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february

Edgeworth's therapist suggests he tries to be more social, so he asks Maya to dinner.

[ao3 link]

He’d been going to therapy for several years.

Unpacking the trauma left behind by what happened to his father and then being raised by his father’s killer would still take plenty more years, but Edgeworth was proud of himself for coming as far as he had.

His therapist was helping him dissect and understand what Manfred von Karma had put him through, and she was doing her best to help lessen the effects that earthquakes and elevators had on his heart and mind. There was no way he’d ever react completely rationally during an earthquake, but he was happy to have gotten past the point where he’d collapse to the ground and be inconsolable for an embarrassing amount of time.

Dr. Endens’ most recent suggestions for Edgeworth were the most challenging he’d faced in a while: getting out and socializing more. Everyone knew he was a workaholic - he was passionate about his work and very good at it, and being Chief Prosecutor wasn’t something he could just turn off at five o’clock. But she was right, of course. He did need to socialize more.

The question was: how? And with whom?

He had a group of people he was friendly with. Sort of. He was friendly with a lot of people at the Prosecutor’s Office and some of the detectives down at the station. He was friendly with Wright, and through him had other associates and acquaintances that he’d consider almost friends. And there was, of course, Larry. But Edgeworth didn’t think he could ever bring himself to willingly socialize with Larry Butz. Not one-on-one, at least.

But they didn’t invite him to social functions anymore. Most of the time he rejected their invitations, and eventually they stopped asking. He didn’t fault them for that. But it meant that if he wanted to socialize…he’d have to initiate.

Edgeworth didn’t even know where to start.

Dr. Endens probably wouldn’t expect him to actually make any progress in the two weeks between appointments, but he felt a desire to surprise her by doing more than expected. If only he could think of anything.

When they were younger, it was easier to occasionally spend time with Wright (and Maya, who was always by his side). They’d see one another at the courthouse and get lunch together, talking about cases they were on. But things had changed: Wright had a lot more responsibility and a family to take care of, so his free time was usually pretty filled and Edgeworth felt uncomfortable at the thought of pulling him away from his daughter.

So he threw himself into his work, as per usual, keeping Dr. Endens’ suggestion in the back of his mind in case he did come across anything. Perhaps he’d see a poster advertising an upcoming social event that he could suggest to Wright or Gumshoe, who would then bring all of their family and friends. That wasn’t the worst idea.

Three days after his most recent appointment, Edgeworth was still without anything concrete. He was, however, getting a lot of work done, and that was much more important.

“Knock, knock!”

Edgeworth looked up from his desk, an eyebrow raised at the sound of a familiar voice saying the words knock, knock while simultaneously knocking on his door. “Come in,” he answered, confident he knew who was there, but wanting to see her face before he said the wrong name.

As expected, Maya Fey’s head popped up around the side of the door and she smiled brightly at him. “Hi, Mr. Edgeworth!” she said cheerfully, giving him a small wave.

It'd been a few weeks since he last saw Maya Fey - her work as the Master kept her in Kurain more often than not. It was nice to see her, though. She was one of the few people that Edgeworth considered himself friendly with, maybe even to the point of calling her his friend, and he hoped she felt the same.

“Maya,” he responded, releasing a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Though they hadn’t spent too much time together, he always found himself feeling relaxed around her. She had a very calming presence when she wasn't in danger. “What can I help you with?”

She stepped further into the room, revealing a small manila folder in her hands. “Nick was gonna bring this over later today, but I was already heading in this direction so I thought I’d help you both out!”

“Oh, thank you,” he said as she walked closer and held out the folder. He took it from her and quickly glanced inside, making sure that it was the correct paperwork. Both Wright and Maya could be a bit airheaded at times, so it was always good to double-check. “I hope you didn’t have to go out of your way.”

“Aw, no! It’s no problem!” Maya clasped her hands together in front of her, smiling at him as if they were much closer than they really were. “I’m always happy to see you! And it’s cool to be in such a fancy office. Nick’s is nothing compared to this!”

Edgeworth couldn’t help but let out a quiet chuckle at that - though a small part of his brain was focused a little too intensely on her saying she was always happy to see him . He liked Maya, and found her surprisingly easy to spend time with. She was one of the least judgemental people he knew, and would probably say yes to any social invitation so long as there was food involved.

“Thankfully, I don’t have to share my office space with a magician,” he commented jokingly, not wanting to talk too much about the differences between his and Wright’s socioeconomic statuses.

“Not yet! But with all the whackadoos they hire here, you never know if the next big prosecutor will be pulling updated autopsy reports out of a hat!” Maya laughed at her own joke, then took a few seconds to look at all the decor in his office. “So classy,” she mumbled, half-serious.

Edgeworth watched her for a moment, an idea coming to mind. He was very grateful that she’d brought him the paperwork, and he had what could become a potential one-on-one social opportunity that evening. Dr. Endens mentioned that socializing as a way of expressing gratitude was one of the easier ways to initiate it. And…he felt like he could spend time with Maya without feeling too awkward. She’d be encouraging and he’d be taking a step in the right direction without too much risk of embarrassment.

With a deep breath, he stood up from his desk chair and interrupted her absentminded commentary about one of the books on his shelf. “Maya,” he started, trying not to stare down at the papers on his desk. “Are you, by any chance, free this evening?”

She turned to him and stared with a very confused expression, then glanced away and back to his face multiple times. “I, uh…I am, yeah.”

He took another deep breath. Being social was difficult enough - initiating social activities was the worst. “There's a new restaurant opening tonight just a few blocks from here. Would you like to go?” He wasn't an expert on Maya Fey by any means, but he knew how much she loved food. It seemed like a good idea. Something she would enjoy.

