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Wright and Edgeworth have been spending more time together. They have over a decade worth of stories to share with each other after being separated as kids, so drinks after work are promised and consumed, and Edgeworth’s occasional smile seems to get just a bit brighter every time. Things quickly fall into place - after a drunken Friday night Wright wakes up, not in his own bed, with a partially naked Edgeworth in his arms. The said partially naked long lost childhood friend wakes up for a moment, pokes him between the ribs and grumbles “I want pancakes.” then proceeds to fall back to sleep.
And there’s pancakes (Wright made them, of course). And more sex. There may have been heart-felt confessions the night before, but more couldn’t hurt. So there’s also that.
Things have been almost perfect since then. Except there’s this one tiny thing that got Wright concerned - Edgeworth never takes off his shirt during sex. They steal quick ones in each other’s office, with rushed touches and breathy kisses, rumpled shirts straightened later so they can go on about their day. They do it in the courthouse’s broom closet after particularly exhilarating debates, with dark fumblings, bodies pressed tightly together. In the less likely to be disturbed space that is his bedroom, Edgeworth allows Wright to unbutton his shirt, all while kissing each inch of newly exposed skin. He would ride Wright like that, fabric covering the deep blush that goes down his chest; Wright would enter him from behind, one hand grabbing his shirt for purchase, the other wandering the front of his chest, playing with a nipple.
But the shirt stays on.
It could be Edgeworth is just shy, although with the amount of sex they’re having, and the locations they’re having it in, that seems less and less of a feasible reason. The alternative explanation is that he’s hiding something. Maybe he has a giant nazi tatoo on his back like in that one movie with the little girl? That would explain everything.
Curiosity finally wins over caution one day. They just finished dinner and the two lawyers are cuddling on the couch, when Wright says: “Can I ask you something?”
“Yes, we should move in together.”
Wright pauses for a second as he blushes. “Yes that too. But that’s not what I was gonna ask.”
Edgeworth moves up from the book he’s reading and turns to look at his partner. “So what were you gonna ask?”
With all the caution he has in court, Wright brings up the topic: “I have noticed you never take off your shirt during sex.”
Edgeworth’s eyebrows pinch together and he turns away, and Wright immediately regrets asking. After a few seconds of heavy silence, during which Wright watches his partner attentively, Edgeworth closes his book with a sharp snap which almost startles him.
“I guess it’d be ok if it’s you.”
Before Wright has time to ponder what he means by “if it’s you”, Edgeworth undoes the button at the cuff and slowly rolls up his sleeve. Instead of the troublesome tattoo Wright was expecting, a dozen thin, long scars are revealed on his partner’s forearm, all of them almost parallel and closely aligned. Most of them appear to be old and white in color, but there is one that’s still fresh.
“Are these…?” Wright feels a tightness in his chest. Edgeworth bites his lower lip.
“Knife cuts.” He turns his head away, right hand grabbing left arm in a defensive stance, “By myself. With a box cutter at first. I had acquired a scalpel later. You know, self-harm as a coping mechanism? For the medley of issues I have after my father’s death. It’s pathetic, isn’t it?” He laughs bitterly.
Wright comes out of his initial shock and immediately wraps his arms around the other man, holding him tight.
“I’m so sorry, Edgeworth…”
Edgeworth shakes his head. “What are you apologizing for?”
“For all the time I’ve been absent? For all the pain you have to endure alone by yourself?”
“It couldn’t be helped, Wright.” Edgeworth raises a hand to pat his partner’s head.
“Maybe not.” Wright sniffles, “But it still hurt, didn’t it. Did it hurt Miles?”
“Yes… that’s kinda the point.”
Wright gives him a sad look and pouts.
“Is it that bad…? I have to wear long sleeves all year round so people won’t see it and think I’m a freak. I thought you’d understand.”
Wright notices the vulnerability in his partner’s voice and takes up Edgeworth’s hand to plant a kiss on his knuckles.
“Babe I do understand. I’d just prefer you didn’t have to harm yourself… But no I don’t think it’s weird or pathetic, or you’re a freak for doing it, or anything like that.”
Edgeworth smiles sadly. “Are you mad at me for doing it?”
“No babe, I’m not mad at you. You did nothing wrong.”
“So that’s the verdict huh.”
“You were innocent, you are innocent.” Wright raises one hand to cup Edgeworth’s face and makes the man look at him, “I have proved your innocence two years ago in the court. You don’t have to punish yourself anymore.”
“I know…. But,” Edgeworth buries his head in his partner’s shoulder again, “But! It’s a process, you know? I’ve believed I’m guilty for the past 14 years, it takes an active effort to revert those subconscious thoughts.”
“Is that why there’s a new one here?” Wright points at the fresh cut beside the old scars.
“...Yes.” Edgeworth visibly deflates a bit. “I’ve been working on this case with contradictory evidence, and I was reminded of the SL-9 incident… I don’t want you to worry!”
“Hey babe, I’m not mad at you. It’s gonna be ok.”
“...Maybe.”
“...Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Like I said, I don’t want you to worry. I’m perfectly capable of doing my job as you may recall the many times I kicked your ass in court. I don’t want you to think of me as something brittle, something easy to break… or broken.”
