I feel like Joey gives Jerma985 vibes. He would in fact make a bet of $2.5 billion to not miss shooting an enemy on stream, fuck up royally, and then have to take a series of smaller, stupider bets to pay it off.
Rishid and Jonouchi hanging out postcanon for @meshimoon.
Catching up over some drinks. Rishid fosters cats an kittens in his spare time now and all is well.
warnings: maybe angst? mostly edgeworth and phoenix arguing with their usual tension LOL
a kind of different take on narumitsu reuniting! someone maybe already did this before and if you did, i humbly apologize
mostly takes place during the first few pw trilogy games
based off of this track, this track, and this track from la la land!
this has a mix of events from the anime and the games :D
i originally wrote this in my friends dms so if this sounds weird, its bc i directly copy and pasted most of this from there LMFAO
phoenix sighs as he looks down at the half full flute of some kind of alcoholic drink, swishing it around gently; he was bored out of his mind. it was times like this where he asked himself if this was all really worth it, being a lawyer and all. these slightly fancy parties where only business affairs were discussed (for the most part) were his least favorite, mostly full of interns looking to brown nose or older lawyers sharing pointers with colleagues.
normally, he would have opted out, stayed behind to work on a case.
that was all immediately thrown out the window when maya caught wind of the usual elaborate spread of food that was made for all guests to pick from, refusing to let up until phoenix said yes.
unsurprisingly, phoenix stood alone, occasionally glancing over at maya who would serve herself some food and seemingly vacuum it away before going back for another plate. with no one to talk to, though, phoenix couldn't help but wander around a bit, occasionally taking a sip of his drink that was beginning to empty: he was starting to wonder if just leaving with maya without saying goodbye to anyone would be so rude after all. he's not too concerned about his surroundings, finding a much quieter area that makes him feel like he can breathe again.
and he sees him.
time seems to stop. phoenix's eyes widen a bit as his breath catches in his throat, straightening up. miles hasn't changed a bit in any aspect: everything down to the quirk of an eyebrow that he recognized belonged to none other than miles's father, still looking as cleanly as ever. miles is unable to hide the disinterest in his expression as an older man speaks to him, occasionally laughing at his own joke to which miles can only take a sip of a drink in his hand. the man definitely isn't anyone phoenix recognizes right now, but he could care less.
edgeworth is here, the one he's been working to get to for who knows how long, and that he held..some kind of strong feelings for but it wasn't coming to mind right now.
eventually, the older gentleman walks away, miles's shoulders drooping a bit in what can only be relief before he takes a brief scan of the room. he spots phoenix a lot sooner than he wishes to, having to do a double take and tensing up all over again: this man, the one he thought he'd left behind in a life that he barely wanted to claim as his own anymore.
he had to get out of here.
at the same time that miles starts to walk away, phoenix is approaching him like nothing, all nervous smiles. "h-hey, edgeworth, i thought i'd catch you here!" phoenix says with a quick wave, unphased by miles's hesitance. in all honesty, miles is just praying that somehow, magically, a door will open up and let him escape. his thoughts race and for a few moments, so does his pouniding heart.m much to his dismay, the only escape is the balcony just a few feet away; he's already hoping there's some way he can jump off the railing without some very fatal injury. phoenix is concerned as to why miles is so fidgety now, a teasing smirk on his face at the quip popping into his head already. out on the balcony now, the slight nip of spring breeze hits the two of them, miles's back turned to phoenix who stops only a few feet away from him.
phoenix tries to find something to do with his hands, crossing his arms against his chest and tucking his hands away as he looks down at his feet. "sorry, this is all probably really sudden, i tried to call you-"
"what are you doing here, wright?"
phoenix just kind of blinks at him and clear his throat a little, shifting his weight. "i, um, thought.." phoenix starts, his voice trailing off as he realizes he can't say the truth: he's here for miles, all this was for him and, selfishly, he thought edgeworth was going to remember too somehow.
"whatever it is, i think you have the wrong place. i can escort you out if you truly need me to." miles says, voice firm as he finally turns to look at phoenix; phoenix is only slightly shocked to see the hardened, icy glare on his face. sure, he'd seen him look like that on the news but not at..him. "i'm..not at the wrong place. i'm at the very right place, actually-" phoenix starts before miles interrupts him once again.
