A/N: Phoenix Wright & Miles Edgeworth don't belong to me; they belong to CAPCOM. The plot, however, is mine. :)
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Miles is on the cusp of discovery. What should he do: leave and never come back or continue kissing Phoenix which is what he so desperately wants to do and reconcile? What will happen?
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The third and final chapter! :)

Mental voices sure can be annoying but they often do come in handy! [At least from the standpoint of preventing someone from doing something they'll probably regret later.] Often, they can be irritating but are entertaining to write. :D

The boys belong together; they are both halves of a complicated whole. Hopefully, Miles will agree and not run away from the chance he's being offered. :)

Hope you enjoyed the fic! :) [I'll probably change some things in the coming days since there is always room for improvement! :) ]

Thank you to all my loyal readers who have read, critiqued and reviewed my stories! I appreciate it more than I can say:) Thank you all!

An Extra-special Thank you also to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, who's love and support helps keep me grounded! I appreciate it more than I can say! Love you, honey, and thanks!

Comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated!

Rated T, Male/male Relationships, Phoenix x Edgeworth
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Palisade Park
5 P.M.

Miles' shock and discomfiture was palpable as Phoenix's mouth moved sweetly against his, his hands holding the sides of his face firmly, his eyelashes lying still on his cheeks. His heart hammered painfully in his chest, his wide eyes slowly beginning to close until he was looking out of hooded slits, his mind screaming at him. His fingers fluttered like a ghost on the arms of the park bench, clutching the arm until his knuckles turned white.

A plethora of different emotions raced through his heated body at a furious pace, whirling around and around each other in his mind until he was fairly dizzy.

::What are you doing?!:: Miles heard the loud voice echoing in his mind and he winced visibly. ::Stop it! Don't give in!::

He frowned, Phoenix halting for a few seconds before he resumed their embrace. But...I... want to... It's been so long... and I'm so lonely...

The voice was relentless and Miles found himself being to waver, struggling to stay his ground even though, at this point, he wasn't sure exactly what his ground was.

::That's just what he wants you to do! Think, Miles, think! Why, after seven years, is he back; if he really wanted to get back together, he would have done so long before this! You're a damned fool if you go back to him!::

But... what... what is... what do I... Miles' thoughts were a confused tangle of emotions; on one hand, he wanted to melt into Phoenix's sweet embrace and, on the other, he wanted to push him away and run as far, and as fast, away from him as he could. He wasn't sure he liked all these confusing feelings... What should I do? What is the right thing to do? Can I forgive what's happened? Can I... go on... with him or should I separate from him once and for all? I... I... don't know...

The voice in his mind left him in no doubt about what it thought his course of action should be. ::Leave him! Turn around, leave this place and never turn back! He doesn't deserve another chance!::

As if he discerned the way his thoughts were going and could hear that increasingly shrill, and desperate voice, Phoenix deepened the kiss, pulling his face closer. He couldn't help it; Miles moaned softly, his body trembling with suppressed emotion. He was as wound as tightly as a harp string and his body vibrated with the effort it took to try to push down the feelings that were rising in him and demanding release.

If Phoenix had noticed his partner's struggle, he didn't acknowledge it as he pressed his mouth harder against Miles', his tongue gently licking his top lip. Miles' eyes jerked open once more, his breath hissing, a muffled moan bubbling from his lips. Phoenix represented a time in his life that he wouldn't forget but he wasn't certain if he could honestly go back to his former life... and lover.

::What are you doing?!:: Miles' thoughts screamed even more desperately but it did so ion vain; Miles' body surrendered to the sweetness, his mouth moving hesitantly against Phoenix's own as if he were inquiring of his former partner permission to respond since he wanted, very badly, to do so. ::Stop it, you damned fool! How can you even consider this after what he's done?!::

He sat for some time in silence, his mouth slowly moving with Phoenix's; he felt his fingers slowly uncurling from the park bench arms and lifting upward until they came into contact with the back of Phoenix's neck before falling back to his side as his uncertainly returned with a vengeance.

Miles definitely had a choice in this matter; he could choose to respond to the increasingly shrill voice in his head or he could ignore it and concentrate on what he really wanted to do right now: to continue kissing Phoenix. He chose not to answer, deepening the kiss, his trembling fingers ghosting up the back of Phoenix's neck and lying on his heated skin, pulling his head forward.

It... doesn't matter anymore... who's right or who's wrong...he thought to himself, ignoring the shrill voice reverberating in his mind. He may have been wrong but so was I when I disappeared from his life all those years earlier. He forgave me after he'd worked through his quite justified anger and hurt so why should I have doubted that he would come back to me when he was ready no matter how much time that took? He winced inwardly. I'm such a fool...

