• A fear incarnate

    Edgeworth's head ached. A small but persistent thunderstorm that was raging outside had somehow worked itself inside his head and was now playing merry hell with his concentration.
    The case notes he was meant to be checking before tomorrow weren't being helped by the sudden ripples of angry thunder.
    With a final grunt of disapproval at the weather, he closed the file and pulled his briefcase from the floor before stashing it back in, almost angry at himself.
    He took a deep calming breath and stood up, he looked at his chess set. He had been musing on a game he was half-playing earlier and wondered why he had chosen NOT to castle when cornered by that Queen.
    Too much trouble to muse on it today. Maybe tomorrow, when he had a clearer head. He casually stroked the edge of the frosted and clear glass board which was cut to an almost sharp finish. The pieces really were quite exquisite--
    Suddenly, the pieces began to dance. Tremble, the queen fell backwards and continued to convulse towards the edge of the board.
    Edgeworth looked around and dropped his suitcase in terror as he remembered the way he last felt this way. The day his father died. The day he almost died of oxygen deprivation...
    Pull yourself together! Get to the doorway!
    Edgeworth tried to move but his legs would not support him, there was only one place he could drop to and that was the floor...
    Stumbling in the, what seemed an eternal shaking, of the building he managed one staggered step towards the door and crashed into his chess set.
    The last thing he recalled as he sunk into the red carpet was that he had never admired how wonderfully red the colour of blood was...

    *
    Phoenix on the other hand, at the first sign of a tremor had ran, clinging to the wall as he went with sweaty palms and dashed into Edgeworth's office. Knowing how afraid he was when it came to Earthquakes, he was the only prospect in Phoenix's mind. And an innocent reason to speak softly to him.
    “Edgeworth!” he began “Earthquake, come on, lets get out of here!”
    To his horror, he saw Edgeworth lying on the floor, his already red carpet soaked with a deeper red...and a bleeding cut on the pale face of Miles Edgeworth, the shards of a glass chess set and its disturbed pieces leaping around on the floor.
    Phoenix himself was frozen to the spot until he realized the floor has stopped its shaking and he was now able to move again. He dashed to Edgeworth's side and fell to his knees as he tried to take in the sight of an unconscious Edgeworth, bleeding badly from a head wound caused by...glass?
    Phoenix picked up a shard of bloodstained glass and examined it.
    “Edgeworth! Edgeworth...” he whimpered softly as he reached for Edgeworth's head, placing it on his knees.
    “...Edgeworth, wake up!” he said loudly, tapping Edgeworth's pallid cheeks. Phoenix felt his eyes burn with growing tears that were threatening to spill over onto his face.
    “...Edgeworth...please...” he murmured, stroking the grey hair from his face, some of it leaving thin red trails as it soaked into blood. “...please wake up...there is so much i haven't said...so much i need to tell you...please...”
    Phoenix could no longer help the tears falling slowly down his cheeks, leaving trails of salt on his lips as they rolled down his chin and dripped onto the magenta of Edgeworth's suit.
    “...All this blood....” he whimpered and swallowed back agony that was swelling within him now. “...Help...” he whimpered hopelessly. “Help...” he gasped as a cry shuddered through his body. The tears coming thick and fast now, sobs racking his body that ached with every throb of pain at the realisation the man he had long nursed a secret fire for was lying, possibly dead.
    Phoenix wrapped his arms around Edgeworth's weakened form and held him close, feeling the warmth, perhaps the fading warmth press through his chest, he held him tighter, longing for more. His head infused with the smell of aftershave, sweat and blood. Playing with his senses, a cruel lament stole over his soul.
    “...Edgeworth...I have to tell you before it is too late...” he softly breathed, close to Edgeworth's ear. “...Edgeworth...I've fallen for you. I've fallen in love with you...Oh God Edgeworth, Miles. Why didn't i tell you before?? We could have had time together...” he wept quietly, closing his eyes, resting his cheek on Edgeworth's forehead, feeling the blood saturate his skin. Warm and tangy on his nose hairs. Almost sickeningly sweet.
    “...perhaps because i would have had Gumshoe arrest you for being stupid...?” came a quiet, almost deadly voice from just below.
    Phoenix looked down at the glaring face of Edgeworth, his eyes dimmed and squinted as he tried to comprehend what Phoenix Wright, that fop of a rookie, that heart-on-his-sleeve fool had just confessed to deep feelings for him.
    “...EDGEWORTH! YOU'RE NOT DEAD!” Rejoiced Phoenix and abruptly grabbed Edgeworth by his cheeks, and planted a soft, slightly wet and bloody kiss on Edgeworth's pale, and shocked lips. “Stay there! I'll go get help!” he grinned and ran out of the door frame that Edgeworth recognised vaguely as his destination prior to passing out.
    Edgeworth licked his lips once, and tasted Phoenix's saliva and tears before considering, that perhaps, affection, was not so overrated after all...