Chapter Text
Over the course of the Society’s operation, Dr. Henry Jekyll had become finely attuned to the strange schedules of the Society’s lodgers. Ms. Ito and Miss Lavender slept until nearly noon. Mr. Archer and Mr. Bird woke early, but didn’t leave their lab until mid-morning when the wafting smell of Rachel’s breakfast beckoned them. Jasper oscillated between nocturnal and diurnal--of late, the latter. Their asynchronicities had become the constant current pulsing beneath his own habits. He could blame them for his sleepless nights and exhausted days, but he had settled into his ways far before he’d met any of them. If he hadn’t been their leader, he would have been right alongside them--toiling away into the evening and waking up with an aching spine, draped over his notes.
All this to say, he knew the cadence of the Society’s day like a comforting song and the burbling whispers in the foyer that crept under his door around five in the evening struck a dissonant chord. The early evening usually found everyone consumed by their work, rushing to make deadlines or lost in research, not yet roused to reality by an empty stomach.
Henry looked up from the papers strewn across his desk. The tiny print of ledgers and legal documents had blurred his vision. He blinked until he could focus on the dark grain of the door, as if he might be able to stare through it to see what the commotion was about without having to get up.
Come on. You’ve been sitting there all goddamn day. Don’t you want to know what they’re whispering about?
He refused to look at his reflection. His alter ego would most certainly be staring at him from whatever mirrored surface he could.
Jekyll…
Hyde’s voice rang through his mind in a lilted half-tune, drawled and beckoning. When he spoke again, though, the mirth was gone and malice bloomed.
They could be talking about you, for all you know.
“They’re not.” Henry huffed and rubbed the last of the blurriness from his eyes. He tucked his chin to return to his work, but his neck protested awfully.
You sound certain.
“I am. Now, hush.”
No fucking fun.
Henry sighed and dropped his head from one shoulder to the other, trying in vain to loosen the muscles. When he made to return to his work, he nearly groaned—whatever tightness he’d managed to release returned with scraping nails down the length of his spine. Unfortunately, he could use a walk.
He considered for a moment the potential consequences of Hyde perceiving it as a victory.
But, it wasn’t a victory. Henry just needed to stretch his legs before returning to work. That is all it was.
And…if he happened to learn what had the lodgers gathered, well, that was coincidence. Right?
Keep telling yourself that.
“Be quiet,” Henry hissed, mindful to keep his voice low. If he could hear beyond his door, they could hear him should he be careless. He stood and felt a triumphant thrill wind down his ribs that didn’t belong to him.
I knew you couldn’t resist the temptation. You rarely do.
“I resist plenty,” Jekyll muttered and rounded his desk. “Unlike you.”
Feeling petty today, are we?
Henry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and pulled open his door. The stairs spilled into the main hall and just at the base of the stairs, the lodgers had all congregated around Virginia Ito. They clambered for a chance to look at something she held in her hands. Their voices overlapped and Henry couldn’t make sense of the chatter until he descended halfway down the staircase.
“Let me see!”
“No way. Who would be so daft?”
“Whose is it?”
“None of that makes a lick of sense to me!”
Jasper lingered at the back of the group, not bothering to press close with the other lodgers. He noticed Henry’s approach first, and gave one of his usual small waves.
“Hi, Dr. Jekyll,” he greeted with an easy smile. “Sorry if we disturbed you.”
“Not at all,” Henry dismissed. “I needed an excuse to get up anyway. What’s going on here?”
“Ms. Ito found a journal.”
“Oh?” Jekyll smirked, bemused. Leave it to the lodgers to a frenzy over some handwritten gossip. Inside his mind, Hyde urged him to confiscate the thing so that he might be able to lap it up first. Henry ignored it. “Anything of note?”
“She said it’s loaded with scientific research. Something about alchemy or other,” Jasper gave him a shrug. “I’m not sure exactly what, but I’m not incredibly well acquainted with alchemy, so it was a bit of a jumble to understand her. Especially when she was talking so fast.”
A bite of panic nipped at the bottom of his lungs. “Alchemy, you say?”
Jasper nodded, “Whatever it says has them arguing, though. Probably for the best you came out, if I’m honest.”
Jekyll thinned his lips before turning his attention back to where the lodgers danced around Virginia. She poured over the pages, only occasionally glancing up to answer questions being lobbed at her. The pinprick of panic threaded cold through his chest.
Certainly, it couldn’t be his.
All of his journals were securely kept in his office. Behind glass. Locked.
…Right?
Henry stepped into the throng and managed to push his way toward Virginia. Questions flew past him and the more he heard, the worse the poisonous cold pulsed through his veins.
“What do we have here?” he heard himself say.
Virginia’s eyes flicked up to meet his with a wildness he associated with surging scientific interest. They lit further when they landed on him. “Oh! Dr. Jekyll, perfect! You’ll find this interesting, I think.”