His lips devoured the other man's with a desperate yearning and hunger that took them both by surprise in the beginning but shrugged that off rather quickly as desire took over. Phoenix pulled Miles into a deeper embrace, his whiskers pleasantly scraping against his partner's hyper-sensitive flesh.

God, how I've missed him... Miles' teeth gently nibbled Phoenix's top lip, a soft moan bubbling from his partner's mouth as he did so. And this, too! He drew back gently for a moment to take a breath before he pressed his mouth against Phoenix's once again. How could I have ever thought that he didn't want me? I can feel his love in every beat of his heart; how could I ever have been so blind?!

It seemed like an eternity before Phoenix reluctantly drew back from the embrace, his eyes half open, his lips slightly parted, taking small breaths in-between. Miles, trembling with barely suppressed emotion, moaned in protest as Phoenix stepped back but sat immobile, his eyes half closed, his lips parted.

"Phoenix..." he murmured thickly, the name falling easily from his lips without any effort on his part, nor the stomach-churning agony that usually accompanied it, for the first time in seven years. "I..."

"Don't say anything, Miles," Phoenix whispered back after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, broken only by the soft smacking sounds that came when they touched them briefly together, before stepping back again, their lips drifting slowly apart with the barest of butterfly kisses. "Please... don't say a word..."

"I-" Miles began again but was quickly cut off as Phoenix pressed his mouth hard against his in order to silence him, their mouths moving together with liquid fluidity that was a little surprising given the time they'd been apart but definitely wanted.

"Don't say another word," Phoenix whispered hoarsely against his lips when they had parted again, Miles moaning in protest as he did so, his hand reaching out to touch his shoulders. "I've-we've-waited too long for this moment and I don't want to waste it with words just now." He kissed him quickly, a crooked grin spreading over his face. "We can talk later. Right now-" he winked roguishly at him, the corners of Miles' mouth twitching as he tried hard not to smile at the silly expression on his face "-we have far more important things to do..."

Miles' thoughts were spinning. But... we have to talk... don't... we...?

"But..."

"Shh," Phoenix ordered, a coy smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he leaned forward again. "Don't talk."

"Phoenix..." It was almost a whispered moan as Miles' fingers gripped his shoulder and yanked him forward, their mouths coming together with a violence that surprised them both but was quickly forgotten as they slid against each other, liquid fire racing through their veins. It was almost as if the previous seven years had never been, rediscovering the wonder and the love that had been denied them both for so long...

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7 P.M.

"Phoenix?" Miles was hesitant to break the comfortable silence that reigned between them, looking down at Phoenix's head that lay contentedly on his lap, Miles' fingers softly entangled in the hair that stuck out at various angles from beneath his blue cap. He had such a sweet smile on his face that it took his breath away to look at him and Miles was more than content to do just that; after being apart for so long, they didn't want to waste any more time, especially with words.

"Mmmm?" Phoenix's closed eyes slowly fluttered open to see Miles' dark grey eyes looking down on him with such an expression of wonder and love that he felt an overwhelming feeling of love surge up inside him at the sight of it.

He tilted his head slightly to the right, looking up into that beloved face that he feared, when he had come to his senses at last after working through his anger and injured pride, he would never see again. He had initially accepted that as the price he had to pay for his foolishness but, after he thought it over for awhile, he decided to stake all on a high risk gamble.

How could I have ever been so foolish as to cut Miles out of my life? Phoenix wondered as he lifted his left hand, tenderly brushing Miles' cheek with his fingertips with the lightest of caresses. It's like I was walking around with my head in a cloud all these years and its only recently that I've been able to see things much more clearly than I could before. How could I have thought that I could have lived without him when, quite clearly, I couldn't and really had no desire to?

His thoughts drifted back to the previous year. He knew that the time was coming soon when he and Miles would again meet at Palisade Park for their annual meeting and he'd decided, when they met again, to tell him that he was sorry for being such a stupid fool and ask Miles to take him back; he'd come to his senses at last and he wanted to come home. He couldn't be sure of a positive outcome-he wasn't even certain that Miles would even come to meet him at the Park this time-but he knew that he had to try; anything was better than wave after wave of regrets and self-recrimination.

It was like a living death; that's the best way that I can describe it. I was alive but not really living then. He blinked owlishly, forcing his thoughts in another direction. It's amazing how much a part of my life he always was and even after an intervening period of time, he still is, he thought dreamily, caught up in Miles' intoxicating gaze. I never realized, until a year or so ago, just how much I depended on that steady, constant, soothing presence... and how much I missed him. He swallowed hard over the lump in his throat as he thought of those lonely, wasted years. How could I have thrown all that away?