Maya’s cheeks lit up with a bright red blush and she smiled, holding her hands together in front of her. “R-Really? I mean…yeah, that sounds great! But…are you gonna be able to get a table?”

There was absolutely no chance that Edgeworth was going to tell her that he already had a standing reservation that he'd made weeks ago - somehow, admitting that he enjoyed going to new restaurants by himself was not something he felt comfortable confessing. He had so many people he was friendly with who would certainly go with him if he simply invited them. But that was the hard part.

“I have my ways,” he answered simply, smirking. Better that she think he was cool and influential rather than terribly, awkwardly lonely. “I'll send you their website so you can look at the menu ahead of time.”

Maya seemed oddly, unexpectedly shy when she responded. “Okay, yeah. Yeah! This’ll be fun!” She played with her bangs for a moment, then asked, “Is it a fancy place? Should I…what should I wear?”

“I suppose it looks, um, fancy,” he answered as he copied the website link to their messaging chat, “but your clothes should be fine. They're religiously significant and certainly wouldn't be seen as casual.”

She held one hand to her chin in thought, like she was still deciding.

Edgeworth didn't want such a small thing to add any unnecessary stress to what he hoped would be a pleasant evening. “If it helps at all, I'll be wearing this,” he said, motioning to the magenta suit he was known for.

Maya smiled at that, and clapped her hands together in front of her. “That does help, actually. So what time are you picking me up?”

Of course - though the restaurant was only a few blocks from his office, he shouldn't expect her to walk all the way from Wright's office to his twice in one day. The reservation (that he’d need to adjust from one person to two people) was set for 7:30, so… “7:10,” he answered.

“So specific!” Maya responded, still smiling, and she walked closer to his desk. “I'll be ready and waiting at 7:10, then.”

The blush across her cheeks had lightened, but Edgeworth noted that she still looked quite shyer than usual. He hoped he wasn't making her uncomfortable. “And of course there's no obligation to go, so please don't force yourself if you'd rather not,” he suddenly said, wishing he was more confident in these situations.

Maya playfully pushed a hand against his shoulder. “You can't back out now!” Then she did a little spin and walked towards the door, leaning against it as she looked back at him. “I'm expecting you at exactly 7:10! Don't be late, okay?”

Edgeworth nodded, smiling awkwardly as she shut the door behind her. He was proud of himself for getting out there and attempting sociability, even if there was a mountain of sweat trailing down his back.

He needed to get back to work, clearly.

x

Edgeworth left the garage of the Prosecutor's Office a little after 7, hoping to arrive at Wright’s office slightly early (or right on time, depending on traffic). He wondered if Maya told Wright about their outing - hopefully she didn't invite him along, since it would be a lot more difficult to alter his reservation again so last-minute.

He would try, of course, if they asked. But his attempts at being more social would also be easier one step at a time - or in this case, one person at a time.

Without giving it much more thought, Edgeworth enjoyed the classical music radio station for the remainder of his drive and was satisfied to see that the street in front of Wright's office was empty as ever. He parked and checked his pocket watch for the time - one minute early, just as planned.

Edgeworth walked up to the office door and knocked twice, wondering briefly if Maya was the type of woman to take a long time to get ready. He'd heard plenty of jokes from Larry about women and delays, but Maya didn't seem like the type of person to waste time like that.

When the door opened, he was greeted by a very unexpected sight.

Maya Fey was wearing a surprisingly tasteful evening gown - in the familiar purple color that he associated with her, and she'd done her hair differently - partially tied up but with loose braids around her face, and if he wasn't mistaken, she was even wearing makeup.

He knew that he was usually overdressed for events; suddenly he felt underdressed.

Not quite sure how to react, Edgeworth blinked down at her a few times, and finally opened his mouth to let out an absolutely humiliating, “I don't think I've ever seen you in such a normal outfit.”

Maya rolled her eyes and laughed, elbowing him lightly in the chest. “I thought this would be a good night to try something different! Do you like it?”

She did a little spin and Edgeworth couldn't stop himself from smiling. “You look lovely, Maya,” he answered honestly. Hopefully she didn't take that the wrong way and think he was being inappropriate. She really did look good, though. The dress fit her perfectly and he was glad to have given her an opportunity to wear it.

“Aw! Thank you, Miles!”

He didn't have even a moment to react to her calling him by his first name - not that he had any objections, it was just not something that anyone did - before she'd grabbed the lapels of his jacket and tugged his face down so she could give him a kiss on the cheek.

Edgeworth felt his face heating up as she let go and he straightened back up to his full height. He wasn't quite a foot taller than her, but it was close enough that she had to drag him down far to reach.

He was understandably embarrassed about what just occurred. It’d been a very long time since anyone had kissed him. A very long time. He also didn’t understand why she’d kissed him, but…he knew that Maya was a very affectionate person. She'd always been quicker to hug or link arms or lay her hand on his shoulder, so it wasn't unusual to think she'd be quick to kiss as well.

His blush deepened at his own thoughts and he tried to shake off the sentiment by focusing on the conversation. “I, uh, yes, of course. Are you ready to leave?”

“Yes! Let's go before Nick realizes you're here and starts badgering you,” she said with a chuckle, grabbing her jacket and purse before closing the door behind her.

“I'm sure if he needs to talk to me, he'll just call me tomorrow,” Edgeworth responded with a shrug.

