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1 - The Wright Anything Agency
Phoenix Wright was sorting through case files, humming to himself, when it happened for the first time.
The Wright Anything Agency lawyers had signed up to take a smaller case. It wasn't even murder this time around - simply a case of assault and theft, and Athena and Apollo, the latter specifically having come to visit from Khura'in, had pokered for a long time when it came to deciding who of them would be the one taking over it. Being a good employer, Phoenix had admonished them not to fight, and told them that he'd defend if they couldn't come to an agreement.
The agreement was that they'd work together, and truly, there was nothing more beautiful than seeing the two young attorneys put their differences and egos aside to collaborate.
Phoenix almost felt like he was a proud father of two bickering siblings, with Trucy being the little angel that stayed out of it.
Mostly, at least.
"Who will the prosecutor be?," Apollo asked, putting his pencil away. There was a blister forming on his finger from how long he'd used it this afternoon.
"Hate to disappoint you guys, but I highly doubt it'll be some big-shot guy," Phoenix replied, taking out a folder to label and add some documents to it, "This is proving to be a rather straightforward case. I don't think they'll send one from the big leagues."
"Why would that be disappointing?," Athena snickered, "If anything, this is good news! One less case dealing with a jerk that's just gonna bully us."
"Now, not everyone is like that," Phoenix admonished, albeit the grin on his face suggested that he very well understood what the young woman was talking about.
"Yes, Boss. Everyone is like that. Aside from Prosecutor Layton, of course."
"That's precisely why I was telling you not to be disappointed," Phoenix said, clicking his tongue, "I know how nice it is to go against him. He's the most pleasant prosecutor I've ever met to this day, and he's a wonderful person, too."
Trucy, currently in the process of sewing her brooch back to her magical cape, peeked out from the mountain of fabric. "How would you know that? I thought prosecutors and lawyers didn't speak during cases."
"That doesn't mean we can't speak afterwards," Phoenix retorted, "Besides, you remember when he was in Khura'in, don't you? Maya and I first met him as a witness before he took over the case and saved us from being executed."
"Right, that case with the priest!," Athena recalled her boss' tale.
"Exactly. And when we were back here again, he was at Miles' office when I went to bother Edgeworth, and so I stayed for some tea with them. He's generally very nice to talk to, not just as a prosecutor."
"This sounds as if you're trying to scold us for slandering him," Apollo grumbled, "We've never even said a single bad word about Prosecutor Layton. I think we'd be insane to do that."
"No, no, don't worry," Phoenix assured him, "I know. Just, y'know. He's awesome. Maybe I could show him around town someday, dunno. Find a tea shop or something."
Apollo was even less impressed. "A tea shop. In Los Angeles."
"I think Daddy has gone insane," Trucy giggled.
"Detecting emotional fluctuations,” a robotic voice sounded, “Press twice to activate Mood Matrix.”
“What is your necklace talking about, Athena?,” Apollo asked.
Athena pressed once to turn it off. “You know how this thing gets. I call it sensitive for a reason.”
“Emotional fluctuations,” came a giggle from the pile of fabric.
“Guess we’ll never know what it meant,” Phoenix shrugged, and then continued to hum.
It occurred to his employees - Phoenix Wright never usually hummed.
Apollo was desperately trying to stop Athena from speaking her - or, rather, both of their - minds, but it was common knowledge that when it came to feelings, emotions or anything related to psychology, this girl had no filter. “Hey, Boss, do you have a crush or something?”
Phoenix immediately stopped humming. “A crush? What makes you say that?”
“Widget,” she shrugged, “Also, you’re humming Elvis Presley to yourself.”
“No, I’m not!”
“You are!,” Trucy called, “And didn’t even notice.”
“Who am I even having a crush on?,” Phoenix scoffed, crossing his arms. Ridiculous. Did the kids just pull that out of thin air?
“Prosecutor Layton,” Athena spoke with a grin, and Apollo facepalmed at his colleague’s directness.
