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First few morning rays of light began creeping through the window of the inn room. The gray-haired man slowly opened his eyes, greeted by the slumbering form of the man who shared the bed with him. He was snoring softly, with a small amount of drool escaping his half-open mouth. As silly as the sight was, he would never get tired of seeing it almost every morning. He slowly moved his hand to cup the other man's cheek and caressed him there, trying to rouse him from his sleep as gently as he could.

The ravenhead's eyes fluttered open. He yawned and gave his lover a warm smile.

"Mmmmh... Mornin', Miles." he spoke sleepily, while placing his hand on top of the other man's on his cheek.

"Good morning to you too, Phoenix. I hope you slept well. Today is the day of our assignment," said Miles.

Phoenix groaned upon hearing that. Just like Miles, he is an adventurer by trade, but one thing he's always despised about his occupation is waking up early to fulfill his duties.

"Do we really have to? I'm pretty comfy here," complained Phoenix shortly before snuggling closer to Miles and wrapping an arm around him. The other man reacted with a pout and a bashful blush.

"Y-Yes, yes we do. We have already pledged ourselves to assist Ishgard in this matter. It would be shameful of us to go back on our word just because you wish to... cuddle," said Miles somewhat sternly before turning on his other side and sitting up on the edge of the bed.

Phoenix rose up too, still clinging to the other man and leaning on his shoulder. Miles sighed and hesitantly removed Phoenix's arms from his waist before getting up. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't object, but they had work to do.

"What is it we have to do, again?" asked the ravenhead while rubbing his eyes.

Miles sighed again and starts putting on his undershirt and slacks.

"Some of the great wyrm Nidhogg's spawn are plotting to continue in his quest for vengeance against men, even after his vanquishment. Our task is to deal with them. Don't tell me you've already forgotten, Wright."

Phoenix chuckled, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

"Of course not! I was just asking... for a refresher!" he spoke somewhat nervously, poorly hiding the fact that he did indeed briefly forget. He blamed the early awakening.

Phoenix headed to a pile of clothes in the corner of the inn room, mixed up with various pieces of his armor and began dressing up. The room was unfortunately not equipped with armor stands, so he decided to just leave everything on the floor on arrival, including his trusty sword and shield.

Miles had it easier. Trained in the scholarly healing arts, all he needed to function was a robe and his magical codex. As cheap-looking as Cloud Nine was, their room still had a simple coat hanger at the very least.

While Phoenix was somewhat clumsily putting on his undershirt and gambeson, Miles had already finished tying his cravat before smoothly sliding his hands into the sleeves of his silken, rolanberry red robe. He concluded his morning preparations by elegantly putting on his rimless glasses. Then he glanced over at Phoenix.

The young paladin had only just started putting on the first out of many pieces of his armor, always making extra sure everything is strapped on correctly. Miles sighed and approached him in order to assist him, lest the two would be there all day.

"How do you manage to put on your armor in the morning when I'm not around? Honestly..." huffed Miles as he tightened all the necessary parts.

Phoenix pouted at that and crossed his arms.

"I can put on my own armor, you're just rushing me!"

"Because I do not wish to be late, unlike a certain someone, it seems. Keep your arms apart for me." Miles gently grabbed his arms and unfolded them so he could attach protective plates onto his elbows.

A few minutes of bantering and armoring up later, Phoenix stood there in his shiny storm blue armor, a majestic white-blue cape decorated with pink accents flowing down his shoulders. He looked almost... royal all of a sudden. The scholar caught himself staring at Phoenix and proceeded to clear his throat.

"Ahem, shall we head out then?"

"Miles, why d-don't you take me s-somewhere nice, for once?"

The scholar sighed as he walked alongside Phoenix, his breath visibly mixing with the cold air.

"We are not here on a vacation, Wright. If I recall correctly, you were the one who desperately wanted to go on another adventure. This one just so happens to be paying quite handsomely. And I am sure you will learn a thing or two on the way as well."

"Alright, Mr. Scholar. B-But next time, I am picking our job, okay?" Phoenix said with a hint on cheekiness in his voice.

Miles frowned when he heard that. One of Phoenix's previously chosen adventures, if one can even call it that, involved helping an elderly woman bake a cake for her grandchild's nameday. That alone wouldn't have been an issue to the scholar, but his handsome mien has a tendency to make old ladies absolutely smitten with him, despite being clearly already spoken for. And that man thought it was funny!

Phoenix noticed Miles's slightly annoyed frown and slipped his armored hand into Miles's warm gloved one. 

