Dr Henry Jekyll & Edward Hyde (jekyll_hyde) wrote in thedoorway, @ 2014-07-17 09:39:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | henry jekyll / edward hyde |
Who: Henry Jekyll & Edward Hyde
When: July 16
Where: Henry's apartment
What: Henry's gift from the tesseract prompts a long overdue conversation.
Rating: PG
Henry looked down at the ‘gift’ that had just been delivered to him. How they knew it was for him was beyond his understanding but he certainly recognised it. It was Mina’s red scarf, the one that contrasted so well with the unrelenting black she habitually wore. He had no idea why the tesseract would send it to him not was he entirely sure he really wanted it. A reminder of home and someone he would never be worthy of. The tesseract’s sense of humour was… odd. I would be worthy of her. For once Edward’s whispering response elicited little more than annoyed exasperation from him. “No, you wouldn’t. Neither of us would be. She likes men like… Dorian. Cultured men. Confident men. Elegant men. Neither of us fit that mould.” She killed him. “Because he betrayed us… her.” Henry shook his head and ran the scarf through his hands. “She was friendly enough with him beforehand.” You’re so weak. Henry snorted. “I know better than to fight battles I cannot win.” Best kind of battle. Henry stopped and glared at the wall opposite where he was standing. “Rubbish. You want to live as much as I do. You can’t live without me.” And you can’t live without me. Henry sighed and his shoulders slumped. He suspected that was very true, as much he’d like to deny it. He’d done this to himself. Separated part of his personality and given it form and thought of its own. And all the research he’d done since he’d been here indicated that there was no turning back. No reversing the effects. Good. “Is it?” he asked. For once the question was without rancour or fear or anger, just weary resignation. We can help. Henry frowned and walked through the apartment to the bathroom, where he could look into the mirror. As always, when Edward was this close, he saw not his own reflection but Edward. “I don’t understand. Why? Why, after all the trouble and chaos you caused in London and Paris, did you want to help the League?” Edward’s face in the mirror grimaced and snarled as though he didn’t want to answer then it settled into a sort of sullen annoyance. Quartermain saw the monster and wasn’t afraid. He saw the monster and thought I could be useful. You never did. “You hurt people!” Henry said angrily. “When I let you out in London, in Paris… you hurt people, you killed people. You ruined everything.” You thought I was a monster. So I gave you what you wanted. Henry looked genuinely baffled. “What?” Thought that was what you wanted. Someone to fight your battles. Do what you secretly always wanted. “I never wanted to hurt people!” Henry half-yelled. Edward snorted and sneered. Yes, you did. I can hear your thoughts. “I…” Henry shook his head, his hand clenched tightly around Mina’s scarf. “That didn’t mean I wanted to actually hurt them.” Yeah. Figured that out. By then you just expected me to be the monster. So again, I gave you what you wanted. “I…” Henry ran a shaking hand down his face. Was everything that had happened been all his fault? Was this just the most ironic example of a self-fulfilling prophecy that had ever been seen? Could he have stopped it all before it all began if he’d just… stopped and examined things like the scientist he was supposed to be instead of just reacting blindly and fearfully? Maybe, Edward said in response to his thoughts. Too late to whine about it now. Henry slumped back against the bathroom wall and stared at Edward. “So what now?” Edward snorted and gave him a withering look. Isn’t that up to you? Keep going the way we have or find a new way. Those look to be the options to me. “So if I let you out, you won’t hurt innocent people?” Henry asked carefully, almost hopefully. If you stop whining in my head all the time. That’s really annoying. Makes me want to hurt people. Henry almost reacted to that but he could feel Edward just waiting for him to do so. He clawed down the automatic response and felt Edward’s satisfaction. “Must you?” he said with exasperation. Got to know you’re going to stick to your word. Edward paused then Henry saw him shrug offhandedly in the mirror. Wouldn’t say no to… advice though. You’re the brains of this… whatever we are. You’re the one who understand society and social niceties. “Teamwork?” Henry offered. Seems to work. Edward said, still sounded offhand, as though he didn’t want to show that this meant something to him. Saved the Nautilis. Saved those people in M’s holiday hideaway. He paused then gave Henry a hard look. Saved Pete. “I… yes,” Henry said. He still felt the nervous worry about Edward but… maybe this could work. Maybe they could trust each other. They saved Peter and Remus together. Maybe… Seems to me like Pete needs the help. Skinny weedy thing, he is. Bit like you in some ways. It was an odd reversal of roles, Edward coaxing Henry, but Henry couldn’t deny that the idea, all of it, had merit. And given that what he had been doing wasn’t working terribly well, surely it couldn’t hurt to try this instead? “Alright… yes.” Edward grinned. Good. Now put the damn scarf away. That bloody bat woman isn’t here so stop pining over her. “I’m not pining,” Henry said with some exasperation but when he walked out of the bathroom to put the scarf in a drawer, he did so with straighter shoulders and more confidence than he ever had before. |