“Prosecutor La- huh? Wha- now, why- why would you-”
“Exhibit a, you are terribly red right now.”
“Yes, because this is embarrassing!,” Phoenix spluttered, “No, I don’t have a crush on Hershel. That’d be crazy!”
Apollo couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow himself. “”Hershel”?”
“Just- focus on the case. I’m not in love with him, okay?”
Athena, Trucy and Apollo exchanged a look, and said look clearly communicated that they weren’t buying his excuse.
“Sure,” Athena whistled, “Whatever you say.”
Phoenix continued to sort through the files, now manually controlling his humming.
2. - Miles Edgeworth
Truth be told, Phoenix had hoped Prosecutor Layton would be there once more when he opened the door to Miles Edgeworth's office.
"Wright, has no one ever taught to knock?," came the displeased voice, and Miles adjusted his glasses as his childhood friend entered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Sorry, Miles," Phoenix said, sheepishly, "I thought you wouldn't really care if it was me."
"And what if I was in some sort of business meeting? What if I was having a phone call? What if-"
"Hey, calm down. I'll knock next time, okay? Jeez."
Miles' expression softened. "What brings you here? The files for State vs Triton, I presume?"
"That too, yeah," Phoenix said, handing Edgeworth the protocols from the case in which he'd defended a young man named Luke Triton, who'd been accused of murdering a zoo keeper at the local zoo. It had turned out that while Mr Triton hadn't condoned the smuggling being committed, it had rather been another colleague who'd backstabbed - literally- the other man to keep him silent, "Have you launched an investigation in that zoo yet? Seems like a bunch of shady stuff is going on under the surface."
Miles nodded, flipping through the papers. "Yes, I sent a team out yesterday. The zoo is shut down for the next week, and young Triton has been given a raise for bringing the matter to attention."
Right - Luke had been wanting to catch the smugglers red-handed, camera at the ready, only to stumble across a dead body at the wrong time.
"That's nice. Layton was happy to hear that as well, huh?"
Edgeworth nodded. "Yes, he most certainly was. I've never had to prosecute someone close to me, and I can only imagine how painful it must have been for him."
Phoenix nodded his head, recalling the moment in which Hershel had nearly broke in court when subjected to the ice-cold gaze of his apprentice on the defendant's chair. Phoenix had, in all honesty, feared greatly for their friendship, but luckily, it had turned out all right in the end, and Luke decided to grant Layton his trust once more.
Having finished looking through the files, Edgeworth adjusted his glasses again - he seriously should look into getting them tightened up somehow - and folded his hands, looking up at Phoenix expectantly. "Is that all, or are you going to continue staring holes through my ceiling?"
"Holes through your cei- oh, come on, Miles!"
"Pardon, but that is precisely what you were doing just now. So?"
"So what?"
Miles Edgeworth's patience would wear thin at this rate.
It seemed that Phoenix Wright, the genius Turnabout Terror, did not have the brain cell today.
"Was there anything else you needed?"
"Anything el- oh! Yeah, right. Actually, there was."
"Well, then. I'm all ears."
"As the chief prosecutor, you have all the data from every prosecutor here stored somewhere, right?"
Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. "Yes? Who are you trying to stalk, Wright?"
"Nobody! Man, what did I do for you to think this lowly of me?!"
"Take a joke, Wright."
Phoenix rolled his eyes. Why was he friends with this guy? "It's not stalking, I was just hoping you could give me his number so I could invite him for tea."
That sentence provoked exactly zero emotion from the chief prosecutor. His mouth was pressed into a thin line as he spoke, “Wright.”
“Huh?”
“You chicken.”
Outraged, Phoenix gasped. “Hey, what was that for?”
“I don’t usually associate myself with this kind of nonsense, but even I know that if you’ve taken a romantic interest in someone, it’s much more polite and desirable to ask for a number directly.”
