Work Text:
It starts, as many great friendships do, with a joke. They’ve just wrapped up the Engarde case. Maya’s made the decision to head back to Kurain for a while – no long commitment this time, just for over the summer. But before that, she demands the celebratory meal she hadn’t been able to enjoy a week ago, when she was busy being traumatised by the whole kidnapping thing.
Phoenix has been great about it all, of course. If by “being great about it” you mean mother-henning so hard Maya’s a little worried he’s confused her with her younger cousin. It’s sweet, and deeply annoying. She doesn’t want to dwell on what happened and fuck knows she doesn’t want to “process her trauma” (bold words from a man who hasn’t “processed the trauma” of being accused of stealing lunch money) so she demands a meal out. An end-of-case celebration a week late, with Pearl and Gumshoe and Larry and yes, Miles Edgeworth. She tries to wheedle Franziska into coming too, but apparently she’s already back in Germany. Bummer.
They go to an actual sit-down restaurant since it’s a celebration. Not a nice restaurant, per say – burgers are still very much on the menu. But not a noodle stand or a fast-food chain. Unfortunately, within half an hour it’s clear things are still deeply, painfully awkward between her best friend and Miles Edgeworth.
(Edgeworth: Thank you.
Phoenix, looking starry-eyed: Oh- oh. Edgeworth, you don’t have to thank me, I haven’t done anything—
Edgeworth: For passing the salt, Wright.)
Maya must intervene. It’s her duty: help Phoenix prove clients innocent and stop him from embarrassing himself in front of his totally-platonic-I’m-serious childhood friend. So, she engages Edgeworth in conversation herself.
“Do you think Global Studios will revive the Steel Samurai franchise in a different way now the Nickel Samurai is no more?”
Edgeworth repositions himself slightly on his chair. “I imagine they’d like to. Corporations do need to make money, after all. And I believe this is one of their bigger franchises.”
“Biggest,” Maya corrects. She doesn’t know if that’s true, but the superlative feels correct. “Ok, new question. Do you want them to continue the series?”
The tiniest of smiles. “I can’t say I have any personal interest in the matter either way.”
“Liar,” says Maya, good-naturedly. “I’m hoping for a new season of the Pink Princess, personally. I think it’s criminal they used up half her season wrapping up the Steel Samurai’s last arc.”
Edgeworth says nothing, but his eyebrow twitches. Maya takes this as disagreement. “No, seriously. I know she was created by Sal Manella so she should be tainted but she’s way cooler than I expected her to be.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Though if I had my way,” says Maya, carrying on regardless, “I’d have ditched the romance plot with the Steel Samurai. It weakens her character, and Steel doesn’t need the distraction.”
“That’s ridiculous. It adds emotional depth to the battles if he has a loved one to fight for,” says Edgeworth, then freezes.
Maya thumps the table excitedly. “I knew it! I knew you were secretly a nerd.”
Then comes the joke that starts a beautiful friendship: “I bet you’re a superfan,” Maya says, relishing the way Edgeworth’s ears go red. “You probably have a secret Tumblr. I bet you read fanfiction – you seem like a NickelSteel shipper—”
“I do not ship NickelSteel,” Edgeworth exclaims, then slaps a hand over his mouth. He glances across the table. Phoenix and Gumshoe are engaged in a lively discussion with Larry and have missed the whole interaction. Apparently, this is all the reassurance Edgeworth needs to lean across the table towards Maya and hiss, “Nickel and Steel’s relationship is that of a mentor and mentee. If you insist upon me shipping Steel with anyone but his canon love interest, which I do not, then I’d pick the Evil Magistrate, obviously.”
Maya claps her hands in delight. “Oh, Mr Edgeworth,” she says, “We are about to have so much fun.”
