Title: Turnabout Discovery
Author:PrettySammy
Rating: PG (nothing too bad. )
Genre: Romance
Status: Completed? (I'm not sure)
Pairing: /
Summary: Through a strange series of events, Edgeworth's begun to realize that Maya Fey has caught his eye. Meanwhile, Maya's having trouble interpreting Edgeworth's strange behavior. Will the two discover something about each other and about themselves? Warning: Excessive fluffiness and possible OOC! XD

So err...yeah...this is my first fanfic posted here. My first PW fanfic too...I hope it's okay! XD / is my favorite pairing, so my first fanfic should be in honor of them, right? ^^ *is brick'd for liking Maya/Edgeworth*

Everyone's a critic! XD Read the fic!

****
It wasn’t every day that Miles Edgeworth got out of the office. He was almost always loaded down with important cases, being the respected prosecutor that he was. He usually sat in his luxurious office, staring at papers and jotting notes. No one could fault him for an unsteady work ethic.

So when he had been invited out to eat by his old friend, Larry Butz, Edgeworth knew the exact excuse to give.

“I’ve got an important case. I have no time for lunch.”

“C’mon Edgey!” Larry’s voice, reminiscent of an upbeat snare drum, chimed over the cellphone that was currently glued to Edgeworth’s ear by his shoulder. His hands were occupied with papers. “Get out of the office! It’s just noodles in the park!”

“Which park?”

“Gourd Lake Park, of course!” Larry told him. “We’ve already snagged some picnic tables!”

“I’d rather not go there – wait…who is “we”?”

Larry’s throat caught slightly. “Err…what…what do you mean?”

“You said, “we’ve already snagged some picnic tables”,” Edgeworth quoted Larry, his eyes narrowing. His shoulder began to pain him, so he put the papers down and held the phone in his hand. “Who exactly is “we”?”

“Err…n-no one! Just me! Just Larry!” the laughing voice of Larry was shaky and unconfident, and Edgeworth immediately knew something was up.

“Larry…”

“C’mon Edgey! Just get down here! It’ll be fun!”

Edgeworth gave a heavy sigh. Larry wasn’t telling him anything, much to his dismay. If only he had Wright’s ability to squeeze information out of witnesses. But he came to only one conclusion: he would never find out the identity of the mysterious friend of Larry if he didn’t go to lunch.

“Fine,” he remarked, and Larry gave a small ‘whoop!’ over the phone. “I’ll be there in around fifteen minutes.”

“Grreeat! We’ll get the noodles read---I mean I’ll get the noodles ready!”

“Larry, don’t ever actually murder anyone,” Edgeworth remarked coldly. “Because you’re a horrible liar. You’d never get away with it.”

“HUH? Is that what you think of me, Edgey?!”

“I’m hanging up. See you in fifteen minutes,” Edgeworth didn’t wait for a reply on the other end as he hung up the phone and sat up, grabbing his jacket and sliding his arms through it. While some might find a break refreshing, Edgeworth found it annoying. It interrupted his train of thought.

But Larry had, unintentionally, interested him. He wanted to know exactly what he was hiding, and the only way he was going to find that out was to go and see for himself.

***
“Edgey’s here!”

Edgeworth should have known. He was about twenty feet away from the picnic tables before he knew exactly who was with Larry. There was no doubt about it; Edgeworth knew that overly spikey hair and strange costume like the back of his hand. Phoenix Wright and his assistant Maya Fey were currently cooking noodles along with Larry.

“I’m leaving,” Edgeworth called, not daring to get any closer. But Larry was too quick. He had already grabbed Edgeworth’s neck in the crook of his arm and was currently pulling him towards the picnic tables. “L-Larry! I don’t have time for this! Wright and I meet in court. Not over lunch!”

“Hi there Mr. Edgeworth!” Maya’s upbeat voice reached Edgeworth’s ears and he grimaced. He was not in the mood for this. “Do you like your noodles cooked rare or well-done?”

“Hey there Edgeworth,” Phoenix said, the slightest hint of a smile on his lips. “Didn’t think you’d show up.”

“I wasn’t going too,” Edgeworth snapped. “But Larry here—“

“I couldn’t leave you out! We’ve got all these noodles to eat anyway. There’s plenty to go around. Sit down, take off your coat!” Larry didn’t wait for Edgeworth to comply. He pulled off his jacket and sat him down on a chair that seated around the circular table.

“Maya, I think the noodles are done,” Phoenix told her, swirling them around in the pot over the fire with chopsticks.

“Great! Now let’s just add some flavor!” Edgeworth grimaced as he watched Maya pour what seemed to be an entire jar of spice into the noodles. As if it were a reflex, his tongue stuck out of his mouth. Luckily, Maya’s back was to him, and she didn’t see his rather rude gesture.

“I-I won’t be having any…” Edgeworth said. “I’m not one for noodles.”

“You don’t want any Mr. Edgeworth?” Maya asked him, and she turned around to meet her eyes with his. Edgeworth looked down at her and shrugged. “That’s okay! I brought some crackers, so you can eat those if you want!”

“Huh? You brought those crackers? I brought those crackers! For me!” Phoenix was complaining. “You can’t go giving my Rye-Crunchers to this guy!”

“Here you go Mr. Edgeworth!” Maya put her hand into the grocery bag and pulled out a plastic bag full of crackers. She handed it to Edgeworth, who thanked her with a nod. Phoenix was still looking quite sullen.

“The noodles are ready, right?” Larry asked, excitedly. “C’mon, dish up, Maya! Time to prove your skills as a wife!”

Maya blushed slightly, but started to serve anyway. “Great, Larry. Now you had to put all that pressure on me – they might not be all that good.”

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. So Maya had made the noodles. He wished that he eaten some noodles anyway, if just to spare her ego. But these rye-crunchers that he was currently munching on were pretty good as well.

“I’m sure they’ll be just fine, Maya,” Phoenix said, taking a bowl. Maya smiled at him and blushed slightly. Phoenix used his chopsticks to eat a mouthful, and his eyes immediately widened.

‘Uh oh…’ thought Edgeworth, remembering the jar of spice Maya had poured in. ‘I guess that no one can eat noodles with that much flavoring…’

“Th-These are great!” Phoenix swallowed and began to gather more with his chopsticks. “Delicious!”

“R-Really?” Larry asked. “H-Hey! Maya, give me some! I can’t have Nick eating all the noodles!”