The drive was fairly quick - getting from Wright’s office to the Prosecutor’s Office took less than five minutes by car, and Edgeworth just planned to park there since he always had a free spot and it was in a nice location in the middle of town. One of the many perks of being Chief Prosecutor.

Maya was noticeably quiet on the drive and the walk to the restaurant - polite, of course, and she answered him when prompted and participated in light conversation, but it didn’t escape his notice that they passed by a man wearing a Steel Samurai t-shirt and she didn’t say anything about it.

Though he thought that was a bit odd for Maya, Edgeworth chalked it up to her wanting to have a fancy night on the town. The dress she was wearing looked mature and elegant and it would’ve seemed out of place for her to start chatting with some stranger about a children’s television program. That made enough sense for him to decide not to ask her about it, anyway.

The restaurant was only a few blocks from his office, just as he’d said, and Maya seemed happy that they were led to their seats almost immediately after walking in.

“It’s like being out with a celebrity,” Maya commented jokingly as they followed the waiter.

Edgeworth shook his head. “I suppose I have a reputation for having high expectations,” he responded, hoping that made him sound classy rather than snooty.

They got to the table and Edgeworth pulled out Maya’s seat for her, not completely surprised to see her blush and smile politely before sitting down. She’d been acting a bit nervous during their time together and he was starting to wonder if he’d pushed this onto her too quickly. Maybe he should’ve started with a friendly chat over tea instead of dinner. But the timing just worked out so well…

They chatted idly as the waiter brought water and menus, Maya didn’t ask for a soda or a cocktail or anything which Edgeworth, once again, thought was odd. He remembered her ordering colorful drinks whenever they were available when she was younger. Perhaps she’d grown out of that.

He glanced at the menu, though he’d looked it over on their website beforehand so he wouldn’t have to spend much time deciding. They had a Mediterranean salmon dish that sounded quite good and he’d chosen it quickly.

Based on how much Maya was eyeballing the menu, he had a feeling she didn’t look online before they came. Which was fine. He knew that not everyone did that - he’d gotten used to it over the years because of being a picky eater when he was young.

While she was focused on that, he glanced around the room at the other patrons. The restaurant was a bit darker than he preferred, but each table had a flickering candle between the diners. Which worked nicely, since every single table seated two.

Hm. Well, that was interesting, wasn’t it? Usually there was a wider variety of groups at restaurants, but as he looked fully around the room, Edgeworth noted that every single table was just two people. Each set of two seemed generally around the same age, so he could safely assume that most (if not all) of them were dates.

Edgeworth knew going into their night together that any onlooker would assume they were on a date. That didn’t matter to him - he’d never cared about the gender of the people he spent time with and didn’t pay any attention to what others assumed because of it. But if he’d unintentionally taken them to a restaurant that was specifically catering to couples, then he’d put himself and Maya into a very awkward position.

“Okay, I know what I’m getting!” Maya announced, a smile on her face. “Everything sounds so good, though.”

The smile on her face made him relax. Perhaps he was overthinking things.

But then Maya glanced around the room just as he had. And then that blush on her cheeks reappeared and she started playing with her hair a bit and she was probably very uncomfortable.

He felt an urge to apologize and explain that he didn’t realize, but the waiter came back to take their orders. “The Mediterranean salmon, please. Caesar salad. And a glass of Sauvignon blanc.”

“And for you, miss?”

“Can I get the chicken burrata salad? With the av-goh-lee-mono soup?”

Though she and the waiter kept speaking for a few moments, Edgeworth could suddenly only hear white noise. He barely even registered her mispronunciation.

A salad?

Maya Fey had ordered…a salad?

For dinner?

For a meal?

Sure, yes, it had meat and cheese in it. But…still. He’d never, in all the years he’d known her, seen her order a salad. And after spending hours listening to Wright complain about Maya’s eating habits, he was pretty confident that she didn’t eat healthy any other time, either.

So…what was different? Was she just in a strange mood? Was it a particularly good-sounding salad? He supposed it didn’t sound bad, looking at the description on the menu before handing it over to the waiter. But it didn’t stand out as anything spectacular.

Just as Edgeworth was about to ask her about it, he was mentally dragged back to his paranoid thoughts from before they’d ordered.

“Oh, my God! Yes! Yes, I will!”

Dozens of people in the room started clapping - including Maya - and Edgeworth turned around to see a couple at a table on the other end of the room were hugging and kissing. The shorter of the two men shouted something about getting married and held his hand up high, clearly showing off the ring on his finger.

That pretty much sealed his paranoia. This was a distinctly romantic restaurant and Edgeworth had dragged Maya Fey, his platonic acquaintance/friend whom he enjoyed spending time with, to it without warning her ahead of time.

He felt near-mortified at such a social misstep. He had definitely gone too far, too fast. He should’ve started with tea.

But Dr. Endens’ voice appeared in his head - she would tell him to take a breath, assess the situation rationally, and explain himself before assuming that his associates were angry with him. So he took that deep breath and opened his mouth.

But then the waiter came back with their starters. That was quick.

“That was fast!” Maya said cheerfully as the waiter smiled down at her.

Edgeworth supposed that starter salads and soups were prepared ahead of time, which explained the speed. Plus, well. His aforementioned reputation.

Maya dug into her soup immediately, looking like she was absolutely starved. Edgeworth ate a few bites of his salad, but he still wanted to address the elephant in the room. He wanted to make sure that Maya wasn’t uncomfortable, and also make sure she knew that he didn’t have any unspoken intentions when he asked her out to dinner.

He swallowed a bite, drank a sip of wine, and took another deep breath. “Maya.”

“Hm?”

