of, well, cute in a way. Like a sheepish, shy grin, but not like the dorky ones Phoenix used himself all the time. He followed Phoenix in, looking around him with great interest. He didn't seem to disapprove of the mess that seemed to permeate anywhere Phoenix ever chose to settle. He just politely took a seat on the futon, delicately flicking aside a sock Phoenix must have missed in his frenzy.

Phoenix closed the door to his room and quickly changed into the cleanest clothes he could find. He settled on a pair of practically untouched black pants and a red shirt that seemed to have avoided both wrinkling and staining, miraculously. He looked presentable in his opinion, so he grabbed a black leather coat he hadn't worn in ages and slung it over his shoulder. Just having that jacket was enough to make him feel more relaxed. It was so different from his suit and tie, and, as silly as it seemed, made him feel so much more important.

Edgeworth stood and turned around, raising an eyebrow at his change in attire. Phoenix smiled a little to himself as he put on his coat.

"Shall we?" Edgeworth said.

"Well, where are we going, anyway?"

Edgeworth stood there baffled for a moment. "I...had hoped you would know where we should go."

"............Oh!"

Phoenix thought it over for a minute. They had both already eaten, and there were no good movies out. Taking Edgeworth to a bar or a club seemed like a bad plan, too. Any plans he could think up all seemed wrong.

"Well...we could just, you know, hang out, I guess."

"Hang...out?"

Phoenix nodded, scratching under his chin a little. "Well, there's no really good things to do at this time of night short of going out to a bar, which...well."

"Well, what?" Edgeworth looked at him a little warily.

"I think...I'd just like to spend our time together, not with other people. I'm so sick of crowds right now."

"...Okay."

"Really?" Phoenix looked over at Edgeworth, his usual cheery expression dreary and tired. He drew in a breath, held it, then let it out in one large sigh. "Thank you, Edgeworth. It's just been...a really hard day."

"I know, Phoenix."

He blinked. Phoenix. He never calls me that anymore. Not since...

Edgeworth took his keys out of his pocket, and started to walk towards the door. "Let's get going, then."

"Wh-what? Wait!"

"I can assure you my place is far more comfortable than yours right now, not to mention you could probably use a change of scenery, yes?"

"I...I...Yeah. I think that might help. Are you sure its okay?"

"Let's go, Phoenix."

And Phoenix followed.