So they had turned out well after all. Phoenix, Larry, and Maya were now all eating noodles happily, Larry and Phoenix seemingly in seventh heaven over the way the noodles tasted. “The secret is the jar of spice!” Maya told them. “Sis taught it to me when I was just a kid!”

“So these are Mia’s noodles, huh?” Phoenix asked, swallowing a mouthful. Edgeworth rolled his eyes as he ate more Rye-Crunchers. Bad move, Wright.

“Hey! I’m the one who made them! Don’t go giving Sis all the credit!” Maya pouted slightly, and Edgeworth had to stop himself from laughing. He saw that one coming a mile away.

“I-I didn’t mean it like that!” Phoenix said, immediately trying to backtrack. But Wright wasn’t good at back-peddling. “They’re really great Maya! And it’s obvious that they’re made by you! I mean – you bought this spice didn’t you?” he asked, showing off the empty bottle. “It was your good judgment in choosing.”

“Now you’re just making up excuses!” Maya said, but Edgeworth could see the smile plastered on her face. She was having fun. “Fine! No seconds for you!”

“Wh-What?!! C’mon! Let me have some more, please?!”

“No way Nick!” Maya shook her head. “I’ll give your seconds to Missile~!”

“You’d waste such delicious noodles on that mangy dog?” Larry asked – he still hadn’t forgotten the incident with Missile more than a year ago. Edgeworth sighed. Phoenix and Larry could be so excitable some times. Maya was obviously going to give them seconds.

Edgeworth looked at the smiling Maya who delighted in teasing the two. He didn’t know exactly why he was looking at her. It perplexed him. What made him want to stare at Maya’s smiling face all of a sudden? Her dark eyes twinkled with a mischievous, playful spirit that made him want to continue watching her.

“Hmmm? Did you change your mind Mr. Edgeworth?” Maya asked, knocking Edgeworth out of his daydreams. He immediately looked away, his body finally listening to him for some reason. “You want some noodles after all?”

“No, I’m fine, thank you.”

“Suit yourself!” Maya smiled. “But…I’ve got an idea! How about I set a bowl to the side for you so these pigs won’t eat it all?”

“Ouch. That’s harsh,” Larry said, looking at Maya dryly. But Maya didn’t pay him any mind as she poured a bowl of noodles and set it to the side. “How come you’re being so nice to Edgey anyway, Maya?”

“Well, Mr. Edgeworth has done a lot for us,” Maya said. “The least we can do is save him some noodles, right?”

Edgeworth once again found himself staring at Maya. What she said was true. Edgeworth had done quite a bit for Phoenix and company, but he had done it for his own reasons, not because he expected compensation. Maya didn’t think he expected compensation, did she? Did she?

“I…I don’t need to be repaid,” Edgeworth said suddenly. “You’ve also helped me in the past…so there’s not debt to be repaid.”

“Just take the noodles, Mr. Edgeworth!” Maya remarked firmly, and Edgeworth blinked, surprised. “You are so stubborn, darnit!”

“I told you before, I’m quite all right…”

“Enough talk about Edgey’s hate of noodles!” Larry remarked, standing up suddenly. “I need to tell you guys about Veronica.”

All three sighed simultaneously. “New girlfriend?” Phoenix asked.

“New model girlfriend?” Maya finished.

“Of course! And before you guys start, she’s different from the others!” Larry said, swooning. “She’s exactly my type of woman! Long blonde hair, bodacious body…”

“I don’t think such shallow things should be used to define your “type”, Larry,” Phoenix said, his eyes narrowed suspiciously at his best friend.

“But her personality is perfect too! She’s one of those ‘independent women’ types! Totally ‘woman warrior’ like! I love those girls!” he insisted. “C’mon, Nick! You gotta sympathize with me on this one!”

“No I don’t.”

“Fine! Then what kinda woman do you like?” he asked, growing angry. Phoenix stuttered, as if trying to figure out whether he should answer or not.

“Umm…I guess…I like…”

Edgeworth was now interested in the conversation, but not because Phoenix was rambling incoherently about his “type”, but because Maya Fey had suddenly become very interested in Phoenix’s answer. Edgeworth narrowed his eyes – so that was it. He had suspected that Maya Fey might have been interested in her partner for some time… But this confirmed it. Maya was looking at Phoenix intently, as if she were a student in a classroom taking notes. Phoenix didn’t notice the attention she was paying him, but her eyes remained steadfastly locked on Phoenix’s sweating face.

Something about it irked Edgeworth…

“I guess…I guess I like strong women,” Phoenix said suddenly. Maya’s eyebrows furrowed. “Women who aren’t afraid to take control and make decisions. That kind of woman’s really refreshing, especially since I used to go for that “delicate flower” type. Serious women are a plus too, since I need someone to keep me on track.”

Maya’s face was growing longer with each word. Edgeworth couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

“Yeah, a woman who could whip me into shape would be—“ Phoenix stopped, and froze mid-sentence. Edgeworth frowned – he realized exactly which woman had just crossed Phoenix’s mind. Phoenix grimaced as if he had just tasted something extremely bitter. “I take it all back,” he said immediately. “I don’t want a woman like that at all.”

Maya’s face brightened, and Edgeworth once again had the urge to made a very large sound of disgust. Why the hell was Maya Fey so obsessed with a man like Phoenix Wright? Wright might have been a great lawyer, but his personality was lacking, in Edgeworth’s humble opinion. And he didn’t give Maya nearly as much credit as she deserved. How many times had Maya bailed Phoenix out of trouble? How many times had Maya’s interjections, or Maya’s evidence-discovering skills saved the trial? Wright was so ungrateful…

Edgeworth knew that what he was thinking wasn’t true. Phoenix cared deeply for Maya – he had seen that in the trial against Matt Engarde. But in what way did Phoenix care for her? Like a friend would for his friend? Like a brother would for his sister? Or like a man would care for his woman?

The last one made Edgeworth flinch a little. What was that? What a strange physical reaction he had to the idea of Phoenix and Maya as lovers. But as he stared at Maya’s face, he couldn’t help but wonder…what was going on inside of him? And what did it have to do with Miss Maya Fey?

“…about you Edgey?”

“Huh?”

Edgeworth was once again pulled from his thoughts. Larry was talking to him, and the entire table had turned to face him.

