Jekyll and Hyde were as punctual as ever, which pleased Utterson.

Both of them were wearing their best (yes, even Hyde).

The lawyer could tell, that Hyde was really uncomfortable in his dinner suit, but that didn't change the fact, that he was looking great.

"You two look amazing", he told them.

Jekyll blushed a little, while Hyde just snorted.

"Oh shut up. Let's go, I want to get it over with", the brunette huffed.

The older men chuckled, knowing that he was just trying to conceal how nervous he was.

They arrived at the restaurant and, just as expected, received uncomfortable stares, because of Hyde. Also just as expected, they received a table behind a screen.

Normally Utterson would have protested, but the screen would grant them some privacy. So he left it at a frown at the waiter.

"Don't be irritated", Hyde murmured, when he saw the lawyer's expression. "I don't like to be stared at anyways."

"Well, there is always the option of looking somewhere else", the lawyer hissed irritably, but sat down.

"Let's not dwell on that", Jekyll intermediated. "How has your work been treating you, Mr. Utterson?"

"I've been very busy lately", Utterson played along. "Yesterday morning I had a very irritated client. Angry, because his wife passed away and he has no claim to all her lovely money. She made no will, therefore everything will go back to her brother's family. And now he's throwing a tantrum, because apparently he has made a lot of debt and hoped that the inheritance from his wife would help him pay it off."

Jekyll and Hyde laughed.

"Good thing we don't have to worry about that, eh?", the Doctor giggled.

But Hyde looked down all of the sudden.

Utterson noticed first and took the young man's hand.

"What's the matter?", he asked with a whisper.

Hyde sighed sadly. "I just thought … I'm so much younger than you two. When you die … I don't know what I would do. Where's the point in inheriting Jekyll's whole fortune, if he's not there … if neither of you is? If you're both gone because of old age and I'm all alone? The only other friend I have, who's around my age, is Alma (and maybe Lucy, if you'd consider her my friend). But she's not you, you are …"

His voice failed and he swallowed.

Utterson, sensing what the brunette needed, took his hand. "Hey now. Let us not think about death yet. We're healthy men and not going to die tomorrow. Let's just enjoy this beautiful day."

Hyde relaxed, just a bit. "You're right. Sorry. I'm still having the morbs from what has happened lately."

"Happens to all of us", Jekyll assured him. "But we shouldn't talk about inheritance in a restaurant anyway. Someone might be eavesdropping and making untrue assumptions."

Suddenly he frowned. "Speaking of which."

He stood up to look over the screen.

"Sir, we would quite appreciate if you minded your own business", he told someone on the other side.

The voice that stuttered an excuse made Utterson and Hyde listen up and the former looked around to see if it was who he thought.

Sure enough, Enfield was looking up to Jekyll with a red face and stammering apologies.

Utterson went to greet his cousin.

"Enfield! Fancy meeting you here!"

Enfield looked to the side and finally spied him.

"Oh, Utterson! What a surprise-"

"No, it's not", Utterson cut him off. "You knew that it was me. That's why you eavesdropped. You know what, young man, come around. You should at least talk to us face to face."

Enfield came around sheepishly.

But his sheepish expression vanished immediately, when he laid eyes upon Hyde.

Both men's eyes widened, before narrowing and gleaming with despite.

Hyde was the first to recover. "Sir", he greeted coolly.

"Sir", Enfield requited with equal coldness.

Utterson rolled his eyes, before introducing them.

"My friends, I would like to introduce you to my cousin Richard Enfield. Enfield, this is my chuckaboo, Dr. Jekyll. And you have already met Mr. Hyde."

"Certainly have", Enfield stated, threw Hyde another hateful glance (that was requited with equal hatred) and shook Dr. Jekyll's hand.

Jekyll smiled amiably. "It's a pleasure. Utterson has told me a lot about you. He told me about what a nice young man you are."

I did?

Enfield blushed up to the ears. "No, he has not", he laughed awkwardly.

"You're right, he has not", the Doctor admitted humorously. "Young Hyde here has spoken of you (a bit rudely, I'm afraid), but I didn't know that he meant you, until Utterson mentioned you."

What followed was an awkward and short conversation between then four, that was held up almost entirely by Jekyll alone (and a bit by Utterson).

It had been a while (not after the catastrophic gala), since Utterson had been able to witness Jekyll use his charm so generously. But it was plain that despite the months of affliction, the blond hadn't forgot how to wrap others around his fingers; he was so charming and amiable, that (just like almost everyone else) Enfield was taken with him within ten minutes.

Fortunately, the strawberry blond quickly said his goodbyes and left.

Once he was gone, Hyde turned to Utterson: "So, when were you planning to tell me, that this man is your cousin?"

"When I could be sure that you're not plotting his murder anymore", Utterson retorted. "And judging by how you reacted to meeting Dr. Faust, I decided that I couldn't be sure yet."

Hyde blinked. Then he shrugged. "Point taken."

"Whelp, that date was terrible", Jekyll sighed, when they were back at his home.

"I'm awfully sorry for that", Utterson apologised, "I really need to talk to him about that."

"Hey, you couldn't see it coming", the Doctor assured him. "Do you want to try that again, some other time? After all this was supposed to be a romantic date."

"Speaking of which", Hyde spoke up, "Does he know what is going on between us three?"

Utterson decided to come clean: "Yes and no. He saw me and you, Edward, on that rainy day in the park and confronted me about it."

"What?!"

"He didn't see us kiss though. He just saw me out and about and chatting and smiling with someone he had seen do something terrible and demanded to know why."

Hyde was tense. "What did you tell him?", he questioned.

The lawyer shrugged. "I might have told him a half-truth. I told him that you're my future ward – being Jekyll's heir – and that I therefore have to be affiliated with you. When he asked, how someone like you could make me smile and chat, I told him that I'm fond of you as if you were my son, now that I know you closer."

The brunette laughed: "A half truth indeed! We both know that-"

"You're much more to me", Utterson finished for him with a coy smile.

Hyde gawked at him and blushed scarlet.

The lawyer laughed: "Why so surprised? Do you think I would kiss you or let you kiss me, if it wasn't so?"

The young man laughed awkwardly. "Hehe … no, probably not. You're not the type for that."

"Exactly", Utterson confirmed. "I see, you're beginning to understand me, Edward."