Authors Note: Thank you, again, for the amazing reviews. This chapter has been nagging at me since I woke up this morning. I had to get it down if I were destined to write anything else today. For those concerned about the army situation, don't worry. I know how this will end and can promise two things. 1. Hyde will NOT go AWOL and 2. Hyde and Jackie will get the happy ending that they missed out on in Season Eight. The rest will have to be a surprise.
Disclaimer: I do not own That 70s Show or its' characters. The lyrics are from the song "Thank you" by Led Zeppelin.
When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me
"Right, Kelso." Foreman yelled from the backside of a mattress. Kelso sidestepped to the left, instead, causing Foreman to stumble on the stairs and fall underneath the large bulk of Fes' bed. "Your other right, Kelso." His muffled disembodied voice sounded.
"Why didn't you just say that then? Damn!" Kelso dropped the mattress completely with a resulting grunt from the man underneath. "Fes, how much more stuff do you have anyway? I'm supposed to take Betsy to the dog park in an hour."
Hyde strolled over and lifted the mattress, one handed, off of his skinny friend. He glanced up at their moronic sidekick. "The dog park? Kelso, you know she's a baby right? Not a beagle."
Kelso grew a big grin. "Duh, Hyde! I want to introduce her to the guys. Not you guys, the furry guys." With that, he jumped into the back of the giant moving truck and played Tetris with the boxes.
Rolling his eyes, Hyde met the now standing Foreman. "Don't you feel safe knowing he's protecting the dangerous streets of Point Place?" Foreman joked and put a friendly slap on Hydes' shoulder. "I'm going to check the house for boxes. You check the garage."
With a nod, Hyde headed towards the open garage. He stopped about halfway in when he saw the spectacularly tight ass of his ex-girlfriend. With a secret smirk, he studied her.
She wore tight jeans, ripped at the knees, and they hugged all of her best parts. Her t-shirt, a purple v-neck, hung loosely around her small chest exposing a single pink bra strap. She crouched on the ground, loose hair covering her face, and flexed her small biceps around a large box. The small grunts coming from her made his own jeans tighten.
As she strained against the box, her shirt scooted upwards revealing a deep purple welt on her lower back.
It was, approximately, the size of a fist.
His pants loosened. His fists tightened against his sides. His nostrils flared. Sunglasses hid the fire beneath them.
Dick knew exactly what he was doing. Just like Bud.
"Hyde, stop checking out Jackies' ass and get to work. The sluts are not going to wait forever!" Fes squinted in his direction. His hands were occupied with half of a box-the other half in Foremans' hands.
"Yea, Hyde. Look away before the evil succubus sucks you in!" Foreman mocked as he and Fes moved past Hyde and towards the truck.
Turning back, Hyde met eyes with the owner of that ass. Still crouched, her shirt had fallen back over the bruise. She smiled, sweetly, in his direction and shook her butt for emphasis.
It saddened him how good of an actress she had become.
"You always did like my butt, Steven." She stood and wiped her hands on her jeans. She looked at him, seemingly confused. "Are you okay?" Reaching up, she touched his glasses. He gripped her hand in his own, before she could pull them off, and held it in place.
Her soft skin rested, comfortably, between his rough finger pads. Like a soft bed against a knotted back, she calmed him in only a few breaths. His fingers played with hers, for a briefly savored moment, before bringing their arms down.
"Sure. Whatever." He mumbled and moved towards the box she'd been toying with. "I'll get this." He felt her stare as he lifted the heavy box into the air. He avoided her eyes as he walked the box out to the tightly packed moving truck and handed it off to Kelso.
"Damn, Fes. Why's this so heavy?" Kelso complained and, before anyone could stop him, ripped open the top. "Whoa! Skin mags!" A few of the magazines toppled out of the truck and onto the ground.
"Oh, I am so sorry my sweet ladies!" Fes screeched and knelt over the pile of naked centerfolds. His arms flailed in an attempt to gather them back together.
Foreman retrieved a stray magazine and held it up. "Whoa, 'Busty Blonde Bimbos-the Ho Ho Ho edition'." He paused and flipped through the pages. "This is a collectors item."
Hyde stood, arms crossed, as Jackie snuck a peak over Foremans' shoulder. She scrunched her nose and cocked her head. "Wait, is that her….?" Foreman, Kelso and Fes looked up and laughed. Hyde smirked. Her stubborn innocence had resulted in many amusing moments when they were dating.
Realizing their conformation, she screamed. "Eeeww! Boys are so gross!" She ran towards her car without looking back.
"Burn!" Laughing, Kelso jumped from the van and pulled Fes into a hug. "Man, I'm gonna miss you buddy!"
Fes hugged back with a satisfied smile. "I will miss you too, my sexy man friend."
Awkwardly, Kelso moved out of the hug and took a few steps back. "Man, Fes we talked about this. When you call me sexy it makes Hyde and Eric feel bad."
With a nod, Fes turned towards Foreman. "I am sorry Eric. You have a very nice…"
Foreman held out his hand and moved away from Fes. "Whoa, stop right there buddy." He held out his hand and Fes returned the handshake. "Sorry I can't help on the flip side. I have to get back to Madison with Donna. May the force be with you, young foreign boy."
Moving over to Hyde, Foreman pulled him into a friendly hug. "Take care, man."
Hyde held on for just a moment too long, causing Foremans' eyebrows to knit in confusion.
"Sure, man. Whatever." Hyde finally responded and released his friend-brother really. He watched, hands in his pockets, as Kelso and Foreman disappeared down the street in search of their cars.
Fes joined him and let out a dramatic sigh. "It is so sad to see friends go away." He sniffled and Hyde frogged him on the arm. "Ay! Fes is proud to have emotions unlike you, you curly haired ape." Fes huffed and marched towards the front of the truck.
Only Hyde remained, then. Or so he thought, until he smelled the familiar aroma of strawberries.
Without a word, he reached back and hooked her waist. She came, willingly, and nuzzled against his side.
"It's okay to be sad, Steven." Her warm tone melted him. She placed her hand on the larger one encircling her waist and wrestled her fingers inside. He felt her mismatched eyes upon him and closed his own to shield against the pending emotion.
"Yea, well, that's not really my thing is it, Doll?" He tightened his hand around hers and hoped she wouldn't notice his voice cracking.
Twelve more days.
"Everybody is sad sometimes." She cowered beneath his arm and he pulled her closer. Her sadness shone in her frail voice. Her fear presented in the way that she shivered beneath his hold.
He thought of her bruised back and loosened his grip. He tore his eyes from the shadows of his friends and turned them down to his girl. That little pixie had taken more of a beating in her life than most of the grown men he knew. Still, she tried to comfort him. "Hey…" He waited for her saucer eyes to meet his.
There was so much to say. That he would protect her against anything and anyone. That he'd kill that dick before he let him put another bruise on her. That she deserved happiness more than anybody else in his life.
Instead, he settled on a smile and one word. "Thanks."
They shared a lingering appreciation for the remaining quiet moments until Fes stepped in.
"Come on, you whores. It is time to go to slut island!"