The fun is, of course, somewhat dampened the discovery that Edgeworth is heading back to Europe. Even if Maya had his number, international calls on Kurain’s single pay phone would bankrupt the entire Fey family. But Maya’s not one to let a potential friendship slip through her fingers – especially not a potential fandom friend. Phoenix is basically her big brother and one of the most important people in her life, but he doesn’t watch tokusatsu shows and is therefore somewhat useless in this regard. Luckily, he does have Edgeworth’s professional email, which means Maya’s got Edgeworth’s professional email. And she has no qualms about misusing it.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 04/06/2018
Subject: Legal Concern
Dear Prosecutor Edgeworth,
I am writing to request your expert guidance regarding a recent legal issue. I am aware you are currently working abroad, but I have been informed by an associate of yours (a Mr. P. Wright) that you are still employed by the Los Angeles Prosecutor’s Office and regularly check this email inbox.
My concern regards Global Studios. They have recently committed a crime, and no prosecutor appears to have been assigned to the case. The crime: that they’re writing The Pink Princess out of all the climatic scenes in Pink and Steel: Protectors of Neo Olde Tokyo because she’s PREGNANT???
I SIGNED UP FOR COOL SAMURAIS WHY IS MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT CHARACTER PREGNANT???
I am sure you’ll take on the prosecution of Global Studios personally.
Kind regards,
Mystic Maya Fey
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 04/06/2018
Subject: Re: Legal Concern
Dear Mystic Fey,
This is an entirely inappropriate use of my professional email.
While I agree that Global Studio’s decision to essentially write out their only recurring female character for a full season is prosecution-worthy, the LA Prosecutor’s Office does not agree.
Please feel free to contact me further about this issue personally at [email protected].
Kind regards,
Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth
(He/Him)
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 06/06/2018
Subject: What does the G stand for?
Hi Edgeworth!
Thanks for your personal email! Does Nick have access to this? Have I one-upped him?
The thing with Pink’s pregnancy arc is that it feels so unnecessary. Like, I’m not saying she and Steel can’t settle down and start a family, I suppose that’s cute in its own way. What bugs me is this show has had SO MANY time skips, but we’re not skipping the nine months she’s out of commission? And they haven’t replaced her in the action scenes with ANY new women. Maybe I’m insane for wanting decent female character rep in a show written by Sal Manella, but damn.
We haven’t spoken about the wedding at the start of this season either. You’re a PinkSteel shipper, right? I bet you LOVED it. Ngl I’ve already read like a bajillion different fics about the Magistrate angsting over the wedding.
Hope Germany (??) is fun and you’re learning lots about being a lawyer or whatever.
Maya x
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 06/06/2018
Subject: My middle name is Gregory, after my father
Dear Maya,
I’m very conflicted about Pink and Steel’s current romantic arc. You’re right that I enjoy their relationship, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t await the wedding episode with great anticipation. However, it is becoming more and more clear the writers are reducing Pink’s characterisation solely to her interactions with Steel. Perhaps that is to be expected in show titled for their double act, but Steel is not suffering the same treatment.
My time in Frankfurt has been very productive. I have a benefactor from my days under Von Karma who has opened many doors for studying foreign legal systems. I am travelling to London next week, and I’m looking forward to watching a trial in The Old Bailey. However, I do find myself with significantly more free time than I am accustomed to, and have been dipping my toes deeper into the Steel Samurai fandom online. It’s safe to say I am now a multi-shipper.
Would you send me links to some of those MagiSteel fanfictions you mentioned…?
Kind regards,
Miles Edgeworth
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 10/06/2018
Subject: I don’t have a middle name, do you think I could choose my own?
Miles!! (people I share fic recs with get to be on first-name terms)
I thought you’d NEVER ask. Attached to this email is a Google doc with my favourite jealous!Magistrate fics written after the wedding episode. I’ve also added a link to my Steel Samurai fic rec masterlist at the end. It’s got a few PinkSteel fics and some NickelSteel (sorry) but its mainly MagiSteel!! Plus there’s a bunch of genfic. Enjoy! 😊
SO cool that you’re going to be in England. Do you have to wear one of the silly wigs if you’re just observing the trial?
