Con-sequences

Edgeworth sighed as Phoenix stopped to do up his lace.

"You're going to make us late." he sighed in a bored sing-song voice checking on his watch.

"Stop being such an old woman." Phoenix said looking up and offering an innocent looking smile to his lover.

Edgeworth despite himself managed a small smile back before looking into the distance.

The car was in for its yearly check which meant that as such they had to rely on Taxi's or the bus route. Hoping that the bus queue was far too long to join, and that he could get a taxi and enjoy the quiet ride home in better smelling conditions.

But after a case had been dismissed by the Judge for being not 'court-worthy', both of them had found they had an unexpected afternoon off. Phoenix's first opinion, as Maya was at Kurain village visiting relatives for the weekend ahead, was to go for dinner together, somewhere quiet and secluded. Somewhere romantic. Edgeworth, taken by a sway of romance agreed and had booked reservations at his favoured locale. Rocques.

Phoenix stood up straight and went to link arms with Edgeworth, but realising they were still in full public view decided against it, and instead brushed his elbow against Edgeworth's in an affectionate way. Edgeworth smiled as he walked, his briefcase under his arm and his hand in his raincoat pocket.

"Miles..." Phoenix began suddenly.

"Hmm?" asked Edgeworth, keeping his eyes on the rainy pavement.

"I love you." Phoenix mumbled, his grey eyes flickering over the pavement with eagerness.

Edgeworth's cheek raised a little in a smile.

"I love you too, Wright." he replied quietly.

Phoenix practically glowed with delight as he heard Miles utter the few words that brightened even this gloomy Friday afternoon.

Just ahead of them, two angry looking women in smart court-appearance suits were yelling at one another.

"Oh goody, a slanging match(!)" sighed Edgeworth as the taller of the two women grabbed the shorter, blonde by her hair.

"YOU STUPID WHORE!" She screamed and began to batter her over the head with her handbag.

"Should we break it up?" Phoenix asked.

"I suppose we should." sighed Edgeworth looking at his watch hesitantly. "GUMSHOE!"

Phoenix ducked at the loud noise and knitted his eyebrows as he looked at Edgeworth.

"Does he just come running, wherever you are?"

"Sometimes." said Edgeworth carelessly looking around for the green coated detective. When it became apparent he was no where to be seen, Edgeworth put down his briefcase and waded into the confrontation, seizing both ladies by the elbows.

"Ladies," he began with a soft sigh "Please remind yourselves you are brawling in a most uncivilized manner outside of the courts is grounds for being arrested for being in breach of the peace. Therefore i would casually remind you to please stop."

"And what's it to you, you overgrown flamingo!" snapped the short blonde still clawing at the taller brunette.

"I'm a prosecutor." he began with an air of pride before steering the two towards the now running security guards. "Have them placed in separate cells, breach of the peace, you know the routine."

The guards nodded and took the two still struggling ladies to the cells.

Phoenix shuffled over to Edgeworth and whispered in his ear.

"You turn me on when you act like that."

Edgeworth's pale cheeks flushed something like his suit as he walked towards the road, ready to cross in that moment, he realised that he had taken Phoenix's hand and tried to let go as quickly and as smoothly as possible in case people saw and someone took a pic-

SMASH

"MILES!" Phoenix heard someone shout...someone...in desperation. Someone...near. It was him.

The world seemed to stop, and yet didn't. Because everything was still moving.

"STOP!" Phoenix bellowed at the world and the driver of the car who had hit Miles froze to the spot.

Miles had been thrown a clear three feet from the crossing and had landed on the pavement, his usually strong body, as supple as a rag dolls as his limbs skittered to a halt on the kerb. He had been thrown as if he were made of straw.

Phoenix ran over to him and threw himself down beside Miles.

His face was flat against the cold, wet dirty floor. Unconscious. He looked utterly broken. Bruising, bleeding, as if he had been shattered and held together by his own body

Just like Phoenix, inside.

Feeling tears welling up in his eyes he looked around desperately to the gathered crowd and cried out.

"CALL AN AMBULANCE GODDAMN IT!"