“What’s that?” He struggled to keep his voice even and his hands from shaking as he reached out to take the leatherbound journal being offered to him.
“I needed some more graduated cylinders and test tubes, so I went to the storage room just before the kitchen. I found this at the bottom of one of the crates, just thrown in.” She spoke with the heightened exaggeration of someone swept into a wave of a new fascination. He knew the feeling well. “I’m not sure who it belongs to, but it’s filled with notes and experiments, all dedicated to soul alchemy.”
The chattering lodgers. The lights buzzing overhead. The familiar script beneath his fingers. The worn edge where his fingers had worried the leather soft and frayed. His lungs seized and he had to force himself to cling to his dwindling control lest he be torn open right there and then. “Soul alchemy, hm?”
“Impossible!” Someone shouted behind him.
“I’ll say.” Grumbled another. “What a load of shit.”
“Wait until Frankenstein hears this.”
“And they call us mad scientists!”
Virginia took the book from his hands. Luckily she was too distracted by telling off the derisive comments to notice how his fingers trembled.
“It’s all right here!” she said, impassioned. “Well, perhaps not all of it. It’s missing a significant portion of information—I assume there are other journals—but there’s plenty to go from.”
“Pardon?” Henry said, his focus pinpointing to only the woman in front of him. His fears swelled tenfold. It was hard to tell what was worse: being cast out or someone trying to recreate his work. Hyde seethed at the thought. Jealousy washed over him, and he couldn’t entirely blame Hyde for it. Shame iced it over in his next breath.
Thinking of your ego at a time like this? Typical. Only ever thinking about yourself.
“These notes are very detailed. I could begin to retrace the steps and--”
“No.” Henry said, his firmness silencing the room. He smiled tightly and folded his hands behind his back. “Soul alchemy is a thought experiment, at best. Leave it at that.”
“What? Certainly you can see the advancement that this could be, Dr. Jekyll,” she pressed, bringing the book further into her arm. She was unlikely to give it up--an issue Henry kicked himself for creating. For once, he should have listened to Hyde and confiscated it when he had the first thought it might be his.
And you certainly should not have handed it right back to her. What a damn fool you are, Jekyll.
“And certainly you see, Ms. Ito, that this is not worth your time. You do have a project that already requires your full attention, yes?”
“But--”
“Please,” Henry managed a smile. It was forced and far too strained to be genuine, but he hoped she wouldn’t see through him. He spread his hands placatingly. “Some ventures are to be left only to theory and concept. Whatever this journal contains is no more than a teasing out of the mind’s thoughts. Useless to you or anyone else in pursuit of tangible science.”
“Then you would not mind if I held onto this,” she said, holding her ground. “Seeing as it is useless information.”
Whoof, only yourself to blame for that one. Walked right into it. Hard to believe you still think you’re brilliant--you’re a right idiot.
Jekyll let out a slow breath. “Alright. If it would please you. But, tell me you will not try to recreate these notes.”
The group had begun to dissipate. Behind him, he could hear snide comments about a stick up his ass. Hyde parroted them, louder and cruder.
Virginia set her jaw, eyes blazing with determination. “Of course not, Dr. Jekyll. I wouldn’t dream of it.”
She turned on her heel and left, the journal open again before she had her back to him.
She doesn’t even respect you enough to tell you the truth. She’s absolutely going to--
Henry seethed in his mind, Shut up, Hyde.
As he stole back up the stairs, Henry nodded to Jasper. For a moment, he thought Jasper would stop him, ask him something, but no question came. Somehow that was worse. To be seen, knowingly observed, but hear no comment--Henry’s nightmare. In the silence, his mind could fill in all manner of scenario--
He’s onto you, Jekyll. He’ll find you out and tell all of your little lodgers. They’ll call you mad, they’ll turn you over to Bethlam---!
“Enough!” Henry snapped as he shut the door to his office as gently as he could with adrenaline flooding through his limbs. Every muscle shook, poised to run, to fight, though the danger had yet to reveal its true form.
Ito will concoct a serum and drink it, killing herself in the process. You remember how it was when we began--every mix was a fresh hell to endure with no payoff, no success. Your heart stopped, remember? You nearly killed yourself!
Henry slid down the door until he came to rest with his knees near his chest. His breaths consumed his hearing in concert with every pulse of his fluttering heart. He stared at nothing and his body became heavy with panic. Unable to move, yet unable to remain still without feeling the twist of his stomach and uncomfortable cold coating his skin.
Or worse. She’ll figure it out. She’ll make a serum and tear herself apart, just like you did. And you’ll watch as she takes the credit for your work--everything you thought you were, just as fake as your posh accent. Can you sit by and watch that? You never could get past your fucking ego, Henry.
He shut his eyes and blew a breath out as he dropped his chin to his chest. His forehead came to rest on his knees. The rough fabric pressed into his skin and he tried to focus on the sensation until slowly, he could feel the door behind him, too. The press of his pant’s waistband into his stomach. The cool planks beneath him.