Maya x
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 16/06/2018
Subject: I don’t see why not – many people choose their own names
Dear Maya,
I read the MagiSteel wedding crasher fic on my plane journey to Gatwick. It made for a significantly more enjoyable flight, thank you. I’ll confess I find your masterlist somewhat overwhelming – do you have a good suggestion for which fics to start from? I’ve read all the PinkSteel ‘fandom classics’ but that’s about it.
I would appreciate your guidance on a small matter of fandom etiquette: did you send me this link with the implicit permission that I could follow you on Tumblr?
(No, I did not have to wear a silly wig.)
Kind regards,
Miles Edgeworth
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 18/06/2018
Subject: Can my middle name be ‘McLovin’’?
Miles –
NO WAY YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A SECRET TUMBLR? Yeah omg follow me dummy.
Start with ‘From Eden’ if you want a really good MagiSteel angst fic! It’s my personal favourite. ‘Hold me (Like a Drug)’ is the go-to fandom classic, but it’s kind of long and only interprets the original Steel Samurai season, so no Pink ☹
If you’re looking for genfic, I cannot recommend ‘Two Birds’ more – it reimagines Pink and Steel as childhood friends. Might be weird for you if you only see their relationship as romantic but it has big found family vibes and I really love it.
Maya x
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 21/06/2018
Subject: It CAN, but I would strongly advise against it.
Dear Maya,
Thank you for the recommendations. I’ve followed you from my Tumblr account, notsoevilmagistrate. I’ll admit to being a little embarrassed to share it, as I have been known to use it to ‘vent’ in the past. I will not ask that you don’t read those posts, should you come across them. I ask that if you find them, however, you don’t confront me about them or ask for further details. As you are aware, my mental health this past year has not been exemplary. I am currently attending video therapy once a week and doing much better, so please do not be concerned by anything you see.
With this disclaimer out of the way, I simply MUST discuss the most recent episode of Pink and Steel with you. I can safely say I never expected a tokusatsu show written by Global Studios to address their protagonist’s complex feelings on becoming a father. Steel’s fear that he is too prone to risk-taking for parenthood was particularly poignant. We as the audience know he only takes those risks to protect his loved ones, but Steel does not.
I do wonder what the show plans to do with this pregnancy when it comes to term, however. Is the Steel Samurai going to be carting around a baby stroller?
Kind regards,
Miles Edgeworth
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 23/06/2018
Subject: Should we be moving to Tumblr DMs?
Miles-
YOOOOO I RECOGNISE UR TUMBLR? I don’t follow you, but I know your URL! You wrote those posts breaking down Global Studios’ legal options after the Powers and Engarde cases that went super viral. EVERYONE uses your explainers, dude. And this whole time, you accepted their praise while having the advantage of being the literal prosecutor on the case. FOR SHAME. /nsrs (that’s means ‘not serious’ I’m never sure how much internet-speak you understand.)
I’m following you now and we’re Tumblr mutuals. You didn’t ask, but I promise not to tell Nick about your Tumblr – the cat’s out the bag on you being a Steel Samurai fan though. I really like your meta posts and your AU for an Evil Magistrate redemption. I had no idea you were such a fan of the Magistrate? We’ve barely discussed him outside of shipping!?
Re: the recent Pink and Steel episode. I don’t think I liked it as much as you, sorry. I agree that Steel’s pre-parental worries were well done but… it just made it really stand out to me that Pink DIDN’T get to have that breakdown. We’re supposed to accept that a warrior is ok with changing her body, perhaps forever? That a woman who famously has complex feelings about being royalty is A-OK passing that burden down to an heir? That… idk… a woman in her twenties(?) who’s only been married for a hot second has no complex feelings about her pregnancy beyond ‘I hope Steel take the news well’?? Never has it been so clear that Pink was created by a man.
