Nothing against Eric slash fiction, but there's absolutely no Eric/OC stories out there. Here's one now.
This is an A/U in which the fictional character Sidney Dantes is friends with the gang during the Pennbrook Years. She has a crush on Eric and he seems to like her a lot, but they haven't quite passed that "friend" thing. Plus, Eric is still wrestling with feelings for Rachel, even though she is dating Jack.
Vanilla skies
White picket fences in your eyes
A vision of you and me
It's just a little crush
It was morning, dammit. A lovely morning for exams but too bad Sid didn't want to get up. A sharp knock at the door wakened her further and she groaned, annoyed.
"Sidney, we've got Feeny's exam this morning. If you're late he's going to shame you in front of everyone. Trust me." Topanga said from the other side of the door.
"But I barely slept at all." Sidney said. She rolled over and fell to the floor with a thump.
"It's a damn good thing she doesn't have a roommate. They'd have killed her by now." Angela said. Sidney leapt to her feet and dug into the mess that was her dorm room looking for shoes that matched.
"I heard that." Sidney replied. She shoved a pair of cowboy boots on and placed her plaid green baseball cap backwards on her head to hide her tangled hair. She rubbed her eyes and finally opened the door, squeezing past Angela and Topanga. But the girls still looked into her room anyway.
"Oh, my God, Sid. Your room is a science experiment, right?" Topanga asked. Sid smiled and gave Topanga a playful nudge with her elbow.
"If laziness is some experiment, then yes." Sid said. Angela and Topanga laughed and together they walked to their first exam of the term's end.
Eric was half asleep as well. If it hadn't been for Jack, he probably wouldn't have been there yet.
"Eric." Jack said. Eric's eyes were slowly closing. Jack shook his head. Just then, Topanga, Angela, and Sidney walked through the door followed closely by Cory and Shawn. Cory took one look at his brother and his eyes lit up with mischief.
"I'm sorry, Jack. I can't hide my feelings for Eric." Cory said in a high-pitched voice. "Rachel!" Eric squealed before his head hit the desk.
The gang laughed but Topanga and Angela noticed that Sid looked slightly hurt. Angela knew the feeling. It happened every time she saw Shawn around campus with another girl. A few stragglers rushed in right ahead of Mr. Feeny and everyone tensed up as he cradled a humongous stack of papers that was their final exam.
"Good morning, my fellow defamiliarizers. Today we demonstrate what we've learned this semester." Feeny's refined voice was met with scattered groans.
Finally, after the last exam had been taken and everyone was able to breathe a sigh of relief, Topanga, Angela, and Sidney collapsed on the Student Commons' couches.
"My brain is completely dead." Topanga's voice was muffled with couch cushion. Angela and Sid were leaning on each other in a comatose state.
"How is my sweet dumpling?" Cory entered the Commons and sat down beside Topanga. Topanga sat up and glared at Cory.
"How do you think, Cory? We've just been through a difficult week of finals and I've had to regurgitate five months worth of knowledge. Even my hair is exhausted." She snapped. Cory gave a nervous smile and chuckled.
"So I guess you don't want to go away for the weekend..." He began. Topanga's face brightened.
"You're taking me away for the weekend?" She asked. "Yeah. Actually I need to talk to you for a second about it. We wouldn't be going alone." Cory said. He pulled Topanga away from Angela and Sidney and his voice lowered.
"Topanga, this was actually Shawn's idea. He needed a front so he could be alone with Angela in a romantic setting. I think he's gonna try and win her back. Finally." Cory whispered. Topanga rolled her eyes.
"Cory, I thought we agreed not to interfere in our friends' love lives. It just gets messy."
"No, YOU agreed. And besides, this is Shawn's thing here. He's making the effort to get her back. I didn't twist his arm to do this." Cory said.
"Okay, okay. Where did you guys plan to go?" Topanga asked. Cory grinned wolfishly.
"Doctor Amore's House of Love." Cory said. Topanga stared at him like he'd sprouted fangs.
"Really subtle, Cory. But I am not going to a place that sounds like a bordello." Topanga said. She saw Eric sneak into her line of sight and she sighed.
"Ah, baby bro is trying to get some pillow time with his lady friend. All right!" Eric said. "Who talks like you, Eric? And anyway this is none of your business. So butt out." Cory snapped. Eric was undeterred.
"Yeah, anyway. So as I was listening, I could have sworn I heard you say that you were planning to overwhelm Angela and push her into Shawn's clutches. And I must say, as a sensitive, good-looking man of the world, I am shocked that you would take advantage of her like that." Eric said.