“I want to make sure you know that I didn’t mean to put any expectations on this dinner,” he said quickly, hoping he was being clear. “I must’ve missed the part of their website where they mentioned the…atmosphere here.”

Maya blinked at him slowly, then tilted her head to the side. “Huh?”

“I…I didn't realize this place would be so…romantic,” he said quietly, feeling embarrassed. Their outing looked like a date. He couldn't pretend otherwise, especially when they were literally surrounded by couples of all ages.

“You didn't?” she asked genuinely, spoon in her mouth.

Edgeworth turned his head away from her stare, blush rising to his cheeks again. “I apologize, Maya. I didn't know anything about this.” He wouldn't have been surprised if she was uncomfortable, and felt an urge to offer her an out despite the fact that they'd already ordered.

“Oh. Oh. You don't know what day it is, do you?” Maya asked, an amused smile forming on her face.

He was confused by the sudden question. “It's…February 14th, isn't it?”

Maya tilted her head forward slightly. “Sure is. And do you know what else?”

Edgeworth glared at her in confusion. What else? The date was the date. It was February 14th. It was…oh.

Oh.

“I'm an idiot,” he grumbled, covering his blushing face with his hands.

Maya laughed, stirring her spoon around her soup bowl, as if some sort of pressure had been released. “This explains so much!” she said with a chuckle. “I was like, wow, Mr. Edgeworth, this is all so sudden!”

He reached out and grabbed his wine, drinking it slowly as she laughed at him. It didn't evade his notice that she was calling him Mr. Edgeworth again. What had changed, exactly? Now she knew he was an idiot who didn't pay attention to non-bank holidays? Probably.

As he continued to drink the wine, Maya got the waiter’s attention, ordered ‘whatever you have that's closest to mozzarella sticks!’, and then she continued giggling at his social faux-pas before excusing herself to the bathroom.

She walked away quickly and Miles was struck by a sudden realization.

Maya Fey had thought that he asked her out on a romantic date. On Valentine’s Day. And not only had she accepted, but she also dressed up especially nice and had ordered food that was more socially acceptable than her usual choices.

She was trying to make a good impression.

On him.

…she wanted to be on a date with him .

Edgeworth felt the back of his neck get sweaty. He knew what that meant, logically. It meant that Maya Fey, at the very least , was attracted to him. And at the very most, she saw potential in a romantic relationship between them.

He needed more wine before he spiraled into thinking about the situation further.

He barely ever thought about things like romance or sex. As a man who could barely maintain friendships, the thought of romance stayed far away from his mind. And it always had, so it wasn't something that generally appealed to him from women or men or anyone.

But…’barely ever’ wasn't never.

Maya Fey was not someone he'd considered as an option before, if he was being honest with himself. She was quite a few years younger than him, and more than that…she was the best friend of Phoenix Wright , one of his closest friends and rivals.

(One of his closest friends was a man he didn't speak to for seven years. It was no wonder his therapist put so much emphasis on getting him to socialize more.)

Given the circumstances they were currently in, Edgeworth took a moment to…consider her.

He enjoyed spending time with her. They'd been friendly for several years, even if their interactions were few and far between. She was charmingly upbeat, pleasant, friendly…and also very beautiful. He'd never noticed that before, and felt a little ignorant having come to the realization only after seeing her in different clothes. How shallow was he?

The idea that she could have an interest in him made Edgeworth very, very nervous. He wasn’t unused to attention from women (and men), but they were always strangers. When someone knew him better, knew his personality and his habits, they tended to lose interest. Not that he particularly cared, it was just a pattern he’d noticed over the years.

Maya, however, did know him. Quite well, in fact. She’d been present for some of the darkest times in his life, just as he had for her. And yet she still said yes to what she thought was a…a romantic outing.

A Valentine’s Day date.

Edgeworth knew his cheeks were bright red. Thankfully, he could blame that on the wine. He was thoroughly embarrassed by his social blunder, thoroughly embarrassed by the idea of being on a date, thoroughly embarrassed that he forgot about Valentine’s Day, and thoroughly embarrassed that a small part of him wished he hadn’t said anything at all.

She was taking her time in the bathroom, so Edgeworth let his mind wander while he picked at his salad. If they’d gone through the entire evening with her thinking it was a date and him not knowing, then…how would it have ended?

…would she have tried to kiss him?

He tugged at his cravat, which suddenly felt very tight. He didn’t know how he would’ve reacted to something like that. He probably would’ve turned into a statue, completely unmoving, and she would’ve been put-off and then that would’ve been the end of that. Just another in a long list of social failures for Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth.

“Would you like more wine, sir?”

“Yes.” Edgeworth answered the waiter faster and more urgently than he meant to, and of course that was also the moment that Maya came back from the bathroom.

The waiter didn’t say anything, just refilled his glass and walked away, but Maya chuckled and tugged some hair behind her ear. “Woww, almost being on a date with me is just that bad, huh?”

She was clearly trying to be humorous, but Edgeworth felt much too nervous and awkward to play along. Instead, he cleared his throat and shook his head. “Not at all, Maya. I was just…” He took a moment to sigh. “...just embarrassed, I suppose.”

“It’s all good,” she answered with a smile and a shrug. “I, um…I get the feeling you’ve never really been one for Valentine’s Day. One of the many reasons why I was so surprised!”

“Is it that obvious?” He felt like she was trying to alleviate his embarrassment, but that just made it worse.

And yet, she still said yes.

Edgeworth started on his new glass of wine. It was the same as the previous, but tasted better somehow.