“I said, “What about you Edgey?”” Larry repeated. “What kind of women do you dig?”

“Me?” Edgeworth asked, raising an eyebrow. Why did Larry have to ask that question, now of all times, when Edgeworth had just had his mind on Maya? He considered making up an answer. Something trite and simple. But as he looked at all three of their faces (albeit focusing on one pretty one in particular) he couldn’t help but give the truth. “I…I suppose I like women who are fun to be around.” A blush the color of his suit was creeping up on his face. What the hell was he saying? He would leave it at that.

“And?” Larry asked. Damn you, Larry Butz.

“And…umm…boisterous girls are nice too. Since I…I can be awkward in expressing my emotions…” he said. “I’m attracted to the confident, outgoing girls, since I am neither.” Damn damning damned Larry! Everyone must have known by now that he was practically describing Maya Fey. This was so humiliating. He didn’t even feel that way about Maya! It was just a passing thought that his mouth had decided to betray from the deep recesses of his mind! By tomorrow, he would have forgotten all about how her sweet lips looked as she sucked at the noodles, or how she used her lithe fingers to push back the strands of her gorgeous obsidian black hair.

Damn! Stupid roaming thoughts!

“Oh…wow. Never thought you’d go for those girls, Edgeworth,” Phoenix remarked.

“I’m surprised too!” said Maya. Edgeworth looked up. Had they…had they not caught on…? “I totally thought you’d go for the prim and proper tea drinking type!”

Edgeworth had to hold in his sigh of relief. He hadn’t been caught. Wait – there was nothing to be caught for. It wasn’t as though he actually had feelings for Maya Fey, or even found her attractive in the slightest… Still…

“Well, I should be getting back to the office,” he said suddenly, standing up and giving the bag of crackers back to Phoenix, who looked quite happy to have them back. “I’ll see all of you later.”

“See you in court, Edgeworth,” Phoenix said, a slight playful edge to his voice. Edgeworth sighed and shook his head.

“You’re mine, next time, Wright,” Edgeworth said, shooting a smirk at Phoenix. “I think the Engarde trial proved that you don’t always get lucky with innocent clients…”

“I’ll be seeing you in court too Mr. Edgeworth!” Maya said, pumping her fist in the air. “There’s no way that this shmuck can win a trial without me!”

“H-Huh? I-I’ve won trials without you!”

“Haha! Just kidding Nick! You shouldn’t take everything so seriously!”

Edgeworth decided that he would take one last look into Maya Fey’s smiling face. He wanted – no – he needed just a few more minutes to have her affect on him sink in. Her cute button nose, her shimmering eyes, the way she brushed her bangs out of her eyes every few minutes. The way her fingers tucked hair behind her ears. The way she smiled at Phoenix. The way she smiled at Edgeworth. He wanted to drink it all in one last time. After all, tomorrow, all these feelings that he was experiencing would be gone.

Half of him was relieved that they would be gone.

The other half wished they would stay.

***
“A girls’ day out?”

“Uh huh!” Maya nodded at Phoenix, who was currently objecting to her newest proposal. Pearl Fey was standing next to Maya, looking very excited. “I’m taking Pearly out for a day on the town!”

It was a few days after the picnic, and the next day, Maya had visited her home, Kurain village, and picked up Pearl to spend a few days with “Mr. Nick” and herself. “To tell you the truth,” Maya said, “Pearly really wanted to go to the playground at the park, since she’s never been to one.”

“And you want to go too?”

“J-Just to watch Pearly! And I guess playing on some of the swing-sets wouldn’t be so bad either…”

“I don’t mind,” Phoenix said, smiling and patting Pearl on the head. “After all, playgrounds are fun. Pearls should have a day at the park.”

“Awww, Nick,” Maya beamed at her spikey-haired partner. “That’s so sweet! Speaking of sweet, how about giving Pearly and me some money for ice cream?!”

“I knew there was a catch!”

***
“Mystic Maya! Look at me!” Pearl waved to Maya from atop the slide. Maya was swinging on the swing-set and waved back at Pearl. Pearl jumped down the slide and Maya laughed as she came to a stop and immediately ran up to go down it again.

Maya had to tell herself the truth – she hadn’t been to many playgrounds either. She had always been training as a mystic of Kurain Village. But the times that Mia had brought her to a playground at the very far end of the village were the happiest times in her life. Aunt Morgan, being the strict, protective woman that she was, would never have let Pearl venture so far away from Fey Manor.

Still, Maya knew that many people considered her immature because she loved things like The Steel Samurai and Max Galactica – Magician Extraordinaire. But what many people didn’t know was that Maya had missed out on a lot of her childhood. She never knew her father or her mother, and was raised by her older sister Mia and her Aunt Morgan. By the time Maya was eight years old, Mia had also left Kurain village to pursue a career as a lawyer. Maya had been pretty much all alone, with no one but her strict Aunt Morgan to care for her.

Maya had no wish to pretend that she didn’t like kids TV shows or playground swings. She wanted to enjoy as many things as she could, before they were taken away from her.

Such thoughts depressed Maya, and she found her swing slowing down. She was looking at the sand beneath her feet, and she heaved a great sigh. Shaking her head, she found new resolve. Now was not a time to get down in the dumps about things that weren’t even going to happen! She would always be able to play on the swings! She would always be able to take Pearly to the park!

…Speaking of Pearly, she had been pretty silent while Maya had been thinking so deeply. “Pearly?” Maya looked up and gasped as her eyes met an empty playground. “Oh no! Pearly! Pearly?!” Maya got up and began to scream Pearl’s name. “Pearly! PEARLY!”

Oh no! How could Maya have taken her eyes off Pearly? What if someone had kidnapped her? Or what if she was lost? “PEARLY, WHERE ARE YOU?!” Maya was shrieking at the top of her lungs, looking for the lost little girl. Maya knew she could never forgive herself if anything happened to her baby cousin.

***
Edgeworth hated birthday parties at the Prosecutor’s office. The man with the office next to him apparently had a birthday celebration with many balloons, loud music and even louder women. Edgeworth grit his teeth, trying to focus, but it was to no avail. His co-worker had even invited him to the party; Edgeworth’s response had been a simple one: a slamming of the door.

But after awhile, the party became far too loud for Edgeworth to concentrate on anything. He glanced at the clock – 11:00. Time to take an early lunch.