There was a fumbling with pockets and mobiles as people began to act. Phoenix pushed Miles' grey hair out of his face and felt for breathing against the back of his fingers. He could hear shallow, cold breathing against his clammy fingers.

"Is he breathing??!" shrieked a woman to his left.

"Yeah."

"Don't move him." Someone else shouted.

"AMBULANCE PLEASE!" Phoenix heard someone shout into their phone.

Phoenix began as his mind rushed from place to place, dragging him like some jerky fast, ride. The places were moving too fast to see what he was thinking. Like a film he vaguely recognised in fast forwards.

It was only when the ambulance pulled up and he was asked to identify Miles to them and to recall what had happened did he come to his senses.

He explained slowly what had happened, the car, the driver, the fact Miles had been distracted, and how far he had been knocked over.

Sat beside Miles in the ambulance, he returned to his senses completely, the numbness leaving a gaping, aching, burning hole in his stomach and chest as he turned to Miles to see him covered in wires, and monitors and tubes and needles. Bleeding from numerous scratches on his face, his legs immobilised in splints, on a spinal board.

"What's wrong with him?" he finally croaked. "Why hasn't he woken up?"

"By the looks of it." began the paramedic checking a now bruising Miles' eye for bleeding. "Concussion. We've put him on a spinal board just to be safe. If he's hurt his spine we need to limit all damage until he gets to the hospital and can be checked by an expert."

Phoenix felt the gaping hole in himself burn cold now. As if he had been iced, sprayed with a fire extinguisher. He didn't care what the ambulance men did. He reached out for Miles' heavily tubed up and strapped hand and held it tightly in his own.

The Paramedic to his left as he sat on the bench opposite Miles noticed but didn't say anything.

"So all we can do is wait until we get to the hospital?"

The Paramedic nodded.

Phoenix rested his head back on the cold wall of the ambulance. He didn't dare think on what his mind was slowly nudging to the front. He didn't dare confess it to himself.

*

By the time Phoenix and Edgeworth had arrived at the hospital. Edgeworth had been taken straight into resus. Phoenix stood outside the door watching them work on his lover as if he were some exciting piece of machinery. They were connecting tubes, checking his eyes, fixing wires, showing each other machine read outs. And all the time Phoenix was fighting with the small, silent, snide, oily voice in the back of his head that greased itself around like a filthy serpent saying:

'he could die you know.'

Phoenix looked down into the green and white tiled floor as he walked to the bench nearby and waited for news.

He could have stopped it. Gripping Miles' hand, forgetting what other people may have thought. Forsaking the public, the press, the world. He could have looked up, saw the lights had not changed for pedestrians and he could have swung his arm out and stopped him from walking.

What would it be? A broken leg, back? Arms? Brain damage?

Now, stop that...He was breathing wasn't he? That's a good sign. Brain damaged people don't breathe normally and give no reason for concern in the ambulance.

After all, did they bring him in pumping at his chest and filling him full of blood shouting: 'SHOCK HIM!'

No...now don't be silly.

Phoenix took a deep cooling breath and put down the suitcase he guessed he must have picked up at the scene in his fog and put it beside him, hugging it slightly to him.

He wondered what blood group Miles was, and if he was the same blood group, because then he could give his blood to Miles and then he'd be fine. He'd been with Miles all this time and never thought to ask this? Jesus, he was a bad partner.

Maybe its in his wallet.

He undid the combination lock on Edgeworth's brief case and went for the side pocket where Edgeworth always kept his wallet.

Sliding his fingers into the credit card section he looked for a blood donor card, or an organ card, or some ID card of some sort.

But he couldn't find it. Instead he found something that brushed his fingers. Like a keyring, or, something.

He hooked his fingers into the slot as interest got the better of him and unhooked a shiny, gold wedding ring.

The first thought that shot across Phoenix's mind was: Miles is married?

Then he came to his senses.

Miles had been his first sexual partner. He remembered as he slid into bed with him, kissing and fumbling with the zip on his trousers how Miles groaned the word:

Stop...

Phoenix looked at him, his hand half way inside Miles's boxers.

"...I've never done this before." Miles confessed grudgingly. His eyes screwed up and his colour high.

"Me neither." Phoenix began softly. "Its all learning. We can teach each other."