How’s London? I called Nick yesterday and he told me you were there, and I had to be like “woooow really?” because for some reason it felt awkward admitting we’ve been emailing. He said you’d observed some cases in the Old Bailey, and I was like “why is everyone so obsessed with this random British courtroom” and that’s how I found out that Nick’s GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS A LAWYER THERE? He said his name was Naruhodo, you should look him up.
Oh wow, this might be my longest email – guess I had a lot to say, huh? I’m glad you’re staying in contact with Nick. He has the looks and temperament of kicked puppy when you two aren’t talking regularly. I think he’s lonely, though. He hasn’t taken on any cases since March nor has he replaced me with a new plucky young assistant (I know about Ema, you cheaters). The elders are being surprisingly chill ATM, so all is looking well on my plan to return to LA some time in either late summer or early fall.
Kind(er) regards,
Mystic Maya McLovin’ Fey
The discovery that Miles Edgeworth has a Tumblr should not be as surprising as it is. It is, at least, an anonymous platform. A stan twitter would be unthinkable. But still, imagining Miles crouched over his laptop reblogging horny Steel Samurai fanart is hilarious. (And yes, there is some surprisingly horny fanart on his account. Nothing close to NFSW and certainly no female presenting nipples, but definitely some sculpted abs and some sculpted ass. Maya needs to think of a way of teasing him about it that won’t freak him out so much he shuts down all lines of communication.)
Miles’ blog is meticulously organised, but he doesn’t have a tag for his text posts. Phoenix taught her that snooping is basically a lawyer’s duty, so she only feels a little guilty about searching his archive for his vent posts. He did say she could read them, after all.
What she finds is a lot of the classics: guilt, suicidal ideation, self-loathing. Not that it isn’t bad, obviously it is. Imagining the Miles of a year ago still feeling all this after being cleared for his dad’s murder… it sucks. But from Miles’ email, she expected something scandalous. Maybe to him, regular-internet-user doom posting is shameful enough.
Miles isn’t super active on his Tumblr, and she usually has to wait a day or so for replies to her email, so she leaves the ball in his court. She wasn’t kidding when she told him she’s worried about Phoenix being lonely. It’s been months since he last took on a client and Mia’s old office might be rent controlled but Phoenix’s apartment isn’t.
“Dude,” she says, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she stands at the public phone once again. “Do you need me to come over early? Or do a quick visit? I could come this weekend; Pearly’s in training but we could hang out just me and you.”
Phoenix’s voice is extra-tinny though the shit phone line. “I swear, I’m fine. This isn’t like when Edgeworth sent the note and I was wallowing, I really just haven’t had any interesting, innocent clients.”
“Then take boring clients! That have money!”
“If you’re this worried about my finances, stop stealing my cash for burgers.”
Maya sniffs. “I need you to take on more clients so you can afford to buy me burgers.”
“Well, I promise if you come for a visit, I still have enough money to take you out for burgers. Once. And then I’ll try not to be bankrupt when you come to stay properly in August.”
Maya pauses, as if she’s considering it. In truth, she already knows she can talk the elders into letting her leave for a weekend and she misses Phoenix and the office. “You drive a hard bargain. I’ll see you this weekend.”
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: 25/06/2018
Subject: I turned off my Tumblr DM notifications years ago
Dear Maya,
There’s no need to apologise for the length of your last email – I fear mine is about to be much longer. First, as I allude to in this email’s description, I do not tend to use Tumblr’s direct message feature, and I am loathe to start now. However, it would be lovely to have an easier way to contact you, so you’ll find my phone number at the end of this email. Honestly, I’m surprised Wright didn’t give it to you. I am aware that cell service is patchy in Kurain village, not to mention the cost of international calls, but perhaps we could text? Franziska is an avid texter, but I’d like a less combative correspondent. Most phones allow for messaging through WiFi now, so cell service shouldn’t be an issue.
