This was just a dorky little oneshot that I wrote one night when I was bored and not tired enough to sleep. It's not especially good, but I think it has its cute moments so I decided to post it. All fluff. It takes place about halfway through season 5. Hope you enjoy. :D

11:30 PM.

Steven Hyde picked up the Formans' telephone and dialed the number he called every night; the one he now knew by heart. His favorite phone number by far.

"Hello?" answered a groggy voice on the other end.

"Hey. It's me," Hyde replied. "Everyone pretty much went to bed by now, so I can come pick you up in say, half an hour."

"Ugh. Hey Steven. Uhm, I think I'm just gonna stay here tonight. I came down with something and I feel awful. I'd really just rather stay home. Kay babe?" Jackie sounded miserable. Her voice was cracking and it didn't have a trace of energy in it.

"What? No. You can't stay there by yourself. Especially if you're sick." What was Jackie thinking? He wasn't about to let her stay alone in her huge house all the way across town. She didn't know what could happen.

"Yeah, but I don't want you to get sick. And I don't want you to see me looking all gross and makeup-less. Once I let Michael see me when I was sick and he ran out the door screaming.

Hyde stiffened. He hated when Jackie brought up stuff about her old boyfriend. Especially after her little incident on Valentine's Day. And she knew that. "Well that's because Kelso's an idiot. I don't care, okay? And I won't get sick. I'm immune to everything. Come on, Jacks."

"Ugh! But Steven, I'm just gonna be all sick and boring and I'll just lay there like a lump and you'll be sooo bored."

"Again, don't care. I'll be there at twelve."

Jackie gave up entirely. Arguing with him rarely served a purpose. He was too persuasive. "Fine," she sighed, "but you'll regret it. See you baby."

Hyde put the phone back down and waited around until it was time to go get Jackie. She was so ridiculous. She should have known that he didn't care if she was sick, or wasn't wearing makeup. As long as they were together, everything would be fine.

12:00 PM.

Jackie waited downstairs for Steven to come. When she saw the lights as the El Camino pulled in, she smiled to herself. Even though she felt like crap and had begged him not to make her go, she was happy to see him. He made her feel less alone and more loved.

Hyde stepped into her house and took a quick glance at her. She was wearing slippers and flannel pajamas. She didn't look bad at all. Less perky than usual, but by no means bad.

"Hey," he said. He pulled her towards him and gently kissed her forehead. It was so hot, it felt like it was going to burn through his lips. "Wow. You are sick."

She sniffed. "I have a horrible fever and my head hurts so bad it feels like it's going to explode. "

Hyde thought back to that afternoon, when they were hanging out in the basement. She had complained of a headache, but he hadn't thought much of it. He assumed she was just being her whiny self.

"Well, I'll do my best to make you feel better. Let's go." He grabbed her hand and pulled her outside to the car. Normally they would have fooled around on the coach, or up in Jackie's bedroom, but Hyde sensed that she wasn't really up for that.

She walked slowly, as if all of her energy had been sucked out with a straw. When she got in the car, she closed her eyes and laid her head against the window. Several times while driving Hyde thought she had fallen asleep, but whenever she asked she replied that she hadn't.

When they arrived at the Formans' house, she couldn't even get up. "I can't move," she moaned. He picked her up and carried her inside. It was easier to sneak around when she was knocked out- he didn't have to worry about getting caught because of her insane giggling.

He crept into the empty basement and into his bedroom, laying her down on his cot. "Can I get you anything?" he asked.

"Uhm, maybe an extra blanket? I'm freezing. And some water and Tylenol or something?" she answered quietly, her teeth chattering the entire time. She kept her eyes closed thei entire time she spoke to him.

"I'll be right back," Hyde said."

Jackie laid there extremely disoriented. Time passed strangely and unevenly. Sometimes it felt like she had been waiting there for an eternity, and sometimes it felt like Steven had only left her side moments ago.

