Title: Under the Bus
Rating: PG-15
Genre[s]: drabble, one-shot,
Spoiler[s]: Few pieces of the Hyde/Jackie relationship. Nothing specific.
Influence: "Who Knew" - Pink
Of all the people who she would later think back on that made the biggest impact on her life she never would have thought that the lonely, rebellious, pothead would top that list. Thinking about it though, the thought didn't surprise her.
He was a far cry from models that paraded over the glossy pages of her magazines. Or the foolish illusions brought on by her puppy love with Kelso. Even more so from those rich yuppie boys her mother attempted to throw at her, when she was actually home.
Everything in her life came second compared to the emotion stirred up by the Zen master, her parent's abandonment or even Donna's attempt at tough love. Innocent dreams of young love matured and bloomed, an acquired taste that never seemed bitter or dull on the tongue.
A lover that allowed her to spread her wings and fly with a safety cord attached firmly just in case.
It seemed every inch of her skin was tattooed; the beating of her heart, the breath in her lungs, and pulsing of her blood. A touch that never ceased to boil her blood yet seemed to leave her colder especially now that it was gone. Leaving behind a winter-like chill that remained year-round, wrapping around her and sticking like an itchy bargain coat.
But while things had been good, they were amazing.. He was responsible more than anything for that final transformation from girl to woman. He'd taught her what true heartache felt like, which in turn taught her that losing blood was nothing compared to the loss of her heart.
Sure Steven had never made any outright declarations or promises of forever but it was there, in his eyes, whenever she caught gaze his from across the room or on the rare times that they were allowed to show their secrets without fear of hurt. They were perfect together as cliché as it sounded; there was no way that something that felt that right could be wrong. No way that it shouldn't have lasted.
If only months ago someone had her that this wasn't going to work out, chances are she would have skipped past the whining and gone straight on to the bitching and slapping. But now it doesn't seem so foolish, does it little girl? In fact, it seems like that was exactly what was happening.
And Jackie had fought, fought harder than anything in her life to keep him. Sure she had worked for things in her life, but to try and save this relationship she had thrown everything she had under the bus and then some. She put up with the Zen, and the cheating even if it was only once. A month ago she was so sure she was finally making inroads but it seemed now, she was the one being thrown under the bus.
After all that happened between them it wasn't a surprise that at they couldn't find some sort of middle ground from the love that once was to the now more stewing upset that they boiled in. Maybe she would reach a point where he wasn't the first and last thought during the day. And eventually forget the way his lips felt against hers.
All she could do for now was pretend that memories didn't hurt and she was over the past. Maybe, just maybe, one day this would all make sense just not any time soon. But who knew.