"Oh, Eric, that's really sweet." Topanga exclaimed.
"My question is, can I do the same thing with Rachel?" Eric asked, giddy with excitement. Cory laughed.
"I guess I spoke too soon." Topanga said. She left the boys with a toss of her hair and went to join Angela and Sid. Sidney was glancing over at Eric and Angela leaned her head on Sid's shoulder.
"Give it up, girl. Eric has a one track mind like a puppy. He's still hung up on Rachel." She said. Sidney nodded. Sidney and Angela had grown quite close because of their shared love troubles. Angela still admitted to loving Shawn but not being able to trust herself with him anymore. And of course Sidney had admitted to loving Eric despite his obvious obsession over his roommate.
"I know. I don't think I'm even a blip on his radar." Sidney said. Angela shook her head and rose to her feet.
"Girl, we've got to do something about this. I'm thinking we need to go out and find some guys and have some mindless fun." Angela said. Sidney nodded and noticed Topanga coming back from her little secret conversation with Cory.
"Topanga, we've decided to go out tonight and pick up guys." Sidney said. Topanga smiled strangely.
"Oh, by all means. Go now." Topanga said, beginning to shoo them. Angela gave her a weird look as Topanga ushered the two of them out of the Student Commons.
"What is going on?" Angela asked.
"You don't wanna know. Just hurry and go before anyone asks anything." Topanga said. She peered around consciously and Sidney laughed.
"Are we escaping from the middle of Cory plan?" Sid shot a look at Cory and Cory waved awkwardly. Sidney knew something was definitely up.
"I can't really talk about it." Topanga said. "That's fine. We'll be going out if you want to come with us." Angela offered. With that, Angela and Sidney headed toward the dorm. Cory rushed over to Topanga feeling anxious.
"Where is Angela going? She's supposed to be coming with us on a romantic getaway." Cory frowned. Just then Shawn showed up and put his arms around Cory and Topanga, nodding his head.
"Okay, so...when are going?" Shawn wondered. Cory didn't answer.
"Cor?" Shawn fixed his gaze on Cory, making feel uneasy.
"Topanga made them leave. It was her!" Cory yelled. Topanga rolled her eyes.
"Shawn, you can't just expect to win Angela back by luring her to some skanky roadhouse for a romantic weekend. You can't lure me either, Cory." She said, leaving. Cory turned to Shawn, his expression grim.
"I tell ya. These women."
Angela smoothed out her hair so that it looked sleek and sexy, donning a black tank and black leather pants. Sidney borrowed Angela's red slip of a dress with lace at the top, accentuating the curves of her chest. Sidney straightened her hair out as well and together they headed for Donovan's, a new club that opened a few months ago near Cleavage.
They sat at the bar, their hands tattoed with an underage sticker, and drowned their sorrows in Ginger Ale.
"Why did you and Shawn break up, again?" Sidney asked. Angela gave a snort.
"Because Shawn is a scared little boy. And he's still a scared little boy. And now I'm scared." Angela replied. Sidney rested her chin on her palm.
"Of what?" Sid wondered. She finished her glass.
"Of ending up with him. Of not ending up with him. Everything." Angela said in a subdued voice. Sid began to regret going out. They may have looked like a million bucks but they were still not having a good time.
"So how did you end up falling for a crazy man like Eric?" Angela asked. Sidney smiled and began twirling the ends of her hair.
"God, I don't know. He makes me laugh constantly. I've never known anyone as optimistic and enthusiastic as Eric. Even when he's down and out, he comes up with a bright side. I love that about him. And he has a wonderful heart. There's so much more to him than he lets on."
"Oh? How do you figure?" Angela was in slight disbelief.
"Eric plays the fool as a defense mechanism. If people think he's dumb, then he can't get hurt. But whenever he had to say goodbye to Tommy, that boy from the orphanage, he was really hurting. The two of us kind of connected through that. He was actually vulnerable for a little while. But pretty soon he started to get back to his old silly self."
"You've got it bad. Why don't you just haul off and kiss him?" Angela asked. The music was beginning to give her a headache.
"I couldn't do that. I'd just die. But then again, I'm going to die alone anyway."
"Talking about Eric, are we?" Shawn Hunter slid into the seat beside Angela and ordered a coke.
"Shawn, that is private." Angela said. Shawn ran his hand through his hair.
"Oh, please. Even Cory's parents know that Sid likes Eric."
"Everybody knows except Eric." Sidney said.
