BlackHeart Biohazards

Return to Form (3328 words) by thesavagesabretooth
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Flirting, Getting Together, Unresolved Emotional Tension, POV Diego Armando, Drama & Romance

Summary: After the end of his stint in jail, Diego finds himself invited back to the prosecutorial office officially this time. While he’s moving in, Phoenix Wright comes by with a welcoming gift, but he seems to have more on his mind.

–

January 5, 2028– 12:30 pm

When Diego had reached out to the prosecutor’s office about setting up a possible meeting with the chief prosecutor, he’d been surprised to find himself transferred right to Edgeworth’s personal phone. More surprised still when the man had agreed quickly, and asked if he’d prefer to meet for lunch, or privately in the office. Diego had told him lunch and now, several days later, there he was.

He adjusted his tie with a sharp huff of breath before he entered the restaurant, smoothing out his suit vest for a moment before he reached up to recalibrate the small dials at the edges of his mask. The strangely tinted world swam into his vision and refocused to a comfortable baseline.

With his best roguish smile, he pushed the door open and headed inside. 

It was a familiar restaurant, though one he obviously hadn’t been to in quite some time. The old French cuisine place a few blocks from the prosecutorial offices was favored by a significant number of the legal community. One of the first times he’d been there was when Grossberg had introduced him to the new hire at the office– Mia Fey. His stint as a prosecutor, on the other hand, had been short enough that he’d never been there as a member of the office.

Today the maitre d’ told him that he was expected, and led him to the small table where Miles Edgeworth was waiting, a bottle of wine already on the table.

He stood up when Diego approached, and offered him a handshake.

“Mr. Armando.”

Diego thrust his hand out to take Miles’, shaking it with a rough chuckle. “Mr. Edgeworth. Good to see you. Gotta say…this place brings back memories.” 

Miles chuckled a little nervously.

“Ah, not bad ones I hope. Popular spot for the last few decades, I know. But I do like the food.” He briefly put his other hand on Diego’s as the handshake ended before he released him. “I was happy to get your call the other day.”

Diego tilted his head in lieu of a wink. 

“Good ones, Miles. Real good ones. I remember having the best damn pasta of my life with some impressive company” he eased himself into the chair and turned his unblinking mask…the heavy goddamn weight on his face…towards him. “You were, huh?”

Diego smirked, adding with a note of teasing “I’m glad. Didn’t know I made that much of an impression on ya. “ 

Miles laughed, embarrassed again, as he sat down and poured a couple of glasses of wine. Red wine or white– Diego had no idea.

“Well, you certainly made an impression on the department,” he said, “And some close friends of mine, M–Diego.”

There was a hesitation there– probably another ‘Mr. Armando’. But Diego had called him ‘Miles’ and it seemed the chief prosecutor was going to match him.

It worked for him. Diego was never much for formality– and if he was asking a favor from the man he was damn well going to call him by his name.

He leaned on his arm with a nod as he took the glass gratefully. “What can I say. I leave an impression. It’s the mask, ain’t it?” 

“It is striking, admittedly,” Miles acknowledged as he passed a glass of wine his way. “But I think you’d make an almost equal impression without it. You ended up almost a legend in the prosecutorial department.”

Diego took it and raised it to his lips with a low chuckle. 

“A legend, eh? Think Jakey gonna write a cowboy ballad about me?”

It was surreal. The whole time felt almost like a bad dream with the jumbled memories in the wake of his coma. He’d shown up, somehow gotten a job in the prosecutorial office…and lost every damn case he ever took in his quest for revenge against Phoenix Tri–Wright that ended in a bloody murder to save Maya Fey…or his own pride, if you asked the voices in his head at night..

And somehow that made him a legend. 

Red. It was a red wine. The bitterness gave it away. Like a rich coffee.

“Marshall? He very well may,” Miles chuckled along with him. “He’s back with the precinct, actually.”

“He is, eh?” Diego couldn’t help but grin as he took another sip of the wine. A complex bitterness always seemed to compliment him nicely. “Good…he was a good man. In the clink we got to know one another pretty well, so I say with damned certainty you couldn’t have a better man on the force than him.” 

