Rising Uncertainty

We Promised

Warning: Internalized homophobia

//////

"Mr. Edgeworth, do you know what this means?" Gumshoe asked as a smile spread across his face. "It means there's no chance of O'weigh getting an acquittal!"

Miles looked at Gumshoe and gave him a tired smile. Finally, something he could use for the case.

"Hey pal, what's the matter? You've been acting funny ever since Mr. Wright left," Gumshoe put the photos down and looked at him.

"I am perfectly fine, detective. I'm just a little tired. I'll be fine," Miles assured him. "It hardly matters anyways. What matters is that we have our evidence for when the trial comes around and there is no way I'm letting Wright get his hands on this."

"But I thought you two worked together-"

"This is different Detective. I know the truth and Wright won't accept it," Miles rushed as he began to straighten up papers on his desk.

"Maybe if you told Mr. Wright what happened then-"

"No. I can't. I promised her I wouldn't say anything... as did you. If you say anything I'll be sure you get a pay cut you can't recover from." Miles was dead serious. He was growing tired of this conversation and was ready to move on.

"Right sir! Understood clearly!" Gumshoe gave him a small fake salute. "But it couldn't hurt to ask Ms. von Karma-"

"If you dare ask her I will make sure you can never step foot into a precinct again! She has already specifically asked us to leave this subject alone and I would be more than happy to oblige with her." Miles settled an icy glare onto the detective. He felt a wave of protectiveness course through him. He didn't want anyone hurting his sister.

"Alright! Alright! I get it pal!" Gumshoe put his hands up and smiled widely. "I get it."

Miles sighed heavily before walking over to Gumshoe.

"Why don't you go get something to eat," he suggested after a few seconds. "You deserve a break. You've been stressed and overworked lately, Detective. You shouldn't even be working on this case, you're a homicide detective."

Gumshoe looked at him, very confused.

"But sir-"

"Now. Detective." He was harsh with his words.

Gumshoe didn't try to argue any longer and left his office to go get something to eat. He didn't want to make his boss any angrier then he already was.

The second Gumshoe was gone, Miles took off his suit jacket and laid down on his couch. He needed to think and with no one around he could finally hear his own thoughts clearly. He couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing yet.

"What was I thinking? I should have known Wright didn't mean he knew about that..." Dread and regret filled Miles as he mumbled to himself. "He hates me... Oh God, Wright hates me. I-I should have never told him- Listen to me! I'm speaking to myself like a mad man!"

To tell the truth, Miles talked to himself to organize his thoughts when he was alone. It helped him concentrate on everything but now it only seemed to be dragging him down.

He couldn't believe himself.

"Am I sick...?" He slowly questioned himself. Miles bit his lip hard and didn't notice when he drew blood.

He thought back to Phoenix's reaction and bit harder. His silence was confirmation enough for him. He really was sick. Von Karma's voice echoed in his mind as he thought about it. He was set for damnation because he couldn't get over his sickness sooner. He had tried when he was younger but had failed, and now he was losing the people he cared about because of it. There's a way out of it. He'd just have to force himself to think and feel differently. He could over come this.

"I can do this..."

———

Phoenix was staring at the table as Maya rambled on and on about something unimportant. He hadn't been listening to her in the slightest for the past few hours.

"Nick! Are you even listening?! This is important! The Pink Princess nearly died in the last episode!" She shook his shoulder.

"Maya, I'm trying to think about something important right now," he mumbled.

Maya huffed and crossed her arms.

"This is important! Her big battle is coming up!" She said with a wide smile. "We don't know if she'll be able to win!"

"I can't focus on that right now-"

"If it's about that case you're going to lose just take break and hang out with us!" She said cheerily.

"It's not about that..." he muttered.

"Then what's it about?" She suddenly gasped. "Did you and Edgeworth get into a fight?!"

"No, we didn't... He told me something and I... I did something stupid," he said quietly.

"What did you do...?"

"Nothing. I didn't do or say anything and that's the problem... he thinks I hate him now." Phoenix grumbled.

"How can you be sure of that?"

"Because I know him! I knew exactly what would happen and I was too shocked to say anything and now he thinks I hate him!" He threw his arms in the air to gesture how frustrated he was with himself.

He didn't know if he could make things better or not.

'I'll call him... Yeah...'

"Nick! Someone's on the phone asking for you!" Maya called.

It seemed like he'd have to call him later.