He returned finally and sat beside her, whispering into her ear. "I got an extra blanket and some water, but I couldn't get any meds. I think Mrs. Forman keeps them in her bathroom. I found a thermometer though, if that helps at all."

"Thanks Puddin'," she mumbled.

He laid the blanket over her, pulled out the thermometer, and popped it into her mouth. The only sound in the room was Jackie's heavy breathing, as they anticipated the results.

The mercury finally stopped rising, so Hyde checked the temperature. "Holy shit! It's like, over 104 degrees! Is that even safe?"

Jackie couldn't ever remember seeing him look or sound this freaked out. His eyes bugged out, he was panting, and a layer of sweat coated his forehead. "Steven, baby, shh-"

"I'm getting Mrs. Forman," he said as he began to move towards the door.

"No, don't! Bad idea, Steven, bad! We'll get in so much trouble."

"I don't care."

` "Well I do. I'll never be allowed in here again and you'll never be allowed out. Red will kick your ass to the moon! And they'll realize that my parents are…not around, and it's just an all around bad idea."

"Jackie-"

"No. Look. I've had fevers this bad before and I've always been fine later. They just kind of rise dramatically. Steven, just listen. Come here."

He sat down on the floor beside her, so their heads were at the same level. Jackie slowly reached out her arms, removed his sunglasses, and began to stroke his face, never taking her eyes away from his. "Just calm down and come to bed."

Hyde felt guilty. He should be the one comforting her, not the other way around.

"I'll be fine, I promise," she whispered.

Normally Hyde would have put up a much better fight, but he looked into her eyes and he believed her. "Okay."

He stood up, handed her the glass of water, and changed into his sleep attire: sweatpants and a wifebeater. Then he climbed into bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her torso.

"It's so cold," she whimpered. He pulled her closer.

They laid in silence until Jackie finally broke it. "I can't sleep."

"So what do you want me to do?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Tell me a story."

"Uhm, okay…" Hyde thought for a while. "I got one. So once there was this super cool guy named…uh, Clyde. Clyde lived in his best friend's basement. And Clyde had this super hot girlfriend named…Wacky. So yeah, Wacky stayed over in Clyde's basement every night, but they had to keep it a secret because Clyde's friend's parents would be super pissed if they knew. And one day, Wacky was staying in the basement with Clyde. But she got super sick with this ridiculously high fever. But she wouldn't let Clyde ask her friend's mom, who happened to be a nurse, for help because she was a wimp. So she spent the night in an immense amount of pain. The end."

"Steven?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a brat."

Hyde smiled. "I try my best."

She waited several moments. "You understand why I can't let you get Mrs. Forman, right?"

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"I wouldn't be able to stay here anymore."

"Yeah." Hyde cringed at the thought of having her somewhere else and him being alone again every night.

They kept quiet again for a while. Jackie closed her eyes and tried to sleep while Hyde watched her and stroked her hair.

"Steven?" she asked drowsily.

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever miss your parents?"

"Well…not really. But I used to. A lot."

"Do you think my mom is coming back?"

He avoided her question. She didn't want to hear the answer. But the words were still there, even if they weren't spoken aloud. "You get used to it, you know? I guess I just realized that I'm better off without them.

"Do you think I'll ever get there?"

"Yeah. You will."

"I think I can sleep now. Thanks, Steven."

" 'Night," he said before leaning over the kiss her cheek.

For three and a half hours, Hyde watched Jackie sleep. He wasn't tired at all. He was thinking about her and him and…Kelso. As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, he was feeling very threatened by Kelso.

Jackie had admitted to having some "leftover" feelings for him and Hyde didn't like it. He liked it less than Donny Osmond, ABBA, The Captain and Tenille, and the Little River Band put together and multiplied by ten.

It sucked, not being the only one. She liked Kelso, but she liked him a little bit more. It was hard, but it was either take that, or not have Jackie at all.

Would Jackie leave him for Kelso?

It was possible.

But likely?

Probably not. She said that she loved him.

He said it to Kelso a million times.

But did she really mean it?

