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A Grand Timely Meeting

Summary:

A year after that intense trial, Ryuunosuke and his boyfriend, Kazuma are living together in London while working together as defense attorneys. One day, Iris asks for them to be test subjects for her latest invention, which just so happens to be a time machine!

As they are accidentally sent to Japanifornia, 2029, Ryuunosuke is seperated from Kazuma, and will need to rely on some help from his descendant, Phoenix Wright, and his family to not only find Kazuma, but to properly return to London 1901.

Notes:

AAAAAAA I'm back again with another DGS fic! And this is a DGS and AA fic cause time travel! I just really want Ryuu and Phoenix to meet and I love imagining all the shenanigans that would happen with the AA and DGS cast. I'm also a sucker for time travel fics ajlskdfjklj.
I'm honestly a bit nervous since I have yet to finish watching a playthrough of aa5 and I haven't even started on aa6 so I'm going based on what I know from reading the wiki, so if any character seems off, I apologize in advance for that!

ALSO THIS WORK HAS DGS1 AND DGS2 SPOILERS AND MINOR AA6 SPOILERS SO UNLESS YOU DON'T MIND GETTING SPOILED, I RECOMMEND WAITING TO READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED SEEING OR PLAYING THOSE GAMES

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this first chapter and look forward to the next ones!

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

He honestly never expected his life to end up as great as it is now, but here he is. 

 

He is living in London and fulfilling his dream of working as a defense attorney with his best friend by his side. They even have their own office now, after working on so many cases together and winning them. However, now he is not at their office but is actually sitting down at the desk in the comfort of his attic room in 221B, filling out paperwork with his partner as they take the day off from work to catch up on filling out necessary documents.He can hear the familiar bustling downstairs, the air lively with movement and familiar energy, and the faint smell of tea drifts up, lulling him into a sense of peace and tranquility

 

Kazuma Asougi is super grateful for the chance he has been given to turn his life around and  find the best family he could ever ask for. 

 

He never expected to be given a second chance. After all the events that happened a year ago- finally reuniting with Ryuunosuke and Susato, finding out the truth behind his father, practically scaring Ryuunosuke and Susato away after they saw his rash breakdown- he thought he had lost it all. After all, Professor Mikotoba had told him that Ryuunosuke and Susato were heading back to Japan soon. 

 

He should have expected it. 

 

After that intense trial, he and Ryuunosuke hadn’t spoken a word to each other, and when he heard from Professor Mikotoba that Ryuunosuke was leaving to go back to Japan, his worst nightmare was coming true. He really had scared Ryuunosuke off so badly that he was leaving as soon as the next ferry to Japan arrived. He lost his one and only friend he had come to trust. He had not only scared off his only friend, but his only lover after they were both separated for a year due to his unfortunate accident on the SS Alaclaire. That would explain why Ryuunosuke was leaving so soon and why he hadn’t bothered to get in contact with him. But if he were being honest, Kazuma didn’t blame Ryuunosuke at all for leaving so soon. Obviously, Kazuma wasn’t what Ryuunosuke thought he was. He wasn’t that fearless, admirable honor student that Ryuunosuke looked up to. He was a liar who tricked his friend into coming with him to England so that he could defend him in court in case his mission were to go wrong. He had hidden so much from Ryuunosuke, even when they were a couple. He wasn’t honest towards Ryuunosuke at all and Ryuunosuke had every right to be mad at him and even leave him. Although that didn’t stop the intense ache he felt in his heart. 

 

However, even after all this time, Ryuunosuke still managed to surprise him. When he joined Holmes and Iris at the port to bid farewell to Professor Mikotoba, Susato, and Ryuunosuke, he was surprised to see that the latter didn’t have any suitcases with him. He asked about it, only for Ryuunosuke to give him a small smile, stating that he was staying in London to continue practicing law there. Kazuma asked about Susato, since she was going to supposedly continue as Ryuunosuke’s legal assistant, but she simply smiled and said that she was needed in Japan as Ryuutarou Naruhodou. Kazuma wished her and Professor Mikotoba a safe trip as they left the port, leaving him with Ryuunosuke, Holmes and Iris as they all headed back to Baker Street. 

 

When they arrived, Ryuunosuke led him up to the attic he was going to continue staying in, and the two of them had a very long talk. It was a lot for not only Kazuma, but Ryuunosuke as well. Dirty laundry was aired, issues were explained and mostly resolved and many apologies were exchanged by both parties. However, the thing that Kazuma remembers best from that heavy talk was Ryuunosuke asking about their relationship status. Kazuma, at the time, was surprised that Ryuunosuke even mentioned it, since he had assumed that the other didn’t want anything to do with him. However, Ryuunosuke took both of Kazuma’s hands in his, and- with tears streaming down his face- told him he had missed Kazuma dearly and wanted to continue being his boyfriend. 

 

Kazuma was speechless. 

 

He couldn’t believe his ears. Ryuunosuke wasn’t afraid of or upset at him? He wanted to continue dating him? Even after he had seen Kazuma’s ugly side? 

 

He must have been struck silent for a while, because he could feel Ryuunosuke trembling under him and start to pull his hands away, apologizing for being rash. However, Kazuma lurched forward and held Ryuunosuke tightly as he asked him, voice cracking, why he still would want him around as a friend or even a lover. Ryuunosuke let out a teary laugh as he tightened the hug, reassuring Kazuma that he missed him and wanted no one else by his side as his partner. After hearing the term that Kazuma lovingly used to refer to Ryuunosuke back in Japan, he broke down. Happy tears stained his cheeks as he held Ryuunosuke and stroked his hair, wondering how he became so lucky to have this wonderful, amazing man as not only his best friend, but his boyfriend. 

 

Kazuma is startled out of his reminiscing as he feels the warm, calloused hand of one Ryuunosuke Naruhodou stroking his cheek, a concerned look on his face. 

 

“Kazuma? Are you alright? You stopped writing about a few minutes ago.” 

 

Kazuma chuckles as he uses his free hand to move Ryuunosuke’s hand that’s on his cheek closer to his lips as he presses a soft kiss on his boyfriend’s palm. 

 

“Yes I’m fine Ryuu. Just thinking about how lucky I am to have such a wonderful, kind and very handsome man as my best friend and boyfriend.”

 

Ryuu is startled by the sudden declaration as he sputters, his face and ears burning a bright red, which Kazuma finds absolutely adorable. Even after having dated for such a long time, Ryuunosuke gets shy and flustered at any romantic gesture Kazuma demonstrates towards him. After a few seconds though, Ryuunosuke rolls his eyes lovingly and lets out a soft huff as he moves his hand back to Kazuma’s cheek and cups it. 

 

“And you say I’m the sappy one out of us two.”

 

“That’s because you are, silly!” Kazuma laughs out as he leans closer and his lips meet Ryuunosuke’s as they share a short but sweet kiss. No words in either the English or Japanese language can properly describe Kazuma’s overwhelming love for Ryuunosuke Naruhodou. He pulls back as he brings his free hand to Ryuunosuke’s cheek, cradling it ever so gently. 

 

“I love you so much Ryuu.”

 

“I love you too Kazuma, so very much,” Ryuunosuke replies as he slowly stands up, his hand coming to rest on Kazuma’s shoulder, “I’m going to get some of Iris’s tea, would you like some?”

 

“Sure that sounds nice. I need the energy anyway, I was feeling a bit distracted.”

 

“From what I wonder…” Ryuunosuke ponders aloud with a smirk on his face.

 

“Oh shush you!” Kazuma exclaims as he playfully shoves Ryuunosuke eliciting a wonderful, bright laugh from his boyfriend with a warm smile etched on his own face. 

 

Ryuunosuke calms down from his laughter as he starts to make his way out of their shared bedroom. However, before he can step out, someone else makes their way to the door with a loud thunk, their eyes shining with excitement and pride as they jump up and down. 

 

“Narudie! Kazumie! Come down, quick! You’ve got to see my newest creation!” Iris Watson exclaims as she begins tugging desperately on Ryuunosuke’s sleeve. Kazuma chuckles as he stands up and walks over to the door, his arms crossed. 

 

“And is this the ‘top secret’ invention you and Holmes-san have been working on these past few days?”

 

“Yup!” Iris nods vigorously, “It’s pretty much finished, but I want you and Narudie to come see it! Please?”

 

“Of course! I was going to come down anyway to get some of your tea. Are you coming, Kazuma?”

 

“Sure! Wouldn’t want to miss such an invention after all.”

 

The three of them begin to make their way down, with Iris holding Ryuunosuke’s hand as she leads them into the lively clutter that is the living room of 221B. Kazuma starts to get worried when he smells some smoke. When they reach the living room, thankfully there is no visible fire or anything burnt. They watch as Sherlock perks up with the sound of their arrival and springs up from his seat, a glimmer in his eyes as his daughter runs to his side. 

 

Kazuma finds himself starting to worry. He can understand Iris’s excitement, she has made extraordinary contraptions at a very young age and creating something that may be revolutionary would warrant excitement from anyone. However, Kazuma recognizes the glint in Sherlock’s eyes, even though he hasn’t known him as long as Ryuunosuke has. He shifts his eyes to the side to see that his boyfriend also has a worried look in his eyes, which are now shifting back and forth between Sherlock and Iris’s invention. 

 

“Ah! Mr. Naruhodou and Mr. Asougi! So nice to have you two here!” Sherlock exclaims, not fazed by the worried looks on Ryuunosuke and Kazuma’s faces at all. “So it seems you have agreed to Iris’s request then. Good! Let’s get this fellow running and-”

 

“Papa! Wait!” Iris exclaims, a small pout forming on her face. “I haven’t even told them what this is yet!”

 

“Wait, what request? I thought you were just going to show us your invention.” Ryuunosuke asks worriedly. 

 

“I am! Don’t worry Narudie, my request is a simple one! Papa here got too excited before I could even explain what this is.” Iris explains as her father makes a sheepish grin behind her. “Anyways, this here is a true wonder! Nothing like this exists yet! It’s a…. time machine!”

 

The room turns dead silent as Ryuunosuke and Kazuma stare at Iris. They are shocked and speechless that before they can say anything, Iris speaks up. 

 

“I know it sounds crazy, but it is! And it works! Papa and I tested it out with a few objects. We put them inside the chamber here and after pressing a few buttons, they traveled to this same flat 100 years in the future! I don’t know if they reached there for certain, but they aren’t inside the machine, so they must have traveled somewhere!” 

 

Ryuunosuke and Kazuma walk closer to inspect the time machine. There is a tall, round container, with a door leading inside it. It looks like two people might be able to fit inside if they squeeze close together. There is a small window on the door, which relieves Ryuunosuke. After experiencing being cramped in a suitcase and wardrobe for a month, the idea of being in a tight space with no way of seeing outside doesn’t sit well with him. They inspect the box-like structure next to the container, tubes connecting both pieces of machinery. The box contains some dials and buttons that make both Ryuunosuke and Kazuma’s heads ache trying to figure out what everything is for. However, they can also see a small screen showcasing the month, day, and year. Overall, it seems like a pretty decent machine, but after hearing the commotion from today and a few days ago and smelling the smoke just now, both of them are a bit hesitant. 

 

“So by setting the date on this screen here, you can travel to any time period, past or future?” Ryuunosuke asks Iris. She clasps her hands together in excitement and nods. 

 

“Yup! Well at least that’s what it’s supposed to do. As I said, Papa and I put a few objects in there, and they traveled 100 years into the future! Or at least we think they did!  We are still working on how to bring them back since we aren’t certain if they traveled to the designated time period. And this is where my request comes in!”

 

Ryuunosuke and Kazuma look at each other nervously, deducing what Iris’s request will be, before turning back to Iris. 

 

“Since we have no way of communicating with inanimate objects on whether they’ve made it to the correct time period, I need a human test subject to be able to make sure that the machine properly works and sends the designated subject to the correct time and be able to bring them back afterwards. So what do you say, Narudie and Kazumie? Would either one of you like to volunteer?” 

 

“Wait… WHAT?! Y-You want one of us to be your test subject?!” Ryuunosuke exclaims, recoiling in shock and fear. He grabs onto Kazuma’s arm for comfort, but his boyfriend doesn’t seem to be faring any better after hearing Iris’s request. 

 

“W-Why us? Wouldn’t Holmes-san be a better candidate for this? He’s more familiar with the mechanics of your invention than us.”

 

“Which is why I can’t do it,” Sherlock interrupts Kazuma, “I need to stay and help Iris manage the machine in case anything were to go haywire.”

 

“Ok, then how about Susato-chan and Murasame-san?” Ryuunosuke asks. Iris shakes her head.

 

“Susie and Haori are out shopping right now. Besides they only just arrived in London, I don’t want to put them through this hassle, especially Haori. She’s a guest, you know!”

 

“Well how about Professor Miko-” However, Sherlock cuts off Kazuma’s question with an intense glare that promptly shuts Kazuma up while Sherlock puts on a polite smile. 

 

“Oh Mr. Asougi, you weren’t going to suggest that I send my beloved Yuujin now, were you?” Sherlock asks rhetorically. “Besides, he has also recently arrived from Japan. He is also not as young as he once was and there’s only so much I can expose him to. This machine is not one of them.” 