"Aww, don't worry, I promise it won't involve someone's grandma crushing on you," said Phoenix teasingly, as if he read the other man's mind.

Miles pouted, with a small hint of pink appearing in his cheeks. And yet, he didn't let go of Phoenix's hand, or at least, until they reached their destination in the city: The Skysteel Manufactory. A fairly small, peculiar aircraft was standing in front of the workshop, most definitely one of its products. It looked incredibly slim and sharp and aerodynamic in shape. Its polished metal surface gleamed in the morning light, an occasional snowflake landing on the smooth material. Phoenix immediatealy started curiously examining it, while Miles went inside the workshop to discuss their means of transport to the Aery, the destination of their quest. Phoenix was never too fond of heights or that interested in engineering, but even he had to admit, it was quite a pretty aircraft.

"What do you mean we have to fly it ourselves?!"

Phoenix's ears perked up. The shouting came from inside the manufactory.

"A two-seater manacutter is our latest invention, and we are currently in possession of a single one, enough for you and your companion."

"I... I object to this! We were explicitly told that our transportation would be taken care of!"

"And it is, adventurer. Without the manacutter, you would be hard-pressed to get to the Aery. I assure you, the piloting is very si-"

Miles's voice interrupted the one of presumably one of the engineers.

"This is absurd!"

He then stomped out of the workshop, not caring about what the engineer had to say next. Before Phoenix could ask what happened, Miles turned around and shouted one last time.

"And for your information, I know how to pilot a manacutter!"

That was only a half-truth, though. As a man of learning, he had read about manacutters and how to pilot them before, but has never tried it himself. He didn't want to make Phoenix's fear of heights even worse than it already was by being his inexperienced pilot. They both knew flying would be a necessity, but Miles was under the impression they wouldn't have to be the ones actually doing the flying.

Phoenix looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"Uh... love? Did something ha-"

"Get in the manacutter, Wright," he cut him off. Before Phoenix could say another word, Miles was already standing in the pilot's seat. The ravenhead paladin stared at him with a mix of confusion and worry in his eyes. When Miles turned his head to glance back at him, his own expression softened.

"Please, do not be alarmed. It will simply be me piloting the aircraft instead of one of the engineers," he spoke with a calmer tone now, reaching his hand out to Phoenix for him to be guided into the manacutter.

He slowly took the offered hand and with some signs of hesitation, stepped into the cockpit behind Miles before seating himself there.

"Y-You do know how to drive this thing, right?" asked Phoenix, his fear already starting to show.

Miles sat down in his seat as well, looking over the controls used to operate the small aircraft.

"Calm yourself, I have read about it. It's quite easy, actually. Fasten yourself, Wright."

Phoenix did as he was told, but his nervousness still remained.

"Of course you've read about it, but have you ever piloted one before?"

The scholar strapped himself in as well, keeping silent for a few moments, trying to come up with an honest answer that also wouldn't scare Phoenix off immediately.

"Any adventurer can pilot a manacutter at a moment's notice with proper instruction beforehand," he says in the end.

He pulled a few levers and pressed a button with a click. The aircraft suddenly came to life, propellers behind them starting to spin, making swishing noises as they effortlessly cut through the air. That, along with the corrupted crystal engines beginning to rumble and flicker with a subtle orange glow made Phoenix jump a little in his seat.

"H-HOLD IT! What's that supposed to mean?!" he said, raising his voice through all the sudden noise.

"It means I am perfectly qualified to fly this, Wright. Now hold onto something!" shouted Miles back, soon after realizing the consequences of his words when Phoenix quickly leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Miles's torso, tightly clinging to him in fear of the imminent takeoff. The scholar pouted silently. He was about ready to tell him to hang onto something else than his personage in this situation, but decided to stay silent. Miles was already asking a lot of him by making the man take the flight, so he allowed it.

Miles took hold of the steering and pulled it towards himself. With that, the manacutter gently left solid ground, momentarily hovering in the air as its pilot was getting used to its control. Then, with a surge of energy, it shot forward, gliding effortlessly through the falling snow, upwards into the cold Coerthan sky.

Phoenix was less than pleased by such a sudden leap in speed.

"AAAAAAAARGH! MILES, PLEASE! NOT SO FAST, I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!" he screamed, clinging onto Miles's seat, and Miles himself, with his dear life.

"Just... just hold on, Wright! Once we gain enough altitude, we may slow down," spoke Miles, loud enough for Phoenix to hear him, but not too loud to startle the poor paladin even further.

