AmbientSpaceNoise and I have had many convos about J/E. I was inspired to write my take on his story "Favor for the Enemy" and he has graciously let me do so. I just love the idea that instead of Hyde taking Jackie to the Prom, it's Eric. Totally AU, Donna and Eric aren't canon.
Jackie sits on the couch next to Eric and realizes that he may be her only hope. She's dateless and he's dateless and the prom is only hours away. She can't be the only one simmering in anger here.
If it weren't for that idiot Michael and his slut for a date Pam Macy, she wouldn't be here. Neither would Eric if Donna got off her feminist high horse.
The lecture Donna gave to Eric about prom being a male-dominated fantasy requiring women to dress up and degrade themselves all for the sake of popularity made Jackie cringe. Hyde, in his infinite wisdom, agreed with Donna and added only a sucker would dump hard earned money on something so cheesy.
Jackie rolled her eyes and came to Eric's defense saying it was about romance and dressing up and dancing. God, Donna's her best friend but couldn't she see how she just crushed the poor dork? She had a suspicion that Eric was going to use the evening as a way to ask Donna to be his girlfriend. Maybe Donna was embarrassed that she might not be able to find heels to fit her giant feet.
So, now here they were staring at the TV like a couple of losers. She does what she does best and sighs and pouts to get his attention, when that isn't working she grabs his arm, "Eric, aren't you upset about Donna?" What Jackie really wants is a way to approach Eric about a plan that suddenly occurs to her, but she's somewhat hesitant to blurt it out loud.
He looks at her quizzically, one eyebrow raised, because her question is out of the blue. "No. She's right, I guess…I mean…I wouldn't want to feed the prom industrial complex-"
She grunts in frustration, cutting him off. Jackie doesn't believe one word he's saying and she's knows he doesn't either. "That's so stupid. Look, I have the perfect dress and I know you bought that crushed velvet suit. We could-"
"Erm, no." He says, not bothering to look at her. It's a good idea, if only he could give it a chance.
"But-"
"Jackie…" He says her name like a warning, and it does little to deter her. "Ok, look, I can be ready in an hour." If being reasonable isn't working, the next best option is to switch up her tactic.
"Then by all means," he motions to the door "Maybe you'll find a date on the way out."
It hurts, this blunt dismissal. Was she so hideous that he wouldn't want to be seen with her? She knows they're friends even when they burn each other, but the sharp pain in her gut makes her realize this was different than the teasing that's just part of their dynamic.
The last thing in the world she wants to do is sit here and cry in front of Eric Forman, but it's too late to stop the tears. All the hurt she normally is able to hide so easily comes out in full force. It's too much for her after Eric's outright rejection.
All she wants is to dress up and be a princess for the evening, to be swept up in the glitter and romance. And, to rub it in Michael's face. What doesn't he understand about that?
She doesn't hear the annoyed sigh, but she does feel the arm wrap around her shoulder and she buries her face in his neck and continues to sob. She does hear him quietly shushing her, and she starts feeling better. Now she wonders, in between breaths, when the universe decided she should care about Eric and what he thinks of her.
"Jackie, if I agree to go with you, will you please stop crying?" She focuses more on the words he's saying rather than the defeated tone and her heart skips a beat. She sniffs and let the words sink in, and it's not like she's not used to getting her way, but there's something about Eric giving her what she wants that makes this feel like a special victory.
She pulls away slightly and looks at him. He's not a scumbag or a cheater, and there's a boyish charm that she's always secretly found appealing, and she feels happier than she thought she should be being his date. He looks at her too, and his arm is still around her and its hard to tell if the tension is just something she's imagining or not. Or, maybe it's just weird that they were this physically close.
Jackie gives him her best smile through her tears, "Forman, are you asking me to prom?" She's joking of course, and there's a pink tinge to his cheeks and he chuckles. In mock seriousness he says, "Jackie Burkhart, will you engage the prom industrial complex with me so you'll stop crying on my shirt?"
She can't help but laugh, and it doesn't escape her that Eric makes her feel good in ways Michael never did.
An hour and a half later she's back at the Forman's. She's got her father's Lincoln and her best smile on while waiting for the front door to open. Since it's prom, she isn't about to waltz in through the back door because this event demands some formality even though it is just going with Eric.
Kitty opens the door and fawns over her while Red only lowers his newspaper low enough to give her a polite nod. She waits for Eric with a jittery feeling flowing through her, and it feels amplified when she sees him on the staircase. She's always thought he was kinda cute in his nerdy way, but now that he's dressed up ready to take her out, she sees how dashing and handsome he can be.
Eric seems to feel the same way, because all they're able to do at the moment is stare at each other. His slow steps bring them face-to-face. "Jackie…you look…really beautiful." He sounds unsure, like he's trying out a foreign language. She self-consciously looks down and brushes at the dress and looks back at him and manages to breathe out, "I…yeah. You do too."
Eric shifts uncomfortably and practically thrusts a box at her, "I got this," he clears his throat, "For, you know." For two people who normally had no issues throwing quick insults or witty come backs at each other, the conversation they're having is strangely stilted.
The white corsage makes Jackie's mouth drop into 'o.' It doesn't match the lavender of her dress, but it accents the baby's breath in her hair, and how perfect was all of this? She holds her wrist out, watching as he attaches it, and it strikes her how long his fingers are.