The defense attorney raised his arms up in defense. “I just want to invite him for tea! C’mon, there’s no romance involved here!”
Edgeworth’s glasses slid downwards just a little, but his expression remained as deadpan as always. “Bawk bawk.”
“Stop that!"
“Then ask him. I am no personal phone book.”
Phoenix put his hands to his hips. “How do you even know who I’m talking about?”
“Seriously, Wright? I watched you go against him the other day, and your eyes do the talking for you.”
“I’m not in love with Prosecutor Layton! Why does everyone keep saying that?! My entire agency’s on my back already!”
Edgeworth decided he was done with Wright’s melodrama and opened the next case folder. “Then I suggest you maybe consider them being right.”
Phoenix would absolutely not do that.
3. - The Judge
Hershel Layton had a firm grip on the chain that his pocket watch was attached to, spinning the device around his finger as he paced back and forth behind the prosecutor’s bench.
"Mrs Moone, allow me to briefly summarize your version of the events," he began, "On the evening of the murder, you were taking a shower in your hotel room, when your spouse called that she was ready and would wait for you to freshen up so you could go to dinner together. You finished your shower, got dressed, and went to the buffet together with Selene. Am I right so far?"
"Yes," Hannah Moone spoke, her green eyes piercing Hershel's.
"Then, you finished your meals, and you wanted to grab some drinks from the bar. Selene went ahead to your room, and you joined her around ten minutes later, together with your glasses of wine. The two of you began drinking, and another ten minutes later, Selene began choking and soon lost her ability to breathe while you were screaming for help. She died at around 10:24 PM."
"That is also correct," Hannah confirmed, twisting a strand of her dark blue hair around her finger, "I was at a loss, but nobody heard my screaming..."
"If I may, your honor," Apollo interjected, and the judge nodded in his direction, "The screaming has, as we were told earlier, been heard by a bellboy, as well as several other hotel guests, some of which even called an ambulance."
Hannah was nodding, wiping some tears from her eyes. "Yes. Yes, they did. But it was too late...Oh, Selene..."
Phoenix, who had come to assist the other two and follow the trial, hated how clearly fake those tears were.
This woman was guilty, there was no doubt about it.
Prosecutor Layton seemed to share that opinion. With all the strength he could gather, he slammed the desk, nearly knocking over his porcelain mug of tea. "Mrs Moone, I suggest you drop the act before your net of lies becomes too tight."
Hannah drew back in shock. "But- prosecutor Layton, why are you talking about? I'm not lying! My poor Selene was poisoned, and that with this despicable, blue liquid-"
"Hold it!," Layton yelled, "There you have it, your honor. In no way could the defendant have known that the liquid was blue, for the poison is usually colorless! Unless, of course, she had colored it to prevent herself from mixing it up - and traces of food coloring have been found in the contaminated wine."
Hannah, the defense team, and the gallery collectively gasped.
"You, Mrs Moone, have killed your wife in cold blood," Hershel continued, "And it is utterly cowardly of you not to stand by your actions."
"What do you know about cowardice?," Hannah shot back.
"It's not cowardice I claim to know so much about," Layton hissed, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of the desk, "I do know, however, how agonizing it is to part with someone you love. I know how much torment it causes seeing the corpse of the person you vowed to spend the rest of your life with. You, Mrs Moone, should be ashamed, for I fail, I genuinely fail to understand how and why you would willingly inflict such pain upon yourself!"
The judge was sensing the distress, banging his gavel against the wood. "Order! Order in the court!"
"If you were to ask me," Hershel continued, and the sheer chill in his voice caused Apollo, Phoenix and Athena to freeze up, "And that is not a claim I make lightly. But if you were to ask me, you never loved her at all."
“Order!,” the judge exclaimed once more, and Hershel looked down, the veins on his neck still protruding in anger, “This court declares Mrs Hannah Moone guilty of the murder of Selene Moone.”