 

“Look, Narudie, Kazumie. I’m sorry if I made you two scared or uncomfortable. You two don’t have to volunteer if you don’t want to. I can always find someone else to do so! Maybe Gina might be able willing to volunteer if I-” 

 

“I’ll do it!” Ryuunosuke blurts out all of a sudden. Everyone turns to look at Ryuunosuke, who’s back is ramrod straight, his eyes darting a bit, signalling his nervousness, but his eyes also yell out determination. 

 

“N-Narudie? Are you sure? You know you don’t have to if you don’t want to…”

 

“No, it’s ok Iris-chan. I changed my mind. I want to help. You have done so much for me and it’s only right I return the favor. Besides, you just need me to confirm that I’ve traveled to the right place in time and then return, right? That shouldn’t be too hard.”

 

Iris peeks up at Ryuunosuke, her eyes shining with gratitude and excitement as she runs up and hugs him, her small arms squeezing him tightly. Ryuunosuke chuckles as he strokes her hair gently. She lets go as she runs over to the time machine, pressing a few buttons and flipping some switches excitingly while Sherlock fiddles with some of the dials. 

 

“So Narudie, here’s what I need you to-”

 

“I volunteer as well!” Kazuma announces suddenly as he grabs Ryuunosuke’s hand and squeezes firmly but gently. He glances towards his boyfriend, giving him a warm, supportive smile as he turns back to the startled Iris and Sherlock. “While the task seems simple enough, you stated yourself, Iris-chan, that it’s ‘pretty much finished,’ but that doesn’t mean it’s fully finished. You still need to confirm that whatever or whoever uses this machine travels to the correct designated location and time and is able to return safely. I will join Ryuunosuke to make sure nothing happens to him and to also help you in the completion of your device, Iris-chan.”

 

“Kazumie… Thank you so much!! Alright, just to be sure, are you two really sure you want to do this?”

 

Both defense attorneys look towards each other, a confident look on both of their faces as they nod resolutely to Iris. 

 

“Ok! So I just need you two to enter the chamber while I go over the coordinates and make sure everything is set up correctly. I will be sending you two to London, 100 years in the future.” Iris begins to look over the settings as Ryuunosuke and Kazuma make their way to the contraption. Before they enter inside, Iris suddenly exclaims

 

“Oh! Before I forget, please take this!”

 

She hands over a plush cat to Ryuunosuke, who looks at the toy with fondness and confusion. However, before he can ask the anticipated question, Iris beats him to it.

 

“It’s a communication device! It’s set so that when I send out the call from my plush rabbit here, a hologram of myself will appear from your cat! From there, I can then see whether you arrived at the correct place and time safely and then give you two instructions on how to return home!” 

 

“Thank you Iris-chan. That’s reassuring. You really thought through all of this didn’t you?” 

 

“Yeah! Don’t worry Kazumie! I wouldn’t ask you and Narudie to be volunteers if it was unsafe or if I wasn’t fully prepared!”

 

“Yeah, I know Iris-chan.” Kazuma responds as he pats her head affectionately.

 

“Alright then!” Sherlock exclaims out of nowhere as he clasps a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Safest of travels to you and Mr. Naruhodou then! Hope you enjoy whatever the future has to offer, as short as your time there will most likely be.” 

 

“Thanks Holmes-san.” Kazuma laughs as he rolls his eyes playfully as he and Ryuunosuke finally enter the small compartment. 

 

As soon as they enter, Kazuma sees Ryuunosuke’s earlier confidence start to crumble as he darts his eyes around even quicker and starts to tremble slightly, having developed some claustrophobia after being smuggled onto the SS Alaclaire last year. Kazuma reaches out and holds his lover’s hand with both of his, massaging his hand firmly but gently. 

 

“It’s ok Ryuu, I’m here, see? I won’t let you go until we arrive ok? I promise.”

 

Ryuu nods shakingly as he nods at his boyfriend, his eyes slightly relaxing at Kazuma’s soft gaze. They then hear a knock and Iris asks them if they are ready. 

 

“We are ready!” Kazuma shouts.

 

“Ok! I’m going to start the machine then!” Iris answers back as she makes a final adjustment and then flips a switch, activating the machine. 

 

The machine starts to vibrate, making Ryuunosuke and Kazuma’s heads start to spin. The machine continues the constant vibration until both men hear an explosion from the outside. The smell of smoke starts to fill the chamber and they hear a sound they thought they had hoped never to hear: a scream of utter horror and fear by Iris Watson. Before Kazuma can do anything, the machine begins to shake violently and he holds onto Ryuunosuke for dear life, the spinning in both his and Ryuunosuke’s heads becoming faster to the point that it is painful and tears start rolling down both of their faces from the immense pain in their heads. They both hold onto the other for dear life until suddenly, they don’t feel the other and everything goes white.

 


 

It’s a beautiful crisp autumn day in People Park as a young attorney sits on one of the benches, enjoying her half eaten sandwich. Athena Cykes munches happily as she listens to the wind blow happily. In the distance, the happy sounds of children laughing ring through the air, and the carefree happiness in their hearts fill Athena’s ears. She sighs as she lets herself be absorbed in the beauty of the park and the sounds that accompany it. 

 

She had been pretty busy lately. The Wright Anything Agency had received a large influx of requests, very unusual since they normally had to seek out requests. It would have been just her and her boss, Phoenix Wright, handling the requests, but their friend, Apollo Justice, had recently returned from the Kingdom of Khura’in to work once again at the WAA. It was great for him to be back, especially since Phoenix’s daughter, Trucy Wright, missed her older brother. It was also nice for the agency because the attorneys could accept more requests and make the agency more well known. 

 

However, Athena is, for the moment, finished with all of her assigned cases. She sighs as she lets her body relax after an excruciating two weeks of nonstop work. She hums happily as she looks forward to taking it easy and not having to worry about another case or problem anytime soon. 

 

Unfortunately, her dreams are cut short as her ears pick up on the crashing sound of someone falling. However, it isn’t the crashing sound that grabs her attention, it’s the sound of his heart. At first, it sounds confused and disoriented, until suddenly the heart is screaming out in fear and panic and utter confusion. Athena jolts upwards, her sandwich forgotten as her feet carry her over to the source of the crying heart by instinct. 

 

She approaches some thick shrubbery with several trees as she finds a young man, who looks to be about Apollo’s age in what appears to be a black school uniform. Looking at his face, he appears to be of Asian descent, probably Japanese based on the large population here in Japanifornia, if Athena had to guess. He also has spiky hair that reminds her of someone she knows, but it’s much shorter. His eyes look strangely familiar as well. If Athena wasn’t currently trying to figure out what was wrong with him, she would joke around saying he looks like her boss. 

 

He is rubbing his lower back until he spots Athena. He panics and his darting eyes focus solely on her as he suddenly lurches towards her, his shaking hands grabbing her forearms. Up close, Athena winces as she hears this man’s heart screaming and crying for help. His grip is strong, and his entire body is running on adrenaline from pure fear. She can’t even begin to imagine what has happened to him that he would be so overwhelmed and scared that his heart is aching for help as if it were a life or death situation.

 

“P-Please…! Please! Miss! I-I need… your help!! My friend… Asougi! He’s… Please! I need to find him!! Please!!!”

 

Athena watches in shock as the man’s knees give out on him and he slumps to the ground, curling up in a fetal position, his breathing labored as he starts to hyperventilate. He starts to shiver violently as a gentle breeze flows by, gripping his head tightly as he squeezes his eyes shut. She hears his distraught heart crying out that everything hurts, and that everything is too loud, too bright, too much.

 

“Oh my god, sir!” Athena exclaims as she drops down to the curled up man, attempting to place her hands over his arms, which simply makes the man flinch as if he were burnt. Athena winces as she makes gentle rubbing motions, remembering to lower her voice. 

 

“Shh… sir, you need to calm down and breathe. Together with me. Take a nice deep inhale and then exhale… There we go, now again.”

 

Athena takes deep breaths along with the man, and surely after a few minutes, he starts to calm down significantly, his heart not crying out as much, although he still appears nervous and tense. Athena sighs a bit in relief, proud that she was able to somewhat calm down this nervous man. She stands up as she offers a hand to the still crouched man, who takes and stands up again, although a bit shaky. 

 

“I-I am sorry for my embarrassing incident there. T-Thank you so much, Miss…?”

 

“Athena Cykes, Attorney at law! And don’t worry about it! It’s not embarrassing, it happens to the best of us. I may be an attorney, but I specialize in analytical psychology, so it’s my pleasure to help you, Mr…?”

 

“Ryuunosuke Naruhodou.”

 

“Mr. Naruhodou!” Athena exclaims, confirming to herself that his name is of Japanese origin. “Well, since you still seem to be a bit tense, it’s my job to help you lower your anxiety and figure out what caused you to have such a huge panic attack. To start off, is there anything on your mind that you would like to speak about? It doesn’t matter what it is, anything would be fine.”

 

“I… I have been through a lot today… I don’t know where I am and I have lost my friend and I need to find him… If I don’t… I-” A violent shudder runs through Naruhodou’s body.

 

“Shh..” Athena says as she gently rubs Naruhodou’s shoulder. “We’ll figure out how to find your friend, don’t worry. But first, let me ask you a question. Do you know what year it is?” Athena asks just to be sure that Naruhodou is aware of the present. He quickly tilts his head down in shame, wringing his hands nervously. 

 

“I… I’m afraid I don’t know…”

 

“It’s October of the year 2029.”

 

“Wait…. WHAT?!!” Naruhodou exclaims suddenly, startling Athena as she winces from the sudden outburst. He stumbles back in shock as he starts to pace back and forth. “How can this be?! 128 years?! That’s more than a century! What am I going to do?! I need to find Asougi!”

 

“Sir, please don’t yell,” Athena interjects calmly,  “Your friend, Asougi was it? Is there any way we can contact him? Does he have a cell phone?”

 

“A what? If I had some way to contact him out of nowhere, I would have done so! I don’t even have Iris’s device with me… Asougi must have it.” 

 

“Ok ok. Well, do you have any family or friends here that we can try contacting? Maybe you could stay with them until we can find your friend?”

 

“No…” Naruhodou whines in defeat. “I have no family here, they are all de-.... I mean, in Japan…!” 

 

Athena sighs in contemplation as she fiddles with her earring, trying to figure out what to do with the poor man. He has no home here, no family at all, only his friend who seems to be missing. Thinking about it, she wants to ask how the hell he ended up here if he seems to not recognize any place and has no home or family here, but decides against it. He’s already distressed about being separated from his friend and he's not in his right state of mind if he reacted so harshly to the year. She is determined to help him, afterall, the WAA always helps those in need. Suddenly an idea pops into her head as she perks up and turns to Naruhodou.

 

“Mr. Naruhodou! Would you like to come with me back to the agency I work at? You can rest there and I can talk to my boss and we can figure out how to find your friend and find you a place to stay. We have connections with the police and besides, it’s my duty to help those in need! Whaddaya say?” 

 

Naruhodou looks shocked for a second as he ponders over her proposition. She seems to be nice and even helped calm him down when he was panicking. If the agency she works at does have connections with the police, he may be able to find Kazuma more quickly. He doesn’t know anyone here in this London of the future, so he’s going to need any help he can get. Another part of him trusts her since she stated she was an attorney. An attorney who specializes in ana- some kind of psychology. Has law changed that much in the future that all attorneys know some kind of psychology now? 

 

“You said you and your boss will be able to help me find Asougi, right Cykes-san?”

 

“Absolutely! I know Los Angeles seems to be pretty big, but I trust that we’ll be able to find your friend no problem!”

 

“Wait! Los Angeles?!” Naruhodou sputters in response. Los Angeles… As in America? He’s not even in London?! He sighs, deciding to worry about that later. He straightens his back as he lets out a cough. 

 

“Please excuse my small outburst there. But to answer your question, yes, I would like to go to your agency and talk with your boss.”

 

“Excelente!” Athena exclaims, surprising Naruhodou with her Spanish. “Don’t worry, my boss is really nice, I’m sure he’ll figure out a way to help you find your friend! Alright, let’s get going then! I’m going to text him and let him know that I’m bringing you over so he doesn’t get too surprised.”

 

“Text? Wh- You can communicate with him that quickly from here? Wouldn’t you need to locate the nearest telephone first?”

 

“I already have! It’s this!” Athena exclaims as she pulls out her smartphone. “Come on, don’t tell me you’ve never had a cell phone before? You can’t be older than my coworker and he has one.” 

 

“I…. uhh I have… I just uh.. don’t have mine with me I suppose?”

 

Athena eyes Naruhodou suspiciously as she sees him try to laugh it off. She decides not to judge though. He probably has his own reasons for not owning a cell phone. However his reaction to her saying she was going to text her boss was a bit strange. It was almost as if he had never heard of the concept of texting or even communicating through a cell phone... 

 

As strange as he may be, she simply shrugs it off for now as she leads him out of People Park and back to the Wright Anything Agency, hoping to help him reunite with his lost friend.

