tw/cw: this chapter includes brief mentions of blood/a gash and talk about hurting oneself/self harm, negative self talk and an indirect mention of sewerslide. read at your own discretion, your mental health is more important <3

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the next day wednesday completely avoided tyler even though he tried to approach her multiple times. she knew he was wanting to apologize since it had likely been the hyde side of him but she wasn't sure how well she could handle that.

it had hurt her more than she wanted. because of the words he said and because she knew he was doing it even though he didn't want to. it meant his hyde still had some control over him and she didn't want it to be that way. and she especially didn't want the hyde to hurt her.

she trusted tyler but she couldn't trust his hyde. she wasn't sure if there was anything she could do about it and that terrified her, knowing the boy she cared about very well could be the one who ended her life. all because of some monster that was apart of him. that he had been born with.

towards the end of the day she finally let him approach her while she was in the study looking for some books, trying to find answers, anything that would help. she had taken her mother's suggestions but she was trying to find others too. she moved to set the books she had in her hands down on a desk before standing next to it and looking at him. he was standing in the doorway.

"i'm sorry wednesday, i know you're mad," he started, she noticed how he was keeping a good distance between them, he had only taken a couple steps into the room. like he was afraid to come any closer. and in all honesty, she didn't blame him. she wasn't sure if she wanted to be too close to him herself.

"we need to try and get rid of or control your hyde, that's the problem. not you," she responded simply, still hoping that was the truth.

he nodded, "yeah... i don't know if that's possible though." his expression turned grim and she could tell he was exhausted, letting her know he did have trouble with his hyde last night.

"we can try," she stated stubbornly, determined. there had to be some way, right?

he nodded again as he bit his lips lightly, a tell that he was anxious.

"usually what your hyde says in regards to your feelings is false, correct?" she then asked. she wanted to clarify that fact but also wanted his answer to comfort herself. to remind her that he hadn't meant what the hyde said to her.

tyler nodded once more, "yeah. that's why i hate it, it does and says things i don't want to."

"i'm not mad. i just have to remind myself not to take the hyde's words to heart," she responded honestly. she wasn't mad, it just had been unexpected and made her worried. she wasn't sure if she was going to tell tyler about the vision or not. she doubted it would change anything.

"did you?"

she paused for a moment, letting her gaze fall to the floor before responding, being vulnerable, "it's hard not to."

"i'm so-"

she quickly looked back up at him, "there's no need to apologize. i just needed some time."

"okay."

the lighting was dim but when he turned to leave she noticed a shimmer on his left arm, a shimmer of blood, like a gash existed.

"tyler."

he turned his head to look back at her, "...yeah?"

"what's on your arm?" her expression was serious, concerned.

his face became full of recognition as he became protective of it, moving it up and holding the arm close to his body, putting it out of her view, "nothing."

"then don't make it so obvious that it's not nothing," she shot.

he looked away from her, "it doesn't matter."

he went to leave again but she appeared in front of him and held out a hand, her way of gesturing and telling him to give her his arm. he knew she was stubborn so he reluctantly did so.

she grabbed ahold of it and noticed there was a long claw mark that was partly scabbed over but had blood oozing out in a couple spots, similar to what she saw on his chest when he had injured himself to throw her off track.

tyler flinched as she ran her thumb along it for a moment before looking up at him with a sort of glare, "why'd you hurt yourself?"

he knew there would be no point in denying it so his head hung low as he shrugged a little, "i guess i felt i deserved it after what i let my hyde say to you last night."

"this doesn't solve anything," she responded.

he shrugged, "doesn't matter if i deserve it."

"you don't. need i remind you again that you're different than your hyde?" her gaze was intense.

he shook his head, "no, it's just hard to believe sometimes and i still need to try and control it more."

"your hyde side only said things, it could've been worse," she pointed out. it could have been like her vision.

he realized that, "yeah... i know."

"that has to count for something, that you're not letting it hurt me." for now at least, she wasn't sure when he wouldn't be able to anymore. when his hyde would become too hard for him to control.

"i guess." he didn't seem convinced. he knew the dangers of his hyde. it seemed to be getting worse and it scared him to death.

"you promised me you'd stay," she then told him more gently, removing her hand from his arm as she brought it up to his face slowly, a bit hesitantly. but she did it, placing her hand against one of his cheeks.

she was searching his eyes and he wasn't letting her in, "i'm still here, aren't i?" he didn't sound happy about it at all. wednesday hated how much the hyde had changed his mood.

"yes but if you keep doing it it may get worse or you may find yourself getting close to..." she trailed off, not wanting to say it outloud, she was more concerned how it would affect him.

he got her point, "sorry. i don't know how else to get out those feelings - the anger, the guilt, the pain."

"pick up a creative hobby, it's been scientifically proven it helps people let out their emotions in a non-harmful way." she knew this because she had read it and because her hobby of writing. it was also one of the few things she had learned through xavier since he was an artist and made it blatantly clear he used that hobby to express his feelings. if it could help him and her, it could help tyler.

"i've never been artistically talented," he admitted. she was a bit surprised since in faulkner's diary it stated how hydes were usually artists by nature, but she supposed that didn't have to apply to them all.

"so? you don't have to be."

he shrugged.

"it doesn't matter if it ends up being "good" art. it's subjective anyways. i just don't want you to inflict more pain on yourself," she said, showing concern again.

he let out a sigh as he finally met her gaze slightly and she could tell he was miserable, "but i deserve it."

"why do you think that?" she wanted to know so she could give him a reason he would agree with. 

he shrugged again as his gaze fell.

she moved the hand on his face to his chin as she titled his head up, forcing him to meet her eyes again, "you don't deserve it. try to remember that."

"i'll try."

she wanted to kiss him again, to speak to him and share her feelings nonverbally but she couldn't bring herself to, not after her vision.

"thank you," she looked into his pained eyes once more before she quickly left, trying to calm her thoughts that had spiraled quickly in that moment.

he was going to be the death of her in one way or another.

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lmk your thoughts on this chapter as i feel i may have written wednesday a bit off but because of the progression up to this point and her being more concerned about tyler and his hyde, that this fits but idk for sure.