Another bang of the gavel, and the court was adjourned.
Phoenix followed with worried eyes as Hershel scrambled for his documents and, head still hanging low, exited the courtroom door.
“Oh, boy,” Apollo was the first to comment, “What’s- what's gotten into him today?”
“Didn’t you hear?,” Athena hissed, “He said that he knows what it’s like. Which means that he probably-”
“He lost someone in the past,” Phoenix concluded, “Someone he loved. Maybe even a spouse.”
“Oh god,” Apollo breathed, genuinely horrified at the mere perspective of that. No wonder Prosecutor Layton had been borderline terrifying today - this case was hitting him on a personal level.
“I’ll check on him,” Athena announced, and the others nodded along, knowing very well that her psychological expertise would aid her in perhaps getting through the prosecutor.
“I only hope he’s okay,” Phoenix muttered, but the crack in his voice laid his true emotions bare; the worry, the genuine wish for Hershel to be all right. The wish that came from the heart.
“Quite the trial, hm?,” the judge spoke, and Phoenix whipped around.
“Oh- your honor,” he swallowed, “Yeah, that was- something.”
“Terribly sorry for that defeat,” the judge said.
“No worries, your honor,” Apollo replied, “The truth is more important than victory. Mrs Moone was kinda fishy from the start, and I’m glad justice was served.”
The judge hummed. “You lot are truly an exceptional set of lawyers. This district and Khura'in are proud to have you.”
“Haha, well, thank you, your honor.”
Phoenix was still lost in thought, anxiously looking at the door, as if wanting to gauge how Hershel and Athena were faring with their conversation. Apollo swallowed, gaze directed to the scattered evidence on the table. “So, Layton’s lost a loved one, huh?”
“He’s never talked about it,” the judge said, “Which is understandable, naturally. I must say, though, I was in shock as well. Never have I imagined him being this…”
“Scary?,” Apollo suggested, and the judge nodded, stroking his beard.
“I was afraid this word would be too harsh, but yes. Scary.”
“I guess it’s a normal reaction when reminded of loss,” Phoenix theorized, “Especially loss that impactful.”
The judge nodded once more. “It’s certainly a terrible tragedy, whatever happened. In court, we so often are mesmerized by the way people do their jobs that we forget the human beneath it all.”
Yeah, that kind of was it, wasn’t it? Hershel Layton, while an incredible, kind, prosecutor, was human, too. And humans had their outbursts. Phoenix certainly had his fair share of them during trials before.
“I sure hope you will be careful, Mr Wright,” the judge added, “We wouldn’t want another love interest of his dying a tragic death.”
Phoenix whipped around, eyes wide, and squeaked, “What?!”
Had the judge just- had he just-
“Well, I know you are prone to accidents, Mr Wright. But with your luck, I doubt you will get yourself killed, so I don’t think there’s reason to worry, is there?”
But that’s not what Phoenix was focused on. “Your honor, are you- could you possibly be insinuating that I-”
Just then, Athena stumbled back into the courtroom, and Layton right behind her.
Phoenix felt his worry act right back up, and cursed the judge for possibly, maybe, being right.
“Mr Justice?,” Hershel spoke.
“Yeah?,” Apollo replied.
“I’ve already spoken to Miss Cykes, but I believe I owe you an apology as well. I behaved rather harshly during the last bits of the trial, and that was terribly unbecoming of me. I did not wish to intimidate or antagonize you.”
Damn, what a way to once again prove that you were the best prosecutor ever.
“Don’t worry about it, Mr Layton,” Apollo said with a smile, “We’re just glad to see you okay.”
Hershel tipped his hat. “The concern is much appreciated.”
The man tilted his head upwards once more, and a bolt of lightning shot through Phoenix when their eyes met.
4. - The Tritons
"It's an honor to work with you, Mrs Triton," Phoenix said, extending his hand for the woman to shake. The British defense lawyer accepted it with a smile.