Notes:

And here we have the first chapter! I am honestly so looking forward to Ryuu meeting the rest of the WAA and maybe him and Kazuma meeting some of the other characters such as the prosecutors 👀
Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter and look forward to what I have planned!

As always, kudos/comments are highly appreciated!

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Notes:

Here's the second chapter!! wow this turned out WAY longer than I expected. I was gonna cut it, but I couldn't find a suitable place to do so, so y'all get a longer chapter instead!
Anyways, hope y'all enjoy it!!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

This future Los Angeles is pretty beautiful during the fall. 

 

Ryuunosuke stares around in wonder as he follows Athena to this law agency she works at. The trees have leaves with all sorts of beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow as they fall and decorate the sidewalks they walk on. The air is also clear and bright, a startling contrast to the fog and smog that smothers London on a daily basis. It almost reminds him of Japan. 

 

Among the beautiful nature that surrounds the city, Ryuunosuke notes the strange horseless carriages that zoom through the streets with a loud whooshing sound. Athena stated that they were cars with a concerned and confused expression, which shocks Ryuunosuke. He had heard about cars back when he was living in Japan, hearing about how they were a “European luxury.” But even while staying in London, Ryuunosuke only had the chance to see a car once, and it was when Sherlock and Professor Mikotoba had arrived in one after their marriage ceremony, which was conducted in secret and attended only by close friends due to obvious legal reasons. However, these modern cars look nothing like the one Ryuunosuke saw. They are more colorful, compact, and have a sleek design. They even have a roof on top of the vehicle.  A very futuristic look indeed. 

 

Ryuunosuke also glances at the tall buildings. How were most of them taller than the buildings in London? They also appeared to be made of glass? How were they stable if they were made out of such a fragile material? The buildings were even see-through! If he squinted hard enough, Ryuunosuke could see pretty clearly what was inside some of the buildings. That thought unnerves him as he imagines himself and Kazuma living in a house made of glass which would provide them no privacy. He wills those thoughts away for now as he and Athena continue their trek through Los Angeles, approaching this agency sooner than he expected.

 


 

It’s a busy day for Trucy Wright as she goes through boxes and boxes of files and papers of all kinds. 

 

She has the day off from school due to a teacher work day so her Daddy has assigned her to help him sort through all these boxes of papers and decide which ones were needed and which ones weren’t. Trucy doesn’t mind helping since she sees that her Daddy has been pretty busy with cases lately. Besides, this gives her the chance to search for hidden treasures about him. Once she found a notebook her Daddy had from the 4th grade and one page had her Papa’s name doodled all over with some hearts in the corner. Her Daddy screamed when she had found it and she went to go show it to her Papa, who surprisingly burst into tears from sheer embarrassment. 

 

She was hoping to find something else about her Daddy, but so far, she’s mostly found old paperwork from past clients, medical and rent bills, and some miscellaneous receipts. As she puts a pile of old electrical bills in a pile, an unopened box hidden under some more papers catches Trucy’s eye. She excitingly pushes the papers on top of it aside, summoning a cloud of dust, which makes her cough a bit. However, her curiosity and excitement ignore the dust problem as she pulls the box closer to her. She examines the box, finding some faded writing on it, stating “Great Grandpa’s Stuff.” Trucy contains the urge to squeal as she excitingly tears the box open, happy at finding such a treasure indeed. Trucy doesn’t know much about her Daddy’s family other than that her grandparents live in Sacramento and that her Daddy doesn’t keep in contact with them much, for personal reasons her Papa stated once. 

 

Wanting to learn more about her Daddy’s family, she begins to go through the box, curious and eager to see what she would find. The first thing Trucy stumbles upon is journals. A mountain of journals and envelopes with letters inside of them. She carefully opens the journals, only to see that they are written in Japanese. She had no idea her dad’s great grandpa was Japanese. She sighs sadly, wishing she knew some Japanese so she could find out what they said. Maybe they listed some old family heirlooms that would be so precious and rare. 

 

She decides to open some letters and pumps her fists when she sees that they are written in English. There are several pages to read through, so she quickly scans through them, noting how the writer is pining for someone who she assumes to be their lover. She grimaces as she is reminded of when her Daddy and Papa would pine for each other during those rough years when her dad had lost his attorney’s badge, not risking to get any closer due to Kristoph watching over her and her Daddy. She hopes that this person, maybe this great grandpa of her Daddy’s, eventually gets together with this person. 

 

She rummages through the box some more and finds what appears to be a headband, although the cloth is mostly tattered and is a dull red. Underneath it, she finds a framed photograph. She snatches it and stares at it, making sure to handle the photo gently due to how fragile it looks with age. She spots a tall man that appears to have lighter hair than the other occupants in the photo along with a little girl with long pigtails holding a cat. She then spots a young woman who appears to be Japanese based on the kimono she’s wearing. Trucy notes how pretty she looks, hoping she could wear a kimono someday. 

 

She then looks at the two men on the left, but before she can get a closer look at them, she hears the door open with a loud “I’m back!” from Athena echoing throughout the office. Trucy quickly but gently puts the photograph back in the box as she runs out of the storage room to greet the late attorney. 

 

“Hey ‘Thena! I was wondering why you were running late from-” 

 

However, before Trucy can finish her statement, she spots a young, nervous looking man behind her. Judging by his uniform, he’s probably a student, a college one since he looks about Apollo’s age. However, she notes upon further inspection that this young man has similar looking hair as her Daddy, not as spiky though. His nervous smile he directs at her looks eerily similar to her Daddy’s nervous smile he presents in court when trying to convince the judge that he has evidence that contradicts the witness’s testimony. She realizes that she might be staring for too long as she straightens herself from her leaning position. 

 

“Oh! Hello! Welcome to the Wright Anything Agency! You’re here for an attorney, I’m guessing? Almost everyone coming here is. Let’s see… the schedule is quite full unfortunately. Polly is out of the question, but Athena is free if you want her. But if you’re one of those people that wants Daddy, I might be able to squeeze you in there somehow if I just-”

 

“Trucy, wait!” Athena shouts, startling Trucy a bit, “H-He’s not here for an attorney. Or… well not one for a trial. He needs to speak with Mr. Wright about something, though. I texted him earlier about it so he should know.”

 

“Oh, ok! I’ll go call him then!” Trucy exclaims as she runs over to the edge of the storage room, knowing her Daddy is at the veranda of the office since he went there when Trucy was in the storage room earlier. “Daddy! There’s someone here to see you!”

 

Ryuunosuke flinches a bit at Trucy’s loud voice as she returns to the main office of what appears to be the Wright Anything Agency. The office, in his honest opinion, is a total mess. There’s papers scattered all over the main desk and the coffee table. The shelves are filled with folders and what appears to be… magic props? However, deducing from the younger girl’s attire, with her British-style top hat and her colorful cape, that she must be a magician. There is a covered piano in the corner of the coffee table below some thin black, reflective box that’s suspended on the wall. It looks like a screen of some kind, but as to what it actually is, Ryuunosuke has no idea. He muses to himself that this mess is probably as bad as Sherlock’s mess back in 221B. At least his and Kazuma’s mess back in their attic room and office is an organized mess... of sorts.

 

Naruhodou ceases his study of the office as the younger girl approaches him again, with a hand outstretched towards him. 

 

“Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Trucy Wright! Ace magician here at the Wright Anything Agency! It’s nice to meet you!”

 

“Ah! I-I’m Ryuunosuke Naruhodou… um, Attorney at Law. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”

 

“Hey!” Athena exclaims as she turns towards Ryuunosuke. “You didn’t tell me you were an attorney! From your uniform, I thought you were a college student or something!”

“Ah… well, I technically haven’t finished university. I am studying law abroad in England with my friend and we simply decided to stay there to practice law together.”

 

“Oh that’s cool Narudie!! It’s fine if I can call you that right? Easier on the tongue. So is your friend a defense attorney too?” Trucy asks excitingly. 

 

“Uh.. Sure, you can call me that.” Ryuunosuke agrees, a little unsure as to how he feels having someone other than Iris call him that. But he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings since she reminds him so much of Iris and she is right about it being easier to say. “Yes, my friend actually got me to switch from English over to law after he saw my rising skills as an attorney. He was a prosecutor for a while though, but he’s returned to being a defense attorney, just as he has always wanted to be.”

 

“But if your friend wanted to be a defense attorney, why was he a prosecutor for a bit?” Athena asks curiously.

“Ah… It’s a long story...” Ryuunosuke notes with a small melancholy expression on his face that disappears pretty soon as to not worry Athena any more than he probably has. “But essentially, he realized that prosecuting was not what he wanted to do and so returned to being a defense attorney.”

 

“Hold it!”

 

Ryuunosuke and Trucy look at Athena in surprise as she realizes what she said and blushes in embarrassment.

 

“Oh, hehe... sorry about that! It's a habit, you know. I actually have a question for you Mr. Naruhodou, it’s just to satiate my curiosity. You said that you’re an exchange student from Japan studying and practicing law in England, right?” Ryuunosuke nods warily as Athena prepares the next part of her question. “If that’s the case, why are you here in LA? Normally college students can’t afford to travel for simple leisure and LA is an expensive city to live in. You told me before that you have no friends or family here. You are only here with your friend, but you two have lost each other, which is strange and dangerous for someone who seems to not recognize anything in this city. How is that possible?”

 

Ryuunosuke gulps as his hands start to shake from pure nervousness. He doesn’t know whether to tell them the truth or to come up with some sort of lie. However, Ryuunosuke can tell that Athena is a sharp person, so lying might not be the best option if he wants to keep her trust. But on the other hand, if he tells her the truth, she might not believe him and kick him back out on the streets. He needs all the help he can get to find Kazuma and make sure he is alright. Afterall, he doesn’t want another incident like the one on the SS Alaclair happening again or something much worse. 

 

Just as Ryuunosuke is about to tell a half truth half lie, he hears someone enter the office and perks up in surprise to see a man with a blue suit walk in holding a folder. Ryuunosuke notices that his hair is very spiky. It’s even more spiky than his own hair, but the man has more hair than him. His eyes also look strangely familiar as they widen in surprise. 

 

“Are you going to continue interrogating our guest or are you going to introduce him to me?”

 

Athena squeaks in surprise as she turns around to face her boss, Phoenix Wright. 

 

“Oh boss! Hehe, sorry about that! Boss, this is Mr. Ryuunosuke Naruhodou. Mr. Naruhodou, this is my boss, Mr. Phoenix Wright.”

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wright.”

 

“Likewise, Mr. Naruhodou.” 

 

They both shake hands as Athena and Trucy watch with rapt interest. 

 

“Huh, you know it’s funny Trucy. Looking at them together in person. They resemble each other even more…”

 

“Yeah you’re right! Narudie kinda looks like Daddy except not as old!”

 

“Hey I heard that, Truce!” Phoenix replies exasperatedly as Ryuunosuke shifts his eyes around nervously. 

 

“I’m not wrong though Daddy! You’re always complaining to Papa about your aching back!” 

 

As father and daughter get into a teasing argument, Ryuunosuke can’t help but ponder on Trucy’s last statement. Her “Papa?” Wouldn’t that be Mr. Wright? But she clearly differentiated him from Papa… Is Mr. Wright not her birth father? Or is this “Papa” her birth father? Unless she is like Iris and she has two fathers and uses different terms to differentiate them. But that probably isn’t it. A relationship like that isn’t legal where he is from and it’s possible the same applies here in America. After all, Ryuunosuke hasn’t heard of any place where two men or women in a romantic relationship is legal under the law, so it’s not possible her father also has that kind of relationship, right? But then again, this is 128 years into the future… Maybe it is legal in the future? Ryuunosuke only hopes that is the case. 

 

“Hold on, you said your name was Naruhodou, right?” Phoenix asks with an indecipherable look on his face.

 

“Hai! Uh… I mean, yes sir! Is there something wrong with my name?” Ryuunosuke asks apprehensively. 

 

“Oh not at all! Don’t mind me!” Phoenix laughs as he rubs the back of his neck in a nervous manner. “It’s just that for some reason I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before. But that’s not important right now. Athena explained the gist of your problem over text. So according to her, you have lost your friend and need our help finding him since you aren’t too familiar with LA. Am I right?” 

 

“Yes! That’s right, sir!” Ryuunosuke confirms confidently. 

 

“Also Boss, he needs a place to stay since he doesn’t know anyone here in LA, and I was thinking maybe he could stay here in the office. We have the sofa there!” Athena exclaims proudly.

 

“Hmm. That’s true, but there’s so much mess here. It’s not polite of us to make him stay in such a mess in the first place. Besides, did you not book a hotel when coming here Mr. Naruhodou?” 

 

“Hahaha… I’m afraid I forgot to book one?” Ryuunosuke laughs nervously as he uses his hand to rub the back of his neck nervously. 

 

From around the corner, Trucy watches both her Daddy and Ryuunosuke closely, noting eerily how many of their mannerisms are similar. It’s strange. It’s almost as if Ryuunosuke was related to her Daddy in some way… Related..?

 

“OH MY GOD I THINK I FIGURED IT OUT!!!” 

 

Everyone jumps in surprise at Trucy’s unexpected outburst.

 

“Wha- Trucy? What are you talking about?” Phoenix asks in shock.

