"Phoenix? Holy crow, what happened?" A worried feminine voice awoke Phoenix from his light slumber and for a second, he forgot where he was. But the legal documents he had started to drool on brought him back to his office. He must have fallen asleep at Mia's—at his— desk while going over the day's to-do list.

Maya was standing over him with an uncharacteristic frown. He hated worrying Maya; she had so many more important things to think about than him. At his guilty silence, she pressed him further. "Phoenix, is everything alright? It's not even six. Why is Steel Samurai blaring in the waiting area?"

"Yeah, I—" For once, he decided to choose his words carefully. He was loath to admit that he had put on the series to keep him company, to drive away the demon of his nightmares. "I...had a nightmare. I came in early to get some work done before we opened."

Was it his imagination, or did relief seem to flitter over her face before settling into her usual smile? "Have you had coffee yet? Or were you hoping to catch up on sleep before we open to the public?" Even as she asked, she was making her way to the small kitchenette.

Phoenix grinned sleepily at her retreating form. Despite having a fervent dislike for coffee, Maya sure did know how to make a mean pot of the liquid gold. He supposed she had learned from her sister, as Mia also knew how to brew the perfect cup. The memory tugged at his heartstrings and he hastily cleared his throat before replying. "No, uh, not yet. Would you please put on a pot, Maya?" After a beat, he added, "There's some Twinings in the cabinet. I went to the store this past weekend."

Mia had left behind some tea and Phoenix hadn't paid it much mind. With most of her belongings, he refused to move them in a desperate attempt to cling to their life together. Then last week, he noticed it had been reduced to nothing more than a couple of packets. The realization that Maya had found the tea dawned on him and he immediately took mental note of the tea remaining. He didn't know what tea Maya liked best, so he picked up a box of everything Mia had left, which seemed to be mostly black teas with a few green teas. Phoenix was under the impression that Maya was only staying in town to wrap up Mia's affairs, but he still wanted her to be as comfortable as possible during her time with him.

"I see them! Wow, It looks like you bought out the whole tea section at the store, haha. Thanks, Nick!" She couldn't see him, but that didn't stop the chagrin from spreading across his face. It was too much. He should have known.

She stuck her head back into his office to bestow another warm smile upon him. "Hey, I was joking! Please lighten up, Mr. Wright!" Maya only ever used his formal title to tease him and it never failed to make him smile.

"Of course, Ms. Fey. What's on our agenda today?" Even though Phoenix was the lawyer, he enjoyed the outlandish suggestions Maya would throw his way. Though they had admittedly become considerably less wild when he pointed out that they had to remain inside the office during their posted business hours.

The young woman emerged at the doorway with their drinks in either hand. She padded over to his desk to set them down and perched herself on the chair across from him. "What was your nightmare about? In Kurain, we analyze people's nightmares for omens of things to come. They're not always accurate," she admitted freely, "but it's a fun exercise! Ooh wait, even better, let me try to guess!"

"You won't guess it," Phoenix replied quietly. He doubted anyone could guess the horrors his brain had subjected him to the previous night. He could scarcely believe it himself. But nothing could deter Maya's fun. She clapped her hands in excitement and scrutinized him carefully. He met her gaze evenly, praying to some higher power that his terror wasn't as transparent as he thought it was.

"Edgeworth." She said this with so much confidence that Phoenix couldn't stop the guffaw from escaping. "You had a nightmare that you were in court with Mr. Edgeworth...and you were in your underwear! The whole jury was laughing at you!"

It was true that had been one of his recurring dreams, but was it better to play along? If he told her the truth, it would crush her. He couldn't do that to Maya, he couldn't ruin her innocence any more than it had been. But...what if the Kurain tradition proved to be fruitful? He might get some closure.

One look at Maya laughing behind her mug of tea solidified his decision. This was going to be a damn good day and Phoenix was determined to keep up the levity. He pretended to be vastly impressed by her spiritual prowess. "Aw man, how did you know? What does it mean, oh mighty spirit master?"

"It means it may just come to pass." Maya announced this with such solemnity that it unsettled Phoenix, until she beamed at him. "Unless you buy the greatest spirit channeler you know dinner!"

"Oh no! Whoever would that be?" Phoenix laughed at the elaborate setup. Dinner with Maya would be good for both of them. He hadn't spent much time outside of his apartment since the incident and he doubted Maya had many friends in the city. "Yeah, sounds good, Maya. Do you have any recommendations?"

"Well, there's this one place I really like..." And with that, Maya set about planning their dinner plans for him, as well as giving him a detailed review of every diner in the area.

A/N: Oops, sorry it's kind of a shorty. Just getting back into writing, so please let me know what you think of this update!