"The honor is all mine, Mr Wright," she said, "I believe that together, we will be able to do everything we need to clear Hershel's name."
"It's absolutely insane to me how he even ended up accused," Apollo grumbled, "The basis is, what? A conflict that is over a decade old?"
"Have you ever read "Romeo and Juliet", Apollo?," Athena remarked, "They were beefing over the same bullshit for centuries and only stopped when people died."
"Guess this conflict stops now," the brunet grumbled once more, and Brenda put her hand to her chin.
"I should have known that Bill Hawks wouldn't forget so easily," she then sighed, "He was a corrupt, awful man. So much is undeniable."
"But as much as Hershel harbored a dislike for him, there is absolutely no way he would ever resort to murder," Clark, Brenda's husband and Luke's father, added, "That's not the kind of person he is. And believe, his adventures from before he became a full-time prosecutor have made me want to kill several people before, and I technically had nothing to do with any of them."
Brenda nodded. "Yes, but that's also not the kind of person you are, darling."
"So much is correct."
Phoenix stroked his chin. "I suppose we'll start by giving the crime scene a proper examination," he then said, "It happened on the third floor of the Gatewater hotel." Suddenly, he shuddered. "Goddamn it, this place keeps haunting me. This is the third time a murder I'm solving is connected to it, and the second time it's the crime scene itself."
"Maybe that hotel is indeed haunted. They'd be better off tearing it down," Clark mused, which got a grin out of Phoenix.
"You know what, that doesn't seem to be too bad of an idea."
"I've got some supplies on me," Luke then said, opening his bag, "I need to have them for a project in forensics, but I'm sure they'll be of even more use when we can apply them to solve an actual case."
"Oh, Ema will kill you for stealing her job," Apollo giggled.
"She's going to have to suck it up this time," Phoenix said, clicking his tongue, "Besides, she's working with Edgeworth, and can't tell us anything anyway."
Athena's eyes widened. "Edgeworth is doing this case?"
"It's a case of international significance," Phoenix reminded her, "The prosecutor's office isn't going to assign it to just anybody. It's kind of his duty as Chief Prosecutor to take over things like this."
"But he'll be prosecuting his own colleague," Apollo remarked.
"Yes," Phoenix nodded, "But we must trust him. Miles isn't an idiot, and he'll value finding the truth above anything else. If Hershel's innocent - and I have absolutely no doubt that he is - that’s exactly the conclusion he'd want to arrive at."
Brenda nodded as well. "You know, as posh as he struck me when I first saw him, he appears to be a decent person."
“He is,” Phoenix said with a grin, “He’s a good prosecutor. Not as great as Hershel is, naturally, but good nevertheless.”
Luke had been playing with a certain thought for ages, but had held his tongue out of politeness, instead resorting to collecting evidence in his notebook and squinting at Phoenix Wright whenever he made comments like this in a voice like this. But his era of keeping his mouth shut was officially over when he said, “You know, Mr Wright, it’s not the first time that I think you’re madly in love with the professor.”
Not this again…
Phoenix exhaled. “You can’t be serious,” he then whined.
“I am,” the young man deadpanned, taking off his round glasses to use his shirt as a cleaning rag, “You compliment him to the moon and back, blush whenever his name is mentioned, and are basically making it your life’s mission to bail him out of this right now.”
“My life’s mission? C’mon, don’t you think you’re exaggerating it a little?”
Luke merely blinked after having put his glasses back on his face. “No.”
Brenda couldn’t help but giggle. “I don’t mean to mock you, Mr Wright, but I would say that Luke has a point.”
Phoenix sighed very deeply. “This is bullying, I swear. Why does everyone keep saying this?!”
Athena dared to lift a finger. “At this point, I’d start reading into my own feelings, Boss.”
“No,” Phoenix cut her off, “We have a case to solve.”
Determined, he cracked his knuckles. He’d get Hershel out of there, no matter what!
“And a man to save.”