Hyde wasn't sure. But he comforted himself with the fact that Jackie was asleep in his arms, and he was taking care of her while Kelso would have run out the door screaming. Moron.

He only hoped that Jackie realized that.

If Jackie got back would Kelso it would really really suck. He'd kick Kelso's ass to the moon.

He'd just have to be on guard.

He thought about this for hours until Jackie stirred. She was groaning and kicking away the blankets.

"Jackie"

"It's too hot," she moaned.

Hyde pulled the blankets away and saw that she was sweating profusely. "Shit," he grumbled. He should have been paying attention to make sure she didn't overheat.

"You awake?" he asked her.

"Mmm."

"Should we check your temperature?"

"Yeah."

He grabbed the thing and stuck it in her mouth. 104.5.

"I'm getting Mrs. Forman!"

"If you do I'll kill you in your sleep."

"Good luck with that. You can't even move."

She was crazy. The highest fever he could ever remember having was like, 102.5. He could hardly stand to move. Mrs. Forman had stayed with him all day. She made him hot chocolate and crustless sandwiches, and put ice on his forehead when he needed it.

"I'm pretty sure people go to the hospital when they're this sick."

"If I can talk then I'm fine."

"You can barely talk. You sound like someone who hasn't slept in a month."

"If it gets worse then you can get her."

Hyde surrendered. For the time being.

"Can you take off my shirt?" she incoherently mumbled.

"What?" Hyde asked in disbelief.

"Too…hot…" she trailed off.

Hyde sat up and started to unbutton her pajama top. It felt weird. Sure, he'd taken off her shirt before, but she was usually conscious and shoving her tongue down his throat.

It was off. She lay there in only a pink, lacy bra. It would have been incredibly hot if he hadn't been so worried about her.

He had to move. He could sleep on the floor. She was going to get too hot. He started to stand. "Where you going?" Jackie whined.

"I have to-"

"Stay."

She needed him there. She wouldn't be able to sleep unless he was beside her. So he stayed, against his better judgment. But he edged to the other side of the bed, so the only contact between them was his hand on her back, rubbing in a soothing manner. Once in a while, he would lean over and softl kiss the back of her neck, or the skin between her shoulder blades, because he knew it helped her relax.

She eventually fell back asleep, and Hyde did the same soon after.

6:45 AM.

Jackie awoke in Hyde's warm embrace. Somehow during the night she had crept back into his arms. They were wrapped tightly around her, in a bear-like hug. She wiggled free so she could sit up and look at the time.

It was fifteen minutes before their usual wakeup time. Mr. and Mrs. Forman would be waking up soon and Jackie needed to be out of there before that happened. At least it wasn't a weekday and they didn't have to get ready for school.

She felt better, but still crappy. She checked her temperature again. 102.5. Thank god he hadn't gone to get Mrs. Forman.

She watched Steven sleeping. She loved doing that; he looked so sweet and innocent when he slept, like a little puppy.

She ran through the night in her head and thought of all the things he had done for her. That she remembered anyway.

Michael would have never been so nice. He'd have run away like before. Steven was perfect.

She tapped him awake. "Hi baby, sorry to wake you but I need to get home soon."

He rubbed his eyes. "You feeling better?"

"Yeah. Not perfect, though. I always run high fevers, and they tend to go down pretty quickly."

He didn't reply. He just looked over at her and she smiled back at him.

"Thanks for last night, Steven," she continued. "You were so good to me. I'm glad I came here. You know, you're like, a really great boyfriend."

He laughed. "Good enough to do it with?"

She giggled too. "Take me home, you pig." Then she leaned in for a kiss before getting up to get dressed and leave.

7:30 AM.

Hyde pulled the El Camino up to Jackie's house. "I'm just gonna go back to sleep, so I probably won't come by the basement," Jackie said.

"I'll come by in a few hours," he promised.

"Can't wait. Thanks Puddin'," she said and kissed his cheek.

"Anything for you, doll."

Review? Please? :)