"No. I mean...been with another person, sexually." he muttered, folding his cravat over his bare chest.

Phoenix found it hard to believe at first. Convinced the prosecutor was lying. But when he saw the shamed look on his face, he believed him, and vowed to teach him everything he knew, which to be quiet honest, wasn't much after Dahlia's imprisonment.

The second thought that crossed his mind was that...Oh my...

Phoenix had always agreed privately to himself that marriage was all fine and well for certain people, at certain times of their life.

But...was...was...Miles going to...propose, in some way?!

Phoenix swallowed as nurse approached, stuffed the ring back into its holder and placed the wallet back, clipping the suitcase up.

"Mr. Wright?"

"Yeah..?" he began, half wondering if he had been recognised in some way.

"We've been checking Miles thoroughly. Had him checked by our Spinal damage specialist, and checked his legs for fractures. As far as we can tell so far, he's not broke his back, or limbs though we will be sending him for a more final X-rays shortly. We're going to send him for a CT scan."

"CT?"

"Its a kind of X-ray for your brain." she explained kindly. "To check for any specific brain damage as he hasn't regained consciousness."

He went to speak and she stopped him.

"This doesn't mean that he's got anything specifically wrong. Sometimes, after a trauma, some patients do go into a restful state which may take anything up to 12 hours to wake up from. Its kind of like a repair mode."

Phoenix nodded.

"When will we know more?"

"Well, seeing as Mr. Edgeworth has some...private insurance, fairly soon. We're taking him into the CT facility right now. If you'd just like to wait here?"

"Of course. But how did you know who i am if he hasn't woken up?"

The nurse smiled. "Next of Kin." she replied softly.

*

They brought Miles back to the private suite Phoenix was waiting in. The private healthcare fund he paid a large amount into ever year seemed to buy him every luxury he could wish for. His bed was crisp, clean and white with sterile handles and a nurse call button that was only a fingers reach away. A flat screen television facing his bed. A personal refrigerator. A cupboard that housed everything he needed to house safely with a lock. And of course, clean, well decorated surroundings.

Phoenix thought about the last time he was in hospital. Tonsillitis. Though Miles had insisted and persisted on fitting him into private health care, Phoenix had croaked that he was more than capable of putting his trust into the basic health care people relied on every single day. Unfortunately, when he had spent a sleepless night in a ward full of coughers, sneezers, and groaners, waiting for someone to blend his food so it was edible, yet at that point stone cold, and being expected to walk down a floor to get to a working toilet, he decided that next time, he'd try private healthcare.

Phoenix sat in the padded, clean, comfy chair besides Miles' bed, waiting for him to return and when he did the doctor came to him directly. His face glowing with delight.

"Good news Mr. Wright. Mr. Edgeworth has no breaks, or fractures anywhere on his body. He was very very fortunate to have survived the impact in such good condition. He has no haematoma's--"

"Haematoma?" Phoenix asked, his eyebrows meeting.

"Blood clot's. Nor are there any bleeds. There is a minor amount of bruising, but only what you'd expect around the site of the injury."

"How badly injured is his head?" asked Phoenix.

"Six stitches, impact wound. But no fractures. We'll be monitoring him, and within reasonable expectations, he should be awake within 6-12 hours." the doctor finished.

"Right." Phoenix nodded, trying to process all the information he had heard.

"Just try to keep the noise down and alert us if you have any questions." the doctor added.

Phoenix nodded and watched as the nurses, and porters had quickly, efficiently, and almost in an unnoticeable way placed Miles in to the bed, tucked him in, set up his various monitoring devices and settled him.

Phoenix waited until the last person had left the room before going over to Miles and picking up his heavy, now clean, slightly grazed hand.

"You silly ass." he said quietly, pressing Miles' hand to his rough cheek. "Didn't anyone ever teach you The road safety code?"

Running his free hand through Miles' soft, grey slightly tousled hair, his finger tips found some padding, peering over the back of his head, he saw a large white, unstained and well affixed gauze pad, obviously from the stitching.

"Nice..." he lied and smiled frailly to Miles.