 

“Hold on! Daddy I’ll be back!” Trucy shouts as she begins to run out of the office and towards the back. 

 

“Wait! Trucy! What are-” 

 

However, before Athena can finish her question, Trucy leaves the room, leaving everyone in shock and confusion as to what Trucy figured out. There is an awkward silence as Ryuunosuke tries to ponder what Trucy could have meant. Did she figure out where Kazuma was? He didn’t even mention anything to Phoenix, he was simply repeating what Athena had apparently “texted” him. What could she have figured out?

 

However, Ryuunosuke doesn’t have to wait too long for the answer as Trucy comes barging back into the office, this time, with what appears to be a picture frame in her hand. Everyone looks at her curiously as she runs over to her Daddy, her face filled with excitement and glee.

 

“Daddy Daddy! Look!! I found this picture in a box labeled ‘Great Grandpa’s Stuff’ in the storage room! Didn’t your mom send you that box?”

“Oh yeah, she did. I honestly kinda forgot about it, Truce.” Phoenix replies as he takes the framed photograph in his hands.

 

“Ok, so look here Daddy!! I know the photo is kind of old, but doesn’t this guy here look like Narudie?”

 

Phoenix looks closely at the photograph, specifically at the man Trucy pointed to. He starts to pale as he sees the clear similarities. The same face, hair, even his uniform… What is Ryuunosuke Naruhodou doing in a photograph that was found in a box from his family…? Phoenix nervously swallows as he peers up at Ryuunosuke, his face also appearing nervous and his eyes darting about very rapidly. 

 

“Um… Mr. Naruhodou? I-Is this… Is this you in the photo?” 

 

Ryuunosuke gently takes the photograph as he begins to examine it. However, not even a second later, all the color drains from his face and his hands begin to tremble fiercely. This warrants the attention of Athena, hoping that Ryuunosuke doesn’t have another panic attack on the same day. 

 

“Mr. Naruhodou, are you alr-”

 

“This…” Ryuunosuke whispers out shakingly, “It’s… HOW?! IT’S ME AND… Kazuma.. Susato-chan… Holmes-san… Iris-chan…” His voice starts to shake, his heart aching at how much he misses them. But he needs to stay strong. For Kazuma. “BUT HOW? WHY? WHY DO YOU HAVE A PICTURE OF….” Suddenly it all starts to click together, from Athena and Trucy’s comments about how similar he and Phoenix…

 

“So I was right!! You must be the Great Grandpa mentioned in the box I found this photo in! Although, you’d probably have to be Daddy’s great great grandpa based on how old that photo is, since it says 1900. But that explains why you and Daddy look so similar!! Wait a minute… if that’s the case… You must be a time traveler!!!”

 

Ryuunosuke warily looks over at Phoenix, who is shocked beyond words as he stares at who Trucy claims to be his great great grandfather… How is that even possible? However, now that he thinks about it… He remembers something his mother once told him… 

 

“Wait a minute! I remember where I’ve heard the name Naruhodou now!” Phoenix exclaims as everyone in the room perks up. “My mother once told me how our family immigrated here from Japan several generations ago! At one point, they adopted the name Wright to fit in better here, but the original family name, if I’m recalling this correctly, was Naruhodou!” 

 

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!!” Ryuunosuke shouts in pure disbelief as he recoils from the huge revelation and from his secret being exposed. He… honestly doesn’t know how to feel about meeting his supposedly great great grandson. Out of all the things to happen to him when traveling to the future, this had to happen. What an interesting turn of events indeed. 

 

“Whoa… That’s kinda crazy isn’t it?” Athena asks. “I mean, you’re meeting your ancestor, Boss!! That’s certainly something to record as having done in your life huh?”

 

“I guess so…” Phoenix responds dumbfounded. “You want to know something else I just realized? It’s Mr. Naruhodou’s first name, Ryuunosuke.”

 

“What about his name Daddy?” 

 

“Well, you see my full name is Phoenix Ryuichi Wright.”

 

“WHAAAAAT?! Daddy!! You didn’t tell me you were Japanese!” Trucy exclaims in shock.

 

“Haha.. well not really. I’m only part Japanese since I was born and raised here. However…” Phoenix turns to Ryuunosuke as he smiles.

I can speak a little bit of Japanese, not a lot though, so it’s a pleasure to meet you, great great grandpa.” Phoenix states in clean albeit rather choppy Japanese.

 

Ryuunosuke reels back in shock for a moment, but he smiles as he replies, “ It is also a pleasure to meet you, great great grandson. For someone who claims to not know a lot of Japanese, your Japanese is fairly decent.”

 

Both ancestor and descendent laugh as they both rub the back of their necks, with Phoenix barely understanding Ryuunosuke’s fancier Japanese, only catching a few words such as the greeting and calling him great great grandson. 

 

“Alright, let’s not call each other that again, makes me feel weird since right now, I’m technically older than you.” Phoenix states.

 

“Agreed.” Ryuunosuke replies back.

 

Trucy and Athena watch in wonder as they witness Phoenix Wright himself meet his ancestor. They honestly never thought anything like this was possible or could happen but it did. Athena chuckles to herself as everything she thought was weird about Ryuunosuke starts to make sense: the confusion over where he was, not knowing about cell phones or texting, and being surprised at seeing a car. No wonder he seemed so hesitant to answer her question from earlier as to how he got here. She probably wouldn’t have believed him at first if he stated that he time traveled from the past and arrived at Los Angeles. 

 

Athena’s thoughts are interrupted as she hears a clap from her boss, signifying that it is time to get down to business. 

 

“Alright, Mr. Naruhodou… or would you prefer I call you by something else?”

 

“No, Mr. Naruhodou is fine. I’d prefer that over great great grandpa.” 

 

“Perfectly understandable,” Phoenix replies, “Alright. So first we need to figure out how to find your friend, which is the young man on the left of the picture. Well, Los Angeles is a huge city, so trekking by foot would probably not work out. We would tire ourselves out very quickly.” 

 

“Not to mention, we don’t have any leads as to where he could be.” Athena adds.

 

“Hold it!” Ryuunosuke shouts out of nowhere. He lowers his hand as he laughs in embarrassment. “Earlier today, Cykes-san mentioned that you have connections to the police. Can’t you use that to possibly find out where Asougi might be?”

 

“Well, we can. It will be kind of hard since we have nothing but this photograph to give them a lead. However-”

 

“Wait a minute Daddy! How about you take a picture of Asougi and send it to Papa so then he can show the police and tell them to keep an eye out for him?” 

 

“Great minds think alike, huh Truce!” Phoenix grins as he ruffles his daughter’s hair, making her squeal with laughter. “Yeah, I was thinking about doing that too!”

 

There it was again. This “Papa” Trucy mentioned. Ryuunosuke can’t help the burning desire to know who this supposedly other father of Trucy is and what his relation is to Phoenix.

 

“Um… I really don’t mean to pry, but if I may ask, who is this ‘Papa’ you’re referring to, Trucy-chan? Is he your biological father and does he work with the police force?”

 

“Oh! My Papa’s amazing! His name is Miles Edgeworth! And no, he’s not my dad biologically, but he’s still my Papa one and the same! And actually he’s a prosecutor!”

“The Chief Prosecutor to be exact!” Athena chimes in, “He also happens to be my Boss’s nerdy husband who comes by almost everyday to get all handsy with him nonstop like they’re teenagers or something.”

 

“WHA- Athena!!” Phoenix shouts in shock, “That was one time! Also please don’t say that in front of Trucy of all people or even my ancestor!”

 

However Ryuunosuke isn’t paying any attention as he hears shocking words to his ears. Phoenix Wright has a husband. He is married to a man, and they have a daughter who seems to love them both very much. And even his coworker knows about it as she playfully teases him. Sure, he knows that Sherlock and Professor Mikotoba recently got married, but they had to do so in private and outside of the law. Only he, Kazuma, Susato, Iris, and Gina know about it. Is this how the future is like? Is it really possible to…?

 

“Hey Narudie, what’s wrong?! You’re crying! Did ‘Thena or Daddy say something?” Trucy asks worriedly. 

 

Ryuunosuke doesn’t even realize he’s tearing up as he swipes the back of his hand against his cheeks, a teary laugh coming out of his mouth. 

 

“No no...it’s just… it’s legal then? Two men or women can legally marry in this future? If so, I’m just so… extremely happy!”

 

Ryuunosuke laughs as more tears fall down his face, staining them, but he could care less. He then feels two strong arms wrap around him and sees Trucy hugging him tightly. He chuckles as he returns the hug, seeing more of Iris in Trucy and feeling happy. Athena and Phoenix give Ryuunosuke warm smiles as they each pat one of his shoulders. 

 

“That’s right… back in your time it would be illegal… But yes, it’s legal now in this day and age.” Phoenix responds warmly and proudly. “If you don’t mind me asking, this friend of yours, Asougi, are the two of you…?”

 

“Hehehe… yes.” Ryuunosuke responds happily as a blush starts to appear on his face, but he’s feeling so giddy he doesn’t let it bother him. “He’s my lover. We’ve been dating for… two years now, I believe.” 

 

“That’s why you were panicking about losing him back when I found you at the park…” Athena notes aloud, a melancholy smile on her face. She then pumps her fist as a determined look overtakes her previous expression. “Alright! Well, we just have to get these two lovebirds back together then! Boss, did you send the info to Mr. Edgeworth?”

 

“Yup! Just sent it. He said that he’ll keep an eye out so he may be arriving home later today, Truce. Hopefully they can find him soon.” Phoenix responds, “Anyways it’s almost 5 so it’s about time I close up the office. By the way Mr. Naruhodou, Athena mentioned that you have no place to stay, am I correct?” 

 

Ryuunosuke nods solemnly as he remembers that somewhat important fact.

 

“Well, our place is pretty spacy due to my husband and we have several guest rooms, so you and your boyfriend are more than welcome to stay there as long as you need to. You don’t have a problem with that, Truce?”

 

“Not at all, Daddy!! I can’t wait to show Narudie and Asougi around!” Trucy exclaims with barely contained excitement.

 

“Ah… Thank you so much Wright-san. Ack! Will your husband be alright with that? I don’t want to feel like I’m intruding…”

 

“Don’t worry about it. He’ll be fine with it. We’ve had plenty of guests over before. Now that I’ve explained you and your situation to him, he’ll know who you and your friend are so it won’t surprise him out of nowhere.” 

 

“Thank you again so much Wright-san! I am in your debt.” Ryuunosuke states as he bows.

 

“Nah, nonsense! It’s our duty here at the Wright Anything Agency to help those in need. Besides, you’re technically my family and we don’t leave family behind! Now let’s head on out, guys!”

 

Ryuunosuke thanks whatever god there is as he follows Phoenix and Trucy out to the bus stop to catch the next bus while Athena waves goodbye and heads the opposite direction. He also prays to that same god to keep Kazuma safe until Phoenix’s husband is able to find him and bring him back safe and sound.

 


 

He groans as he starts to regain consciousness and finally wakes up, rubbing his head to ease some of the null pain. 

 

He is surrounded by some thick bushes and notices that it isn’t that bright outside. He rubs his eyes and looks upwards, seeing the sun setting confirming that it is about evening time. He notices the stuffed cat on the ground close to where he was laying. He picks it up and places it in his pocket, which is thankfully big enough to hold the small toy. However, he suddenly comes to the realization that the last person who was holding the cat was Ryuunosuke…

 

Kazuma’s face starts to pale and his eyes widen in fear as he suddenly bolts up, his hand on his trusty katana, Karuma, as he calls out for his boyfriend, hoping he simply fell nearby. However, when no one answers to his calls, he decides to move out of the bushes he is in and he finds himself next to a small playground that’s next to a huge building. He runs over to the huge building, as he reads that it is a courthouse. It certainly is very huge, much like the one in London. However, he cannot get distracted by future architecture, he needs to find Ryuunosuke. 

 

He starts to panic as he begins to imagine the worst possible scenarios. What if Ryuunosuke is completely lost, screaming out for him and not a single soul helping him? What if someone came to mug Ryuunosuke, taking advantage of him being lost and confused, and Kazuma wasn’t there to protect him? What if Ryuunosuke is hurt and he wasn’t there to treat his injuries? What if- 

 

No. He can’t let himself drown in his worries. He needs to trust that Ryuunosuke is fine. However, that’s easier said than done as Kazuma worriedly runs down the sidewalk, grabbing the attention of the few pedestrians as he cries out for his friend. 

 

As he gets further and further from the courthouse, Kazuma starts to realize something is strange about this futuristic London. For starters, all the streets are completely different than the ones Kazuma is familiar with. The names are completely foreign to him and the sky isn’t as smoggy as the London he’s come to know. Not only that, but the people here sound different. The English accents he’s heard are no longer present. Do the English end up changing their accents in the future? 

 

Before Kazuma can note other differences, he hears two people arguing as he walks by an alleyway. His curiosity gets the better of him and he slowly approaches the alleyway, making sure to hide himself against the wall. He peeks and sees a young woman with long brown hair in a white lab coat. She has some pink glasses on top of her head and she looks angry but scared as a slimy looking man with greasy blond hair and what appears to be ripped blue pants tries to advance on her. 