Edgeworth usually ate something simple, like a bit of fish or pasta from a restaurant that he ordered to be brought to his office. But today, due to the noise of the far too jolly birthday party, Edgeworth opted to buy lunch on the way out and make his way to a nearby park to eat.

The park was quiet and peaceful, so Edgeworth brought his files along with him in order to work. After purchasing a modest lunch, Edgeworth made his way to the park. After a short walk, he found a picnic table and sat down, spreading his files out, and began to eat the sandwich he had purchased. The peaceful air of the park was a sound to sore ears. Edgeworth was glad to be out of the rabble that had invaded his office building.

“Mr. E-ji-worth?”

Edgeworth frowned as he heard a very childish pronunciation of his name that sounded all too familiar. He turned around to see the small child, Pearl Fey, looking up at him with her adorable doe eyes. Although Edgeworth had never admitted it out loud, Pearl was extremely cute.

“Aren’t you…Aren’t you Pearl Fey?” he asked, trying to change his voice to one that he would use with a child. He was failing. “Maya Fey’s cousin?”

“Y-Yes,” Pearl nodded, a little intimidated.

“Why are you all alone?” he asked her. “Where’s Wrigh—I mean…Phoenix?”

“Mr. Nick isn’t here today,” Pearl said. “I came to the playground with Mystic Maya. But I decided to go exploring the park. I’ve never been to one this big before, you know.”

“Maya Fey…?” Edgeworth asked, raising an eyebrow. He sighed. Not this again. That strange knot in his stomach was tightening. Even after the picnic, his strange fascination with Maya Fey had not slackened. Her smiling face had been imprinted onto his mind, and now this little girl was telling him that she was in the park as they spoke.

Wait…

“You went ‘exploring’?” Edgeworth asked. “Did you…did you tell Maya?”

“Oh…no I didn’t. I thought I’d come right back, but I got lost. Mystic Maya probably doesn’t even know I’m gone!” Pearl said, smiling at him.

“Of course she does!” said Edgeworth, standing up suddenly and grabbing Pearl’s hand. “She’s probably worried sick about you! Quick, we’re going to go find her—“ He stopped suddenly at the thought of being face to face with Maya Fey. The knot tightened again. Damn this feeling! It was almost painful… Just the thought of seeing Maya Fey made his stomach do flips. His palms were getting sweaty, and he released Pearl’s hand so that she wouldn’t notice.

What was this? Why couldn’t he even face her? He’d always been…a bit awkward, he supposed. He remembered how relieved he had felt as she ran through the courtroom doors, safe and sound after being kidnapped by an assassin. He remember how he had murmured, “Maya…” But she had run right by him and into Phoenix’s arms.

Edgeworth felt a slight pain in his chest. Dammit, just remembering it made him feel angry and upset. How she hadn’t even noticed him and ran straight to Wright.

He couldn’t blame her. He had prosecuted her before – tried to convict her of the murder of her own sister. Damn, he had blown it with her then.

But then again, Maya never brought that up. She had always been smiles and happy gestures around him. And…and it had been Maya who had noticed how much he had changed in a simple glance.

“You seem a lot different from the last time I saw you, Mr. Edgeworth.”

She didn’t fault him for his past actions. No, Maya didn’t live in the past like he was so fond of doing. He guessed that he admired her for that.
He admired her for a lot of things…

But he couldn’t face her.

***
“Pearly?!” Maya was still screaming Pearl’s name as she ran through the huge park, trying to spot her cousin. “Pearly! If you can hear me please come here!”

“Miss?”

Maya looked up to see a policeman walking towards her. But what Maya was even happier to see was that the policeman was holding the hand of none other than Pearl. “Pearly! Oh my God! You’re okay! Don’t you EVER run off again like that!” Maya ran and embraced Pearl, who was frowning from embarrassment and sadness.

“I-I’m sorry Mystic Maya,” Pearl said. “I got lost…”

“I-It’s all right,” Maya smiled, trying not to cry. Thank goodness, Pearly was all right. Maya remembered the policeman and stood up to thank him. “Thanks so much for bringing her back! I promise I won’t take my eye off her again!”

“You shouldn’t be thanking me, Miss,” the policeman said, and Maya raised an eyebrow. “Another man actually found your cousin, here. He gave me your description and asked me to deliver her to you.”

“Another…another man?” Maya asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Wearing a wine colored suit with a weird ruffley thing around his neck. Real pretentious looking.”

“Ruffley?” Maya’s eyes widened. She looked behind the policeman and gasped as she saw a red sports car parked on the sidewalk. But just as she realized its presence, the car sped off, leaving her behind. “…Mr…Edgeworth?”

“Well, I’m happy to be of service Miss,” the policeman smiled and then left, leaving Maya holding Pearl’s hand and looking after the car, still dumbstruck.

Why hadn’t Mr. Edgeworth given Pearly to her directly? Maybe he had been too busy? But then why…why did he wait to make sure that she was delivered safely before driving off? Could it...could it have been Maya that made him do it? He didn’t want to see her? The thought of meeting her face to face was too much to bear? But why wouldn’t he want to face her?

Did he hate her?

Maya couldn’t help but frown, her brow knitting together. “Mystic Maya?” Pearl’s voice piped up, but Maya didn’t look at her. Her eyes were still glued to the spot that Mr. Edgeworth’s car had been parked. So that was it. She disgusted him so much that he couldn’t even stand to see her. He was honorable enough to make sure that the little girl was delivered safely – but the idea of seeing Maya Fey – now that was too much to ask.

After all, why would he want to actually spend time with an annoying, immature, over-excitable, frivolous person like her? Maya gripped Pearl’s hand harder, her confusion turning to anger. She should’ve known that Edgeworth would never actually want to see her if it wasn’t out of necessity.

Maya guessed that his concern for her had been false.

“Maya…”

“Oh! Mr. Edgeworth!”

“I’m…I’m glad to see you’re all right…”

Her teeth were locked together behind her lips, which were pursed tightly. And she actually thought he had been concerned about her.

In truth, he hated her.

And that Maya both angry and sad.

“Mystic Maya…?”

“Let’s go home Pearly,” Maya said suddenly, leading Pearl away. “Nick’s waiting for us at home.”

***
“I’m so excited!” Maya giggled as she drew her hair back into a bun and bit her tongue, concentrating on getting all of her long black hair into an up-do. “I can’t believe that you were invited to a fancy party at the Prosecutor’s Office!”