Miles Edgeworth's face was slightly grazed, a little red about his temples where he had hit the road surface. But his face was otherwise, remarkably untouched. Phoenix expected the muscles beneath the clean white cotton gown were very much more marked than his face.

Phoenix wanted to take Miles home to their bed and hold him until he felt better. But he knew his arms, however much Miles enjoyed being held in them, could not help him now.

Phoenix bent down and gave his unconscious lover a tender kiss on the bridge of his nose and rested his cheek on his chest as he sat down in the nearby chair. Wrapping his fingers around the free fingers of Miles' left hand that was resting casually on his chest.

He just wanted to be with Miles, wherever he was in his head. They had put a nasal breathing tube on him so he could breathe easily without the aid of a clumsy plastic mask.

Phoenix cuddled up to his lover, perhaps trying to share some warmth with him. But still the golden ring in Miles' wallet still mesmerised him.

Miles suddenly gave a soft groan and his eyes began to flicker gently under their thin lids.

"Miles?" began Phoenix taking his hand and squeezing the fingers as tightly as he dared.

Miles gave another murmur, tossing his head towards Phoenix before opening his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Phoenix asked stroking his hair back.

"Where am I?" he asked weakly.

"Hospital." replied Phoenix. He was suddenly struck by a terrible thought. "You...do remember your name and who i am and what you do and stuff?"

"Miles Edgeworth, Demon-prosecutor." he sighed weakly. "...You're Phoenix Wright, you live with me. We're pestered by an devil in a purple yukata who eats us out of house and home and I'm so glad to see you right now."

Phoenix smiled despite himself and ran his hand down his face.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked tentatively, wiping something hopefully surgical out of Miles' hair.

"We're due in court in ten minutes!" Miles suddenly cried out and tried to get up, but the look in his eyes became vague and he felt himself sink back into the pillows as Phoenix called for the nurse.

"No, no. That was ages ago. We got sent home after the case was dismissed for being not court-worthy."

"Then...why am I in hospital?" asked Miles with general confusion. As if he had only just realised he was in hospital.

The nurse came in.

"Ahh. Welcome back, I'll just get your doctor."

Edgeworth looked mildly perplexed and gazed back at Phoenix.

"Where am i?"

"...hospital...?" Phoenix reminded him.

"Ahh. But I'm due in court in ten minutes!" Miles declared looking shocked.

"Uh...no. No, uhm..." floundered Phoenix.

As the doctor made his way in he smiled warmly at Phoenix and Miles and said.

"Welcome back." he offered. "How are you feeling?"

Edgeworth's eyes flickering in a usual disdainful manner.

"...All of that money on private insurance paying expensive doctors and that's the best tie you can afford?" he asked focusing on the doctors polka dot tie.

Phoenix smiled as the doctor ticked a box on his sheet.

"Well, there's not much wrong with your comprehension." The doctor chuckled and looked at Miles.

"What day is it today?" he asked.

"Thursday." Miles replied rubbing his eye and then deciding it hurt too much to continue.

"And do you know what month it is?"

"October."

"And who is the Governor of California?"

"That god awful actor.." Edgeworth replied miserably.

"Any ideas on a name?" asked the doctor hesitantly.

"...Will Powers."

"Good." smiled the doctor. "Well, your memory seems in tact. If you could just follow the tip of my pen with your eyes."

He passed the pen between his ears in front of his eyes and as Miles' eyes followed it he nodded slowly.

"Good, your eyesight seems undamaged. Could you try and catch this small bean bag?"

"Is this necessary?" asked Edgeworth irritably.

"Sorry Mr. Edgeworth." the doctor apologised and threw the bean bag to Edgeworth. Miles caught it and held it in his hand before throwing it straight into the bin opposite.

"Very good!" replied the doctor delightedly. "If you could just look at me please."

Edgeworth looked at him as the doctor inspected his ears, nose, and eyes before nodding.

"That seems all in order."

"Miles," began Phoenix tentatively, "uhm, your memory is a bit off..."

"Oh, That's understandable." nodded the doctor. "You may have no memory of the event or anything leading up to the event."

"Well, how long does this last." he asked.

"Not very long. After a few days he'll start to remember things about the accident."

"What accident?" asked Miles, his grey brows meeting.

