An Evening

"Hyde."

One simple word. His name. Yet he flinched as he heard the voice calling it.

Jekyll's voice.

He was home a bit earlier than usual and could sneak up on him unnoticed while he himself was sitting on an armchair, drunk from his visits to several bars earlier and trying to get sober again.

Jekyll didn't like it when Hyde was drunk.

Edward turned around to look at Jekyll. As always he was looking like the perfect gentleman. Of course he did.

"Evening, Jekyll"

The doctor stepped closer to him and bend down to look him right into the eyes and stayed there for a few seconds.

Edward would've nearly held his breath but Jekyll didn't like that. He had a fine nose and could tell by the smell of his breath what Hyde had been up to while he was gone; what he ate and drank. Maybe he wouldn't notice it today. He didn't like it when he caught Edward had been drinking. Maybe he wouldn't notice because if he did he would be angry with him.

Hyde didn't like when Jekyll was angry with him.

"Your breath smells like alcohol", Jekyll's voice sounded disappointed.

Why did he have to notice? Now he would have to tell him or he would really get angry.

"I've been drinking. I'm sorry."

"You know I don't like when you smell of alcohol."

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"Do you think saying sorry over and over again does anything for you?"

"No, I'm s-", he stopped mid-word as he noticed and looked down, biting his lip.

He knew Jekyll was still looking at him. Maybe he had that amused sparkle in his eyes that he sometimes got when Edward nearly failed to follow instructions and only stopped himself in the last moment. If he would look up again he would know but he was unsure whether to do it or not.

Then there was a hand on his chin which, though gentle, forced him to look up again and meet Jekyll's eyes.

For a moment they just looked at each other. Hyde wasn't sure if he liked it or not. Looking at Jekyll was nice but the other seemed to pierce him with his eyes like he could see every thought and emotion inside Edward. Hyde had stared back into those eyes so often already and yet he still didn't know how to read what the doctor was thinking. Didn't he try hard enough or did the other just knew too well how to hide everything?

He wasn't sure.

But of something else he was sure.

Jekyll had started to kiss him while he was in thought.

It was gentle.

So he wasn't angry?

Edward began to return the kiss in the same way but as soon as his lips moved against the doctor's, Jekyll pulled away.

"Wash your mouth. I don't want to taste any alcohol on you anymore. If you're fast you'll get a reward."

A reward?

That was unusual for Jekyll to offer. Normally when he noticed that Edward had been drinking he ignored anything Edward tried to get his attention. Sometimes he even told him to sleep on the couch. And today he offered a reward? Was something special today? He didn't know but he kept thinking while he stood up from the armchair and moved past Jekyll without touching him accidentally.