It was when the aircraft was above cloud level that Miles finally, finally reduced their flight speed. Phoenix unhanded him at last and leaned back into his seat, relieved that the rough ascension was finally over. Miles looked back over his shoulder to check on the state of his passenger.

"Are you... alright?" he asked with slight worry in his voice.

"Y-Yeah, still not dead!" Phoenix managed to squeak out, trying really hard not to look down.

Miles paused for a moment and tried to think of a way to at least partially calm the poor man.

"Wright, take a few deep breaths to slow down your heartbeat," spoke Miles with his low and soothing tone of voice he knows Phoenix loves.

He nods and inhales with his nose, shortly after followed by a shaky exhale from his mouth.

"That's it. Just breathe and focus on my voice. Would you like to hear more about our destination?" Miles asked, trying to further distract him from the heights below.

"The Aery?"

Miles shook his head.

"What I had in mind is where the Aery is located, the Churning Mists," he clarified. "From what I have heard, it is quite a beautiful place."

"It is?"

"That's what travelers' testimonies seem to suggest. I was informed there was a settlement there as well."

Phoenix gripped his chin, a sign of being deep in thought about something. After a few more moments, he asked curiously:

"But if we're... flying, that means it's gotta be really high up, right? Who lives there?"

Miles looked away with a sigh, and responds with a single word, slowly rolling it off his tongue:

"Moogles."

The paladin's eyes lit up upon hearing Miles's answer, nearly forgetting about his crippling fear of heights at the moment.

"Moogles have a village in the Churning Mists?! Let's make a stop there and say hi to them, Miles!" he says excitedly.

Miles sighed again, but at the same time, a small smile formed on his lips, happy he managed to help Phoenix with his fear, at least a little bit.

"We cannot waste much time, but it is on the way, and we can purchase supplies from them too... very well." he conceded. Making their journey a bit more enjoyable for Phoenix is the least he can do. He looks back at him, his smile now sligthly wider and warmer.

"To Moghome, then."

"So, Nidhogg. He's... dead, right?" he inquired.

Miles gave him a nod while focusing on steering the manacutter, though not as much as before. Calmly soaring through the open sky didn't require as much concentration as taking off or landing.

"Not that long ago, Nidhogg, or Nidhogg's shade to be precise, unleashed his final attack on Ishgard. He was slain by the Warrior of Light, marking the end of the Dragonsong War," he explained, more than glad to share his knowledge.

"The Warrior of Light, huh..." Phoenix mused, imagining what that must've been like, "she's one powerful woman, to take on such a big dragon, and win."

"I have met her once, in the Ishgardian scholasticate," Miles said like it was the most normal encounter in the world.

The paladin's eyes widened with surprise.

"Y-You have?! What is she like?" he asked excitedly. Despite admittedly not knowing much about her, the Warrior of Light is an icon to adventurers, fledglings and veterans alike.

Miles didn't quite share Phoenix's enthusiasm, at least upon first glance.

"She's... not what I expected from a hero who saves nations left and right. She looks a bit brutish, with her imposing height and that... threatening claw mark facepaint," he described, "one would almost think that Roegadyn woman is a villain instead."

Phoenix chuckled in response, amused by the the way Miles described her.

"Heh, I think you're just mad you couldn't read your books with such a huge celebrity right next to you. It's okay, she's my idol too!"

Miles muttered something about Phoenix being a fool under his breath, while also not denying the cheeky ravenhead's claims. He was a huge fan of the Warrior too. He just never let it show openly, but Phoenix knew him better than anyone.

Deciding to focus more on flying the manacutter again instead, Miles looked at the wide open sky before him. After a while of observing, he noticed a small dark smudge on the horizon, almost hidden among the clouds. He squinted, quickly realizing what that means.

"Wright, our destination is in sight," he announced, briefly pointing ahead before placing his hand back on the steering.

Phoenix immediately sat up, suddenly excited and happy, knowing the manacutter will soon land on solid ground.

"Oh, finally!" he rejoiced briefly before sudden worry crept up into his expression. "You're... not gonna nosedive this thing when you start landing, right?" he added.

"Wright, as I've told you before, I know how to pilot a manacutter. 'Nosediving' it, as you put it, would be incredibly dangerous and reckless," explained Miles, slightly exasperated by the idea of that alone.

"Then why did you fly up so rapidly?" questioned Phoenix.