"I'll leave you to it. We'll be keeping him in for observation overnight, but, health permitting, you may be able to go home tomorrow morning Mr. Edgeworth."

Miles looked at Phoenix and raised his eyebrows as if to say:

"Whether you say that or not, I'm out of here tomorrow."

*

The rest of the evening, Phoenix sat with Miles as he drifted in and out of sleep. Phoenix was offered tea, biscuits, even sandwiches as he sat with Miles' hand on his.

Since waking earlier on, Miles had been fast asleep all evening. Phoenix had watched The Steel Samurai re runs, Pink Princess show,and the news. He had called Maya and informed her where he was, called Detective Gumshoe, and informed him that Prosecutor Edgeworth would not be in work tomorrow. And arranged for a neighbour to look after Pess for the night.

Phoenix kept feeling his hand drawn to Miles' perfect grey hair, that even in this tousled, slightly greasy state was perfect.

The first time Phoenix had slept with Miles, he woke first to use the toilet, and when he came back to bed, he was too awake to sleep. Miles had not stirred at all. He was lying on his front, his head folded on his arms, his grey hair dishevelled over his pale face. Phoenix just buried his nose into the thickest tufts, smelling the sweet musk of his sweat and faded shampoo. It felt so good, like an ambrosia for his nose.

When Miles woke up he smiled and sniffed lightly at Phoenix's hair in return.

Miles stirred slightly, waking Phoenix from his day dream.

"Miles?"

Miles tossed his head weakly.

"Do you need a bowl?" Phoenix asked softly. "You gonna be sick?"

Miles shook his head weakly and breathed deeply. "Where am I?" he asked again.

"Hospital..." replied Phoenix. "You're nice and safe. I'm going to stay with you all night."

"Hospital..." repeated Miles swallowing. "...Court case...Ten...minutes. Can't be late..." he mumbled.

"No court cases. Everything's over. Trust me, just relax." he replied quietly.

Miles opened his grey eyes and looked at Phoenix. "I love you Phoenix."

"I love you Miles." smiled Phoenix and kisses his forehead.

Miles closed his eyes and fell back into a sleep.

Phoenix sighed and stroked his lovers hair slowly.

The door suddenly burst open and in stormed a green coated whirlwind.

"Is he alright?!" Gumshoe began, his face looking drawn.

"Sh!" Phoenix said making flapping motions at him.

"What happened?!" he continued to bluster.

"Will you be quiet?!"

"DID HE GET SHOT!?" Gumshoe continued to yell irately as he pounded his flowers in his left hand with his right fist.

"DO YOU WANT YOUR PAY CHECK DECIMATED INTO SINGLE FIGURES?!" Phoenix hissed.

Gumshoe stood silent.

"Sorry Dick, something Miles taught me." Phoenix replied apologetically. "You need to be quiet. Miles needs to sleep. Its the only way he can get better."

"What happened Pal?" he said, sinking into the plastic chair at the other side of Edgeworth.

"Car accident. Car hit him, crossed the road without noticing." Phoenix mumbled tonelessly. His hand close to Miles'.

"...Pr-Prosecutor Edgeworth...Jaywalked?" he hissed quietly as if he had uttered a swearword.

Phoenix smiled briefly.

"It's not as if he's never broken the law..." he smirked.

A memory of when a simple autumn walk in the park with Miles had turned into a sweaty, furious fumble in a pile of leaves the caretaker had raked together after dark.

That was most certainly not legal in any sense.

"Is he going to be alright, pal?" Gumshoe asked.

"Yes. All being well, he'll be going home tomorrow." he smiled.

Gumshoe breathed.

"I made him a card....Uhm..." he offered it to Phoenix.

Phoenix opened the card that had been folded in half and saw the blue badger on the front with a broken arm in a cast.

"Cute." Said Phoenix and opened it up. At once a tinny blast of 'GET WELL SOON PROSECUTOR EDGEWORTH!' blasted out sung in a very deep voice which had to be Gumshoe.

"They have this card making machine in the mall, and i popped in just before i got here to—Will he like it?"

Phoenix nodded, lying obviously, if he knew Edgeworth the way he did Miles would most likely stuff it in a draw and forget about it.