Time slowly returned to its usual rhythm and Henry let his head fall back. He could take a full breath and his skin had warmed once more, no longer chilled with looming dread. The air rushed into and out of his lungs, a grounding beat to tether himself to. He was alive, despite his body’s insistence to the contrary moments ago.
When he felt steady enough, he uncurled his body and pressed himself upright. He was still heavy, but it was the familiar weight of exhaustion. Panic always left him drained, though he doubted he would find any sleep tonight. The mercilessness of his existence never ceased to amaze.
I bet she’s in her lab right now--
“Edward,” Henry breathed, his whispered voice breaking slightly under the plea. He braced himself against the edge of his desk and glanced over to the full length mirror. Staring back at him, a shock of blond hair and striking green eyes. “Please. Please stop this. Just for now. I can’t--”
Hyde shifted, his eyes dropping to scan over Henry’s hunched body. Silence stretched between them. Henry still found it disquieting to watch his reflection move when he remained still, but Edward shifted close to the glass and pressed his hand to it. Then, it fell back to his side and he dropped his eyes to the floor.
Sorry.
Henry sighed. It had been nearly two years since he had torn himself from Edward, and still they had not found a way to exist without furthering the divide between them. He would restrict and punish Edward. In return, Edward would lash out, both when he finally got control of their body and when locked in Henry’s mind. The struggle had only worsened with time, particularly when the thrill of discovery had worn off. It had been a long time since Henry had looked at Edward Hyde and felt a flush of enthusiasm for his inquiries, as he had when the serum had finally worked. Sometimes, he missed it. Mostly, Henry missed being able to have any shred of quiet in his mind.
You can’t blame me for that, you know. It was a mess in here long before me.
His reflection pouted, but did not meet Henry’s eye. There were the occasional moments of tepid harmony, though. A glimpse into a life where Henry could put down his self-loathing and Hyde could understand the pressures that accompanied his standing.
He sighed and turned to sit on the edge of his desk. “You’re right.”
I know.
The bottle of wine near his hip was nearly empty and Henry didn’t bother filling the glass. He tipped it upward, the sweetness of its bite bringing sensation back to the inside of his body.
I am sorry.
“I know.”
Henry shook his head. In the mirror, Edward pulled himself to fully sit on the desk, his legs dangling over the edge.
“How long do you think it’ll be before Virginia has made any sense of my journal?”
Hyde snorted, wry and amused.
Noon tomorrow. Take the wager?
Henry’s stomach turned and he swallowed the rest of the wine to dull it. “I don’t even know how it could have gotten in there. I’ve been so careful…”
The long silence that followed pulled Henry’s attention to the mirror. Hyde was distinctly not looking at him.
“Hyde.” Henry prompted, his chest lighting with curling suspicion. Their better moments never lasted long. “And don’t even think about lying.”
Edward’s shoulders flinched slightly.
Do you…remember that night a few weeks ago? You told me I could go out…
Henry pressed his teeth together. “You stole my journal because you were mad I fell asleep before taking the serum?”
No!
The petulant cry resounded through Henry’s head.
No, you told me I could go out and then you deliberately went to bed instead of taking the serum!
“That’s a lie,” Henry spat, anger simmering low in his stomach.
You can’t lie to me! I am you, you idiot!
Henry scoffed and pushed away from the desk. Edward stormed after him through the reflections, ire balled in his fists.
“Do you understand what you have done? You’ve endangered us both! If anyone found out about us, about you, they would send us to Bethlam or kill us outright. You heard the way the lodgers were talking about soul alchemy! No one believes it’s worth anything more than their disgust! We would lose everything, Hyde!”
Ito believes it! She’s excited by it! We could just tell her and then--
“No! No,” Henry whirled on his reflection, a perfect mirror of anger. Hyde’s shoulders were tensed up around his ears, his hands flexing and a curl to his lip, just like Henry felt in his own body. “I am not telling anyone. I’m going to get my journal back from Ito, stop her from doing any experiments and that will be the end of it.”
But--
“Enough!” Henry snapped with enough ferocity that Edward stepped back from the pane of glass in the bookshelf behind the desk. Peering past him, Henry could see where a single leatherbound journal was missing from the shelf--a detail lost in the sea of his overwhelming days and nights. He chided himself for not noticing sooner. He took a breath and tried to get control over his simmering rage. If he allowed himself to unleash it, he would be just as bad as Edward. “I will fix this. Like always.”
Henry pulled another bottle of wine from the rack beneath the bookshelf and shut the cabinet door. With shaking hands, he managed to pop the cork free and pour himself a fresh glass. The paperwork mocked him, still strewn over his desk, covering nearly every inch. As much as he wanted desperately to find some reprieve from the exhaustion tugging pains into his head, he forced himself to sit.
Tomorrow, he will deal with Ito. In the meantime, he had work to do.