Phoenix, who was already dressed in his finest (if you could call a second-hand tuxedo his “finest”) attire, was staring at his invitation. He had already made sure his hair was extra spiky and his red bowtie was straight. After all, he had to look his best for the attorneys’ ball being held at the Prosecutor’s Office that night. Attorneys and prosecutors would meet together for an annual fancy party in order to have one night not spent pointing at each other and yelling “Objection!”

“Ta-da!” Maya jumped out of the bathroom and Phoenix smiled approvingly. Maya really did look gorgeous. She had bought a black halter-top dress and had on a chiffon wrap with black pumps. She looked more mature than Phoenix had ever seen her. “Am I going to turn heads or what?”

“Let’s just hope no one sprains their neck,” Phoenix joked.

“You look really good too Nick,” Maya said, blushing slightly. Phoenix smiled back at her. “Your hair could skewer pineapples though!”

“Hey! Don’t knock the hair!”

***
Edgeworth adjusted his cravat and straightened his suit. He had opted not to wear his usual wine colored suit and had replaced it with a flattering black tuxedo. He could, however, not leave the cravat out of his ensemble. It was practically his trademark.

He stared at himself in his mirror. He spent a lot of time primping in the morning and tonight was no exception. His hair was slicked back instead of having his bangs framing the sides of his face, and his shoes were polished to a perfect shine. Usually, Edgeworth hated these kinds of parties, but tonight, he wanted to look nice.

He knew that Phoenix Wright was attending – after all, Edgeworth had invited him. And he had made sure to include two invitations in Phoenix’s envelope. Edgeworth had made a decision over the past week and a half. He was going to face Maya Fey and defeat these feelings he had been having.

He didn’t like going to sleep every night and thinking of her. He didn’t like the way his stomach hurt and his brain went cold every time her face crossed his mind. Facing her was the perfect solution. Maybe he would even have the gall to ask for a dance. Yes, then for sure he would realize that he felt nothing special for her except curiosity. And once he learned about her, his feelings would subside. He would realize that it had been nothing but his feelings acting out without his permission. By seeing her face to face, he could stop fantasizing stupidly about her and realize that he had been having silly delusions: nothing more.

But…he still wanted to look nice when he defeated those silly delusions.

***
But, as the saying goes, the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.

Edgeworth arrived fashionably late to the party – around fifteen minutes after it had begun. He scanned the room for Phoenix and Maya, and found his throat clenching as he saw Phoenix’s spiky hair “poking” out amongst the crowd. He looked closer and saw that a very gorgeous Maya Fey was with him, eating off a plate of food from the buffet table.

God, she was gorgeous. That dress looked amazing on her.

No! Stop! Curiosity, remember? This was nothing but curiosity! Remember the plan! Edgeworth needed to remember the plan! He was going to talk to her first…

He put one foot in front of the other and walked towards the couple. Phoenix noticed him first. “Edgeworth! Hey!”

“Wright, hello,” Edgeworth said, doing his best to smirk, even though he felt as though he was going to vomit any second. “I’m glad to see you made use of those invitations I sent…”

“Oh, you invited us?” Phoenix asked.

“Yes. Prosecutors invite attorneys to these parties,” he said calmly. “It’s a way for a prosecutor to show respect for their adversary.”

“Aww, thanks! I never knew you cared!” Phoenix joked. Edgeworth realized Maya hadn’t said a word yet. He looked at her to see that her eyes were glued to her plate of food. She wasn’t expecting him – now was the perfect time to strike.

“Nice to see you as well, Maya,” he said, already feeling better. He had said something to her! Finally! But Maya didn’t look up.

“Yeah, I guess.”

Both Phoenix and Edgeworth looked at her, dumbstruck. Her tone was so trite – so rude – so spiteful. “Nick, let’s go get some more food.”

“Don’t you have enough on your plate…?” Phoenix said, trying to get Maya to stay and explain her tone to Edgeworth.

“I want more of those little pigs-in-a-blanket,” she said suddenly, and glared at him. “Okay? If you don’t want to come that’s fine.” With that, she spun on her heel and walked off briskly towards the buffet table.

“I have no idea what’s gotten into her,” Phoenix said. “She was fine just three minutes ago. Did something happen between you two…?”

Edgeworth’s heart felt like it had sunken into his stomach. What had just happened? His perfect plan had been ruined. Instead of a cheerful greeting that would relieve his tension, she gave him a cold and sarcastic response that only made him feel more nauseous. She hated him. Maya Fey hated him.

It was almost too much to bear.

“I’m going to go find out what’s going on,” Phoenix said, running after her.

***
Maya was fuming. How could he have said that to her? He had been the one to invite them? It was nice to see her? Yeah, right! That was the biggest piece of crap she had heard in a while!

She knew very well how Edgeworth felt about her. He couldn’t stand to see her – she was nothing but Phoenix’s little tag-along. The little annoying, bratty, stupid tag-along. But no matter how much he hated seeing her face, he didn’t have to stoop so low as to make fun of her by saying things like, “It’s nice to see you”.

“Maya, what the hell is wrong with you and Edgeworth?” Phoenix’s voice filled her ears, and she turned around, her face red. She felt like crying.

“N-Nothing!” she stuttered, afraid that if she said anything more she would start weeping. “Edgeworth doesn’t want to see me anymore than I want to see him! I’m just doing him a favor and getting out of his sight!”

“What are you talking about?” asked Phoenix. “When has Edgeworth ever said that he doesn’t want to see you?”

“Nick…it was…it was a week or so ago…”

***
Edgeworth downed his first of many glasses of champagne. Dammit, why didn’t they have anything stronger here?

He couldn’t believe it. Maya Fey couldn’t stand the sight of him. She hated him. The idea of even talking to her – let alone asking her for a dance – was slowing slipping away. And at the same time as he was thinking these depressing thoughts, he couldn’t help but feel a sharp pain in his chest and depression overtaking him.

What ever he had felt for Maya Fey was now causing him extreme pain. Her blatant rejection of him was affecting him so strongly. He was supposed to cast off these feelings tonight, but before he had been able to, she had broken him.

But what exactly was he feeling? What exactly did he feel for her? Why did he want to cast away these feelings so badly? He hadn’t even begun to formulate answers to these questions. He had been so focused on abandoning these foreign feelings that he hadn’t even found out what they were.

What exactly did he feel for Maya Fey?

