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Although he would never admit it, Miles Edgeworth’s primary love language was intimacy. “Physical touch” he was quick to correct anyone who pointed it out. “They changed it.” He had little interest in that sort of “intimacy” the sort that caused others to raise their eyebrows when the simple word was spoken. But touching, just touching, specifically touching Phoenix Wright was…nice. He liked simply lying in bed beside the man, marveling at how he could breathe sleeping on his stomach with his head completely buried under pillows. Unable to look at his partner’s face, Edgeworth examined the smooth planes of his back. Reasonably sure that Phoenix was asleep, he reached out one finger and casually traced his spine. He smirked when Wright shivered under his touch and continued his idle exploration tracing meaningless patterns onto his skin half drifting off to sleep himself until…
“Mmmm--Miles?” His voice sounded muffled under the pillows
“Hmm?” Edgeworth attempted to sound as if he had also just awoken
“Miles.” The voice sounded firmer, but was still difficult to hear.
“Yes Wright? I can’t hear you when you mumble you know”
“You--You wrote Miles” Phoenix had finally emerged from under his pillow fort, his hair even spikier than usual and his eyes squinting with suspicion or a strong desire to close themselves again immediately.
“What?”
“You wrote your name, Miles, on my back just now”
Edgeworth was grateful the darkness hid his blush. “Don’t be ridiculous Wright, why on earth would I do such a thing?”
“I truly have no idea Edgeworth but you just did it!” Those eyes were definitely squinting in suspicion now.
“You...must have been dreaming. Go back to sleep Phoenix” Miles replies gently. As he had hoped, hearing his first name takes Phoenix out of the courtroom and back into sleepy boyfriend mode. He readjusts his pillow and shoves his head back underneath it. Edgeworth can just make out his murmured “Ok...You did though”
He chooses not to respond until he is absolutely certain Phoenix Wright is deeply asleep. Then with the lightest of touches he gently traces two new words onto Wrights back
“Prove it”
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As the months pass this tracing game becomes another battle between them. Wright feigns sleep in order to catch Edgeworth in the act, while he listens carefully for the tell-tale kitten-soft snore that indicates Phoenix is truly deep in dreamland. Some nights he doesn’t risk it. Some nights Phoenix permits it, because the words Miles Edgeworth traces onto his skin include some he rarely says aloud.
“Love you”
“Missed you”
“Sorry”
He supposes growing up in the emotionless void that was Von Karma’s mansion had some detrimental effects on the love of his life. So if this is the way he chooses to express himself, well Wright is just grateful he can manage to at all. While Wright continues to dominate in the courtroom, he cedes this small victory to Miles at home, after all it’s not like he objects to his lover's touch. The simple ritual becomes necessary to both of them, when Edgeworth is abroad he finds his hand reaching to touch a lover no longer there, unaware that across the world Wright is tossing and turning for lack of the familiar touch. Still, they never speak of it. That’s why it comes as a surprise one night when Edgeworth gently shakes him awake.
“Mmm--Miles?”
“Listen carefully. I’m going to say something now that I cannot say to you.”
His cool and measured voice and the apparent impossibility of his statement jolt Wright wide awake in an instant. “Miles what is it? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Wright. Go back to sleep but...don’t really”
Confused, but willing to cooperate Phoenix obediently shoves his head back underneath the pillow and slows his breathing conspicuously. The minutes drag on in silence and he wonders if despite his odd announcement Edgeworth has also drifted off. Whatever it was he assumes it will keep until morning. Suddenly, he senses rather than feels hands above him. He has no evidence to prove it, but Phoenix would swear they’re shaking. Finally he feels the lightest touch upon his shoulder. Slowly an “M” is written. The rest of the message is hurried and indistinct. For some bizarre reason Edgeworth is writing in cursive. The letters blend together. He can’t quite catch the message.
“Well?”
Clearly Edgeworth expects him to have understood it. Wright peeks his head out from under his pillow and sees his rival/lover wearing the most intense expression he’s seen in years. It’s a classic courtroom Edgeworth look, not one he expects to see in the bedroom. Suddenly Wright feels very much like he is the one on trial. He casts his mind back to moments before, wishing he had the evidence laid out neatly before him. He may have felt an “a” and perhaps an “r”
“Marinara?” He hedges, grinning his endearing “I have no idea what I’m doing” grin. Edgeworth didn’t anticipate this. It’s just like Wright to make things difficult.
“Wrong.” He supposes he’ll just have to keep giving Phoenix chances until he figures it out. He trusts that he will. The evidence of their two years together points to one incredibly obvious verdict.
“Macaroni?”
Alright, perhaps not as obvious as he thought.
“Even more wrong Wright. Stop thinking with your stomach”
He considers rewriting the message, but at this point his hands are shaking too much. He wishes he could simply say it to him, but the words, like so many others, stick in his throat.
“Mar---”
Edgeworth sucks in a tight breath, sure that he’s got it now
“---igold?”
“Are you serious Wright? What possible relevance could that have to anything?”
“I don’t know! Just tell me already!”
Miles wants to. He really does. But his throat is too dry and his heart is too fast and he can’t he can’t he can’t.
Somehow, miraculously Phoenix Wright reaches the correct conclusion.
“Marry me?”
Edgworth smirks “Why Wright. I thought you’d never ask”