Archive of Our Own ^beta

Miles clatters the Magatama down on Phoenix’s hospital table. It lands louder than he means it to, making both of them flinch.

“Sorry,” Miles says. He lets his shoulders drop a little, forces himself to relieve some of the tension from the investigation and the trial. “I – I can’t say I cared, for that thing.”

“It takes some getting used to,” Phoenix says. “Can’t deny it’s helpful, though.”

“Yes, it certainly changes the course of an investigation.”

Miles lets his eyes track over Phoenix’s face, taking in the details of him. Reminding himself once more that yes, he is here. Yes, he is alive and not dead. Yes, he will recover – tomorrow, by the sounds of things.

Miles should know better than to trust anything Larry says – but it still makes him feel better to track all the signs of life in Phoenix’s body. To look, and see the laboured way his chest is moving, the chill from the river still wreaking havoc on his lungs. To watch, let his eyes follow the shape of Phoenix’s face, map the colour of his skin. To see, the way his face is still a little red, sheened with sweat from the remnants of his fever.

Phoenix’s chest is moving in, out, in, out. When he looks at Miles, he’s smiling.

“Yeah, it’s – it’s reassuring, I guess. Having something that lets you know when people are purposefully trying to avoid something – well. It’s made me a more effective lawyer, probably.”

“You don’t feel like it’s cheating, somehow?” Miles asks.

“Hm,” Phoenix’s mouth pulls down, looking pensive. “I guess, it isn’t totally honest to have access to something that exposes people so easily, but – it’s a tool. Just because I know when someone’s lying, doesn’t mean I know why, or how. Not until I prove it.” He smiles. “You always say the most important part of our job is to pursue the truth. I’m just getting a bit of a head-start.”

Miles nods. “I suppose, I can understand that. I still did not like it. I found it – startling, to see how many lies and secrets people hold within them. To be given a physical view into the secrets of someone’s heart… I can’t say it was a power I cared to possess.”

Phoenix runs a tired hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, I should have thought to explain it to you better, before. I just – I knew that Iris – I know that Iris is innocent, and I needed to make sure someone was looking out for her. I thought – I thought if I could help you see it too, then you would be more likely to help.”

Miles feels his mouth twist, despite himself. “I would have helped anyway. For you.”

There’s a beat. Phoenix blinks, something unreadable flashing over his face. His eyes, when they look at Miles, are very serious.

He reaches out, picking the Magatama up from where it’s been left, resting on the table between them. It glows a faint green in his hand, pulsing with a light Miles doesn’t want to understand. It seems to respond to his touch more than Miles; the light growing brighter under the heat from his palm.

“I was a little surprised it worked for you,” Phoenix says, looking down at it. “The psyche-locks, I mean.”

“Oh?”

“It’s – it’s not even mine, really. It’s on loan from Maya,” his voice cracks a little on Maya. “Well, Maya and Pearls, I guess. It’s Maya’s stone, and Pearls’ energy. To be honest, I don’t think Maya knows too much about how it all works, either. She thinks the psyche-locks are something Pearls’ powers activated, and she said something about it holding the particular power because of Pearls’ faith in me, and now they’re both –”

“They are both okay, I’m sure. We will find them,” Miles says. “The best of our force are on it. The bridge should be reconstructed by tomorrow. Wright, do not let yourself get bogged down in the worst of this. There is still the trial to win.”

“I know, I know. Thank you, again – for everything you did with the trial. I know we can win, and – I know it’ll be okay, in the end. Maya’s tough, she’s got this.” He sniffs, wipes his nose. “Pearls, too.”  

Neither of them comments on the fact Phoenix sounds more like he’s trying to convince himself than Miles. Between them, there’s silence for a few moments, nothing but the background bustle of the hospital and the sounds of their mutual breathing. Phoenix is still holding the Magatama, and Miles finds he can’t keep himself from staring at it.

“Can I ask you something, Wright?”

“Sure,” Phoenix says, easily. “Whatever you want.”

“The psycholocks – seeing the truth. Is that why – is that why you defended me?”

Phoenix’s eyes widen. “W-what?”

“I just. I know I had not been the kindest to you, during that case. I couldn’t help but think – well. Perhaps it was easier, to believe – if you –”

Miles gestures towards the rock, gritting his teeth. He finds he can’t meet Phoenix’s gaze. He isn’t sure if he wants to know – isn’t sure if he wants to find out that Phoenix’s steady faith had all been a play against Miles’ own soul. He doesn’t want to know, except for the fact he watched the locks slide in place over Iris’s heart in the Detention Centre and felt he would die if he didn’t know.

“I got this during my first case against Franziska,” Phoenix says. He sounds so gentle. “In Kurain Village, last year.”

Miles looks back at Phoenix. His eyes, like always, are wide enough to fall into. He holds out the Magatama, as though happy to place it into Miles’ hand.

“You can ask me again if you want,” Phoenix says.

“That’s – that’s not necessary,” Miles replies. He waves Phoenix’s hand down, flinching away from the cool touch of the stone. “I just – it had been on my mind, since I spoke with Iris, in the Detention Centre.”

“The Magatama is useful,” he says. “It helps, but it’s not infallible. I had this during the Engarde case and I still genuinely believed he was innocent for the first day of that trial; he was able to avoid triggering any Psyche-locks by evading the question.” He looks at Miles, and smiles. “I still genuinely need to believe in my clients before I take their case on board. With you –”

He puts the Magatama down again, it sits between them.

“I know you, Miles,” Phoenix says. “I knew you. I believe in you.”

Miles reaches out, places his hand on Phoenix’s knee. Phoenix’s smile goes wobbly, but no less genuine.

“I know you too, Wright,” he says.

 The Magatama glows between them as they kiss.