“Completely obvious,” she answered cheekily. “It’s okay. Not like I’ve ever celebrated either!”

Absentmindedly, he thought that was strange. A holiday centered around candy and gifts and love seemed perfectly fitting for someone like Maya Fey. But then he thought about where and how she was raised - Kurain Village likely didn’t celebrate such holidays.

“Here’s your fried cheese, ma’am,” the waiter said gently as he placed the mozzarella sticks in front of her.

Maya smiled and dug into them immediately, letting out a sound of satisfaction as she initiated a loud, textured crunch.

Edgeworth was happy for the distraction, allowing him to collect himself for a moment. He was struggling to get over the information about Maya that he'd deduced, but watching her loudly chew a stick of cheese was helping.

It was that moment when his phone buzzed, and Edgeworth was surprised to see he had a text message from Phoenix Wright.

You really didn't know it was Valentine's Day? Lame.

Edgeworth's cheeks burned and he put his phone away - not wanting to be rude and also too embarrassed to deal with the fact that Wright knew about his blunder. He couldn't even be mad at Maya for sharing - she was obviously embarrassed as well. And, based on her comment about Wright from the beginning of the evening, it sounded like he was already aware of their outing.

And, of course, she'd undoubtedly told Wright that it was a date.

Edgeworth grabbed his water that time, not wanting to overdo it on the wine. He was genuinely surprised that Wright didn't accost him during the day. He'd always been very protective of Maya (for good reason, since she was such a trouble magnet).

“I…I know it's beating a dead horse at this point,” Edgeworth started slowly, “but I'd like to apologize again. This was an entirely avoidable misunderstanding.”

She smiled radiantly at him and finished off another mozzarella stick. “Ahh, it's okay! Really! It's not like anyone else is gonna take me to a fancy dinner,” she answered with a chuckle.

Something about her response didn't sit quite well with him and Edgeworth frowned. Without even realizing his mouth was open, he said, “That can't be true.”

Maya tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

Edgeworth's mouth suddenly filled with sand as he realized that he'd spoken out loud. His thought process was quite simple: she was very pretty, outspoken, charming, and easy to talk to, so it didn't make sense for her to be without suitors. He could not bring himself to say any of that out loud for a multitude of reasons, so he opted instead to stare at her and repeatedly open and close his mouth like a fish.

They dealt with a terribly awkward few seconds before Maya spoke again, almost like she knew he’d spoken without meaning to. “Ohhh, you mean because I’m so beaaaautiful and funny and nice to talk to, the boys should be lining up?” she said jokingly, striking a few poses and giving him a cheeky grin.

Breath returned to his lungs and Edgeworth was able to speak again. “Um- yes. Something like that,” he answered. He could tell she was joking, being a bit self-deprecating, and he desperately wanted to stop her from doing that. But he couldn’t argue without complimenting her physically and the idea of doing so made his neck start to sweat again.

Maya chuckled and the conversion paused for a moment as their food arrived and was placed quietly in front of them. As soon as the waiter left, she smiled back at Edgeworth. “Well, I guess looks aren’t enough anymore! Not like I can meet guys anyway - the only men that come to Kurain are channeling clients and lawyers trying to get me un-kidnapped again.”

That comment brought a small smile to Edgeworth’s face, just for a second, and then he looked down at his food like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “I see,” he responded, feeling awkward as ever. “That makes sense, I suppose.”

In a good-natured attempt to lighten the mood, Maya reached her fork out and stole a little bit of the couscous off of Edgeworth’s plate. “It’s okay though! I’m happy to spend Valentine’s Day with you even if it’s not a date!” she said happily.

And then, very quickly, she looked embarrassed. She ate that bite of couscous and then moved onto her own food, shoveling it into her mouth, and that seemed to be the end of the conversation.

Edgeworth replayed her last sentence in his head. Even if it’s not a date. Implying that she’d be happier if it was a date. He could feel his neck starting to sweat again.

It was clear that Maya didn’t mean to say that, based on how she was stuffing her face with food to prevent herself from talking anymore. He understood the urge very well.

They stuck to simpler topics for the rest of the meal - updates on Wright and other shared friends of theirs, local news and goings-on, Franziska and her many adventures, and even the new Steel Samurai movie after some light goading. He wasn’t particularly excited for it - he hadn’t been interested in newer updates to the franchise in years. But Maya tried to keep up just in case there were any diamonds in the rough, which he commended. She even promised to let him know if there was anything worth checking out.

Everything felt lighter after they moved on from their social struggles - Edgeworth found himself genuinely enjoying the time spent with Maya, even when he had to point out that she had a piece of food stuck to her cheek.

It was oddly cute to watch her try and get it with her tongue and then give up and use her napkin. Then Edgeworth felt very wrong for thinking such a thing. But he wasn't wrong. She was cute. She’s Maya.

He excused himself to the bathroom after that, finished with his food and wanting to wash his hands. And also he needed a little break from socializing so much and coming to a very disturbing realization that he was finding himself oh-so-slightly attracted to Maya Fey. Which was completely and one-hundred percent uncomfortable to think about. He’d known her for such a long time and he’d never thought of her in that way, not even once. She’d always been a friendly, calming face - someone who inspired him to be stronger and more outspoken, just as Wright did, and one of the associates in his life that made him want to be a better person. Being the prosecutor on the case of Mia Fey - actively accusing and charging Maya with her own sister’s murder - was still a weight on his shoulders. Especially since Maya came to his rescue just a few months later without hesitation.

There weren’t enough thank yous in the world to express his gratitude to her. But being grateful to someone wasn’t a reason to date them, and being grateful to Maya wasn’t the reason he was suddenly feeling a certain kind of way about her.