Now for the significantly more pressing issue: an apology. I confess that I completely overlooked the discrepancy between the writing staff’s treatment of Pink and Steel’s emotional responses to the pregnancy until you pointed it out. How disgustingly patriarchal of me. You’re right, of course. In light of how little emotional depth Pink has been given, Steel’s arc in the recent episode rings hollow.
Apologies for the apparent non-sequitur, but I once overheard you needling Wright for details on his wellbeing. It was after that nightmare of a case on Christmas, when the pair of you had run yourselves ragged on my account. Your phrasing has stuck with me, because it was both extremely caring and extremely blunt. You said, and I quote: “You can tell me to fuck off, but are you awake enough to cycle back?” A crude but lovely expression, acknowledging the question may be seen as overstepping and offering the recipient a way out, but also voicing your concern. So, with this in mind:
You can tell me to fuck off, but is your dislike of the Pink Princess’ romance and pregnancy personal? I can’t help that notice both your email and Tumblr URL are plays upon her name and your icon on Tumblr appears to be a drawing of you as the Pink Princess. (It’s very well-done, you’ll have to let me know who the artist is so I can commission them myself.) I don’t ask to be judgmental or to dismiss your dislike of her role as a romantic heroine in the story. That would be extremely hypocritical. I just want to understand what you’re feeling, as your friend.
I’m currently sitting in a café opposite the Royal Courts of Justice today, rather than the Old Bailey. I am yet to have to wear a silly wig, as I’m sure you’re devastated to find out, but I have seen many a wig worn. Apparently, they’re supposed promote anonymity and authority amongst barristers. Perhaps the British mind is wired so intrinsically towards colonialism that they still see authority in powdered white curls. Speaking of such, Wright mentioned his ancestor to me, too. There wasn’t much information on Naruhodo Ryunosuke that I could find in my limited research, but what I did find is very interesting. Did you know he defended the poet, Natsume Soseki on a murder charge? It seems high-profile turnabouts run in the family. I’ll admit to being a little disappointed – part of me thought your sister and my father were Wright’s only influences for becoming an attorney.
You can continue to mock me for my sign-off, but I am going to continue to sign off properly regardless.
Kind regards,
Miles (Mclovin’) Edgeworth
TEL: XXX-XXXX-XXX-XX
The phone rings for only a few seconds before it picks up, and the voice on the other end is clipped and professional. “Hello? Who may I ask is calling?”
“Hi, am I speaking to Miles Mclovin’ Edgeworth?” There’s a slight pause on the other end of the line, and when Miles’ voice returns it’s noticeably warmer.
“Maya? How on earth are you phoning me from that technological dead zone?”
“I’m staying with Nick this weekend, duh. He says hi, by the way.” At her words, Phoenix, who has just re-entered the office, trips over his feet. He points at the phone. Who is it? He mouths.
Edgeworth, she mouths back. Nick makes a confused face, like he doesn’t understand or doesn’t believe her. Whatever.
“I’m honoured that you’d use the opportunity to call. Tell Wright I have some notes on the English jury system he may be interested in.”
Maya relays the message dutifully and Phoenix blinks at her. “Wait, are you really talking to Edgeworth?”
“Yes, obviously. Sorry Miles, Nick’s being weird. Do you want the notes or not? Miles is asking if he should email them to you?”
“Miles?” repeats Phoenix, which Maya does not dignify with a response. “Uh, email them, I guess?”
“Nick says send them over. You two are so weird, why are you making him learn about the English legal system when he barely understands ours?”
Phoenix splutters in disbelief and Miles chuckles. “I appear to have more faith in Wright’s legal mind than you do, Maya. Isn’t that a surprise?”