“Damn, you look pretty pathetic Edgeworth!” Edgeworth had to hold in a groan as one of his co-workers came from behind, holding a champagne glass and laughing.

“Coaxley,” Edgeworth said, trying to remain calm. “Please don’t bother me right now…”

“What happened?” Coaxley asked, raising an eyebrow. “Did the girl you love leave you?’

Edgeworth’s eyes shot wide open and he caught his breath. Could that be it? Could that be why he had stared at her all through the picnic – why he had been irked at her affection for Wright – why he had wanted to preserve his face in her mind? Could that have been the root of these feelings that caused him both pleasure and pain all at the same time? Could that have been the reason that was sitting here now, looking damn pathetic and drinking champagne by the bottle?

Could Miles Edgeworth be falling in love with Maya Fey?

Edgeworth turned his head toward the buffet table to see Maya speaking to Pheonix, her brow furrowed, and he realized that it had to be true.

He leapt from his seat, upsetting it and causing Coaxley to jump back. “Jesus Edgeworth!”

But Edgeworth wasn’t around to hear the murmurs of the crowd. He was fighting his way through the many partygoers towards the buffet table. He had to see her – now.

“Maya!” Edgeworth said as he reached the two of them. Maya looked up, her face full of scorn, and Edgeworth felt his heart tearing once again. But he couldn’t let her hateful looks stop him. Not when he had finally realized what he had to do. “Maya, please come with me. I need to speak with you.”

***
Maya frowned at the silver-haired man staring at her with an intense gaze. What could he possibly want from her?

“C’mon – go,” Phoenix nudged her slightly, and she sighed. It wouldn’t hurt to at least hear Edgeworth out. She wanted to confront him about the incident in the park anyway. Now was the time to get their feelings towards each other out in the open. She would rather know that he hated her out-front, instead of him skulking around and laughing at her from behind his hand.

“Fine,” she said, but Edgeworth’s face didn’t change. He grabbed her wrist and began leading her towards the elevators. “Wait! Where are you taking me?”

“To my office,” he said. “We need to speak in private.”

“I-I never said I’d go with you all the way to your office!” she scrunched up her nose and frowned at him, trying to break free. “What the heck are you trying to pull anyway?”

“Please, just come with me,” he said, a foreign earnest plea escaping his lips. Maya’s face softened, and she stopped struggling. She hadn’t often heard Edgeworth’s voice being so gentle.

“All right…” she said. “I’ll come with you, so please let go of my wrist.”

***
Edgeworth cursed himself for pulling her so tightly and let go as the two reached the elevator. Edgeworth pushed the “up” button and the doors immediately opened. He hated elevators, and for good reasons – but he wasn’t about to walk up flights upon flights of stairs to get to his office. He didn’t want to lose his nerve in the middle of walking.

“Don’t you hate elevators?” Maya asked. “I’m fine with taking the stairs.”

Why? Why did she have to speak to him in that voice that made him weak in the knees? Why did she have to be so concerned for him and remember his darkest fears and desires? It only made his heart hurt more – knowing that she hated him for some unknown reason.

“No,” he said, stepping into the elevator and pressing a button. “This is faster. We need to get there quickly. I’m fine. I’ve taken the elevator before.”

But never without fear. The elevator doors closed, and Edgeworth immediately felt sick to his stomach. He closed his eyes and felt like a little boy again – trapped in an elevator with no oxygen with only his father and the oxygen deprive Yanni Yogi with him.

But suddenly he felt a hand on his arm and he opened his eyes. He didn’t even have to look to know who it was, of course. Maya’s strong and reassuring hand reminded him that he wasn’t that little boy anymore. He was alive, he was safe, and he wasn’t alone.

***
Maya couldn’t just watch as Edgeworth’s fears overtook him. Her hand had shot out almost instinctively. As Edgeworth’s shoulders relaxed, Maya realized that her touch had worked. Edgeworth needed someone to assure him that he wasn’t back sixteen years ago, trapped in that elevator. As much as she disliked Edgeworth at that moment, she didn’t want to see him suffer. She guessed that a part of her still cared about him.

“Thank you…” he said as the elevator doors opened. His voice reminded Maya to let go, and she did so quickly. He probably couldn’t even stand the thought of her touching him.

***
He loved the thought of her touching him. He wished she hadn’t let go. Her touch had been all that he needed to break him out of his fears. He hoped that the next time there was an earthquake, Maya would be able to hold him through it…

But Maya would never be around if he couldn’t explain everything to her right now. The two walked down the hall to his office, and he opened the door with his key. Everything was done efficiently and quickly – he couldn’t wait any longer for fear the he would lose his nerve.

The two of them entered the office, and Maya couldn’t help but gasp at the extravagant room. That’s right, Maya had never been in his office. He smiled as she ran her hand over the couch and looked out the huge window at the glimmering stars. “You should spend more time in here at night!” she said, her excited tone back in her voice. “It’s gorgeous!”

He was relieved to have her in a good mood. But he had to confront her now. “Maya…why have you been cold to me this evening?”

***
Maya let out a snort and turned to face Edgeworth. Finally – she could let it all out. If she hadn’t been so angry at him, she would have thanked him for this opportunity. “Let’s get one thing straight Edgeworth. I know exactly how you feel about me.”

***
Edgeworth’s throat caught. How could she have figured it out?! Had he been that obvious? How could she have known even before he himself had known?

The worst part wasn’t that she knew about his affections for her, but that his affections for her disgusted Maya. “I see…” Edgeworth frowned and looked away. “I…I’m assuming that you don’t share my feelings?”

***
Maya was fuming. How could he be so rude?! ‘Oh I just assumed you hated me too!’ Was that what he was getting at?! She was getting more and more angry at him by the second.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, Edgeworth!” she said, a harsh edge to her voice. “I feel exactly the same way.”

***
Edgeworth’s heart gave a little leap, and his cheeks turned red. But he also couldn’t help but feel slightly elated. Maya…she felt the same way as he did. That made things so much simpler…! He wanted to reach out and embrace her…but doing so might scare her, so he decided to start slowly.

“Umm…how long have you felt this way about me?”

***
Maya frowned. Now was the time to let him have it. “Ever since the incident in the park a week and a half ago,” she said, and Edgeworth looked up. “I…I knew it was you who found Pearly. The policeman told me everything.”