Kitty breaks the reverie with demands for pictures, so Jackie and Eric stand together awkwardly while she compliments them and reminds them to smile. It's then that Jackie realizes that her face hurts because she hasn't stopped smiling since Eric agreed to go with her.
His mother finally lets them leave and Jackie hands him the keys because he's the guy and he should drive. He opens the door for her and she climbs in, a bundle of nerves. Somehow, the roles they've played in each other's lives this far tilts just so on it's axis. The feeling can't be ignored, but Jackie doesn't know what to say because she's scared he's going to say something snarky to her and ruin the elation she feels.
Eric doesn't say anything either, maybe because he wants Donna at his side instead. Well, that much is true, she thinks and she shouldn't even care because it's not about going to prom with Eric-it's about going to prom to prove to Michael that she doesn't need him or want him anymore.
She looks at Eric and he looks so lost she almost laughs out loud. This really is some situation they're in, and it's kind of ridiculous. But, she looks down and the flowers he bought for her, and maybe this isn't so ridiculous.
"So," Eric starts, his voice higher than normal, "I would have got reservations for dinner…or something…but…you know." He won't look at her, and it doesn't matter because that was just so incredibly sweet and why couldn't Michael ever be like this? And why didn't Donna see how thoughtful Eric could be?
"Look, I'm just happy you agreed. All of Point Place High deserves to see how gorgeous and sophisticated I look in this dress!"
"If sophisticated is the look you were going for, then it's probably for the best that you didn't go with Kelso." She laughs at that when before she would have said something rude back, but it's true.
They pull up to the school to see dressed up classmates milling about outside. Some are smoking on the hoods of cars or making out or passing brown-bagged liquor back and forth. Jackie takes a deep breath and glances at Eric, who looks a little less lost. He gets out and opens the passenger door for her. She starts to climb out when she notices Eric has a hand out to help her. She takes it and smiles at him and they both hold on a second longer than necessary.
His hand guides her to the doors of the gym, and they hear Boston's "More Than a Feeling" coming through. She goes to step inside, but Eric holds her back. "Um, Jackie? Could you maybe warn me if you're gonna cry or like, fight Pam Macy? Just so I can hitch a ride home with Fez."
Jackie looks at him incredulously, "Fez managed to get a date?" She shakes her head and refuses to believe that. "And no. I'm not going to cry or cause a scene. You are my date so," she bounces a little, "you have to stick with me no matter what." It's a challenge and Eric smiles as if he resigns himself to this fate.
Eric holds his arm out for her to take. "Shall we go to the ball, m'lady?"
They step inside, and it's still the gym. A gym with streamers and a disco ball, but it was all so enchanting, and Jackie can't help but jiggle around with excitement. She's too busy darting her eyes around to notice that Eric is smiling at her.
She follows him to a table where he pulls the seat out for her and volunteers to get them punch. She so baffled at how much of a gentleman he is and she involuntarily follows him with her eyes. She's almost forgotten the real reason she wanted to come.
The reason himself suddenly stands before her. "Jackie? What are you doing here?" Michael's eyes are bugging out and Jackie sees Pam Macy at his elbow, a slutty vision in a yellow dress.
"Michael." She crosses her arms across her chest. She's not above acknowledging him, but that's as far as she wants to go. Michael is handsome, sure, but seeing him in the flesh reinforces her opinion about him. He's an asshole and a cheater and he'd rather sully himself with the town whore than be with her.
Michaels's still standing there gawking at her when she spies Eric returning, cups in hand and she beams. Michael notices that her eyes aren't on him and looks over his shoulder to see Eric approaching the table. Eric smiles at him before sitting next to Jackie.
It feels good knowing that Eric isn't backing out on his end of their date. "ERIC?" He bumbles in typical Kelso fashion, "Are you here with…Where's Donna?" Michael comically darts his body around, searching for the redhead.
Jackie looks at Michael Kelso and wonders what exactly she saw in him aside from his looks. Looks are usually enough for her, but now that she's had a small glimpse of what a real guy is like…it seems a little embarrassing.
"Michael. Eric's here with me, you idiot." She stands, a physical cue that she's done with this interrogation. She's very deliberate when she looks at Eric. "Dance with me?" Eric stands and takes her hand, and as she pulls him to the dance floor there's a feeling she can't shake.
"Misty Blue" comes on and she can feel his hand rest on her hips, the other gently holding her hand as they swayed. There was a respectable distance between them, and she appreciates that, but somehow it isn't enough. Releasing her hand from his, she wraps her arms around Eric's shoulders and rests her cheek on his shoulder. She feels him pull her closer, and she's not weirded out or disgusted or offended.
He's skinnier than she's used to, but that's okay. It may be the song or the lights or her gratefulness for Eric's kindness, but she's happy here with him. Why she ever was mad at Michael not bringing her here is lost on her.
There was always something about Eric Forman that she was drawn to, be it friendship or advice, or whatever. As she feels his arms around her, it dawns on her that it's the stability she loves. He's like this dorky lighthouse to her drama filled ship, because she always seeks him out when it seems the darkest.
And he's never let her down. Even now, when she's sure he's thinking about Donna, he doesn't disappoint her. As hesitant as she is to pull away from him, she feels like she needs to apologize, or something. "I'm sorry Donna didn't come with you."
They are still locked in the embrace, swaying to the music automatically. "Jackie…" He looks at her with those green eyes, and to her, it doesn't matter what else he says as long as he'll keep looking at her like that. "I'm not thinking about that. At all. But I am going to warn you that Kelso is headed this way."