“Hey, I have faith in his legal mind too, dummy.” Phoenix is hovering, clearly curious about Miles’ side of the conversation, and Maya makes a shoo-ing gesture. He finishes taking off his shoes and sits down at his desk, but he’s still sneaking glances at her. “Nick’s being nosy,” she says, “So I can’t continue our super-secret Pink Princess analysis right now.”
“Ah,” says Miles. “Understandable. Should I tell you about my theory for how the Evil Magistrate will be involved this season, instead?”
TEXT LOG: 29/06/2018
ME: Thank you for calling earlier, it was an unexpected pleasure to hear from you.
MF: Yooo no problem! Sorry Nick was listening in.
ME: No apology necessary, it’s always amusing to hear you two interact. Although I assume that’s why you didn’t wish to continue our discussion on the Pink Princess?
MF: Yeah, kinda. Idk, it’s weird. I can tell Nick almost anything, but I can tell you different stuff. You get what it’s like to over-relate to a fictional character. And what it’s like to have Dead Parent Syndrome.
ME: I completely understand the latter. I would like to fight you on the first one, but alas, you’ve seen my Tumblr. Do you wish to talk about it?
MF: Uuuurgg… sort of???
ME: You don’t have to.
MF: No, I want to.
MF: It’s just.
MF: Urg.
MF: Ok, did you know that the Pink Princess was LITERALLY based on me? Like, Sal Manella looked at me and came up with the idea for the character?
ME: … oh my God.
MF: RIGHT?
MF: So OBVIOUSLY, her being pregnant would be weird no matter what.
MF: I am too young to be a mother. And I have WEIRD FEELINGS about mothers/motherhood because of my own not being around.
ME: Totally understandable.
MF: But it’s more than that. Can I tell you a thing I haven’t told Nick?
ME: I’d be honoured to have gained your confidence.
MF: Ew you’re so nice and earnest its terrible. ILY.
MF: I’m… aromantic? I Think? DEFINITELY asexual. Probably aromantic too.
MF: So, seeing a character based on me have a husband and child is! Very! Weird!
ME: Oh goodness. Yes, I can imagine that’s very uncomfortable.
ME: And on top of that, the Pink Princess is a very overtly sexualised character. You have to deal with the triple level of discomfort of the inherent knowledge Manella viewed you in a sexual light; the knowledge you were only seventeen when that interaction occurred, and the fact that you yourself are asexual. I can only imagine how bizarre this entire season has been for you.
MF: THANK YOU!! I feel like I’ve been going insane!
MF: Also thank you for being cool with me, like, coming out to you.
MF: Is it weird for you seeing the Steel Samurai date a woman?
ME: …I don’t actually recall telling you I was gay at any point?
MF: OH FUCK SORRY.
MF: FUCK.
MF: AND AFTER YOU WERE SO NICE TO ME… I’M SORRY I GENUINELY THOUGHT YOU HAD T_T
ME: Ah. Well, I am. Perhaps those in the LGBTQ community really do have ways of identifying one another.
MF: I mean… your Tumblr isn’t… subtle…
MF: I’M SORRY
ME: …I am trying very hard not to be completely mortified.
MF: NOOOOO MILES ITS NOT A BAD THING!!!!!! REBLOG ALL THE THIRSTY FANART YOU WANT!!!
ME: …
ME: Is it too late for me to redirect our conversation back to why Steel’s heterosexuality does not bother me?
MF: No, it absolutely isn’t. Please save me from the hole I have dug.
ME: It’s twofold. Firstly, I read Steel as bi or pansexual. Secondly, I don’t see myself in Steel – he’s a male power fantasy but not relatable to me personally. I identify far more with the Evil Magistrate.
ME: I suppose if HE had a wife, I would find it rather strange.
TEXT LOG: 30/06/2018
MF: So… if I’m Pink and you’re the Magistrate, who’s Steel? Nick?
ME: Maya, unless I’m mistaken it’s almost 2am in LA. Go to bed.
MF: Answer the question, coward.
