there is always another au

[cagedinflesh]

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[cagedinflesh]

"Oh, I forgot about that. Both of you huh!" He grins between them each in turn. "Maybe I want to be part of it."

Jekyll stares wide eyed, embarrassed and afraid of what things Hyde could say. Sorry to find out that Paloma's first ever date is being ruined as his is.

[gehennawind]

Something in his head doesn't work properly. Something has disabled his ability to empathize with people sitting right in front of his face.

She's not oblivious to how Jekyll is taking it, either. Underneath the table her foot bumps against his, lying beside it in unspoken solidarity. Paloma finds her voice and the resolve to meet Hyde tit for tat, sitting up straight.

"Maybe we can talk about this outside, and you can look at the menu, even if I'm pretty sure you're not here for food--,"

Paloma stands suddenly, shocking herself, and strides toward the exit with confidence she doesn't feel. Please work.

[cagedinflesh]

"Yes, that sounds good, I'll come with you." Jekyll stands with her. At least the two of them can make a plan if he'll stay put.

And he does luckily stay there. Once they're in the safety of the patio, he takes her hand in both of his. "I'm so sorry..."

[gehennawind]

She takes deep, slow breaths to re-orient and maybe chill out. The evening air is a bit nippy and helps in that regard.

They're close enough, she hopes, to justify leaning her forehead into him.

"I just don't understand. Has he ever done this before, with a date? Am I really your first too?"

[cagedinflesh]

"You are... I'm not sure if he would have done this before or not, if there had been any others." If he wanted a threeway, maybe. And chances are he would, if he's being honest.

"We could leave, I'll tip the waitress for the trouble and we can find somewhere else...?"

[gehennawind]

She's already shaking her head before he finishes making the offer.

"Will he just keep doing the same thing until he gets whatever it is he wants?" Who would go to these lengths for a threesome? That's not even on the table of options. No sane man would assume it is after meeting someone a day ago. "What does he want, do you know?"

[cagedinflesh]

"I don't know, he's...Difficult to understand, even for me." Which means he doesn't know if Hyde would keep following them around or not. He does know more or less what he wants though! But how can he say that?

[gehennawind]

"Does he not like when you do things without him there? A control thing? Or..."

Paloma separates but stays anchored to his hold, because it's a comfort and because if she didn't think he's sweet and worth the trouble of getting to know him, they would part ways right here.

"I'd like to have dinner with you here."

[cagedinflesh]

"I would too... He's, well, yes I suppose there might be an element of jealousy or control. It's not that he's so bad that he won't allow me to do anything without him, but he can certainly be petty."

He's glad she hasn't left yet, he thought for sure she would run off. He leans down to kiss her nose in thanks.

[gehennawind]

Jekyll has a spectacular talent for inducing her to blush, whether alone or under pressure or...

"I... I wonder if he might behave, if we negotiate? Bribe him. Somehow?"

[cagedinflesh]

"That tends to be a good way to deal with him. He's like a dog, or a child." At least he laughs a little. "Do you have anything in mind?"

[gehennawind]

Even from limited exposure to Hyde, doggish and childlike seem appropriate handles. Laughing together, just a little, helps bunches.

"Promise him something? Umm, treats?" If they're treating him like a dog, maybe they can motivate him like one.

[cagedinflesh]

His ideas of treats are a bit...unsavoury." He's not about to tell her to offer him a BJ or something. "I'm not sure how we're even related, sometimes!"

[gehennawind]

She bites her lip, agreeing.

"I don't like to lie," she shivers, "but if we let him think he might...?" Anything to salvage this night and have a peaceful dinner. Paloma pleads with her eyes.

[cagedinflesh]

He nods. "That might work." Jekyll will most likely pay for it later if they lie to him, but that's okay if it will save this date. "Shall we...?" He turns to lead her in, if she will.

[gehennawind]

Any chance to act normally is a chance to normalize the ridiculousness his brother dumped on them. They re-enter like a proper lord and his, uh. Companion.

Hyde cuts a jarring figure in the backdrop of such an elegant restaurant. She kind of envies his careless disregard for convnention. She takes her seat across from him to disallow him further temptation.

"Right!" she pipes up brightly. "Edward, umm, what'll you have to eat?"

[cagedinflesh]

He's moved to be squatting on his chair like some kind of monkey. "I'm thinking steak."

Jekyll feels more at ease with the plan at least and smiles between the two of them. By the time they order, it's probably time to try laying down the law. "We'd like to have some time alone together. I know you don't want to do that, but, if we have dinner together, will you let us spend the rest of the evening alone?"

"What, that's all I get, dinner?"

Jekyll looks to Paloma for help.

[gehennawind]

Paloma, to soothe her nerves, specifically orders a wine she's only seen on television.

Showtime.

She half-turns to Edward, tugging idly at the fabric over her chest. It's designed especially to sidetrack him with her melons, which she's not sure about now that she's done it. "Dinner and a treat," she says. Her legs cross in a power move. "Umm, negotiable."

[cagedinflesh]

"Negotiable...?" His eyes follow to her chest, it's an odd gesture but he's still definitely going to notice those. "What's on the menu...?" His grin says a lot.

Jekyll meanwhile looks very uncomfortable.

[gehennawind]

The only seduction techniques she's even got secondhand familiarity with are read in books, and Paloma's not 100% that seduction is what's called for. He already seems ready to go, like, now.

Shooting Jekyll an apology would ruin everything, but she can stroke his ankle underneath the table. Hyde gets a cautious sidelong peek. "Hard to say unless you're behaving. Wine?"

[cagedinflesh]

He laughs, shaking his head. "As if you could buy me with something like that. What are the possibilities here."

[gehennawind]

He read her wrong and it's wrecked the pitch she sort of planned. She flinches.

"No, I mean..." Paloma picks the bottle up and just pours one out into his glass, deft after a lot of time with a discerning curator. She buys herself time to think up an appeasement. "There."

[cagedinflesh]

"Thanks. But about my reward for being good..." He catches Paloma's hand to punctuate what he'd most like.

"Edward--" Jekyll tries to take that hand back to its own personal space. "Just behave yourself."

"You know that's impossible." Hyde's grin might be just a tad lewd. Fancy that, weird, that he makes a face like that at his brother!

[gehennawind]

Isn't his face just stuck like that?

The two of them with all their similarities could not be less alike. Yet here she is, having dinner with both. What's with this telenovela bullshit? What happened to the Middleton cliche?

Her blood runs hot. "If it's impossible, there's no point negotiating. You can do your damage and we'll go separate ways like nothing happened."

[cagedinflesh]

"Fine, fine, I'll try, but there better be good payout." He grumbles, proving he can indeed make a different expression, when he starts to pout.

Yeah whatever Edward, Henry is so unsympathetic. "So, um, Paloma, what shall we do after? Is there anything you'd like to see or do?" Just to stick it to Hyde, he says it very pointedly.