He’d felt a desire to spend more time with her, acted on that impulse, then found himself humiliated and somehow still he wanted to spend more time with her.

It had to mean something, he was pretty sure. Combined with the fact that an annoying part of his brain kept repeating the word cute every time he looked at her, it was hard to pretend that he wasn't dealing with some unfamiliar feelings.

Edgeworth washed his hands for what felt like the fifth time when he came to a decision. He was going to take a chance, for the first time in a very long time.

If Maya saw potential between them, then she must’ve had reasons to. She wasn't as logic-based as Edgeworth, but she wouldn't have come up with the idea out of thin air.

He walked back over to their table only to find Maya talking to the waiter - he handed her the check and walked off.

Edgeworth sat down, a bit confused. “You don’t want to get dessert?” he asked.

“Ahh, I mean, some of them looked pretty good, but I figure we should head out,” she answered, a light blush on her cheeks as she avoided eye contact.

Edgeworth understood what she was doing. She was giving him an out, an opportunity to end their not-quite-a-date early and save the both of them some awkwardness and embarrassment.

“I see,” he responded quietly, reaching out for the check. He was not going to take the out, but he also didn’t want to overstep and make her uncomfortable. So no dessert at the restaurant, that was fine. They were in a nice part of town and he had other ideas.

Maya was playing with her hair - cute - when the waiter came back to take his card, and she gave Edgeworth a small smile. “Thank you for this. I'm sorry I made it weird, but this was really nice!”

He glanced up at her, unsurprised to see that she was blushing again. “You did no such thing, Maya. The blunder was mine,” he said softly, fighting an urge to tap his fingertips against the table. “I’ve had a nice time as well.”

Conversation stalled once again as the waiter came back - Edgeworth left a sizable tip (and not only because Maya was staring directly at his hand while he was signing, he always left good tips!), and they made their way out of the restaurant. Maya took the lead, waving goodbye to every waiter and waitress they passed on the way.

Which was very cute of her to do.

They stepped outside - the air was cooler than earlier in the evening, but still warm for February.

Maya chuckled and moved her hands to the back of her neck, leaving them there as some sort of comfort while she looked up and down the street. “Back to the car, then?” she asked, already starting to walk towards the Prosecutor's Office.

It was now or never, Edgeworth decided. Though he knew that was an exaggeration and he could always attempt to remedy their situation later, he wanted to try living in the moment. Make Dr. Endens proud.

“Actually…”

Maya turned her head, staring at him with a confused expression.

“... there's a patisserie a few blocks from here that's open late,” Edgeworth continued, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. “I…think you would like it.”

She blinked at him. “Yeah?”

“Also, um…” He took a deep breath, willing himself to say the next thing he wanted to say. It was very difficult. But he really wanted to say it. “You can, ah…” he continued quietly, trying not to bring attention to how embarrassed he was, “...continue to call me Miles, if you'd like. I don't mind.”

Maya looked surprised for a second, then smiled brightly at him. Her smile was contagious, which really helped ease him out of his embarrassed misery.

“Okay Miles… ” Maya said cheekily, looking much more confident than a moment earlier. “I can do that!”

She didn't question his invitation to continue their not-date, which he very much appreciated. The walk to the patisserie would only take them a few minutes, and she instead filled the silence with idle talk about some of the outfits they saw along the street.

He offered small affirmations that he'd heard her - too distracted by the fact that his hand was dangling very close to hers as they walked along. Their hands even brushed briefly, which he knew from reading the occasional romantic novel was his opportunity to grab her hand.

Edgeworth’s other hand, in his pocket, twitched at the thought. He was very bad at this, he knew that. But she put a lot of effort into trying to impress him for the evening, so he wanted to do the same.

He reached his dangling hand closer to hers, fully intending to try and grab it.

Unfortunately, she'd leaned a little bit to the left just as he did that and her hand was slightly out of reach. So all that happened was his pinky finger brushed against her palm, and his confidence depleted immediately.

Edgeworth internally cursed himself and turned his head away from Maya, glad that she didn't seem to notice.

Or he thought as much, until he felt her small hand wrap around his own.

His heart started beating faster and he turned to look down at her - she was blushing and smiling slightly, but most notably, she was looking straight ahead and avoiding his eye line.

It seemed that neither of them were very good at this sort of thing.

Their conversation dwindled, both a bit too distracted by their hands to focus. If not for the couples sitting outside the patisserie, Edgeworth had a feeling they would've walked right past it.

“This is it,” he said, stopping in front of the door.

“Wowww,” Maya said, letting out an exaggerated whistle. “It looks so fancy. I should get one of everything!”

Edgeworth squeezed her hand lightly before pulling his hand away and crossing his arms over his chest. “Perhaps just one or two treats.” He paused for a moment, then added, “We can always come back next time.”

She looked up at him when he said that, an unreadable expression on her face. It seemed like she was trying to figure out exactly what that meant, though Edgeworth was surprised that he managed to suggest it at all. He was still feeling exceptionally nervous. A bit like his stomach was going to explode.

“We should get something for Nick and Trucy,” she responded with a smile. “I bet they'll be jealous that we went somewhere so extravagant!”

He smiled back and moved forward to open the door, letting Maya enter the building first. Millie’s was a small business, though they often catered important events at the Prosecutor’s Office so Edgeworth had become familiar with them over the years.

The woman behind the counter recognized him immediately. “Good evening, Prosecutor Edgeworth!” she said, noticing Maya and not yet acknowledging her. “Would you like your usual?”