 

“Come on sweetheart~ I just wanna chat, ya know? I ain’t asking for much..”

 

“I’m warning you, I have police connections, so back off, creep!” The woman shouts as she grabs her wrist. 

 

“Yeah yeah that’s what they all say. Look, I’m just asking for a couple of minutes with you, that’s all sweetheart~”

 

“And I say no, so fuck off!”

 

The woman kicks the man on the knee as she attempts to flee from him. However the man is able to recover quickly as he grabs the woman by her wrist and then has her in a headlock. He then pulls out a switchblade as he angles it towards her face. The woman is paralyzed in fear as he scowls at her. 

 

“Hey now, that’s no way a lady should speak. Now you listen to me,” the man growls out, the woman tensing under him, her eyes bulging with pure fear, “You’re gonna come spend some time with me, otherwise my little friend here is gonna mess up your pretty little face.”

 

Kazuma clenches his fists in pure anger as he steps out from his hiding spot, not caring about hiding anymore as the woman’s life is in danger. 

 

“Hey! Let her go right this instant!” Kazuma yells, his hands hovering over Karuma as both parties turn around in surprise at the new voice. 

 

“What the… get lost, punk! Mind your own damn business!” 

 

“I’m warning you. Let her go or you will have to deal with me!”

 

“Hah!” The man laughs mockingly, “And what’re ya gonna do, huh? Punch me with your puny tiny ass hands?”

 

Kazuma smirks as he gets into his fighting stance. “Oh I’ll do much more than you deserve, you disgusting excuse of a man!”

 

The man lets go of the woman as she falls to the floor coughing. He slowly approaches Kazuma as he points the switchblade towards him. 

 

“Well, guess I gotta deal with the trash first!” 

 

The man starts running towards Kazuma as he attempts to thrust the switchblade at him. However, Kazuma dodges quickly as he grabs the man by the waist and tosses him hard to the ground. The man groans in pain as Kazuma walks over smirking at him. However, Kazuma isn’t quick enough as the man springs back up in a flash and swings his switchblade upwards, leaving a cut on the back of Kazuma’s hand as he had it in front of him expecting to block a punch. Kazuma yelps in pain as he angrily takes out Karuma. The man’s eyes widen in surprise but before he can do anything, Kazuma swipes Karuma and the man lets out a scream as the katana leaves a long cut on his leg, enough to immobilize him from the pain, but not hard or deep enough to cut his leg off. The man falls down as he clutches his leg while Kazuma kicks the switchblade far away so that the man won’t be able to reach it. Kazuma stands over the man as he glares at him with the intensity of a hawk. 

 

“I hope this teaches you a lesson, you utter disgrace!” Kazuma yells as the man covers his head in fear. Before Kazuma can celebrate his small victory, though, he hears the woman standing up and he rushes over to her. 

 

“Are you alright, miss? He didn’t hurt you did he?”

 

“No, I’m fine, thankfully. Thank you so much, sir. Oh my god, your hand! It’s bleeding!” The woman reaches into her purse and pulls out some gauze as she takes Kazuma’s hand and wraps it. “I don’t have any antibiotic cream for your wound, but this should help stop the bleeding for now.”

 

“I almost forgot about my hand. Thank you very much, miss-”

 

However, Kazuma is interrupted by the sound of police cars arriving at the alley and policemen approaching them. They spot the injured man and the girl nods towards them as they proceed to handcuff him. Suddenly a big looking man in a green coat appears, his eyes searching around frantically until he sees the woman. He sighs in relief as he approaches her and grabs her shoulders.

 

“Ema! Pal! Thank goodness you’re ok!” The man exclaims happily. 

 

“Thanks Detective Gumshoe! I’m glad that you’re here!” Ema replies.

 

Kazuma watches as the two people give a quick hug before turning back to him. 

 

“Hey pal, thanks for protecting Ema here. I nearly had a heart attack when she sent out that emergency call to us. I’m Detective Dick Gumshoe by the way!” 

 

“And I’m Ema Skye, a forensic scientist. Thanks again for helping me. I thought I could’ve handled that creep on my own, but I guess I underestimated him.” 

 

“It’s no problem! My name is Kazuma Asougi. By the way, how did you call Detective Gumshoe to let him know you were in danger? There isn’t a single telephone nearby.”

 

“Oh! I used my smartwatch! See? I just press this little red call button on the screen and it calls my two emergency contacts just like that! Pretty cool don’t you think?” 

 

“Y-Yeah, very interesting indeed…” Asougi replies in shock. Watches can make phone calls in the future? How is that even possible? Do they not tell the time anymore? Also how does one speak through a watch? There’s no mouthpiece! Before Kazuma can ask more about this... smartwatch Ema has, Gumshoe approaches him with a quizzical look on his face. 

 

“Excuse me pal, I just wanna confirm, but you said your name was Kazuma Asougi right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right. Why do you ask?” Kazuma asks warily. 

 

“OHHHH! Thank god I found you!! Wow you look exactly like the photo Mr. Edgeworth sent me too!” 

 

“Wait what?! What are you talking about? What’s going on?!” Kazuma demands as he instinctively places his hands on top of Karuma.

 

“Woah hey, calm down pal,” Gumshoe states as he raises his hands up in a surrendering position so as to calm down Kazuma, “Easy on the sword which, by the way, is illegal to carry around like that out here, but since you seemed to use it for self defense and to help Ema, I’ll let it slide this one time. Anyways, I was asked by my boss, Mr. Edgeworth, to look for you. Apparently he said that his husband, Mr. Wright, asked him to tell the police, which includes me, to find you since Mr. Wright seems to have found your friend and-”

 

“Wait, he’s found Ryuunosuke?! How is he?! Is he alright?!” Kazuma asks frantically, worried again about Ryuunosuke’s safety. 

 

“Don’t worry pal. From what I heard, he seems to be fine, just worried about you. Which is why Mr. Wright asked Mr. Edgeworth to tell us to look for you.”

 

“And I’m glad you found him, Detective Gumshoe.”

 

All three heads turn around to the new voice and Kazuma sees a man with silver hair appear. He’s wearing a magenta colored suit with a cravat and he has glasses on. However, he seems to be fairly young for someone with silver hair. He has a dignified aura but he seems nice as his face softens slightly at seeing the woman, Miss Ema Skye, behind him.

 

“Mr. Edgeworth!” Ema exclaims as she runs over to who Kazuma hears is this “Mr. Edgeworth” Detective Gumshoe was talking about earlier. He gently pats her back as he asks her if she is alright, since he also received her emergency call. Ema nods as she moves to the side while Mr. Edgeworth walks over to Kazuma. 

 

“So you must be Kazuma Asougi I presume?” 

 

Kazuma nods in confirmation as he sees Mr. Edgeworth smile and extend his hand outwards.

 

“I’m Miles Edgeworth, Chief Prosecutor of Los Angeles. A pleasure to meet you.”

 

“A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Edgeworth.” Kazuma responds as he shakes his hand. So he’s a prosecutor, the Chief Prosecutor nonetheless. Kazuma sours as he is quickly reminded of van Zieks for a second, the cravat on Mile’s neck not helping in that matter. However, Miles Edgeworth seems to be more open and kind than van Zieks and he doesn’t seem irritated at him simply being Japanese in England, so he should try to give him a chance. Speaking of England… “Wait... What do you mean Los Angeles?”

 

“Ah… My husband provided me a bit of background as to you and your friend’s situation, which I will ask about in the car. I’ll be taking you to my house, where your friend is currently waiting for you. Now if you’ll excuse me Detective Gumshoe and Miss Skye, we must be heading now. Thank you again Detective and stay safe, Miss Skye.” Miles states as he quickly leads Kazuma to his fancy sports car. Gumshoe and Ema wave goodbye as Kazuma follows Miles, eager to reunite with Ryuunosuke.

 

He gapes as he sees and enters the car. It looks very strange and futuristic compared to the one he saw at Sherlock and Professor Mikotoba’s wedding back a few months ago in his time. The design is sleek, skinny, and smooth but also a bit sharp at the same time. As he enters the passenger’s side, the seats are very comfortable, the cushion providing good comfort and Asougi gapes at the dashboard and all of the many buttons located on it. He also gapes at how future cars have roofs, which was one thing Kazuma was upset about when seeing Sherlock and Professor in the car they rode in. 

 

As they start heading out on the busy Los Angeles roads, Kazuma clasps his hands in both excitement and nervousness. He is dying to see his boyfriend and to hold him after being separated from him all this time. However he is also a bit nervous about meeting Miles’s family and trying to figure out how to get back to his time. 

 

He pushes those thoughts away though as they head to where home is waiting for both of them in different ways.

Notes:

AAAAAA I hope y'all enjoyed this!! I finally got to achieve my goal of writing Phoenix and Ryuunosuke meeting!! This was so much fun to write and I can't wait to get the next chapter out soon!

Anyways as always, kudos/comments are greatly appreciated!

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Notes:

WOOOO! Here's chapter 3! Sorry for the longer wait, this chapter was a bit harder to write for some reason lol I'm not sure why, but here it is, so I hope you enjoy it! I enjoyed writing it, even if it was a little harder than the previous two.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Miles Edgeworth has had his fair share of crazy days. Knowing Phoenix Wright tends to bring along the most bizarre days Miles has experienced. Hell, he has the most… interesting group of prosecutors working under him, being the Chief Prosecutor and all. However, this day is sure to be the craziest one yet.

 

He was busy filling out paperwork earlier when he received a text from his husband. Normally, Phoenix tends to send him texts during his lunch break when he can’t visit the WAA or call him, so a text during the middle of work is a bit out of the ordinary. Worried something might have happened, he stops to check his cell phone. What he reads would be unbelievable if it were someone else sending him this text of help. Apparently, Phoenix Wright’s ancestor time traveled to the present day, and is looking for his friend, who got separated from him as they arrived. And now, Phoenix is asking him if he can get the police to be on the lookout for the man in the photo Phoenix sent. Miles has an incredible amount of questions, but Phoenix wouldn’t text him during work if this were a minor issue. He decides to go with the little bit of information that Phoenix provided him and he tells the police and main detectives working there to keep an eye out and to bring this Kazuma Asougi to him when they do find him.

 

Lucky for Miles, though, he now has Kazuma Asougi in the passenger seat of his car as he stares forward, deceivingly calm. But, Miles can see from the corner of his eye that Kazuma is gripping the edge of the seat and subtly biting his lip. He can understand, considering from Kazuma’s point of view, some strange man told him that his spouse has his friend at his house and to come inside his car so he can take him there. Miles is honestly very surprised that Kazuma came along with no hesitation, but seeing how strongly he reacted to hearing about his friend, he probably wants to reunite with him as soon as possible. He isn’t surprised, this man from the 20th century is in a different time and possibly even a different location. It’s only natural that he would want to be with his friend as reassurance that he wasn’t stranded here alone.

 

As the traffic starts to clear out a bit, the sunset in the distance giving the interior of the car a warm glow, Miles clears his throat as Kazuma is startled out of his thoughts and stands up a bit straighter than before. 

 

“I just want to thank you again for helping Miss Skye back there. Normally, she is capable of handling herself and I fully trust her in that regard. But, she was definitely in a much more dangerous situation than normal so I thank you for your help. However, I should warn you that carrying a sword around in the open like that is illegal here in LA.” 

 

“Ah… You’re welcome.” Kazuma states politely albeit a bit nervously. “I was warned by the Detective earlier about my sword. I apologize about that. If you know about the situation my friend and I are in, hopefully you will understand.” 

 

Miles smiles reassuringly as he nods. “Yes, I understand. I’m sure Detective Gumshoe understood at some level as well, even though he is unaware of your circumstance. Now if you don’t mind me asking, my husband only told me a vague summary of your situation so I would like to hear from you as to how you and your friend, who just so happens to be my husband’s ancestor, ended up in this situation. I have to admit you’ve garnered my curiosity on the matter.”

 

Kazuma’s eyes widen in surprise at hearing that Ryuunosuke is Miles’s husband’s ancestor. He… doesn’t know if this is all fate that Ryuunosuke would meet his descendent, but he honestly doesn’t find himself that surprised. Kazuma tenses as he tries to figure out how to explain this entire situation. He is afraid that Miles won’t believe him. However, he seems to be nice and he doesn’t seem to be judging him but is simply curious as he stated a few seconds ago. It wouldn’t hurt to tell him a bit. He is taking him to his boyfriend, if everything he’s stated before is true.

 

“Well, it’s rather complicated, but… it essentially, a friend of ours created a time machine and my friend and I were asked to be test subjects to ensure that the machine worked properly. We were supposed to be sent to the year 2001 in London, but something went wrong while we were being transported. It sounded like the machine broke down, but, whatever happened, we were sent to the wrong location, wrong time, and to make matters worse, we were separated from each other.”

 

“I’m… very sorry to hear that,” Miles states, “Your friend... they must be very smart to have invented a time machine. Are they an inventor? Surely they have a way to fix it.”