“He’s a dedicated man. To truth and justice,” Miles nodded. “We could do with more people like him in the law.”

“You ain’t gonna hear any disagreement from me, Miles.” He glanced thoughtfully at the menu with a shake of his head “…the justice system’s been a goddamned mess long before you an’ me. If we can start turnin’ that around…” 

“You’re sure you’re not a mind reader, Diego?” Miles asked, cocking his head. “The very same thing’s been on my mind since they put me in charge of the department.”

Diego sipped his bitter wine with an enigmatic smirk. 

“The mask lets me see into people’s souls.” It was a joke, of course…but at the same time his time in the clink and his brush with death at the hands of the worst fucking manipulator he’d ever met– it gave him a pretty good ability to read people. “Seems you an’ me have the same goal, huh?”

“You’d consider it a goal of yours?” Miles asked curiously. He leaned forward with interest. Clearly, Diego had caught his attention. “I’ve been wondering what you planned to do with yourself now that you’re a free man.”

Diego tapped his finger on the edge of his glass.

“A man’s gotta make up for his mistakes, and I’ve made a fair few already.” His vision flickered as his mask glitched, a common occurrence with the clunky and experimental tech, before it resolved back on Miles Edgeworth’s face. “I prosecuted outta misplaced vengeance before, and it hurt someone I care about. I ain’t cut out to be a defense attorney anymore, either…so I thought maybe I’d go back to the Prosecution and do it right this time.”

He smirked over his wine glass “make it better, fix the issues that hurt folks like Lana Skye and you.”

“What a fortunate coincidence,” Miles said with a little smile. He raised his glass to him. “I was cthinking of asking you to come back to the prosecutorial department for the same reason.”

Diego raised his glass with a low chuckle. “…that works well for me, friend. Can’t think of nothin’ else I’d rather be doing than standing in court.” 

“Then consider this a welcome back to the department, Diego. Officially this time.” Miles clinked his glass against his. “We’ll work out the details. But I’m pleased to have you on my team, especially since it sounds like you’re just as invested in reforming the system as I am.”

Diego nodded , tipping his wine back with a quiet chuckle “I picked up some enthusiasm for it talkin’ to an old rival turned…”

He trailed off. Lana Skye was more than just a friend at this point. The two of them made a connection…born first of their mutual grief, and then of genuine interest and attraction.

“Well. You know how it goes.” He tilted his head in lieu of a wink again. “I’d like to see things get better– and I like to think it’d make Mia proud, wherever she’s watchin’ from.” 

January 20, 2028– 10:10 am

Two weeks after his lunch with Miles Edgeworth, and Diego was having the surreal experience of moving into his own office in the prosecutorial building. It was a nice office, on the floor directly below the one belonging to the chief prosecutor.

He whistled as he worked, moving boxes of his old law books in one at a time from the hall and taking account of the space. He was told that prosecutors had pretty free reign to decorate it, and he already had a few ideas to liven it up a little.

A coffee bar would have to be a must, of course— though it was a damn shame he’d have to buy all new beans.

Back when he was ‘Godot’, he hardly had a presence at the office. It was better that way, with less of a chance people would question his past. He came and went without an office of his own, more a ghost than a man.

But now he was one of the living again, it seemed. He had to leave a mark showing it. As he set down a box by the desk, he thought about setting up a nice set of photos for the Fey’s…for Mia. 

As he was considering it, he was pulled from his reverie by a sharp knock at the side of the door.

“Uh. Mind if I come in?” A voice asked from the doorway. It was a familiar one.

It was Phoenix Wright.

Diego stood, dusting his vest off before looking over his shoulder with a wide, tooth-baring smile “If it ain’t Phoenix Trite. What brings you all the way to the prosecutor’s office?”

It was with good humor– the man had earned his respect with the blood, sweat, and tears that pervaded the Hazakura Temple case.

He just couldn’t resist a little dig…hell, it was almost a fondness. 

Wright peeked into the room with a goofy, embarrassed smile on his narrow featured face, hair swept back as usual. He had something– a box, under one arm.