“So, are you and Edgeworth, like, friends now?” They’re walking to the noodle stand near the office, and Phoenix’s expression is hilariously put-upon, like he didn’t offer to go out for lunch when he realised the kitchenette’s fridge was empty.
“Suppose so,” says Maya, a skip in her step. The lady who does the catering at Kurain – her great aunt by marriage twice removed or something – makes incredible hand pulled noodles for guests and mediums alike. They’re authentically Japanese and served in a perfectly balanced, fragrant broth. Maya would pour all of them down the garbage disposal for one bowl of the overly-salty slop sold near the Wright & Co Law Offices. It just hits different. “We email and text and stuff.”
“Why?” asks Phoenix. “No offence, you don’t have obviously similar personalities.”
“Neither do you two,” Maya points out. Phoenix frowns.
“That’s not true. We have—the law.” He pauses, clearly realising that despite his best efforts, ‘the law’ is not actually a personality trait. “Uh. Our sense of justice. Similar morals.”
“And me and him have similar taste in TV shows. It’s not that deep.”
Phoenix grumbles something that Maya has to prod him into repeating. Literally prod him, with her pointiest finger into the fleshiest bit of his side. “Ouch!” he yelps, squirming away like a baby. “Fine. I said he and I had similar taste in shows as kids. We used to watch The Signal Samurai together.”
“So? What’s your point?”
“Just—I have a lot in common with him too. That’s all.”
They’ve reached the noodle stand, so conversation halts as they sit down and order. Maya snaps her wooden chopsticks apart as the weird guy who runs the place turns around to dish up their ramen. She jabs her chopsticks in Phoenix’s direction. “This is weird. You’re being weird.”
“I’m not being weird! What’s weird is you becoming chummy with Miles Edgeworth!” Phoenix breaks apart his own chopsticks and starts fiddling with the wrapper, rolling and unrolling the paper.
“And it’s not weird you’re friends with him?” Maya asks.
“No! We’re both in the legal profession! We knew each other as kids!”
Maya studies him. Phoenix looks shifty. “Oh my God, you’re jealous.”
Immediate explosion. Bingo. “I am not jealous!”
“You are! You don’t like sharing your friend! You don’t like that we have something in common that you don’t!”
“That’s not it!”
“That’s totally it! You can just watch The Steel Samurai, Nick, literally nobody is stopping you. I have, in fact, been begging you to.”
“It’s not about the stupid Steel Samurai, shut up.” Phoenix pouts at his hands. He’s twisting his chopsticks wrapper into a tight knot.
Maya leaves him a moment to stew in it. When Phoenix gets like this, he’ll usually articulate what’s bothering him if you give him a moment. (Or he’ll bottle it up for months and never tell you he’s labouring under the fake news his best friend committed suicide. But Maya’s pretty sure whatever’s bugging him this time isn’t that dramatic.)
The noodle guy places two steaming bowls in front of them. The pattern on the bowls exactly matches his hat, which may—yep. He’s wearing a noodle bowl as a hat. Truly, you get all sorts in LA.
“Nick?” she prods, gently.
Phoenix sighs. “Why does he let you call him Miles?”
Maya does not say ‘when you share fanfiction recs with each other, surnames feel even weirder’, because she’s a bro who’s not going to out the extent of Miles’ nerdiness to his work friend. Instead, she says “He’s always called me Maya. I just started calling him Miles in return, and he didn’t seem to have a problem with it.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah. I reckon if you called him Miles, he’d let you. Maybe he’d call you Nick back – or actually, I can’t imagine him calling you Nick.”
“He called me Phoenix when we were kids,” says Phoenix, with that slightly dreamy look he gets when he talks about his childhood friendship.
“There you go then, just call him Miles. Honestly, I thought something serious was bothering you.”
Phoenix squawks something about how it’s not that simple, but Maya has started eating her delicious, oversalted noodles, and no longer cares.