5. - Maya Fey
"Maya," Phoenix was saying, and the spirit medium looked up, her hands still folded in her lap.
"Yeah, Nick?"
Phoenix swallowed. This was such a hard decision to make; probably one of the hardest he'd ever had to make during a trial. He didn't want to put this man through unnecessary torment, but that unfortunately would be needed if this case was to ever reach a satisfactory conclusion.
And Hershel deserved a satisfactory conclusion.
"I'm gonna need you to channel her," Phoenix finally said, and Maya's eyes widened.
She was done with her training in Khura'in, and was more than capable of channeling whoever she wanted. All that she needed to know was the person's name and face, and within seconds, she would transform into them and let the dead speak. It was an ability that had assisted her in numerous trials before, and she knew, deep inside she knew, that it would help in this trial, too.
Which didn't have to mean she'd like it.
"Channel Claire Foley?," she asked, just to make sure she wasn't misunderstanding Phoenix's request.
The defense lawyer nodded. "Yes. Yes, channel Claire Foley."
Maya kneaded her hands. "Just to make sure," she began, "This isn't a bad idea, is it? We're not gonna- I don't know, completely break the poor guy when we go through with this?"
Phoenix hated the fact that he didn't have a proper answer. He didn't know, he just didn't know what kind of reaction they'd evoke.
All he knew was that it wasn't going to be a good one.
"Maya, I can't say. I can't predict how this'll go. All I can do is sit here and pray to the universe that I won't destroy him if I tell you do this. But-"
"Yeah?"
Phoenix sighed, hands to his hips as he looked out the window. "We just need her perspective. As long as Dimitri keeps denying everything Hershel knows about the explosion at the institute, we're not gonna get any further. Nobody will be able to resist the accounts of the victim, though, and simply seeing her again might put him in enough shock to confess."
Maya nodded solemnly. "This is really a big, huge mess, isn't it?"
Phoenix ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Yeah, it is. I only- I only wish Hershel wasn't in the middle of it."
"I remember when we first met him," Maya recalled, "He truly was a breeze of fresh air when it comes to prosecutors, wasn't he?"
"God, yeah," Phoenix agrees, "He still is. Apollo and Athena marvel every time they go against him, and that's an achievement no other prosecutor can boast about."
The spirit medium took a hold of her magatama dangling around her neck, rubbing it between her fingers. The powers this thing possessed were truly incredible, and she'd hate to do any harm with it.
But, as Phoenix had said, it was necessary.
And if they chose to preserve Layton's feelings over proving him innocent in this, then, by the end of it all, there would be no one's feelings left to preserve.
“We have to save him, Maya,” Phoenix suddenly spoke, and the woman was a little surprised to hear a crack in the lawyer’s voice, “I can’t- I just can’t imagine walking into court and knowing I’ll never go against him again. We have to save him. We just have to.”
“We will, Nick,” Maya said, hoping she sounded reassuring, even if just a little, “I can tell he trusts you.”
A stray tear escaped Phoenix’s eye against his will. “That’d be the greatest honor he could bestow me.”
Maya bit her lip.
Phoenix was known to be a rather passionate lawyer, always deeply caring about his clients and their well-being. His empathy was, in fact, one of the traits that made him such a strong defense attorney, and his ability to imagine himself in his client’s situation to pick up the courage and confidence necessary to prove them innocent had never struck Maya as anything less than impressive.
This, however, gave her the impression of being a different case entirely.
“Nick,” she gently spoke, “Have you ever considered that- you know, you might…?”
Phoenix whipped around. “...Don’t finish that sentence.”
Maya couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “What?”
“I know! I know what you’re about to say, and it’s not like that, okay? I’m not in love with him. He’s just a wonderful guy and I’d hate to lose him. As a friend.”
“Okay, so maybe you’re not in love with him,” Maya said, and Phoenix furrowed his eyebrows. Judging from her tone, she wasn’t finished yet.
