The thought of Dahlia talking to von Karma is ice in Phoenix's gut. It's easy to tell himself that Dahlia is a special case, that she's a part of the Fey family and it gives her some kind of power in death, but if all the other people they've sent to the gallows together can come back in some form? No, he can't think of it.

Edgeworth accurately predicts Phoenix's reaction to that untimely pause. He sputters, holding his hand tighter. "Wh-what?" Stop loving Edgeworth? He doesn't think he can. Doesn't think he has the ability to unspool all the love in his heart for the man without undoing himself in the process. "I can't, I don't know how, I--"

But then Edgeworth keeps talking. And it does break his heart a little bit, listening to him speak.

"Miles, do you really think I only love the boy you were? The man I thought you would become?" Phoenix has to fight back the tears. A lawyer doesn't cry until it's all over. And it's not over yet, won't be over until he knows Edgeworth will be okay. "I know you're flawed. I know you've done bad things. You're stubborn and cold and ruthless and it's a trial and a half to get you to admit to feeling anything vaguely mushy. For heaven's sake, you prosecuted me for a murder I didn't commit. I was there, you jerk. Do you think I just forgot that in a haze of childhood memories?"

Phoenix brings their joined hands up to his lips, pressing a kiss to Edgeworth's knuckles. "But I still love you. I love you because even though you did all those things, you decided to be better. That's who you are. A flawed man who lost his way and made the choice to work on finding it again. And maybe one day you'll lose it again, but I have faith that once you realize you have, you'll choose to put in the work to find it once more. That's more beautiful to me than a person who has never had to struggle to know what's right."