"catering then? i can lead you to the kitchen-"
"no, not that."
miles open his mouth to speak again, phoenix sighing softly in annoyance before he finally pulls out his attorney's badge and holds it out to miles. "there? is that what you need to see?" he say with a hint of irritation, feeling a twinge of satisfaction when he sees the shock register on miles' face. he is completely speechless, the glare on his face dropping for a moment before he straightens up, shoulders tense. "this is..this is impossible, why..you're.." he starts, an incredulous scoff leaving him before he shakes his head. "this is a very cheap party trick, wright, and i'll have you know the people here do not take kindly to impersonation, least of all me-"
"why can't you accept it?"
miles is silent again and a little shocked at the determined air radiating off of phoenix: definitely not the one he'd known so long ago. "accept that you're in a career you're clearly not meant for? that's easy." and miles just glares at him, arms over his chest. "someone like you couldn't have stomached the likes of the law and stayed for this long. what stories have you heard that made you want to barge in like this-"
"yours."
phoenix can feel his heart racing when he says that, more than sure miles will understand now; his ego only deflates a little when miles simply scoffs. "well, i'm afraid you have the wrong person. if you'll excuse me-" miles says, averting his gaze from phoenix as he starts to make for the door he only makes it so far before phoenix gets in his way, making miles come to a halt with almost a look of offense. "tell me what you've been doing this whole time. then i'll leave."
there's something of a cold smirk on miles' face, shaking his head before he gently pushes phoenix out of the way, heading for the door yet again. "i don't have to explain myself to you. what i've been doing is no one's business but my own." he says curtly; he thinks he's made it but suddenly, phoenix's hand wraps around his wrist with just enough grip to let him leave if he tries. it's only the two of them but funny how miles can recognize phoenix's hand on his even for that moment.
"you walked away without saying a word. not even when.." phoenix starts, clearly thinking back to that last day in the rain when they were only 9, promising to be friends for the rest of their lives. "how could you do something like that? do you not know how that feels-"
"no."
phoenix stops before he can even get started again, eyes widening a bit before miles pulls his hand away; his warmth is still there. there's a few beats of silence, miles glaring at phoenix with a look that could kill and phoenix's gaze filled with things unsaid. "now, if you'll excuse me, i should be going. i can see my presence would have been better suited behind my desk." miles mumbles, this time making it through and out the door. phoenix stands there for a moment in shock, shoulders drooping a bit as he seemingly accepts defeat.
seemingly.
he doesn't even realize he's pushing through the crowd, only pausing to find maya on the couch in what can only be called a comatose state. he hurriedly tells her where she's going even if she doesn't register before he's out the door.
somehow, phoenix catches him: miles at the edge of the sidewalk, looking up and down for..something. miles brings a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, grumbling something to himself before he takes a moment to compose himself. he finally faces the world, only managing a few steps: he practically jumps when he sees phoenix at the top of the small flight of steps leading out of the building he'd just left. he stares at him with bated breath, the streetlights shining down on the two of them feels like two hot spotlights and, strangely, miles was having a hard time understanding things.
but phoenix is here.
"look, i probably ruined your evening.." phoenix starts, making his way down the steps and finally approaching miles but keeping a good distance away from him; even still miles takes a step back. "but we can talk about..anything else. i don't care what it is. do you want a coffee or something, or..what were you looking for just now?" phoenix says, one hand in his pocket and the other rubbing the back of his neck as he gazes at miles apologetically; maybe for more than just this moment.
miles is still in shock, unable to help the incredulous look on his face and giving the man in front of him a once over before swallowing.
"my car."
phoenix smiles a bit, looking the most pleased he has all night. "that's good enough. i'll help you find it. come on." phoenix says with a smile, taking off down the sidewalk. miles can only watch him, disbelief painted on his features. he can't believe phoenix is even real right now. phoenix only makes it a few steps before he looks up at miles, head tilted as if asking him what's wrong and miles feels something stir inside him, something that was probably not dormant but...forgotten.
just for a bit.
he takes a moment to catch up, matching phoenix's pace but making no attempts to so much as look at him, let alone make conversation: if at all possible, he wanted to get through this without-
"you know i defended larry the other day."
..that name did ring a bell. sadly. "that should have been fairly easy. if memory serves me right, he could barely-" miles starts, arms folded behind him.
"it wasn't him. i got him a 'not guilty'."
miles can't help the immediate way his eyes widen a bit and his lips part in shock, looking over to phoenix; his expression drops almost immediately at the VERY prideful look on phoenix's face, a scoff leaving him as he looks ahead again, pretending to dutifully keep an eye out for his car.
"i'll tell you exactly how i did it."