“But?,” he prompted, crossing his arms.
“But you most certainly love him.”
Phoenix didn’t know why, but all of a sudden, his mouth felt too dry to speak.
+1. - Hershel Layton
The "not guilty!” echoed through the courtroom even minutes after the trial had ended.
Dimitri Allen had been escorted out of the courtroom. Hershel Layton, now a free man, had exited it, but not without a sympathetic nod towards the man who, just like him, had craved justice for Bill Hawks' unforgivable actions.
Phoenix, Athena and Brenda had packed their papers together and also left.
What a trial that had been. From going over basic murder facts, to spirit channeling, to possibly the most difficult therapy session Athena ever had to oversee, it had fully exhausted the attorneys on each side, the witnesses, and, naturally, Hershel himself.
He still couldn't believe that he had cried, right there on the witness stand, unable to resist the pressure that had built up on him over the years. He hated that he'd been prompted to let go like this; in public, too.
But none of his friends seemed to be judging him for this, so maybe, he shouldn't be either.
Which was definitely easier said than done.
The prosecutor was standing in the defendant's lobby, taking in the air he'd breathed in for the past few days. He wouldn't miss it, so much was for certain.
And he had his incredible team of defenders to thank for the fact he'd never have to inhale it again.
Brenda Triton, his good friend, who'd never stopped believing in him even after they'd lost touch following the Tritons' move to the States some ten years ago.
Athena Cykes, the immensely capable young woman with her unbelievable talent, who'd coaxed out his deepest secrets and gently guided him through it all.
And, of course, Phoenix Wright.
Phoenix Wright, possibly the best lawyer and person Hershel had the privilege to know.
Phoenix Wright, who'd comforted him and supported him and rubbed his back as Hershel bawled in an ungentlemanly way, right then and there in the courtroom.
Phoenix Wright, the person for whom Hershel had thrown his ancient promise out the window and allowed himself to fall for him.
"Hershel?," said man's voice rang out.
When Hershel turned to face him, he found himself relieved that the attorney appeared to be alone. "Phoenix?"
Phoenix offered him a smile. "Yep, that's me. Are you okay? How are you feeling? I know this must have been insanely taxing on you."
Hershel smiled back, even if he couldn't make it reach his eyes just yet. "It's all right. It had to be done. And, for what it's worth, I'd like to thank you."
"You're welcome, Hershel," Phoenix tutted, "Anytime. All you gotta do is ask."
A wet chuckle escaped the prosecutor, and Phoenix couldn't help it as he reached out, gently cupping Hershel's face and wiping at his tears with his thumb.
"You're very strong, Hershel," Phoenix whispered, "But you don't always have to be. It was a lot. It really, really was a lot. You can let go. You can relax."
Hershel nodded, squeezing his eyes shut as he suddenly stepped forward, his arms wrapping around Phoenix's waist in an automatic fashion; the same way his nose buried itself in Phoenix's chest.
The lawyer's arms encircled him in return, and Hershel felt himself being squeezed in a loving manner. “It’s okay,” Phoenix whispered again, “You’re safe with me.”
Hershel nodded against the fabric of Phoenix’s waistcoat, and the lawyer didn’t mind it soaking up the prosecutor’s tears as he kept holding him, one large palm running up and down the small of Hershel’s back.
It occurred to Phoenix, right this instant, that Maya had been right.
The Tritons had been, too. So had the judge, and Edgeworth, and Trucy, Apollo and Athena.
He was in love with Prosecutor Hershel Layton.
And he was going to make sure this man, this incredible man, knew just how much Phoenix loved him.
The attorney tilted his head downwards to press a kiss to the crown of Hershel’s head.
“Phoenix?,” came the small voice.
“Yeah, Hershel?”
“I love you,” the prosecutor spoke, and Phoenix felt as if his heart could explode.
Screw all the denials.
Everyone had been right.
“I love you, too.”