It seemed almost surreal to him now; were it any other time or place, he may have feared that he was only dreaming and that Miles would disappear when he woke, leaving him bereft and alone. It would have served him right if this had been the case but, to his surprise and great delight, he found that Miles hadn't stopped loving him, either and was as eager as he to take up where they had left off. Now that the air had been cleared, and all was well and right with the world, they could pick up the pieces and take up where they had left off.

Miles' eyebrow raised at the varying expressions that were flickering across his face like a kaleidoscope.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, his fingers ghosting over the back of his neck. He narrowed his eyes and looked upward for a moment before his eyes flickered over to Phoenix's, locked and held, his expression serious.

Phoenix chuckled softly before reaching up, resting his hand on the back of Miles' neck and pulled it down, his lips pressing hard against his own, a muffled exclamation of surprise coming from somewhere up above him.

Phoenix liked to surprise him in this manner; he had often gotten quite a sour response in return but the soft gleam in Miles' eyes always told him that, no matter if he seemed annoyed in the beginning, he always seemed to appreciate it later. He just loved the look that Miles got when he was annoyed and couldn't resist teasing him on occasion just so he could see that cute facial expression.

"You," he breathed softly on Miles' mouth when they had parted. "I was thinking of you..." He could feel Miles' lips quiver underneath his as he recaptured them but he knew that he was pleased since he could feel the slight warmth from his cheeks that told him that Miles was blushing.

Miles always did that when he was embarrassed, Phoenix noted as his fingertips ghosted softly over his flushed skin, eliciting a soft moan from Miles, but he also knew that he really didn't mind too much despite his sometimes over-enthusiastic blustering. It may have appeared to those who either didn't know him or know him well, that he was extensively annoyed at the attention but Phoenix knew otherwise.

Given his terrible past and the experiences of the last seven years, he knew that Miles treasured those he loved and he was genuinely sorry that it had taken him so long to come to his senses and had hurt him pretty deeply in the process.

His expression must have changed that displayed the pained look on his face, and equally reflected in his heart, since Miles' countenance changed instantly to one of mild bemusement to serious in the blink of an eye.

"Phoenix?" he asked anxiously after some moments had passed in strained silence, his fingers fidgeting in his hair that reflected the depth of his concern. "Are you all right?"

Phoenix nodded. "I was just thinking of what a damned fool I'd been, how sorry I am that it took me so long to come to my senses and hurting you in the process." He took a deep breath. "I'm not proud of that at all and I feel badly because of what I put you through."

Miles' agitation had settled somewhat-at least the trembling in his fingers had stilled-and sat in silence for a time, waiting for him to continue.

"I was hurting pretty badly at the time and my pride had been dealt a severe blow when I was disbarred," he went on, snuggling closer to Miles who gave him a tender caress. "I was at loose ends and angry because everything that I had believed in up to that point had been tossed without care to the four winds; honesty, fairness and justice really meant something to me and here I was, bereft of my career and branded a common criminal by the very system that I had believed so strongly in."

He took another deep breath. "At that point, I didn't give a damn about much of anything and, in my anger, I did some very foolish things." His eyes flickered upward to meet Miles' who looked down compassionately at him.

It took Phoenix's breath away to gaze in those lovely dark-grey pools and for several minutes, he stared into them, losing himself in their cool depths. Miles held his peace and let him have those precious moments, knowing that he would continue when he was ready.

"At any rate, I was at loose ends and uncertain of what to do or even where to go. Where could I go to and whom could I lean on for support? Maya and Pearls had their own lives to lead; I couldn't uproot them again even though I know that they wouldn't have minded because they cared about me." His expression grew serious. "They would have gladly done what was necessary to help me if I'd asked but I just couldn't do it. I couldn't admit to anyone, let alone myself, that I felt I had failed. Here I was, my career in tatters and I had a blessed clue of what to do or even where to go."

He flushed, his cheeks a dirty red. "I'm embarrassed to admit that my pride had taken a serious blow and that pretty much finished me for awhile. It took a lot of soul-searching to discover exactly what it was that was bothering me so badly, accepting that I'd been disbarred for something that I ultimately proved I didn't do and that what had happened in the interim wasn't my fault." He looked at Miles, his expression pained. "It wasn't a pleasant process by any means."

Miles agreed. "I can well imagine," he said, his fingers gently massaging the base of Phoenix's neck. "Soul-searching can be a very painful process and it takes vast quantities of courage to begin the journey, despite the fact that what you might find out about yourself may be something that you won't like."