"Anyway, where's your other half?" Angela asked. "Who, Cor? He and Topanga went to see a movie. But have I got the guy for you, Sidney." Shawn said, taking Sid by the arm. He led her over to a booth in the corner where a guy was sitting messing with his eyebrow piercing. He wore a leather jacket, tight black jeans, and high tops. But his face was cute and didn't fit his style at all, Sid thought.
"Sidney Dantes, this is Greg Skeens. He lives on our hall." Shawn said. Greg smiled sheepishly and Sid felt a twinge of disappointment. Greg would have been a guy she could definitely see herself dating. But he wasn't enough to make her forget about Eric Matthews.
"Hi, Greg." Sidney said, sliding into the booth. She was suddenly self-conscious of the dress as she felt Greg's intense gaze on her. Greg's face flushed.
Shawn returned to the bar next to Angela. Angela had been watching and frowned at Shawn as he sat down.
"What was that for? She still has feelings for Eric. You can't force feelings away from someone, Shawn." Angela said. Shawn's eyes reflected a strange warmth and he glanced up at Angela. "No, you can't." He said. Angela became a bit nervous and looked away.
"So how did you know we were here?" She asked. Shawn drank a bit from his coke.
"Cory told me. I'm guessing Topanga told him." Shawn grinned. He wished he knew how to break through this awkward barrier between them. Ever since Angela had caught wind that he wanted her back, she had been increasingly anxious around him.
"Well, it wasn't exactly a secret." Angela pursed her lips and tried not to notice Shawn's special cologne. The one he knew was her favorite.
"Hey, Angela...you want to dance?" Shawn reached out his hand for hers and Angela felt herself being led onto the dancefloor. It was a semi-upbeat song, but it was romantic and dark. It seemed to capture the essence of their complicated relationship quite well.
"I didn't know they'd gotten back together." Greg said as he and Sidney watched them from the booth. Sidney gazed after them longingly, hoping that they really would get back together.
"If they have then I sure don't know about it." Sid said. She didn't know what else to say, and it seemed that Greg, who was a really nice guy, didn't have much to say either.
"Greg, I've known a few punks in my day. And you are no punk, my friend. I applaud your breaking of stereotypes, man." Sid added. Greg gave a humble smile and pointed toward the dancefloor and Sidney nodded. The two of them joined Shawn and Angela in dancing.
"Angela, remember how we used to dance like this?" Shawn mumbled. He was getting entirely too close for comfort.
"Shawn, let's not talk about the past. It's over and done with." Angela said. Shawn stopped moving and took her face in his hands. He looked deep into her eyes.
"Not to me." Shawn's lips grazed Angela's but she backed away before he could fully kiss her.
"Shawn, what are you doing?" Angela asked in disbelief. She hurried off and Sidney went after her. Shawn was left behind to mentally kick himself for losing control.
"He did what?" Rachel exclaimed. Rachel and Angela were on the couch in her apartment she shared with Jack and Eric. Sidney was pacing the floor worriedly. She didn't know what advice to give or what role to play in this mess. Jack was getting a drink from the fridge and his eyes bulged as he overheard what Shawn had done.
"What's going on? It sounds like "Young and the Restless: the college years" in here." Eric said as he walked through the living room. He glanced at Sidney and did a double take. He wasn't used to seeing a dress like that on quirky Sidney Dantes.
"Whoa...Sid. Rebecca Romjin wants her dress back. But I'd be glad to cover your nakedness until you found something else." Eric embraced Sidney in a giant bear hug and she was confronted with an urge to just kiss him like Angela had suggested. Angela and Rachel seemed uncomfortable that Eric was now involved in the conversation. Sid pulled Eric by the collar and headed out the door.
"Eric, let's give them some privacy." Sid said. Eric whined.
"How come Jack gets to stay?" He said as they came into the hall. The door closed behind them and Sidney felt her heart race. She knew something was about to happen.
"Eric, what would you do...if..." Sidney faltered, her hands still on Eric's collar, close to his firm chest. Eric's expression was light and oblivious, as usual.
Sidney took a deep breath and kissed Eric Matthews with all she was worth.
Sidney linked her arms around Eric's neck, deepening the kiss. It didn't seem to be fazing Eric in the slightest. His hands were at the small of her back, pushing her into him. Eventually Sidney pulled back, breaking contact with Eric and walking to the elevator. She pressed the button and tried to catch her breath, averting Eric's gaze. Eric put his hands to his mouth in confusion.
"What just happened?" He said in utter confusion. Sidney started laughing to get rid of the heavy tension.
"Angela dared me to do that. It was just for fun." Sid entered the elevator as soon as the doors opened and Eric followed.
"Fun? Yeah, that was pretty fun." He said. He circled his arms around Sid's waist, kissing her again as the doors closed.