"There wasn't enough space in front of the manufactory for a slow takeoff!" Miles objected right back.

The two loved each other more than anything, and their love was often accompanied by mostly lighthearted bickering such as this, as is their wont.

As the smudge in the distance became bigger and bigger and formed into more and more detailed floating isles, Miles began to gradually decrease the speed of the aircraft and descend upon the ground below. Sun-kissed dandelions and soft cloud mallows loomed over the humble aetheryte plaza of Moghome.

"Don't crash into the big crystal, love," Phoenix teased, not letting Miles live it down.

The other man huffed and refused to speak further on the matter of his piloting skills. He gently landed the manacutter in the plaza, just a few steps away from the glistening aetheryte.

After the two adventurers got out of the aircraft, it didn't even take a minute for one of the locals to approach them.

"Kupopo! We don't get many tourists around here! Welcome to Moghome, good sirs!" spoke the fluffy moogle with surprise and excitement. Phoenix was trying his hardest not to immediately pet them without their consent.

"My name is Moggie, and I am the guardian of the entrance to Moghome, kupo! Though... you kind of... flew around it," the moogle said, unsure how to react to that.

Miles stepped forward and bowed courteously.

"Mine apologies if we caused any panic. My name is Miles Edgeworth, and this is my companion, Phoenix Wright," he says politely and gestures towards the paladin.

"You mean 'lover', Miles," said Phoenix as he put his hands on his hips and smirked cheekily.

Moggie waved their tiny paws excitedly. Miles blushed furiously, his brain suddenly short-circuiting from what he just said, in public, in front of the moogle. Phoenix watched him with amusement. Oh he's always so adorable when he's flustered, he thinks.

"We don't get many honeymooners here, but you've made an excellent choice by choosing Moghome, kupo!"

The scholar sputters when he hears that, his face almost as red as his robe. He takes a moment to collect himself before speaking.

"P-Preposterous! We... we are not here on a honeymoon! The reason we flew here is because we are on an assignment. The Aery is where we're headed," he said, trying his hardest not to look too bashful and failing, "may we purchase some supplies before we continue our journey?"

"Of course, kupo! Stall is right over there," Moggie said as they pointed to it with their tiny paw, it was just on the other side of the aetheryte plaza, "we mostly trade in kupo nuts, but after the Warrior of Light's visit, we decided to accept gil as well, kupo. Enjoy your shopping at Moghome!"

Miles courteously bowed to the small moogle and Phoenix rewarded their help with a warm smile. The two walked a couple steps before the paladin suddenly whispered...

"Was that a boy or a girl?"

Miles sighed, though he didn't deny that the question was probably warranted.

"I... I don't know, Wright. You can never tell with moogles upon first glance," he said quietly, not wanting the other moogles to overhear and possibly offend them.

The two adventurers proceeded to purchase a few kupo nut biscuits from a moogle merchant who introduced themself as "Emptier of Purses". Phoenix was shocked by the incredibly high prices for mere biscuits, but Miles paid for them without a second thought. He was quite a wealthy academician, after all, and kupo nuts are prized treats that moogles are not wont to part with easily, and knowing Phoenix's love for moogles, it definitely looked like a snack he would enjoy. When the exchange was done, Miles stored the biscuits inside his robe for now, for the lack of a better place.

After that, Phoenix proceeded to spend the near entirety of their little break talking to every moogle he saw, while Miles kept walking around the aetheryte plaza and stoically looking towards the sky, thinking about what to do next. Time was passing, and the sun was slowly but surely nearing the horizon, and storming the Aery at night with low visibility would be a deathwish, even if their destination was quite close now. Setting up camp would be a prudent decision at this point.

He decided to seek out his wayward paladin to inform him of his plan. Phoenix was nowhere to be seen in the plaza, so Miles ventured inside the moogles' mountain home, where their chieftain, Moglin, also resides. He saw him resting on his comfortable-looking cloud mallow throne, watching over all the inhabitants of Moghome, but where is Phoenix?

In the end, it didn't take long for Miles to find him. He was all the way in the back of the mountain home, near a slope that leads to the outside gardens, gently petting a large moogle on the head. Miles approached him from behind as he began to speak.

"Wright, there you are. The sun will be setting quite soon and I was thinki-"

Phoenix then suddenly turns around and cuts him off, almost too excitedly.

"Miles! Where were you, love? You didn't even introduce yourself to the locals here! This is Mogtoe," he says as he tilts his head towards the big moogle, while cradling a pile of... something in his arms.

