The Glass Scientists micro-fanfictions

After the party

The heavy, clattering of the men's shoes, the footfalls coming exceedingly irregularly as they staggered about in a giddy, haphazardous daze, was drowned out almost entirely by their laughter. Such improper behaviour would have surely caused them to cringe away in shame, but their thoughts were a happy daze of alcohol and good company. It felt almost as if they were daring the very word itself to watch them, to judge them or perhaps to join them in their merriment. 
Robert Lanyon clung to his companion as he was quite sure that his legs would do nothing to support him alone, and Henry Jekyll almost perfectly mirrored this, his fingers curled up in the scandalously untucked shirt, his other hand flailing uselessly as he took several failed attempts at unlocking his office before he was able to permit them access.

The laughter from something that would have only been funny in an intoxicated mind still ringing happily in the air as the pair practically fell into the office, Robert only just managing to keep his footing and catch the other doctor before the floor was introduced to his face. There was some truth to the old saying that some things never change, for while the years had passed by since their collage days, this was a scene that had played again and again. It always did seem that Henry got far more inebriated than Robert did, but perhaps that was just because the former was far worse at turning down whatever drink was offered than the latter was. 

"Oh, Docter Jekyll! I had so hoped you were going to be here, I so desperately wanted to meet you!" Lanyon exclaimed, putting on a shrill voice to mimic the way the person had said the words he had repeated, clasping one hand to his chest dramatically as he wobbled his way over to the table. 

"Is that Doctor Lanyon? Oh, how I hope he notices me amongst the crowd!" returned Jekyll, fluttering a hand to his forehead with all the melodrama in the world, raising the pitch of his voice to just a point where it was amusing.

Once more, the two giggled at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. How Robert had managed to navigate the parties without Henry there and without going right mad was a marvel. 

"But Henry, I must say," the other doctor began, something altogether sly in his voice, "I saw the way you danced at the function, and it was dreadful! Your steps were all out of place! Do I need to remind you how a proper gentleman must dance?" 

"I could never hope to master the art of dance quite as smoothly as you, Robert," came the response, not caring that the feigned shame in his voice really did sound laughably false, "But if you were so kind as to take the time to remind me how I ought to dance, I would be eternally grateful." 

This was a script they had used more than once in the past, and as predictable as it was, neither of them had strayed from the same words they were familiar with. Of course they both knew that Henry's dancing was perfect, he'd never let himself be anything less than perfect, but it was a wonderful excuse for closeness. It would have been unpleasant enough as it was to say the excuse was for anyone who might happen upon the pair, but even when they were sure they had all the privacy in the world they still hid behind a world of excuses and convenient half truths to get by. 
Nothing better than shared lies between close companions.

"First of all, stand up straight, Henry," the man instructed, sauntering over to the other, resting a hand on the curve of the other's back to assist in this, thankfully he was kind enough to not acknowledge the odd little flinch that came from this, "You're so wonderfully tall, it would be a shame if you did not use this to your full advantage." 

The esteemed and seemingly unflappable Dr. Henry Jekyll's face flushed, not just because of his present intoxication even if he might try and explain it away as something so simple.

"Take my hand, if you would not mind, and rest the other on my shoulder."
Although Lanyon was explaining this it was very much for the sake of the hypothetical people passing by, as Jekyll had already done this, and had accidently let out a little gasp when the other doctor had placed his other hand delicately upon his waist.

"Should I not attempt to lead?" asked Henry as simply as he could. Did he flutter his eyelashes as he asked this? Perhaps a little, but not on a completely conscious level. 

"You know I teach better from example than instruction," Robert replied in a flippant but cheerful manner, "How much have I taught you already? Surely you haven't forgotten already?"

"I'm sure there is a great many other things you could teach me, no?" 

"Oh!" exclaimed Lanyon, adding a little laugh to hid the fact he became just a little flustered at this, "Only if you can repay the favour," another laugh, the shaky and undeniably earnest sort of laugh that came from the very core of a person, only ever really possible when a person's inhibitions were reduced, "Will you prove to me you remember how to dance?"

Although the two were as unsteady on their feet in a way that would put a newly born lamb to shame, they danced, and danced as if it was the last thing they would ever do on earth. It was not the graceful of waltzes, stumbling about as they were, but it was so purely earnest that this made it all the more beautiful for it. Hidden away from the horrible, prying eye of society, they seemed almost like their true and unmasked selves, but that is to assume there even is a truth to them anymore. But even the tragic unreality of their selves did not matter, their status, the opinions of others, anything at all really did not matter at that moment, they were together and they were as happy as they could dare to be, and so while the danced they could forget the very world itself.