“Edgeworth told me you were starting this week, so I uh. Came by to congratulate you,” he said. He hesitantly offered the box toward Diego. There was clearly more he wanted to say– but he stopped there.

Diego sauntered over and scooped the box into his hand with a lazy grin. 

“Shoulda known the guy’d tell you before I could.” HIs mask flickered as he looked down at the box, wondering if it was one of his– or some kinda gift from Phoenix Wright, a man he once cursed the very name of. Once. “Been a while, huh? Damn long while, even. Thanks.” 

“A long while, yeah,” Phoenix agreed, rubbing his chin. “Some tough years. Yours probably tougher than mine. ”

Wright watched him with obvious nervous hesitation as he checked out the box. It was large, and white– probably– it wasn’t wrapped, but there was an envelope stuck in the edge of it. It was probably a gift.

He chuckled roughly, and flashed the man a wolfish grin.

“Eh, three square meals a day and a bed ain’t bad. I pulled through. Heard a bit about your lil’ adventures from Maya and Pearl.” He pointed a finger at him before he untucked the envelope and opened it to give it a read. “Been keeping tabs on you, Trite. Come on in, I’d make ya a cup of joe, but I ain’t exactly moved in yet.” 

“We could go out for a cup if you wanted. But I know you’re pretty particular about your java.”

He stooped with his hands behind his back as Diego read the card. It was a simple ‘congratulations’ card on the front, with an illustration of balloons. Inside he’d written a short message. ‘Hope to see you in court! Funny thing to say I know, but welcome back.’.

His smile softened a bit as he read it, and he found himself chuckling a little as he tucked it into his vest pocket. 

“I can be a little picky. You’d have to make sure you didn’t pick the wrong place.” He let the door closed and trailed in after Phoenix with a grin. “Looking forward to going toe to toe with me again, huh? Me too. I thought about it a few times while I was in the clink.” 

“I’m still pretty freshly back to the practice myself,” Phoenix admitted, finally heading all the way into the office with him. “I haven’t had a chance to go up against anyone quite as aggressive as you were yet. For a while I was wondering what it would be like to play you at poker.”

Funny to think that Phoenix Wright had been out of the law game almost as long as Diego had.

A lot had gone down when he was sent away– wasn’t long afterwards that he got word that the infamous Phoenix Wright had been disbarred for forgery, and later…

That it was all a grand set up, and he was back in the saddle and riding towards a new era of his career. 

“Guess we’ll both be a little rusty, eh? Works for me. Puts us on an even playin’ field.” He paced around until he leaned against his desk. “Poker, huh? I warn ya, I’m a tough customer…– then again, I heard you were Mr. Undefeated from a little birdy in the clink.” 

“Undefeated so far,” Phoenix said. He glanced at the box, seemingly eager for Diego to open it. “Who knows what the future holds, right?”

Diego opened it up with a sly smile. 

“Who knows..I’m kinda tempted to put that luck of yours to the test ya know…see your face when I break that streak of yours.”

He pulled the flaps out of the way, and looked inside. 

There were four large ceramic coffee mugs of obvious quality inside, and all of them were stuffed with foil wrapped candies.

“I wouldn’t mind a friendly game,” Phoenix said with a grin. He slipped his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know coffee as well as I know poker, but I figured I owed you a few mugs. And the lady at the shop said those chocolates will go well with black coffee.”

Diego lifted one of the mugs out and held it by the handle in his curled fingers, looking it over with a grin.

“Well I’ll be damned. Now I’m a lil’ sad I don’t got the coffee bar installed already. I’d give these a whirl.” He looked Phoenix over through the flickering lenses of his mask. “You’re makin’ an old bastard feel real welcome, Wright. Not just trying to butter me up, are ya?”

More playful teasing, ribbing, competition– it was what he knew, after all. But he had to admit he was touched. It was a nice gesture, and he wasn’t lying when he said he felt welcome. He hadn’t been sure how Wright would have taken seeing him again.

A tumultuous interaction just before they each were torn from the world of law for over 7 years, and a background of heartbreak and pain…he wouldn’t have been surprised if Wright hated his guts. But it was clear he didn’t by some weird miracle. 

He laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck as Diego had seen him do in court, back in the day. 

“Aw, I’m not a nice enough guy to bother trying to butter you up, right?” He smiled bashfully. “I’m… genuinely glad you’re back, Diego. I learned a lot in the last– Justitia damn– the last decade. I hope you won’t find me as entirely bad company as you did back in the day.”

Diego laid out the mugs on his desk , turning them so they were at the right angle to catch the view from the doorway, before he set the box aside and grinned.

“Been a hell of a decade…I learned a lot too, locked away. I’d go as far as sayin’ that Godot died in court that day.” He held his hand out towards him with an amused chuckle and grinned widely. “I’m willin’ to give you a shot, Wright. Now that you ain’t pissin’ me off by breathing, of course.” 

Phoenix took his hand sheepishly, and grinned back. “I can’t promise it’ll never happen again. A lot of people I’m real fond of tell me I’m pretty infuriating to be around.”

Diego shook his hand, his strong fingers closed around Phoenix’s hand for a moment as he chuckled. 

“Yeah , well…All I can say to that is no wonder Mia liked ya.” He chuckled again, staring Wright down with his visor. “And maybe I like a pain in the ass every now and again.”

Phoenix looked as bashful as before, and didn’t seem to be in a hurry to take back his hand. “I’ll try to make sure it’s at least fun this time, then.”

“I’m lookin’ forward to it, Trite. Don’t disappoint me.” Diego stared at him with an amused grin. “Hey. I gotta get some stuff from the apartment. How about you give me a hand if ya got the time and help me carry a box or two. I’ll make you a cup of coffee.”

The abashed grin got even larger. “I don’t have anything urgent to do for the rest of the day. I’d be happy to help. Especially if there’s coffee in it. I never got to try yours– except by the uh, express route.”

“You didn’t seem to enjoy taking it through the top of the head, it’s true.” Diego chuckled as he grabbed two of the mugs off the table. “Let’s give these fellas a whirl then. Maybe I’ll even break out my ol’ set of cards while we drink, eh?” 

“Sounds great! Uh, I have a tactless question though,” he said, following him out the door. “Can you uh, can you see half the cards? Cause as I recall that might be a problem.”

Diego whacked Phoenix on the arm “I got custom cards, Trite. They make those, ya know.” 

“Ow!” Phoenix laughed– and seemed to walk even closer to Diego after that. “I mean I actually knew that, I didn’t know if you had a pack. I was going to offer.”

“Well ain’t you sweet.” Diego chuckled with a sharp grin. “nah…I picked up a pack with Pearl when I first got out. Though I ain’t gonna say no to a second deck.” 

“I’ll grab one for my own office, in case you ever wanna come by.”

Diego glanced at the man walking by his side as the two of them headed out into the hall of the prosecutor’s office. 

“You know…I’ve been wonderin’ what you’ve been doing with the place. Might just.” 

“Its kind of a mess honestly,” Phoenix said with a grin. “You might throw a couple of punches over it.” Phoenix glanced at him with what seemed to be rather nervous amusement.

Diego’s smile grew a little wider as he slapped his hand on the elevator button. 

“You gonna fight back if I do?” he asked with a low rumble to his tone. 

“Might,” Phoenix chuckled, glancing off and rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve been known to be a bit of a roughhouser. But I can take a punch if you’d prefer I just rolled over.”

Wright was flirting with him. He had to be.

His eyebrows raised…invisible to Wright given the mask, thankfully…and he lightly pushed him into the elevator when it opened. 

“I like it better when there’s a little tussle involved, Trite. Don’t roll over on my account.”

The man was attractive, for certain– there wasn’t JUST blind vengeance leading him to antagonize the man that tumultuous year, after all.

Funny to see the guy flirting back after all these years. 

Wright shouldered him back and grinned a little wider. “Good to know you don’t want me to go easy on you, old man.”

Maybe this was going to be an interesting afternoon.

Diego looped an arm around him with a wolfish grin “I’m more spry than I look, Trite. Let’s get a little coffee in ya and see where the night goes.”