 

“My friend… She is actually a medical doctor, but she likes to make her own inventions every now and then. The few times I’ve seen her other inventions, they’ve worked fairly well with only minor adjustments being made. This is the first time I’ve seen one of her inventions actually break down. The last thing I heard before I was transported here was her screaming in utter fear and horror… I hope she is alright…”

 

Kazuma’s face grimaces as he thinks about Iris and how terrified she sounded. He hopes he never has to hear that horrible scream from her ever again.

 

“You trust your friend, don’t you?” Miles asks out of the blue, startling Kazuma slightly. 

 

“Of course I do!”

 

“Well…. Then have some faith and trust that she will find a way to fix her machine and bring you and your friend back. The important thing is to have trust in those that are closest to you and to believe in them, even when all hope seems lost. I learned that from my husband and honestly, without him… I don’t know where I would be in life right now.” Miles states with a fond smile as his eyes slightly crinkle with love. 

 

Kazuma’s eyes widen as he hears this “husband” of Miles again. Does he really mean…?

 

“Ah Mr. Edgeworth sir. I hope you don’t mind me asking, but could you tell me a bit about your husband? What is he like?”

 

“Ahh…” Miles contains the urge to gush excessively about Phoenix as he simply smiles warmly at the chance of being able to talk about him. “His name is Phoenix Wright and… he’s… honestly one of the greatest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. I am very grateful and lucky to have him and he’s saved me before. Honestly, without him…. I would probably still be in jail and have my eyes closed from the truth. I truly am so happy to be able to have him and for us to raise a beautiful daughter together.”

 

Kazuma is instantly reminded of Ryuunosuke as he hears Miles describe Phoenix with such tenderness and love in his tone of voice. Ryuunosuke is his partner, his light, and he truly is so lucky to have him by his side. If Ryuunosuke wasn’t here, he would have spiraled down a much darker path than the one he was forced into. Ryuunosuke saved him and stayed with him, even when he had all the right to leave him. He wonders for the briefest moment if he would act like this if he and Ryuu were….

 

“So you two are married then? How did you do it? Was it too hard to host the wedding?”

 

Miles’s eyes widen in surprise at Kazuma’s question. Why is he so interested how he and Phoenix married? Unless…

 

“Right… If I recall correctly, you and your friend come from the early 1900s where it is illegal for two people of the same sex to wed. Well, I doubt anything would happen if I told you this, but here, it is legal for two people of the same sex to legally marry. So Phoenix and I simply went to the courthouse and signed the legal documents. We did host an actual wedding a few months later though.”

 

Kazuma’s eyes widen and shine with happiness and relief at hearing Miles’s answer. Even if it may not be legal in his time, he’s so happy to hear that changes in the future. His headband flutters a bit faster as Kazuma thinks about Ryuunosuke, hoping that one day, he will be able to have the privilege to call Ryuunosuke his husband.

 

Miles is startled by the flowing headband but decides not to question it. However, he can see from the corner of his eye that Kazuma is overjoyed at that small piece of information that he told him. He can clearly deduce that Kazuma and his friend are more than just friends and he hopes that they will be able to accomplish what he and Phoenix did. Although that leaves Miles questioning how Phoenix would come into existence if Ryuunosuke is his ancestor. He pushes that question away as he pulls up to the suburbs and slows the car down a bit. 

 

“Ah, we’re almost home. Pardon me for just a second, Mr. Asougi.”

Before Kazuma can ask what Miles is apologizing for, he sees Miles reach out towards the dashboard in front of them. He says “Hey Siri” as a screen on the dashboard pulls up with what appears to be messages. He then hears Miles tell this Siri to text(?) someone named Trucy that they are approaching home. Kazuma is startled even more when this machine named Siri responds back to Miles and sends this message to its recipient. Just how much has technology advanced that machines now have names and can send messages to anyone with just a simple command? Are they self aware? Can these machines now think like humans and do simple tasks for them? As much as the concept sounds cool initially, Kazuma isn’t so sure that having machines this smart is a good idea. Or maybe he’s simply being paranoid that these kinds of robots exist in the future. He pushes away those thoughts as they approach a fairly big house, the butterflies in Kazuma’s stomach swirling around fiercely as he thinks about seeing Ryuunosuke again.

 


 

The house is much bigger inside and pretty spacey too. He’s only walked through the main entrance of the house, but there is a wide space with two corridors on both the right and left side. There is a set of stairs in front of the main entrance that probably leads to some more rooms. Past the entrance, Ryuunosuke sees a kitchen that is connected with the living room, with a dining table separating the two rooms. Ryuunosuke turns his head around from where he is sitting on the sofa in the living room. There is a clear view of the kitchen from his position as he notices Phoenix looking for something in there. From his right, Trucy is showing him the many different features of her portable telephone or “cellphone” as everyone here seems to call it. He isn’t sure why it is called that. Is it made of cells?

 

His thoughts are interrupted as Trucy grabs his attention to show him what is supposed to be a camera in her cellphone. 

 

“How do you even fit an entire camera into a small device such as this? And two of them nonetheless?!”

 

“I dunno,” Trucy shrugs, “But they were able to! Here, let me take a selfie of us!” 

 

Before Ryuunosuke can say anything, Trucy taps the screen and then hands the phone to him so he can see this “selfie” she took, which he assumes is a photograph of oneself, judging how he and Trucy are in the photograph. However, that isn’t what surprises him. The photograph is all in color, which amazes Ryuunosuke as the colors appear bright and accurate as to how they look. Not only that, but the picture was taken super quickly, as fast as the snap of a finger. Even in his time, with the creation of box cameras that created quick pictures, he still had to wait a few seconds to ensure that he didn’t mess up the photograph. Ryuunosuke holds the phone gently as he continues to gape at the photograph in wonder and amazement. He wonders if he can ask Trucy to let him try this with Kazuma at some point. 

 

“So what do you think? Pretty cool huh? There’s so much more stuff that my cell phone can do, you know!” Trucy exclaims excitingly.

 

“Really?! How much can it do exactly?”

 

“Oh, a lot! It would probably take me awhile to show you literally everything, but I can show you the most basic things it can do!”

 

Before Ryuunosuke can ask, Phoenix appears in the living room holding a folded piece of paper.

 

“Truce, sweetie. I know you mean well, but maybe refrain from exposing Naruhodou here to too much modern technology. We don’t know if that will have any impact on the past, present, or even the future.” 

 

“Aww come on Daddy… I only showed Narudie the camera and the photo album on my phone. It’s not like I’m telling him any important historical events like the moon landing.”

 

“Wait… The WHAT?!”

 

“ANYWAYS! Naruhodou! We’re going to order take out for dinner, since my daughter refuses to let me cook you something, and I was wondering what kind of pizza you and Mr. Asougi would like, since I’m assuming Trucy wants her usual order, right?”

 

“Yup! Pizza is definitely better than Daddy’s cooking!”

 

“Trucy… you’ve had my cooking for 7 years, it’s not that bad.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll admit it’s improved over the years, you haven’t burned as many dishes as before, but Papa’s cooking is still much better! Besides, you don’t want to let down your ancestor with your average cooking Daddy! He deserves much better! Have you eaten pizza before, Narudie? If so, then you’ll probably agree that pizza is way better than Daddy’s cooking!”

 

Ryuunosuke only remembers eating pizza once, and it was when Asougi took him out to a new, fancy Italian restaurant after they won a huge case. Asougi had been saving up to take him out since at the time, they hadn’t been able to go on a date due to a sudden influx of clients coming to them for their help. They weren’t complaining. Asougi was able to get the money from those cases, but they did miss having a bit more time to spend together outside of work. 

 

“Yes I have, only once though…”

 

“That’s quite alright, do you want any toppings on your pizza?” Phoenix asks as he takes out his own cellphone to call the pizza place. 

 

“Umm…” Ryuunosuke stumbles as he tries to figure out if he would want any toppings. Back at the restaurant, they only had one kind of pizza. He didn’t even know people put other ingredients on a pizza. “A margherita one is fine, I suppose?”

 

“Alright then. Ah! Yes, good evening! I’ll have a medium cheese, a small meat lover, and a medium pizza, half Hawaiian, half spinach…. Yes, this is all to go, how long will it take to get here?.... 15 to 20 minutes? Alright that sounds good, thank you very much!” Phoenix hangs up as he places the phone in his pocket and turns around to Ryuunosuke and Trucy with a smile. 

 

“Food should be here by the time Miles and Mr. Asougi arrive!”

 

“Wait, they are going to deliver the food here in only 15 to 20 minutes?! How is that even possible?”

 

“That’s take out food for you! Pretty convenient, isn’t it?” Trucy asks. 

 

Ryuunosuke only nods his head in amazement that the future has the option for food to be delivered already cooked to one’s house in only a couple of minutes. Considering his love of food, he truly is impressed at the convenience and hopes he doesn’t get too attached to it before he has to go back to his time.

 

“So Narudie! Since Papa and Asougi are almost here, could you tell us a bit about him? What is he like? You only said back at the office that he was a defense attorney like you.”

 

Ryuunosuke is taken aback by the innocent question for a second, but he relaxes and smiles as he thinks about all of the amazing qualities that Kazuma has. He honestly could talk about his boyfriend all day. 

 

“Kazuma… He really is an amazing person, and I’m so lucky to be his closest friend and his lover. He and I met through a speech competition in university where, long story short, he messed up on his speech due to a tongue twister while I performed my speech successfully. Afterwards, he came up to me asking me how I was able to speak so clearly, and I told him I practiced tongue twisters as a hobby. We became friends and since then, we’ve always spent time together. Then one day, I confessed my feelings to him through a poem. Hehe.. I can still remember that day too. My palms were so sweaty and I was shaking so much as I gave him the poem. I was too scared to confess my feelings out loud, so I wrote them down instead. But I was so scared that he wouldn’t feel the same way, or that he would stop being my friend simply because I liked him more than a friend. When he finished reading it, he was speechless and hugged me, saying that he felt the same, and we started dating!” 

 

Ryuunosuke takes a shaky, but excited breath as he continues, with Trucy and Phoenix listening with their utmost attention.

 

“A year later, Kazuma was approved to study law abroad in England and at the same time, I wound up getting accused for a crime I didn’t commit. Kazuma was to be my attorney, but I soon learned that if he were to lose the case, his trip would be cancelled, so I ended up defending myself and I won! We then embarked to London, however…” 

 

Suddenly, Ryuunosuke’s entire demeanor changes as his face is clouded with what appears to be grief, but almost like an old grief that only serves to bring bad memories rather than a permanent kind of grief. 

 

“Due to an accident, Kazuma was assumed dead for a year and again, I was accused of murder, but this time, of my own boyfriend. I was able to prove my innocence once again, but I had lost my closest friend, my partner, my lover… However, Kazuma didn’t die and we met again a year later. Kazuma had been through….  a lot and had changed, such as becoming a prosecutor. The whole story is rather complicated, and I would rather not go into details unless Kazuma is fine with it, but we eventually got back together and became lovers again after being separated for so long. Kazuma went back to being a defense attorney and we decided to stay in London as exchange students, studying and practicing law there. Even though we both went through some very rough patches at first, I couldn’t be any happier than I already am at having him by my side again, both as an attorney, and as my boyfriend. And now I can’t wait to see him again.”

 

“Oh my god… That is so sweet!! You two really are made for each other, right Daddy?”

 

However, when Ryuunosuke and Trucy look up at Phoenix, his eyes are sparkling with unshed tears. 

 

“Daddy! What’s wrong? Did Narudie say something?”

 

“Oh no, I am so sorry Wright-san! I didn’t mean to make you upset! I-”

 

“No no, it’s ok!” Phoenix reassures as he sniffs a bit, pushing back his tears. “It’s just… I was reminded of how I met Miles and… it’s so funny how many parts of your story were similar as to how I met my husband and the hardships we went through before we could finally get together and I… Sorry, I guess I get kinda sentimental thinking about it.”

 

Trucy stands up on the couch as he wraps her arms around Phoenix’s neck, knowing well what her Daddy is referring to, considering she’s heard him tell the story of how he and her Papa met, and those seven long years she had to live without her Papa.

 

Phoenix hugs her tightly in response as he strokes her hair, whispering “my light” ever so gently and holding her so lovingly. 

 

Ryuunosuke averts his eyes to give them some privacy, but he feels his heart swell at seeing his descendant with a loving daughter and a husband after seeing his reaction to his and Kazuma’s brief story. He thinks back to their small family back in Baker Street as his heart experiences a sharp pang for them. He also wonders if he and Kazuma will be able to start a loving family someday like Phoenix did with Trucy and his husband. However, that would imply he and Kazuma…

 

Suddenly a sharp pinging noise startles everyone out of the tender, loving moment as Trucy lets go of the hug with her Daddy and whips out her phone. She reads over a text she received and squeals as she rushes over to the main entrance of the house. Phoenix huffs out a gentle laugh, knowing who texted his daughter without even reading the text message. 

 

“What is Trucy-chan happy about, Wright-san?” 

 

“Her Papa must be here already, which means that Mr. Asougi must be here too.”