“Edgeworth, you know that’s not what I mean. I just…” Wright ponders for a few seconds before he continues: “Will you at least promise to call me the next time you want to do it? I don’t know how I can help, but can we figure this out together?”
“...Yes. I do promise.”Edgeworth says before he relaxes and shifts his weight so he can rest his head on Wright’s shoulder.
“Also as far as I can remember it was I who kicked some ass the last time in court.”
“You’d like to think that.”
Wright laughs as he bends down to kiss the scars.
“Maya may know some way to lighten the scars. Girls have all sorts of tricks you know.”
“I would not bother Maya for something as frivolous as that.”
“Is it though? I mean frivolous.” Wright traces a few older cuts. “Tell me, how long have you been doing this?”
“...Since the DL-6 incident. It’s been on and off, but I was never really able to stop doing it.”
“You cut yourself so deep it scarred… you must be in a lot of pain.”
“I…...”
“Guess I’ll have to kiss it better.”
Edgeworth can’t help but snort. “So that’s how it works?”
“That’s exactly how it works. I kiss you, you get better.” Wright answers with a straight face, before he dives down to plant more kisses on the old and new scars.
“That one is still raw…. Ahh, don’t lick it!”
“I’m disinfecting it.” Wright says as he nibbles the skin around the wound.
“You…!” with a frustrated grunt, Edgeworth lifts his lover’s face with both hands and kisses him. Wright responds soon with a nimble movement of his tongue, drawing a sigh from his lover.
“Bedroom?”
“Bedroom.”
====
Wright thinks that it’s truly a contrast to his courtroom demeanor, for Edgeworth to be so pliant and willing under him in times like this. He kisses back eagerly and moves along when Wright tries to peel off his pants. His cheeks are flushed and eyes dazed, hands clinging to him like he’s everything he needs, his air and water, his dream and justice. Wright wants to give him everything.
“Can I…?” He pushes Edgeworth’s unbuttoned shirt over his shoulders and pauses for permission.
“Yes.” He breathes out. “Yes. Look at me… All of me.”
“With pleasure.”
And that’s the first time they’re completely naked in front of each other. Wright wants to take in the picture that is his lover with more time, but said lover is not known for patience. So he lays kisses on his arms again, then flips him over to kiss down his spine. Edgeworth shudders at his touch.
“G...Get on with it already.”
“Do you want me that much?” Wright teases as he ghosts a finger down his lover’s thigh.
Edgeworth prop himself up with his arms and turns around to look at him. “Yes. I do want you that much.”
Wright almost chokes. He blushes a deep crimson as he fumbles for the bottle of lube on the nightstand, mumbling something like “give a guy some warning next time”.
“Here goes, babe.” And he sticks a finger in. Edgeworth’s breath hitches for a second before he tries to relax around him. They’ve done this many times, but preparation is always the key, the same as courtwork. Wright carefully bends his finger, massaging every inch of the entryway as he listens for any sound his lover makes. He soon adds a second finger, stretching him out. Edgeworth moans into the pillow.
“Alright, babe?”
Instead of answering, he raises hips and pushes back on Wright’s fingers. Wright snickers as he adds a third finger, feeling the warmth and tightness of his lover.
“...It’s good.” Edgeworth reaches down to still his hand. “Enough with the fingers.”
“Copy that.” With that Wright adjusts their positions before he pushes in, surrounded by the blissful heat that is his love of life. Edgeworth groans as his hands tightens around the pillow. Wright bends forward so he can cover his lover’s back with his own body.
“Miles, Miles,” He murmurs next to Edgeworth’s ear. “You’re so tight. I want all of you. You’re so beautiful you have no idea…”
“Uhhh… Less talking…”
“Yes, yes…” Wright wraps an arm around his midsection and thrusts, gaining a repressed moan from his lover. A slow, steady rhythm is formed as the two revel in each other’s existence, loving words uttered and received.
“Hey, hey babe. Let it out.” Wright reaches down to yank Edgeworth’s arm out of his own mouth as he tries to smother a moan by biting himself.
“If you have to bite, bite this.” He sticks the index and middle finger of his right hand into Edgeworth’s mouth, playing with his tongue. His other hand reaches for his lover’s hand and interlaces their fingers.
“Miles, Miles. You’re here. I found you. You’re mine. I could never have imagined….” His rhythm becomes erratic. Edgeworth makes lovely incomprehensible sounds as drool dribbles down the corner of his mouth due to his inability to close it. The sight drives him crazy.
“Miles, I can’t…” Wright says before he feels a sharp pain on his fingers and his lover’s insides tighten around him. He comes with a low groan as Edgeworth also goes limp under him. The room is filled with heavy breathing and a musky smell.
====
They lie in bliss for a few minutes before Edgeworth pushes Wright off him.
“Wright you’re heavy.”
“Well you bit me so I think I’ve earned that.”
“Don’t stick your fingers in my mouth if you don’t want to get bit.”
Wright pauses. “You don’t like that?”
“I don’t….dislike it.”
Wright sees the tip of Edgeworth’s ears go red as he says that, so he pounces happily on his partner and envelopes him with his body.
“Miles I love you.”
“I know.”
“Do you love me?”
“You know the answer to that.”
“But I want to hear you say it!”
“....I do. I really do.”