Phoenix knew that he spoke from experience and nodded solemnly.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about; look at what you went through." Phoenix sighed again, shifting slightly on the bench to make himself more comfortable, Miles waiting in patient silence. "I'm afraid that I didn't do very well in the 'accepting your limitations and finding a silver lining in this Stygian black cloud hanging over your head.' In fact, I handled it very poorly; I wish now that I had had the courage to pursue justice and to push my case forward until I was exonerated instead of running like a coward."

"Perhaps," Miles said quietly, his fingertips caressing his skin tenderly, "or it could have just made things worse." He closed his eyes for a moment, his expression closely shuttered. "As strange as this may sound, perhaps when the truth came out was the right time for it to come out. I doubt that anyone would have listened to you and you may have gotten yourself into serious trouble if you pushed the issue."

Phoenix frowned, his brows furrowing.

"You mean to say that you think I did the right thing by doing nothing?" he asked, confusion plain in his voice. It sounded rather ludicrous to him, not to mention cowardly.

Miles nodded sagely.

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Phoenix. Consider this." Miles sat for a few moments, thinking over his words, Phoenix waiting anxiously for him to speak. He was genuinely curious at what he would say and the fact that he was taking his time to form his thoughts meant that he took the matter very seriously.

Could it be that I was looking at this the wrong way? Phoenix mused thoughtfully while Miles mentally composed himself, working his bottom lip between his teeth. Miles seems to think so and he never takes time to think about something unless he is certain that he's right about his assertions and takes a few minutes to compose his thoughts. Phoenix's eyes welled and he dashed them away with an impatient hand, hoping that Miles was so deep in thought that he didn't notice. He's always had my back ever since he defended me in that class trial and, even though he's forgiven me, I'm still having trouble forgiving myself. How could I have ever been so stupid?!

Almost as if he'd read his thoughts, Miles said gently, "Everything is forgiven, Phoenix; you have to try to forgive yourself. What's done is done, and now you need to move on. Take what lessons you can and leave the rest."

A visibly startled Phoenix looked dumbly up at him, his mouth working but no sound emerged, his eyes wide as a startling thought came into his mind.

Can it be that I've tortured myself for years for nothing? What he's saying makes so much sense; how could I have missed what was plainly in front of me all along?

"But-" was all he managed to get out before Miles interrupted him again.

"Forgive yourself," he repeated, his strokes becoming more firm. "The past is past and long dead; bury it and move on." He looked down at the startled man lying on his lap, his eyes wide. "If there's anything I've learned from my own bitter experience, its not to waste your life with regrets."

He looked off into the sky once more, closing his eyes for a time and taking a deep breath before he continued, his voice soft and gentle, "Things in life do happen, both good and bad, and what you do with the lessons you learn is entirely up to you. What you take out of it is exactly what you put into it..."

Phoenix nodded in silence, thinking over what Miles had just said. He was right, of course; bad things did happen in life and everyone should expect a shower to fall every now and then but the sun always followed the rain and happiness, and good times, would come back after the dark clouds had melted away.

The sun always follows the rain, Phoenix thought with emotion, his eyes misting, and love never fails even when one of the lovers acts like a complete and utter idiot. I now know why Miles always came here to Palisade Park every year, even if he'll never admit it openly to anyone, especially me: he couldn't give up on me. Even when I'd given up on myself and pushed him away, he still came here every year, hoping that I'd changed my mind about us and come home. Even when things were at their bleakest, he still came; he loved me then and still loves me now or else he wouldn't be here.

Phoenix's face shone as realization of just how much Miles loved him came flowing over him like a tidal wave, his heart pounding with renewed hope and excitement. Miles, you have given me the most precious gift of all: unfailing love and devotion. When things were at their worst, you didn't give up on me but came, year after year, even when you left alone, hurt and heartsore because I was still nursing my injured pride. He closed his eyes, a sweet, seraphic smile spreading over his face, Miles' fingers caressing him so gently. What a wonderful gift true love really is and thank you, Miles, for loving me enough to let me go to sort things out inside for myself and for not giving up on me in the meantime. You'll probably never know just how much this means to me but I promise you that I shall endeavor to do my very best to be worthy of it and to give it to you in equal measure.

"I love you, Miles," Phoenix said softly, his eyes shining with unshed tears. He was rewarded with the sweet smile spreading across Miles' face that always took his breath away.

"I love you, too, Phoenix," he said, pressing his mouth delicately against his own, "more than I can ever tell you."

Phoenix settled back down and closed his eyes, snuggling close to Miles who's fingers once again entangled themselves in his hair and began those wonderful strokes again.

Snow fell all around them, the moon a sweet sliver in a sky of velvet black though, to the two men on the bench, time meant nothing as they rediscovered what they had once thought they'd lost but now had found.

Everything had come full circle.

~Fin~