"Pal...Uhm, i know you and Mr. Edgeworth are,--" he cleared his throat "--More than friends."

Phoenix had to stifle a smirk.

"Yes. We are." Phoenix agreed.

"Uhm. Well, there are some people outside. Well, press." He cleared his throat and straightened his permanently crooked tie. "Want me to...y'know. Move 'em along?"

Phoenix smiled vaguely.

"No, its okay. I'm sure they'll get bored eventually.

Miles stirred and opened his eyes vaguely.

"Dad?" he asked looking around for the source of the new voice.

"Its Gumshoe." Phoenix explained quietly. "He came to see how you were feeling?"

Miles blinked a few times, getting Dick Gumshoe into perspective "Why aren't you at the precinct?"

"Its my evening off, Prosecutor Edgeworth." replied Gumshoe, obviously afraid of his pay-check getting sliced.

"Ahh. Did...they catch the man who ran into me?"

"You remember?" Phoenix asked with delight.

"Phoenix, a car rammed itself into me at 40 miles an hour and i landed half on, half off of a Kerb, i am sure I'd remember." Miles replied sullenly.

Phoenix smiled.

Gumshoe rubbed his eyes.

"Uhm, he admitted that he ran into you, and offers his most sincere apologies. But he won't accept that it was his fault and said that you...you--" His voice dropped to a whisper. "Jaywalked."

"And who is this rookie driver?" Edgeworth asked, his grey eyes darkening furiously.

"Uhm, a Lawyer, a prosecutor called...Godot."

"Godot." repeated Edgeworth as if proclaiming a disdainful insult. "Sounds charming. I won't be pressing charges. But i do hope he'll keep his eyes on the road in future."

"Funny you should say that, Prosecutor-Pal, he's kinda blind."

Miles snorted and rubbed his temple where a bruise was blooming beautifully.

"Figures. The mad-men they let on the road these days." His eyes turned to Phoenix and he straightened his tie gently with his free hand.

"Go home. You look tired."

"No. I'm staying." Phoenix smiled and held Miles' hand.

Gumshoe made a peculiar clearing of the throat as if to subtly explain he was still there.

"I'm going to get some more sleep. My wallets in the case, get yourself something to eat." he offered. "I seem to have an abundance of change now that Maya is not around to transfer it into sugar based candy."

Phoenix kissed his lovers forehead and nodded.

"Gumshoe, can you escort me down to the cafeteria?" asked Phoenix, hinting heavily.

"Sure thing Pal!" Gumshoe smiled delighted and laid the flowers down at Miles' side.

*

Sat with a coffee and Gumshoe who had accepted a tea in the name of Miles he burrowed into a now familiar crease in Miles' black wallet and pulled out the gold ring.

"Has Miles ever shown you this before?" questioned Phoenix as he flicked along the tips of his fingers.

Gumshoe's eyes followed it and he covered his mouth.

"He's married?!"

"No." Sighed Phoenix. "I can quite safely assure you he's not married."

Gumshoe took the ring from him and brought so close to his eyes he went cross eyed.

"Hmmm...Gold, Hall marked. Not sure when, Its an old one. Been well worn." he nodded. "No idea pal. Sorry."

"You know a lot about wedding rings, Gumshoe." remarked Phoenix sipping his coffee.

"Uh..." Gumshoe began, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's...Officer Byrd. As soon as i pluck up the courage to ask her out, I'll be one step closer to poppin' the question pal!"

Phoenix paused his cup at his mouth.

"That's...great. Dick." he nodded and sipped his coffee.

"She's so pretty." Gumshoe began in an unusually misty manner. His eyes going a vague stroll around the room. "And she's so perky. If we had kids, they could be police too. Little Maggey and Little Dick jnr."

Phoenix checked his watch.

"Not to be antisocial, Dick, but i need to get back to Prosecutor Edgeworth. He might need me."

"Sure pal! I'll drop in tomorrow?" he asked.

"Uhm, I'll call the office. Let you know what's going on."

"Sure thing pal!" smiled Gumshoe and gave him the thumbs up.

Sliding the wedding ring back into the wallet, he walked back up the stairs and into the private wards and suites that Miles was in.