 

Ryuunosuke gulps in both excitement and anticipation as he approaches the main entrance of the house. He stays back next to the stairs, feeling shy. Why is he feeling shy all of a sudden? He’s not so sure. Perhaps it’s the fact that he and Kazuma have been separated from each other in a foreign land and time, and he finally gets to see him again? Or maybe because he will finally meet Phoenix’s husband? Either way, Ryuunosuke’s thoughts are interrupted as he hears the front door open and sees who he presumes to be Phoenix’s husband enter the house. He is very handsome, Ryuunosuke will admit. He has a sort of dignified and composed aura. However, he also seems gentle and kind as he smiles lovingly at his daughter. He reminds Ryuunosuke so much of Asougi. 

 

“Papa!! Welcome home!” Trucy exclaims as she wraps Miles in a tight hug. Miles stumbles backwards in surprise but then chuckles as he returns the hug back just as tightly.

 

“Hello, Trucy dear. How are you?” Miles asks as he leans his head down to press a soft kiss on top of Trucy’s head. She giggles as she lets go of the hug and beams happily. 

 

“I’m doing great Papa! Happy to have you home, as always!”

 

“Hehe… Well I’m glad to hear that.” Miles then turns his head around to the outside of the door, making a beckoning motion with his hand. “Don’t be shy, Mr. Asougi. Please, come in.”

 

Ryuunosuke’s breath leaves him as he sees him enter the house. Kazuma Asougi is still just as gallant and breathtaking as always. He seems to be fine physically and soon his soft, kind eyes meet Ryuunosuke’s which finally makes the dam break. The welled up tears he tried to contain start spilling and his lips quiver as he rushes over to Kazuma, calling out his name in both happiness and relief. Kazuma smiles tearfully, catching Ryuunosuke as he sobs in his arms, his body shaking tremendously as his legs give out. Kazuma crouches down and holds onto Ryuunosuke as tight as he can, burying his face in his crying boyfriend’s hair as he shushes him gently while using his hands to rub soothing circles on his back.

 

“Shh… Ryuu.. It’s me. It’s ok, I’m right here. I’m right here, love.”

 

Ryuunosuke cries even harder at hearing the affectionate pet name, since Kazuma uses them sparingly. Kazuma continues to hold him, peppering his head with sweet kisses and whispering soft reassurances that he is right here. After Ryuunosuke seems to have calmed down a bit, Kazuma releases him from the hug and cups his cheeks, using his thumbs as he gently wipes away the tear stains as best as he can. His heart beats even quicker when Ryuunosuke leans into his touch, and he leans forward and leaves a quick peck on the lips as he hoists both of them up from the floor. 

 

“Ack! Kazuma! Your hand! What happened?!” Ryuunosuke exclaims as he worriedly holds Kazuma’s bandaged hand, inspecting it to see if the injury is serious. Kazuma simply laughs as he calmly places his other hand on top of Ryuunosuke’s.

 

“Oh don’t worry about it. I was helping a young woman who was being harassed and the man swiped his knife at me. It’s not that serious.”

 

“Still, at least change the bandage later please. You know I worry about your safety. Especially considering what has happened before…”

 

Kazuma nods wordlessly as he keeps a hold of Ryuunosuke’s hand, rubbing it soothingly, hoping to chase those horrible memories away. They hear a soft clear of the throat as they both straighten up and turn to face Phoenix, Miles, and Trucy.

 

Ryuunosuke tenses up and blushes in embarrassment, not one for displaying PDA. Kazuma chuckles and squeezes his boyfriend’s hand to comfort him. Ryuunosuke takes a deep breath and stands straight as he looks at Phoenix’s husband. 

 

“I...uh..I want to thank you, sir, for finding Kazuma for me! I am very grateful! My name is Ryuunosuke Naruhodou. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” Ryuunosuke exclaims as he bows while still holding onto Kazuma’s hand. 

 

“My pleasure. I can definitely see how close you two are and I am relieved that you are reunited once again. I’m not sure if Phoenix already told you, but my name is Miles Edgeworth. It is also a pleasure to meet you.”

 

Suddenly Trucy runs up to the couple as she extends her hand forward. 

 

“So you’re the one and only Kazuma Asougi Narudie was telling us about! It’s great to meet you! I’m Trucy Wright, ace magician! And that man over there is my Daddy, Phoenix Wright! And I see you’ve already met my Papa.”

 

Kazuma chuckles as he uses his free hand, which thankfully is his right hand and uninjured hand, to shake Trucy’s. He then turns to Phoenix and shakes his hand as well and then bows to them.

 

“As you may have heard, my name is Kazuma Asougi and I want to offer my utmost appreciation and thanks for finding Ryuunosuke. I was so worried but I’m very happy to find that he found help from his descendant, of all people. I am in your debt.”

 

“Oh, not you too… Please, both of you don’t owe me anything,” Phoenix states as he rubs his neck, “It’s my pleasure to help those in need, including my ancestor and his boyfriend. We’re glad we were able to get you two together again!”

 

Suddenly the doorbell rings which startles everyone into a deadly silence, which is shortly interrupted by Trucy. 

 

“I’ve got it!”


She runs over to the door and opens it to find the delivery man with their dinner. Everyone else behind her sighs in relief and Trucy calls out to her fathers for payment on the food. Phoenix walks over quickly to avoid Miles paying for take out food again. Phoenix thanks the delivery man as he closes the door and heads to the kitchen, with the pizzas.

 

“Seriously, Phoenix?” Miles sighs as he pinches his nose close to where his glasses are. “We have guests, your ancestor and his boyfriend of all people, and you decide to order pizza for dinner?”

 

“Hey, don’t look at me! Trucy refused to let me cook for them!” 

 

“That’s ‘cause Daddy’s mediocre cooking just won’t do it for our special guests!”

 

Trucy. ” Miles warns with a small glare, “Don’t insult your father’s cooking like that. You know he’s improved a lot, so give him some credit.”

 

“I know, Papa, but I’m just trying to look out for our special guests! I don’t think they’d enjoy burnt lasagna cause Daddy forgot to set a timer.”

 

“Trucy, that was one time…” Phoenix groans, “Are you going to let me go over that?”

 

“Daddy… Papa had to get the fire extinguisher cause the lasagna was literally on fire…” Trucy responds as Miles gives Phoenix an exasperated look at remembering the incident.

 

“Ahem! W-Well anyways!” Phoenix stammers quickly,  “We have dinner here, so just grab a plate and help yourselves! Oh Mr. Asougi, I got a cheese pizza for you and Naruhodou to share. Do you like pizza?”

 

Asougi perks up at Phoenix’s question. He honestly has never tried pizza, unlike Ryuunosuke, who had some at the fancy Italian place he took him to a few months ago. Ryuunosuke seemed to like it back then, so he might like pizza. But then again, Ryuunosuke likes food in general, including chicken, so Kazuma isn’t sure if he should rely on his boyfriend’s love of food. However, it would be incredibly rude of him to deny the food, especially after Phoenix and his daughter found Ryuunosuke for him.

 

“I am afraid I’ve never had any, but as long as there is no chicken, I will gladly have some. Thank you for the food.”

 

“You’re welcome! And don’t worry, there isn’t any chicken on your pizza.” Phoenix replies, wondering the reason for Asougi’s dislike of chicken.

 

“Asougi! You’ve actually never had pizza before?” Trucy asks as she reaches for her slice.

 

“I’m afraid not. It isn’t a very common dish in London.”

 

“Well I hope you like it! It’s really good!”

 

Asougi grabs a slice as he bites into it. The first thing he notes is how greasy the food is. Asougi grimaces at how the grease sticks to his fingers, but otherwise, the food isn’t bad. It isn’t his favorite thing to eat, but it’s better than chicken any day. Asougi notes from his left side at Ryuunosuke happily munching away at the food, which makes Asougi smile and his cheeks tint at how adorable his boyfriend looks while eating. The table goes silent as everyone enjoys the take out dinner, the kitchen filling with the aroma of pizza and the sounds of content chewing and relaxation. A few minutes later, everyone is finished and they start to clean up the table and their hands. 

 

“I hope you don’t mind me asking,” Phoenix states out of the blue as he is putting away the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, “But you two never told us how you ended up traveling here. Just to satisfy my curiosity, how did you get here?”

 

“Actually, Mr. Asougi already told me as to how he and Mr. Naruhodou ended up here.” Miles states with a smirk.

 

“Wow! Really Papa? Asougi! You gotta tell us then! I’ve been wanting to know too!” Trucy exclaims as she steps up in front of Kazuma, clasping her hands in excitement. 

 

“Wait, you already told Mr. Edgeworth, Kazuma?” Ryuunosuke asks in surprise.

 

“Yes. He asked me about it on the ride here. I only stated how Iris-chan made a time machine and how we volunteered to be test subjects for it, only for the machine to malfunction and send us far from our intended location.”

 

Phoenix winces slightly at hearing the all too familiar name, but chastises himself, knowing this is a completely different Iris than the one he knows.

 

“Ooh! Who is this Iris? Is she an inventor?” Trucy asks with wonder and curiosity.

 

“Well… she does like to make inventions in her free time, but she is a dear friend and a bright young girl.” 

 

“Actually,” Ryuunosuke intercepts, “She is the young girl in that photograph you found earlier, Trucy-chan.”

 

“Huh? What photograph are you referring to, Ryuu?”

 

“Oh! That photograph! I have it right here!” Trucy exclaims as she pulls out her Magic Panties and before anyone can blink, she takes out the photograph from the panties. She presents it to a surprised Kazuma as she does a short theatrical bow. 

 

Kazuma had deduced that Trucy must have been a magician based on her attire, but he didn’t expect her to be that skilled as a magician. He wordlessly takes the photograph and as he flips it over, he lets out a sharp gasp. His hands tremble slightly as he immediately remembers that exact time last year. He honestly cannot believe it has been that long already, but he smiles as he remembers Ryuunosuke staying with him in London after the photograph was taken.

 

“So that’s Iris then?” Trucy asks as she peeks at the picture from Kazuma’s side. “She looks very young, so she must be a child genius or something!”

 

“She is very smart indeed,” Ryuunosuke responds with a proud smile, “She is 11 in the photograph, but back home, she just turned 12. She is also a medical doctor and the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, if any of you are familiar with them.”

 

Before Ryuunosuke and Kazuma can utter another word, a cacophony of disbelieving shouts echoes throughout the kitchen. 

 

“Wait... WHAT?!”

 

“She’s a medical doctor at such a young age?! HOW??”

 

“Never mind that Papa! Narudie and Asougi are friends with THE Iris Watson!! As in the medical prodigy and the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories!”

 

Ryuunosuke and Kazuma are stunned by the exclamations about Iris. They knew she was an astounding young girl and was known as the author of Sherlock Holmes back at home. However, they did not expect her to be well known even more than a century from their time. As much as they want to ask what Iris ends up accomplishing, they don’t want to risk accidentally altering the future so they decide to keep quiet about Trucy’s claims.

 

“Actually, now that you mention it, Truce, the young man behind this Iris Watson must be some avid Sherlock Holmes fan. He certainly is dressed like him.” Phoenix notes as he comes behind and peers at the photo. 

 

“Well he certainly is a fan of Sherlock Holmes, considering that is THE Sherlock Holmes right there…” Ryuunosuke states with some slight annoyance. 

 

If Ryuunosuke and Kazuma thought the previous outburst was loud, then this one almost destroys their eardrums as Trucy and Phoenix scream in utter disbelief and shock.

 

“NO WAY! YOU’RE KIDDING?!”

 

“SHERLOCK HOLMES WAS A REAL PERSON? AND YOU KNEW HIM?!”

 

Meanwhile, Miles is completely speechless as his entire world is turned upside down. His life flashes by before him and he wonders what else he has learned is either true or false. Not only has he met his husband’s ancestor, which he thought was strange enough, but now he’s learned that not only do Ryuunosuke and Kazuma know the famous Iris Watson, but that the iconic, fictional literary detective, Sherlock Holmes was a real person. What’s next? That Iris Watson and Sherlock Holmes are related somehow? 

 

The noise eventually settles down as Ryuunosuke and Kazuma talk about some of Sherlock’s cases that Ryuunosuke and Kazuma have helped him with and about the other person in the photograph, Susato Mikotoba. Kazuma speaks in a passionate and warm voice about his younger sister and how she started off as a legal assistant and went to become a lawyer under the name Ryuutarou Naruhodou. The rest of the night is spent with both generations talking about their friends and family, from Ryuunosuke talking about Susato, Iris and Sherlock, to Phoenix talking about how he and Miles got together, how Trucy came into the family, and how Phoenix met Apollo and Athena. 

 

Eventually, it starts to get late as the clock in the hallway strikes 10 with an echoing gong. Everyone stands up as the room is filled with a few yawns signalling everyone’s fatigue due to the strange day. 

 

“So, I told Naruhodou this already,” Phoenix states as he faces both Ryuunosuke and Kazuma. “But we have a guest bedroom and you two are more than welcome to stay here until you are able to return to your time.”

 

“Again, thank you so much Wright-san. We both appreciate the kind offer.” Ryuunosuke states as he and Kazuma bow. 

 

“Oh! Phoenix, do we have any spare clothes for them? I doubt Mr. Naruhodou and Mr. Asougi have any on them.”