"i'd really prefer if we just-"
miles could kill phoenix for how he immediately jumps into the story, silencing him and making him an (almost) unwilling participant in this. phoenix tells him everything from getting the call to going to court down to the minute details that miles hates himself for hanging on. he only ever offers a question here and there almost like a test he thinks that phoenix wouldn't even begin to be able to comprehend, something that phoenix immediately shoots down with a solution that miles really only thinks he himself would have come up with if he had zero time to prepare for a case. when phoenix finishes, he throws his arms up like 'i'm just that good' and miles can't help the scoff of amusement, his lips twitching into a smile for only a moment before he shakes his head. it's silent as the two of them continue to walk, coming to a stop at the very long end of the road; what were they both looking for again?
they look out at the hustle and bustle of the city, not saying or doing much of anything. the sound of cars drones on in the distance, a siren or two from a police car and the chatter of people further down the walk.
"well? am i still not meant for this job?"
miles looks up when phoenix says that, arms crossed against his chest and eyebrow raised with a winning smile: miles wants to wipe that smirk off his face, tell him how irritating he's been his whole life, plaguing him with his mere presence in his dreams, tired of thinking of him, and..
he straightens up a bit, clearing his throat and crossing his arms against his chest in the same fashion as phoenix. "while your strategy hangs on that hopes that the judge will believe everything you say and that the jury will side with you,.." he starts, ready to fire some kind of poison at him before he simply shrugs. "..it's effective, clearly. well done." he mumbles, saying the last part hesitantly, refusing to look at the very proud smile on phoenix's face.
"words straight from mr. miles edgeworth's mouth. put it in writing." phoenix says with a sigh, making miles scoff.
"the way you idolize me so much is rather concerning, wouldn't you say so?"
"i find it as a challenge more than anything. so i'll make this wright 1, edgeworth 0."
miles scoffs, finally looking over at phoenix as if he can't believe what he just said before shaking his head a bit.
"i've been doing this quite a bit longer than you. i'd say that's at least something of a leg up."
"that's because you haven't seen me work. it's not a win until i see you in court."
miles' smile that he hadn't realized was there drops a bit, jaw tensing a bit; it hadn't occurred to him until now that there was the very likely occurrence the two of them would have to be the opposition for the other.
phoenix can't help sneaking a glance at miles: he only needs a second. he wasn't much different from when they were kids, hard features, same hair, that ever-present quirk of an eyebrow that he had inherited from his dad. it's like he's memorizing features he'd already seen before, his eyes trailing over his face and landing on his lips for only a second, looking away as if nothing was wrong.
a beat of silence.
miles only give phoenix a side long look, noting all the same things he'd also seen so long ago but that he somehow felt he'd forget if he didn't look at him right this second. the determined look that always seemed to be in phoenix's eyes no matter what, the hint of a smile that always ghosted over his lips. he can't help the small quirk of a smile on his face at phoenix's hair, still amusing to him to this day. that same feeling stirs inside of him again, causing his stomach to do flip flops and his throat to go dry. he looks away before phoenix can catch him, looking out onto the city again as vibrant as ever.
finally, miles clear his throat, knowing he can't stand here all night; a secret part of him doesn't want to go yet but he pushes it down instantly. "i should be going. i have some work to catch up on and court in the morning." miles mumbles, catching phoenix's attention. "oh, r-right. sorry for keeping you." he says, hands in his pockets and looking down at his feet. they don't look at each other as they both take a step back, the space around them suddenly cold without the immediate presence of the other. miles is going to leave without a word, leave things unsaid hanging over them yet again but he can't make his feet move no matter how hard he tries.
"…don't stay out too late yourself. the prosecutor's office parties aren't good places to spend your night unless you have business to attend to."
miles meets phoenix's eyes for one of the few times all night; phoenix's heart tightens a bit at the look he gets, less icy and more of..something else he can't quite recognize.
"i'll keep that in mind."
they're silent again. there's so much to say. they're just staring at each other. what are you thinking? just say it.
"good night then."
don't leave. not yet. please.
miles gives phoenix a nod of departure before finally (not too quickly) turning to leave, hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. phoenix takes that as his sign to leave, walking a few steps before looking over his shoulder and met with miles' back slowly walking away. he turns back to make his trek back to the party, completely oblivious to the way mlies only takes a few steps before he reaches his car and watches phoenix walk away.
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IM SORRY IF THIS FEELS RUSHED, it was almost 11:00 pm at night and i was typing this and sweating so bad bc i was so excited
i have forever loved (hated) la la land and saw the mia/sebastian parallels with narumitsu IMMEDIATELY so i hope i wasn't the only crazy person along with my best friend who thought so too LMFAO
thank you all for reading, i was genuinely so happy to put this out TToTT
