Aside from the broken leg, Phoenix's injuries turned out to be relatively minor, if many. However, this fact did little to quell his unease as Diego carefully cleaned the wounds at the kitchen table; the man went about the task without speaking a word, and Phoenix nearly drove himself insane trying to figure out what the other man was thinking. But Diego's face was maddeningly impassive, and so Phoenix eventually gave up as the older man gently finished cleaning the gash in Phoenix's leg. Diego then stood; that had been the last injury to attend to. Phoenix stared up at him questioningly, and Diego motioned to the living room, walking over and seating himself. Phoenix limped afterwards, feeling annoyed despite himself that Diego hadn't thought to carry him.

"Phoenix."The feline attorney blinked expectantly, waiting for Diego to continue. When the man did not, however, Phoenix realized with a jolt that the single word had been enough of a statement all on its own. He involuntarily backed up against the arm of the couch, and Diego laughed.

Phoenix hesitated before moving to the computer and typing out a short query. how did you know?

"You slipped," Diego responded smoothly. "In your last message, you called me Diego, even though I never told you my name. I can only think of three people who know me by that name. I'd just gotten off the phone with one, and the other is dead. That left you." Phoenix sighed. Well, at least Diego might be happy to know he'd finally outdone Phoenix with superior logic. He raised his paw to begin typing again, trying to figure out how he could word his apology so Diego might actually accept it. But a hand wrapped around his paw, stopping him.

"You said you wanted to have this conversation man to man, did you not?" Phoenix nodded uncertainly, wondering what Diego could be getting at. His curiosity only grew when the ex-Prosecutor produced from his pocket a small stone, smooth, glossy and as dark as the night. "Before I went looking for you, I spoke with Maya. She said this little stone can return those under the effects of an enchantment to their normal state. It should work on you." He set the pebble down on the couch beside him as Phoenix stared with wide eyes.

All this time, Maya had had the answer right there. If he'd only had the courage to tell Diego everything from the start, he'd have been back to normal days ago, and none of this big mess would ever have happened. Still... Phoenix was less than shocked to find that, at least a part of him was glad of all that had occurred. Spending time with Diego, getting to know him, being close to him... Phoenix realized with a start that he hoped Diego would forgive him, not because he worried that the man might hurt him, but because he was afraid that Diego wouldn't like him anymore. I want him to like me, Phoenix thought quietly. But it was too late to get that as a kitten, now that Diego knew who he was. So the only thing left to do was hope that Diego would like him as Phoenix Wright: human, lawyer, and miserable coward. Sucking in a deep breath, Phoenix reached out a trembling paw and stroked the smooth surface of the stone.

For one long, agonizing moment, nothing happened, and Phoenix's worries about Diego flickered into worries that he might be stuck as a cat for the rest of his life, and somewhere amidst the disarray of panicky thoughts, he found himself fleetingly wondering if Diego would still look after him if he was stuck like this. And then a jolt of energy burst through his paw and spread into his body, wrapping his form in a cocoon of crackling electricity. He felt like he was on fire as bones and organs melted and reformed into new shapes, and limbs suddenly changed to become parts he'd almost forgotten the feeling of. And in a few more moments, the transformation was complete, the energy dissipated, and a naked and exhausted man collapsed onto the sofa of Diego Armando. The latter wordlessly pocked the stone as he watched the new figure on his couch.

Phoenix was panting hard as he pulled himself upright. It felt so familiar, and at the same time so strange to lift himself into a sitting position with hands and arms instead of legs and paws. It was like riding a bike for the first time in years – something that couldn't be forgotten, but was almost like a new experience the second time around. He spent several seconds staring at his hands and arms, feeling himself all over, and delighting in the experience of being human again. Then Phoenix noticed he was naked and, face turning crimson, he crossed his legs and looked sheepishly at Diego, not quite meeting the man's gaze.

"I... I'm sorry," Phoenix said quietly, masking his surprise at how odd it felt to shape words again. "I should have told you. But I'm a coward, and--"

"Shut up."

Phoenix's mouth snapped shut and he winced. Diego was stiff and silent, and Phoenix wondered if Diego had wanted to speak himself, or if he'd only wanted Phoenix to stop talking. When the silence continued, Phoenix decided that it must be the latter, and he couldn't prevent himself from blurting out, "Why did you look for me if you knew?"

Diego looked away. He was quiet for a long minute, and Phoenix was beginning to wonder if the man was ignoring him when he finally spoke. "Was this all a game to you?"

"What?" Phoenix asked, bewildered. "I just asked you a question--"

"Answer mine and I'll answer yours." Diego interrupted crossly.

Phoenix pouted belligerently at the ex-Prosecutor. "I asked you first!" he protested. But he shrank back when Diego scowled at him. "O-okay, I'll go first," he amended. "Of course it wasn't a game. I mean, things didn't happen how I expected them to, but then, I didn't really expect to be turned into a cat either, so..." He trailed off with a shrug.

Diego nodded thoughtfully, mulling over Phoenix's answer before muttering something the defense attorney couldn't quite make out. "What did you say?" Phoenix asked, wishing for a moment that he was a cat again, if just to hear what Diego had said.

Diego shook his head. "Do you want to know why I came looking for you?" Phoenix nodded quickly, and for a moment, he was sure he saw Diego's mouth quirk upwards in a smile. But it was gone as the man continued. "Our battles are in the past. I'm not the man I was then, and I don't want to be him again. When I saw your note, all I knew was that my gatito was in trouble, and knowing his name didn't change that. He turned to face Phoenix, an intense look on his face. "Knowing who you are doesn't change anything for me."

All Phoenix could do was stare, and a heavy tension filled the air before Phoenix realized that it was his move and swallowed. This was it. The ultimate decision – no more changing his plans for when he changed back; whatever he decided now was for keeps. But he found that this decision wasn't as hard as the others had been. In fact, it wasn't difficult at all. He knew with total certainty, how he felt, and this time, he wasn't afraid to let Diego know. But he didn't know how much Diego meant what he was saying. Phoenix didn't think he could take it if this was just some half-baked fancy for the other man. Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward, until his face was inches away from Diego's. He reached up and hooked his fingers behind the older man's mask, gently pulling the visor away. Diego stiffened, but made no move to stop him, which Phoenix took as a sign to continue. He ran a finger down Diego's cheek, taking in the feeling of the soft skin and coarse hair.

"The past can leave scars," Phoenix whispered, and he felt his own breath fill the space between his face and Diego's. "Scars that don't ever heal." He brushed his thumb across the scar that spanned the length of the man's face.

"Scars are tougher," Diego responded, and Phoenix was startled by the firmness he heard in the powerful voice. "When you get a scar, you don't get hurt again so easily."

"Yeah," Phoenix agreed softly, tracing Diego's lips. "So I guess the question is, can you live with those scars?"

Diego nodded, and Phoenix let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Then that's that." He closed the distance between himself and Diego, pressing his lips against the older man's with a sense of urgency. Diego responded immediately, leaning into the kiss with just as much need. It lasted only a few moments, but was intense enough that Phoenix felt dizzy as he pulled back, and he wondered if it was the kiss or the emotion behind it that had overwhelmed him.

"Diego?" Phoenix asked softly after a few seconds as the ex-Prosecutor pulled his visor back on. He gently rested his head on Diego's shoulder.

"Hm?" Diego stroked Phoenix's hair, an action which felt both familiar and alien as the defense attorney recalled the times he'd received such ministrations as a cat.

"Thanks. For all of it."

Diego smiled softly and put his free hand over Phoenix's. "No... thank you."