The gray-haired man stared into the paladin's loaded arms, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor at the realization of what Phoenix was holding.

"Mogtoe and their friends gave me so many kupo nuts!" he said cheerfully, showing Miles all the large, plump kupo nuts.

The sizeable moogle then spun around happily, before turning their attention to the scholar.

"Ah, so you are Miles, kupo. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, kind sir! Phoenix told me all about you, and your quest," they spoke with a high-pitched voice, typical for moogles, "Nobody here likes Nidhogg, and we don't want any mean landlords to continue in his place, kupo. So we decided to share a part of our amazing kupo nut stash as a thank you!"

Phoenix nodded with their every word, smiling joyfully, contrasting Miles's completely dumbfounded expression.

"W-We can't possibly accept that!" he said in the end, shocked by the absurd generosity.

"Why not, kupo?" asked Mogtoe, confused.

"Yeah, why not, kupo?" Phoenix repeated, nibbling on one of the kupo nuts.

"Because..." Miles started to explain, pulling the kupo nut out of Phoenix's mouth, "...these are highly rare, prized delicacies, very important to each moogle who owns them."

Mogtoe looked at him, even more confused.

"Rare? That might have been true in the past, kupo, but nowadays? Thanks to our botanist friend from Ishgard, Basyle, we have kupo nuts for everyone, kupo!" they clarified before performing another enthusiastic spin.

Miles collected himself and adjusted his glasses. This botanist likely helped with better cultivation of kupo nuts in the rough, mountainous soil.

"I... I see. In that case, thank you very much for your kind gift, Mogtoe," he said gratefully before turning to Phoenix, "Wright, a word, please?" he asked as he headed for the slope heading outside, and motioned for the paladin to follow. As they reached the top, they suddenly found themselves enveloped by fluffy dandelions, cloud mallows and kupo trees, while the massive fortress of Zenith loomed in the distance. A truly beautiful vista...

...except Miles wasn't in the mood to appreciate it right now. He clenched his fists and spoke through gritted teeth.

"That merchant... he swindled me with those biscuits..." he said furiously, but still somewhat quietly, as if the anger was still only building up before exploding fully.

Phoenix immediately caught wind of it and swiftly placed his heap of kupo nuts on the ground, before gently grabbing Miles's shoulders, trying to soothe him.

"Hey, you didn't know. It's okay, Miles. It happens to everyone, and it's not like you spent your entire life savings on them," said Phoenix calmly, trying to extinguish Miles's sparking anger.

Miles shook his head, although he felt slightly calmer with Phoenix's soothing gesture.

"It's... It's not about the gil, Phoenix. I merely... wished to buy you something special. A moogle-made dessert with rare kupo nuts. But now it's just-"

"It's perfect," Phoenix interrupted before suddenly wrapping his arms around the scholar, pulling him into an embrace. 

Despite the coldness of Phoenix's armor pressing against him, Miles felt pleasantly warm. The sensation washed away his negative feelings like water... and it felt great. Eventually, he slowly began to return the embrace. Phoenix felt himself smile at that.

"It's you who bought the biscuits for me. That alone makes them special, Miles," he spoke softly. The usually stoic scholar could feel himself blushing at his words.

Phoenix then slowly pulled away, noticing the blush. He chuckled before continuing.

"Do you still have them on you, love?"

"I- I do, yes," Miles stuttered slightly and pulled out the small pouch of kupo nut biscuits.

"Then let's give them a taste," Phoenix said with a smile before sitting down into the soft grass. He pat the spot next to him, asking Miles to join him there.

He sat down and set the pouch down between them. He then pulled on the thread holding it together, revealing several biscuits with purple-ish filling. Phoenix immediately nabbed one, but instead of putting it into his mouth, he decided to break it in half.

"There, half each?" asked Phoenix, offering a half of the biscuit to the scholar.

"Why not just take one whole each? It's not like we have only one biscuit to share," replied Miles with slight confusion.

Phoenix rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He didn't quite know himself.

"I... I guess I feel like they will last longer this way," he said in the end, looking away shyly. He valued every second of every moment like this with the man he loved so much.

Miles took the offered biscuit, the corners of his mouth finally turning upwards into a smile.

"I do want this to last longer too," he said, looking down at the half in his hand, taking his time, while Phoenix was already enjoying his.

So distracted he was by the biscuit, he didn't even notice Phoenix leaning closer until his lips were gently pressed against his own.

Those biscuits do taste sweet.