That question put an excited smile on Maya’s face - she leaned onto the counter and held up two fingers. “ Two of Prosecutor Edgeworth’s usual, please!”

The woman nodded at her. “Of course, just a moment!”

“You don't even know what it is,” Edgeworth said to Maya as she turned back around to face him.

“If it's good enough to be your usual then I have to try it!” she responded, giggling. “I never knew you had such a sweet tooth, Miles!”

The light mockery and her using his first name brought the blush back to his cheeks, making Edgeworth almost regret all of his decisions in the last ten minutes. Almost. “I…well.” He pouted, turning away from her. “I don't keep many sweets at home, so I come here whenever I have a craving.”

“That's so cute.”

His face felt even warmer. He'd been thinking about that word all evening, but she just came out and said it without a second thought. “I think I'm a bit old to be called cute .”

Maya stepped forward and leaned into his personal space, lifting up one finger and lightly poking the tip of his nose. “If you don't wanna be called cute, then you shouldn't say cute things!”

Unsure if it was possible to be more embarrassed, Edgeworth stood there and stewed in his humiliation. As the woman came back, Maya ordered two chocolate croissants to go, and then tugged on his arm when those were packed up.

“Do you want anything else?” Maya asked.

He blinked down at her. The last minute passed by so quickly. “No. This is fine.”

Maya reached towards her purse after he said that, and Edgeworth quickly put a hand over hers as he handed his card to the worker.

“But you paid for dinner!” Maya exclaimed, not moving her hand out from under his.

“Of course,” he responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And I'm paying for this, too.” He paused for just a moment before deciding to add, “I'm the one who invited you out. It only makes sense that I pay.”

She pouted at him, but relented, and there was a faint hint of pink on her cheeks as she turned away from his gaze. “I just don't want you to feel like I'm only here for the free food,” she said to him, half-joking.

Edgeworth shook his head playfully. “The thought never even crossed my mind,” he answered. If not for her slip-ups during dinner - the moments where she accidentally admitted to wanting to be on a date with him - maybe he would've wondered such a thing. But her interest was clear, no matter how nervous that fact made him.

“Here's your butterscotch croissants!” the woman behind the counter said happily, handing the paper bag to Maya.

Maya had the most comically surprised look on her face as she took the bag, and her smirk didn't falter for a moment as she stared up at Edgeworth. “Never in a million years could I have predicted your usual!”

He rolled his eyes and didn't object as Maya grabbed him by his sleeve and pulled him outside so they could sit at a small outdoor table. “What were you expecting? Something coffee flavored?”

“Oh, yeah, one hundred percent,” she responded with a laugh. “Or maybe a black and white cookie. Definitely not…this!” Maya pulled out one of the croissants as she finished her sentence, and was stunned into silence by the size of it. It looked deliciously flaky and buttery, and there was a small amount of butterscotch cream oozing out of one end. “This looks so good.”

Edgeworth reached into the bag to grab his own - it was smaller than Maya’s, but he was used to slight differences since they were all hand-made. And truth be told, their croissants were often too filling for him, anyway.

Probably just right for Maya, though.

“They are very good,” he answered, shifting his position in the uncomfortable metal chair. “I believe they-... Maya. ”

He cut himself off when he glanced up at the woman across the table and saw her devouring the croissant - barely a few seconds had passed and there was only a bite or two left. It was shocking that she’d managed to eat it so quickly without getting flakes of croissant all over her face.

“Hm?” she mumbled back, innocently, then she took another huge bite to finish off the pastry.

Edgeworth blinked slowly, then shook his head for a moment before turning to the croissant in his hand. He took a small bite and savored the light crunch and the sweet flavor while trying to understand how the hell he’d ended up on a date with a woman like Maya Fey. She was ridiculous. She was impossibly charming. It didn’t make any sense.

And yet, there he was. He felt oddly calm after watching her eat her dessert in such a…Maya way. His fear that he was making her at all uncomfortable melted away just as the butterscotch melted in his mouth.

It’d been a good evening.

“This has been really nice, Miles,” Maya said suddenly, capturing his attention once again. “Thank you!”

He still had several bites left to go, but Edgeworth was a slow eater and he didn’t see any reason to pretend otherwise. He glanced back up at her and was a little surprised to see her playing with her hair and looking shy again.

Suddenly remembering that he wasn’t the only person feeling nervous about their situation, Edgeworth cleared his throat and nodded. “Of course. I…I’ve enjoyed…spending this time with you.” He stuffed the croissant back in his mouth, hoping it would prevent him from saying anything more embarrassing than that.

Maya’s eyes looked like they were sparkling from the reflection of the moon and stars. It was slightly captivating.

“Do you wanna go for a walk?” she asked happily, handing him a napkin as he finished his pastry. “Burn off these calories?”

He took the napkin and patted the corners of his mouth, fairly confident there wasn’t any food on his face. Part of him was not at all surprised by her question, but another part couldn’t believe how well his first sort-of-date in over ten years was going. Probably longer than that. Twenty years, maybe? Edgeworth stood up and held out a hand to Maya. “There’s a park just around the corner.”

She smiled and grabbed his hand, allowing him to feel like a gentleman and also initiate more hand-holding without the same awkwardness from before. Maya grabbed the two pastry bags and tossed one into a nearby trash can, then quickly took the lead towards Exposé Park .

It was a quick little walk and he was happy to see that there were a lot less people outside than earlier. The public displays of affection were difficult for him - less of an audience (not that anyone was really paying attention to them) made it much easier. They passed one other pair - Maya complimented the woman’s dress and she responded in kind, then they continued on their separate ways.