Edgeworth was looking at her, begging her to continue. The words were having trouble leaving her mouth, but she shook her doubts off. She had to tell him everything. “I just couldn’t believe that you wouldn’t want to see me that badly,” she said, and she watched Edgeworth’s face become even more confused. “I realized you find me annoying. I realized…” she paused, and took a deep breath:

“I realized that you hated me.”

***
Edgeworth’s eyes widened until he thought they were going to be dislodged from his head. She couldn’t have been more wrong! How in the world had she deduced that he hated her when he actually…

“You’re completely mistaken!” he assured her, and Maya looked up, her cheeks red. “The reason I did not return Pearl to you in person was…was because I was too scared to face you!”

“Too scared?” she asked. “Of what?”

“Of…Of how…” It was now or never. Edgeworth was about to tell her everything. How he had stared at her at the picnic and tried to go home and sleep off his fascination with her, only to have it return every morning; how he had been too afraid to face her in the park, for fear that his adoration of her might bubble over and he would embarrass himself; how he had finally realized at the party how much… “I love you…” he murmured.

“What?” Maya asked, not hearing him correctly.

“Of how much I love you,” he said, clear as crystal. Maya gasped, and her eyes widened as they stared at Edgeworth’s. “I’ve fallen in love with you Maya Fey.”

***
Maya was crying. How could he? How could he say something like that now? After she was convinced that he hated her for a week and a half?

She knew he was sincere by the look in his eyes, but that only made her hurt more. She hadn’t been prepared for something like this – how could anyone have been? After so long of being cold and distant, he just came out with these passionate feelings that she had no idea how to respond to?

“I have to go,” she said suddenly, and ran from the window towards the door. But she was too slow. Edgeworth grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him.

***
“Please,” he begged, looking her in her tear-filled eyes. “I need to know how you feel about me. I can’t go on like this anymore Maya. If you have no intention of returning my feelings, please tell me now.”

“But…but I…”

“I can’t go on like this!” he said, louder this time, silencing Maya. He stopped and loosened his grip on her, looking slightly embarrassed. “You don’t how many hours of sleep I’ve lost thinking of you. How long I’ve hurt when I think of you and how I should approach you. How many times I’ve had to restrain myself…”

Maya stared at him, and he stared back at her. “I love you,” he said. “And I need to know how you feel about me.”

***
How was she supposed to respond to that? Maya didn’t love Edgeworth – did she? She didn’t hate him, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise. And she couldn’t help but remember how she had felt so hurt when she believed that he hated her as well. How did she know whether she loved him or not? Had she ever been in love?

She couldn’t deny her feelings for Phoenix, though. Even if he had no interest in her, she still pined after him slightly. But he had never noticed her, definitely not like Edgeworth had done.

Maya had never seen Edgeworth’s confession coming. He had always been cold and distant…

That’s how he had always been, hadn’t he? Distant. Making sure to stay away from her while still keeping an eye on her. Ever since had had paid her bail, he seemed to be taking care of her from afar. Phoenix had told her how Edgeworth had been the one to organize the search party to find her, and more than once, Edgeworth had extended the trial in order to try to buy more time for Maya, even though a guilty man sat in the defendant’s chair.

And even in the park. He had always been taking care of her from a distance, making sure that his presence wasn’t known.

“That’s why I thought you hated me,” Maya said suddenly and Edgeworth looked at her. “Because you never bothered to look after me…and remain at my side at the same time.”

“What?”

“So…So if you want this – us – to work out,” she said suddenly, and looked up at Edgeworth, crying, “you’d better start staying by my side! No more looking after me from afar!”

Edgeworth’s face softened and he smiled. His hand tentatively reached out and he stroked her hair. That only caused her to cry more, and she buried her face in his chest. “Because…because I know deep down how much you care! I just wish you would show it!”

“I’m sorry,” he said, still stroking her hair and holding her close to him.

“Kiss me.”

***
Edgeworth looked down to see Maya raising her head and looking at him with her dark eyes, a confident gleam in her eye. “Kiss me,” she repeated. Edgeworth hoped she couldn’t see his blush in the darkness of the office. “Or else, no deal.”

Edgeworth was a little anxious. “I don’t know…”

“You said you would try to show how much you care!” Maya reminded him. “So kiss me!”

He realized she was right. He couldn’t tell a girl he loved her and then not give her at least one kiss. But, the truth was, Edgeworth had never kissed a girl before. It was embarrassing, but in his twenty-five going on twenty-six years of life, he had never kissed a woman. In elementary school, girls had cooties, and after the 4th grade, he had been given private lessons by Von Karma until he was eighteen. There was no time for typical teenage romance. And although many women had thrown themselves at him while he was a young prosecutor, he was too absorbed in his work to pay them any mind.

“Don’t…expect much,” he admitted and Maya laughed.

“It’s not that hard,” she said, smiling and closing her eyes. “Just lay one on me!”

Edgeworth sighed and moved his hands to Maya’s waist. He began to lower his face towards her lips and slowly closed his eyes as he felt the space between them grow smaller and smaller.

Their lips touched, and Edgeworth didn’t exactly know how to describe it. No background music played, and fireworks weren’t going off, like in all those ridiculous movies that he saw trailers for on TV. It was quiet, dark, peaceful, but something passionate was welling up inside him at the same time. He moved his hand to hold Maya’s cheek, pulling her in closer, but very tentatively. He was surprised, however, to find Maya grabbing hold of his back and pushing him towards her. He couldn’t help but smile internally. So she was enjoying this as much as he was.

They broke for air, and Edgeworth didn’t care how many brain cells he had lost in his breathless state. He smiled at Maya, and she smiled back. “So? How did I perform?”

“Hmmm,” Maya smiled, showing off that playful nature that he found so attractive. “I’d give you a B minus.”

“B-B minus?” He raised an eyebrow. “You certainly are a harsh grader.”

“Not bad for your first try, though,” Maya winked. She giggled slightly, and Edgeworth smiled at her.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was just thinking,” she said, a slightly sultry tone to her voice. She grabbed Edgeworth’s back again and pull him close to her, “I guess I could give a make-up test if you want to do better.”

Edgeworth needed no more encrypted invitations. He held her chin in his index finger and thumb and brought her lips up to his for another try.

***
Maya had called Nick and told him that she and Edgeworth had patched things up and that he had even offered to drive her to the train station so she could catch the last train to Kurain Village.