He walked in to see that Miles had rolled over onto his side and was now cuddling up to his thick feather pillow. Snuggling it.

Phoenix smiled. Miles did this a lot. He did it every night, he just rolled onto his side and snuggled right up, sometimes, Phoenix would snuggle right up to him, kissing his head, and admiring the perfectness he held in his arms.

Remembering the first time he kissed him, pressing his warm, and flushed lips to Miles' irresistible ones. Feeling, what he had hoped was always there, some deep, well hidden, acceptance...

Miles had pressed his lips back and his heart had rejoiced.

The kiss had been accepted, reciprocated. And life suddenly had an upbeat, floaty feeling. Nothing would ever beat this moment. This precious, perfect moment where Miles Edgeworth had unknowingly confessed his feelings for Wright.

They had pulled apart, their lips literally dragging themselves away from each other, only to find Miles had seized Phoenix' back and pulled him back into another kiss. As if he were a drug he simply had to have more of.

Phoenix ran his hand through Miles' hair and wrapped his finger around one of the lengthier strands.

If...Just IF. That wedding ring, was intended for him, what would he do, or say if Miles asked?

The question took him by surprise, sure, it had been bouncing around at the back of his mind, bobbing like a buoy. But he hadn't bothered to ring it in now and answer it.

But he didn't need to open his mind to the logistics of it all. Because somewhere, in his chest, probably his heart, if you believed in that kind of nonsense, he heard a clear, concise, almost ethereal voice answer.

'I will say Yes. I love Miles. A wedding ring can only strengthen that kind of love'

Phoenix let his hand drop to Miles' cheek as he sat there, absorbing the shock that his own heart had just accepted a prospective marriage proposal. It must be the truth. It came from somewhere where logic has no wrangling. Where consequences were not consequences, just risks that made the chase better.

Phoenix suddenly wanted to wake Miles, and ask him about the ring, but seeing his weak looking sleepy face, he decided, that if the ring were anything at all, it could wait, just one more evening.

*

Phoenix opened his eyes the next morning to find Miles stood up, checking his reflection in the mirror as he tied his cravat.

It took Phoenix a few moments to gather his thoughts, the new surroundings, and then the fact, Miles, the patient, WAS OUT OF BED!

"GET BACK INTO BED! YOU'RE SICK!" He shouted.

"I'm..." he began waving a yellow form in the direction of Phoenix "..Discharged. Fully recovered, one more day off work, then I'm back in to business. Concussion has cleared up." he began folding the fabric over and pulling it through. "I'm fine."

Phoenix rubbed his eye and yawned before standing up.

"Miles. Can I talk to you?"

Miles smiled and nodded.

"Of course."

"Last night," Phoenix began quickly "I was looking in your wallet, for some change for the coffee, and I found a wedding ring."

Miles paused for a moment then carried on, knotting the tie.

"Who does it belong to?" Phoenix asked.

Miles turned around and went to his briefcase as if he had not heard Phoenix, then he pulled out his wallet, and hooked his little finger into the wallet, reeling in the gold ring.

"This?" He asked with a softness he rarely used.

"Yes."

"...It, was my mothers." he began softly. "My fathers..." he began reaching inside a more secretive compartment of his wallet that was hidden by a picture of his father. "...is this one." he began taking out a larger and thicker ring.

"Oh...Miles, I'm sorry." Phoenix began shyly. "I didn't mean to--"

"You've made this much easier for me, Wright." he smiled briefly, and took the smaller ring before fitting it onto the fourth finger of Phoenix's left hand, admired it, tilting Phoenix's hand that way and this. "...Its just, i was hoping you'd perhaps consider getting, well, married to me in the next few months."

Phoenix, despite expecting this, in the very back of his mind, let his jaw slip an inch and then regained his composure.

"...Yes." he muttered quickly. "Yes!"

Miles smiled and quickly took off the ring, placing it back in the wallet.

"But...ask me properly." Phoenix began. "I mean." he blushed. "Its just..."

Miles slid down onto one knee, wincing slightly as he did, as he was still very bruised.

"Phoenix, Wright." he smiled. "Will you marry me?"

Phoenix began to giggle then nodded.

"You know I will."