“It’s impressive how you can do that,” he commented absentmindedly.

“What do you mean?” Maya asked, looking up at him and squeezing his hand.

Edgeworth stared down at her, then suddenly felt his heart race faster and turned to stare ahead instead. “You complimented that woman without a second thought. It’s very…nice.”

“Oh!” She giggled and briefly leaned against his arm. “Well, y’know…people like getting compliments on things they made a choice about.”

Her wording was interesting and Edgeworth found himself curious about it. “That’s why you specifically commented on her dress?”

Maya let go of his hand as they walked past the gate into the park - it wasn’t super well-lit, but they could feel a light breeze from the nearby pond. “Dress, hair, makeup, shoes…you get it.”

He nodded his head, understanding her logic. “I’ve never given it much thought before, but it makes sense. If I said your dress is nice then I’m addressing the conscious choices you made to purchase it and wear it, but if I said you have beautiful eyes then that’s just about your looks.”

She was staring at him with an amused smile and a blush on her cheeks that made Edgeworth feel self-conscious.

“I-I, um. Or maybe I shouldn’t say anything.”

“No, Miles, it’s okay,” Maya said, laughing slightly. She held her hands out and rested them on his arms. “I was talking about how to compliment strangers. With friends it just kind of depends, y’know?”

“Right.” He felt embarrassed again.

“But with that being said, um…” She paused for a moment and pulled away from him, suddenly distracted by strands of her hair that’d fallen out of place. “I feel like I should just say this, but. Well. I’m getting really mixed signals from you tonight.”

Edgeworth felt like his heart was going to explode. “What do you mean?”

Maya combed her fingers through her hair and held it against the sides of her neck, trying to look up at him but repeatedly glancing away. “This wasn’t supposed to be a date, right?”

“It was not, no,” he answered honestly, hoping his voice didn’t waver with nervousness.

“Right, but…is it a date now?”

It was very difficult to answer that question. He didn’t really know anything about dates or dating rituals or what counted as a date and what didn’t. He’d been told in the past that he was on a date without realizing it, and had had moments where he thought something felt like a date when it most likely was not.

He simply was not good at making the distinction.

“I-I, um…” Edgeworth started, hating himself for tripping over his words. He wished he could be smoother. “I…it’s up to you.”

Maya’s eyes widened at that response and she blinked slowly a few times before responding. “Is it?”

“Yes,” he answered quickly before he could get stuck in his head about it again.

She smiled at that, which made Edgeworth happy that he may have actually said the right thing, and then Maya glanced around them - almost as if she was checking to see that no one else was around. It was pretty dark outside, so even if there was someone, there was little chance they’d be bothered. “Well, then…if we’re gonna call this a date, then it needs a little something, right?”

He stared down at her. Was he supposed to know what that something was? Hopefully she didn’t expect him to give an answer because he genuinely had no clue. “What’s that?”

Without saying anything else, Edgeworth felt her fingers dig into the lapels of his coat and she tugged him down towards her. He didn’t even have a moment to question her actions before their lips made contact and he was immediately stunned into silent shock.

The kiss lasted only a second or two, then Maya let him go and stepped away. Her face was red as a tomato and he suspected that his was the same.

“I-I’m so sorry,” Maya said, stammering, her confidence utterly shaken by her decision. “I shouldn’t have done that!” She laughed uncomfortably between words. “I should go home, I’m so sorry, I-”

Edgeworth reached out and grabbed her wrist, knowing he had to say something to get her to stop spiraling. It was important for him to remember that this wasn’t much easier for her than it was for him. “Maya.”

She stared at his hand around her wrist and didn’t respond.

“I, um. That was. Um. It was nice,” he said awkwardly, wishing the chill of the night would cool down his face.

“It was?” She sounded genuinely unsure and looked up at him again, making eye contact.

Edgeworth’s heart was racing so fast and he squeezed her wrist a little tighter on a reflex, then let go of her out of fear that he’d hurt her by accident. God, his neck was sweaty. “Y-yes. It was.” He wouldn’t lie to her, of course, not even to spare her feelings.

Maya smiled, her cheeks still pink but she seemed much calmer than before. She looked off to the side, then up at him again, and then started playing with her hair again.

Clearly she was thinking about something. But he was still too dumbstruck to open his mouth without prompting. He was just kissed by Maya Fey. What the hell was he supposed to say?

“...want me to do it again?”

He blinked slowly at her. Ah. Perhaps that would’ve been the right response. Or maybe he was just supposed to kiss her back like an adult capable of rational decisions would do. But it seemed that Maya understood how difficult and new this situation was for him, which he greatly appreciated.

Edgeworth reached his right hand towards her again, and they laced their fingers together in a way that made his heart flutter. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought it would just fly right out of his mouth. “If…if you’d like to, then I’d be amenable to that.”

Maya laughed, loudly, much more loudly than he would’ve expected, and then used her free hand to pull him down for another kiss.

It lasted longer than the first one and he kissed her back that time. Their hands came apart and she gripped his lapels again while his hands found their way to her hips. The thought came to his mind that he liked the feeling of her hips under his hands, and then he felt nervous about that line of thinking and then the kiss was over before he could think about it any further.

He didn’t stand back up quite yet, enjoying being close to her. It was nice. Everything at that moment was nice.

Maya gave him another peck on his lips and smiled in that way that he was always happy to see. “We should do this again next time I’m in town.”

Without even a moment of hesitation, he answered, “Yes. Yes we should.”

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