“Can’t you stay the night at my place? It’s sorta late.”

Maya had made up some excuse that Nick had bought, albeit still suspicious. But Maya wasn’t going back to Kurain village for some time.

“See? It’s nice up here at night,” Maya told Edgeworth as he nicked at her ear. The two of them sat on the plush luxury sofa. Maya had let her hair down, kicked off her shoes and taken off her stocking some time ago, while Edgeworth had done away with his tuxedo jacket and cravat. He had rolled up his sleeves and unbuttoned a few of the top buttons on his shirt. His hair was starting to come out of its tidily greased back style. Maya was watching the beautiful stars outside Edgeworth’s window while Edgeworth was watching Maya, drinking in her beauty like some exotic nectar. The two were enjoying their first night as a couple; that was for sure.

“You’re right,” he whispered into her ear, holding her hand and kissing the top of her head. Maya blushed slightly, but didn’t object. She was happy, and Edgeworth’s affection made her feel good. His soft kisses on her brow, the way his hand felt on her waist, his husky voice whispering sweet nothings into her ear – since when was Edgeworth this sexy?

***
It was easy to be sexy when you were with the right woman. After that first hesitant kiss, Edgeworth couldn’t keep his hands off Maya. He had waited for this for weeks; he was going to use every minute of this night as best he could.

“Miles?” Edgeworth’s throat caught. It had been forever since someone had called him by his first name. Whenever someone called him “Miles”, they were being condescending, trying to frame him as a child. But Maya made it sound so natural, as if the sound of her saying his name was the reason his parents had chosen that name for him. The cold sound of ‘Edgeworth’ didn’t compare to the sound of his given name. “Miles?”

“Oh—sorry. What is it?” he asked, turning to look at Maya.

“The sun’s coming up,” she pointed to the window, and Edgeworth looked towards it to see that a pink sky was beginning to form, just as Maya had said. She snuggled closer to him, and he put an arm around her, holding her shoulder and tucking her head between his shoulder and his chin.

Maya put her arms around his waist, and Edgeworth had never felt more right with himself. The two of them, holding one another, watching the sun as it rose above the tall buildings of the city, staining the sky a brilliant red. He had never bothered to watch a sunrise, but now that he was, he couldn’t help but think it symbolic. The sun wasn’t just rising on the city, but also on his and Maya’s blossoming relationship. This was only the beginning. How many nights would he spend like this with her?

He looked down to see that Maya had closed her eyes and fallen asleep on his shoulder. He smiled, gently picked up Maya, and placed her head on a couch cushion. He didn’t have a blanket, so he laid his tuxedo jacket over her sleeping form. He smiled at her peaceful face and bent down, kissing her brow one more time.

***
Maya felt Edgeworth’s lips on her forehead, and she slowly reached out a hand from underneath his jacket, grabbing hold of his wrist gently. He stopped and looked back at her, surprised. “Stay with me…” she murmured to him. She watched him, eager to know what he would do. He showed her a rare gentle smile and made a motion for her to move over.

She squeezed enough so that Edgeworth could climb next to her. She smiled and snuggled closer to him, content to fall asleep like this.

***
Edgeworth held Maya close to him. He knew that the sun would soon rise, and the work day would begin. If today had been any other day, Edgeworth knew that he would be waking right about now, ready to go into his bathroom and getting ready for the day – dressing up with no one to see.

In an hour, he should be driving to the office, already planning his work day. And in an hour and half, he should arrive and get straight to work, dropping quick “good mornings” to anyone who acknowledged him. And then he would work all day, by himself, in his office, until the evening. And he would go home. Eat dinner by himself. And be miserable.

But today, things would be different. He’d sleep all day in his office, lock the door, and kiss his girlfriend when he woke up. He’d forget about work, forget about what everyone else expected of him, and forget about what he expected of himself. Now, the only person who mattered was Maya.

If they woke up before lunch, he would ask her to make him some noodles.
****

THE END?

****
I'm not really sure if I should continue it or not. It seems pretty...done. But I have ideas...err...I guess it depends on what other people think (because I base all my decisions on other people's opinions!! What a great way to live! )

Anyway, tell me what you thought. Except if you thought it was stupid. Then...well...shaddup!

...Holy god.

That.

Was.

So.

Effing.

BEAUTIFUL!

*cries* This is the best Edgeworth/Maya fic I've ever read. I'm serious. And Edgeworth/Maya isn't even one of my main ships! (Although I do support it, as it does make sense and is fluffycute. I just made up a new word, kinda like Lotta...)

The writing was perfect. The plot was great. And the fluff...oh god, the fluff! Perfect, like a von Karma! PERFEEEEEC-

*shot before she can continue fangirling about the fic*

*revives self* 10/10. Seriously.

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That was adorable. Kudos to you for making a convincing story out of a less popular pairing (in comparison to say, Nick+Maya or Nick+Edgeworth). You did a decent job portraying everyone in-character, especially in the first half of the story. Some minor suggestions would be to proofread to catch little syntax/spelling errors, but otherwise, no objections.

Great job. If you feel so inclined, please do continue your writing. I'm sure it would be worth the read. =3

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Effing beautiful indeed! I loved how you characterized Edgeworth.. it was an enjoyable read. Looking forward to reading more of your stuff (and more EdgeyxMaya, plz)

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woah....
that was absolutely beautiful.
i really like it
I'm not really a // fan
I'm more of a // fan

but i really loved your story

hope you continue to write more!!!

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Thanks to everyone who reviewed! :D I'm happy that, for the most part, you all enjoyed it.

I'm definitely going to write more fics (and probably a lot of MayaEdgey!! But probably some Maya/Phoenix and other pairs too.) so thanks for your kind words!

Allow me to inspect this more closely...

...Zvarri! A most wonderful piece of work! While I'll admit that this is most definitely one of the lesser appreciated pairings in the fandom, it's certainly well-written and filled with both a decent plot and a decent (a.k.a. not nauseating) amount of fluff. I'll admit this was one of the first PW pairings that I thought to be conceivable, back when I viewed GS1 as a standalone game and didn't know it was parter of a greater whole. I'm glad you did it justice, Ms. Sammy.

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I have to admit, I'm a sucker for these cute romance/pairing fics. I'm usually more in favor of canon pairings, but this one was pulled off quite well. I wouldn't mind seeing what happens to the two of them after this, but like you said it does stand on its own.

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