 

“Oh shit, you’re right… Oops! Please excuse my language,” Phoenix sheepishly states, “Let’s see… You two are a lot shorter than Miles and I, so our normal clothes may be too big. However… I might have some old clothes from when I was in college. Let me go check and I’ll bring you some night clothes to sleep in!”

 

“In the meantime, I’ll show them to their room and bathroom.” Miles says as he starts heading upstairs with Ryuunosuke and Kazuma following behind. 

 

“Ooh! I’m gonna check the bathroom to make sure there are toothbrushes for Narudie and Asougi!” Trucy exclaims as she bounds up the steps, skipping a few in the process.

 

“Trucy, dear, be careful!” Miles worriedly exclaims but soon Trucy has made it to the top and is heading down the left hallway. 

 

Miles lets out a tired sigh as he continues leading their two guests upstairs until they turn left towards a hallway. He stops at a door on the right side and opens it while turning on the lights.

 

Ryuunosuke and Kazuma stop and awe at the bedroom, a queen size bed lays in the middle with another black box with a screen across from the bed, but Ryuunosuke notes that it’s not connected to the wall like the one in the Wright Anything Agency Office. On the left side of the bed, there is a closet and on the right side, a window, which is currently being covered by some curtains. Overall, the room is nice and much bigger than both Ryuunosuke and Kazuma were expecting. 

 

“Alright, so this is the room you two will be staying in. The bathroom is right across from here. If you have any questions, Trucy’s room is in the right hallway so you can ask her for any sort of help you might need. All of us need to get up early tomorrow so if you want to have breakfast with us, I will gladly make you two some breakfast. As for what you two can do… well, as Phoenix explained, you two need to go buy some clothes. However, the issue lies in how you two will be able to move around Los Angeles while Phoenix and I are at work….”

 

“I have an idea, Papa!” Trucy exclaims as she appears out of nowhere behind Miles, startling him. “Narudie and Asougi will probably be bored just staying in Daddy’s office doing nothing, so I was thinking that they could go see Polly’s last day in court tomorrow! Let them see what courts and law are like in the future or something. Maybe you could drive them to the courthouse since it’s on your way to the Prosecutor’s Office. And then when I get out from school, I can take them clothes shopping!”

 

“Alright. But how do you plan to take them to the shopping district?”

 

“Well, Polly said he would pick me up from school and knowing him, he might go in Klavier’s car.” Trucy states with a wink, “Narudie and Asougi can go with Polly and Klavier to pick me up and then we can just ask Klavier to give us a ride to the mall and then you can come pick us up afterwards!” 

 

“Hold on Miss Trucy-chan,” Kazuma interjects, “Wouldn’t it be risky for us to see how the law works now? What if it were to affect the past or future?”

 

“I don’t think it should be a big deal! I mean, I showed Narudie my cell phone earlier and I haven’t ripped a hole in the space time continuum yet.”

 

“But shouldn’t we ask this ‘Polly-san’ if we can accompany him? I don’t want to bother him…” Ryuunosuke adds nervously.

 

“Oh don’t worry about that! I already told Polly that you’ll be going to see the trial so he knows!”

 

Ryuunosuke and Kazuma let out strangled, shocked shouts. Miles sighs as he faces Trucy with a stern face.

 

“Trucy, dear. I know you mean well, but you can’t simply plan out events for other people without asking them first. Also, Apollo doesn’t know about these two’s situation so-”

 

Trucy laughs nervously as she puts her hand behind her head, a sheepish grin on her face as she pokes out her tongue. Miles sighs, knowing that his daughter has already told her older brother about Ryuunosuke and Kazuma’s situation. 

 

“I’m sorry, Papa…” Trucy states as she tilts her head down, tipping her hat to hide her eyes. “I was only trying to help, I didn’t mean any harm by it. I also didn’t want to leave Polly out in the dark since Athena already knows…”

 

“I know, dear. I’m simply reminding you for next time. For now, let’s try to keep Mr. Naruhodou and Mr. Asougi’s situation between the three of us and Athena and Apollo, alright?” 

 

Miles stretches out his arms as Trucy lunges forward into her father’s warm hug. Ryuunosuke and Kazuma watch fondly from the entrance of the bedroom. They aren’t upset with Trucy at all, just a little shocked that she planned this out ahead of time. Quite the contrary, they are grateful that Trucy planned all of this for them. They would definitely prefer to go and see this future Los Angeles than stay cooped up in an office. Not to mention that they are rather curious as to how courts operate in this future.

 

Trucy releases from her Papa’s hug as she runs over to Ryuunosuke and hugs him tightly. Ryuunosuke chuckles as he strokes Trucy’s head. She then runs over to Kazuma and hugs him. Taken aback from the sudden hug, Kazuma stumbles a bit, but he regains his footing and lets out a small chuckle as he rubs Trucy’s back and head while Ryuunosuke watches fondly from the side. Trucy then lets go and beams happily at the pair. 

 

“I’m gonna head to bed now! I left you two a pair of pajamas Daddy told me to give to you and put your toothbrushes in the bathroom, by the way! There’s also a first aid kit there for Asougi’s hand! I’ll see you in the morning!”

 

“Goodnight Trucy-chan. Sleep well!”

 

“Thank you again for the clothes and toothbrushes!”

 

“It’s no problem! Hope you two sleep well too! Goodnight Papa!”

 

“Good night Trucy, sleep well!”

 

Trucy gives a thumbs up as she heads to her room. Miles chuckles warmly as he then turns around to Ryuunosuke and Kazuma. 

 

“You two sleep well, and remember, don’t be afraid to ask any of us if you need anything, alright?”

 

“We won’t! Thank you again Mr. Edgeworth.” Kazuma replies.

 

Miles nods as he begins to leave for his and Phoenix’s bedroom downstairs. Kazuma heads towards the bathroom and gives Ryuunosuke his change of clothing as he enters the bathroom first. Ryuunosuke heads towards the bedroom and begins changing to get ready for bed.

 

Today has certainly been a lot to process and Ryuunosuke wonders how he was able to keep it together, considering all of the stress and anxiety of not only being stuck in the future but also losing his boyfriend for a while. While he is glad he met some very nice people who helped him find Kazuma and give them shelter, one of them being his descendant, Ryuunosuke still can’t help but still not feel fully relaxed. He thinks about everyone else back home. He thinks about how worried he and Kazuma have made Susato, Haori, Professor Mikotoba, Sherlock, Iris…

 

Before he can help it, his brain starts to spiral out of control as Ryuunosuke wonders if he and Kazuma will ever be able to get home. Iris did give them that plush cat in order to communicate with her, but she never taught them how to use it. Not only that, but ever since he and Kazuma arrived here, they haven’t gotten a single call from Iris or anyone back home. Why hasn’t Iris contacted them? Did something happen with the machine or her own plush toy that she can’t contact them? Is she probably trying to contact them at the wrong place and wrong time? His brain turns down a darker road as Ryuunosuke wonders if he and Kazuma will be stuck here forever, being forced to live in a time and place completely foreign to them and not seeing their friends and family ever again. He already lost Kazuma for a year. He can’t lose his entire family now.

 

Before Ryuunosuke’s thoughts can spiral further into worse territory, Kazuma walks into the bedroom, dressed in the borrowed pajamas and a fresh bandage on his hand.

 

“It’s your turn to use the bathroom Ryuu! Modern technology is simply amazing! You can change the temperature of the water from the washstands and-”

 

Kazuma stops as he quickly spots a look of surprise but more importantly, a look of fear and unease slip away from Ryuunosuke’s face as he plasters on a fake smile. 

 

“Ryuu, what’s wrong? Is everything alright? Are you not feeling well?”

 

“N-No! I’m alright Kazuma. Just really tired after everything that has happened today. Yeah! Anyways! I’m going to go wash up so I’ll see you in a bit!”

 

Kazuma watches as his boyfriend hurriedly runs into the bathroom and closes the door a little too forcefully. Kazuma winces but he slowly makes his way to the bedroom and he notices a lamp on a night table as he turns it on with the chain attached to it. He marvels at the simplicity of turning on what he assumes is an electrical lamp based on the bulb he sees inside. Electrical lamps are very new back home and very expensive, so he never had or used one until now. He walks over to the entrance and seeing Miles do it earlier, he flicks the switch on the wall and the overhead light turns off just like that. Kazuma awes at the marvel of 21st technology as he settles in the soft, spacious bed. 

 

Something is up with his boyfriend, and as much as he tries to hide it, he cannot hide it from Kazuma. He wonders what could have happened to make Ryuunosuke upset. He seemed fine earlier during dinner and afterwards? Either way, it hurts Kazuma to see his boyfriend all upset and him not knowing what is making him upset or not being able to help him.

 

After a couple of minutes, Kazuma hears the bathroom door open and from the bed he sees Ryuunosuke walk in, but his entire stance screams out that he is anything but ok. His expression is clouded and he seems very stiff. It appears that he’s worried or upset about something. As to what though, Kazuma isn’t sure. As Ryuunosuke puts away his folded uniform in the closet, Kazuma scooches to the middle of the bed.

 

“Hey, come here Ryuu.” Kazuma states lovingly as he outstretches his arms, inviting Ryuunosuke for a hug.

 

Ryuunosuke blinks in surprise for a second until his mask starts to crumble and he hops on the bed. He wraps his arms around Kazuma’s neck and tucks his head on the crook between Kazuma’s neck and shoulder, his eyes burning with unshed tears. He trembles slightly as Kazuma gently wraps his arms around Ryuunosuke’s waist, moving one upwards to massage his back. 

 

“What’s wrong, Ryuu? Did something happen earlier? What’s bothering you?” Kazuma murmurs softly as he tilts his head and leaves a kiss on Ryuunosuke’s hair.

 

Ryuunosuke wants to ask how Kazuma figured out that he was feeling down, but decides not to. He knows that Kazuma can read him easily, even before they started dating. He lets out a shaky sigh as he tightens his hold on Kazuma.

 

“No.. It’s just… I… I’m scared Kazuma.”

 

Kazuma’s heart breaks at hearing Ryuunosuke’s quivering voice that’s close on the brink of tears. He holds Ryuunosuke more securely as he slowly begins to rock his body, hoping the calming motion helps his boyfriend a bit. Ryuunosuke takes a deep breath as he audibly swallows as he continues his statement. 

 

“I couldn’t help but think… W-What if we are stuck here for good? What if Iris isn’t able to bring us back? I-I know that’s mean of me to think… B-But! She hasn’t contacted us at all since we’ve arrived here! And!... I am just so afraid that we won’t be able to see her and everyone else back home!”

 

Kazuma leans back as he moves his hands and cups Ryuunosuke’s cheeks, using his thumbs to gently rub his face. He leans his forehead so it’s touching Ryuunosuke’s and Kazuma looks into his eyes.

 

“Ryuunosuke…” Kazuma starts. Ryuunosuke’s eyes widen in surprise. Kazuma almost never refers to him by his full name unless the situation is serious or important. His voice also slightly quivers in fear. “I am scared too. Very scared. There is a chance that we very well could be stuck here for good. However, Iris-chan wouldn’t leave us here stranded. You know this, Ryuu. We need to trust her and believe in her, alright? She sounded very scared when her time machine started to malfunction so she is most likely scared like us. But, as long as we have faith in her and wait as patiently as we can, then we can count on Iris-chan to be able to contact us and bring us back.” 

 

Kazuma leans forward and presses a light peck on Ryuunosuke’s lips as he uses his hands to gently massage Ryuunosuke’s cheeks. Ryuunosuke sniffs slightly as he smiles at Kazuma, his eyes flooding with a sense of determination. 

 

“You’re right! We just need to wait and trust in Iris-chan. Besides, you have her cat right?”

 

“Yes. I put it on that table where that black screen is.”

 

Ryuunosuke smiles warmly as he leans forward and pecks his boyfriend on the cheek.

 

“I love you, Kazuma. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

 

“Love you too, Ryuu.” Kazuma responds with so much love in his voice. “And don’t apologize for that. Considering the situation we’re in, it’s normal to worry about these things. The important thing is that we have each other. Not only that, but we have the help of your descendant and his friends and family too. Now let’s go to sleep. Edgeworth-san said that they have to wake up early tomorrow, so if we want him to take us to the courthouse, we will need to be up and ready to leave with him.”

 

Ryuunosuke nods as he moves to lie down on the bed. Kazuma reaches over and pulls the handle on the lamp as the bedroom is engulfed in darkness, save from the small amount of moonlight filtering in through the window. Ryuunosuke moves so that he is lying on Kazuma’s chest and snuggles into it. Kazuma lets out a huff of laughter at the adorableness that is his boyfriend as he kisses his hair. 

 

“Goodnight Ryuu.”

 

Goodnight Kazuma.”

 

Soon sleep overtakes the two defense attorneys as they hold each other tightly. Until they can go back home, they will have a lot to learn about this new time and place. They dream about the many possibilities and changes this time has for them and look forward to exploring these changes together, side by side.

Notes:

Thanks again for reading! Writing the reunion was so much fun for me! These two are so in love! I also cannot wait to write Ryuu and Kazuma's interactions with the rest of the AA cast until they can find a way to get back home. I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one!

As always, kudos/comments are greatly appreciated!