Authors Note: I love protective Hyde and I really hope that I did him justice here. Please review and let me know what you think!
Warning: Some naughty language and violence to follow.
Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or any of its characters. The title is a lyric from "Since I've been loving you" by Led Zeppelin.
Since I've been loving you, I'm gonna lose my worried mind
"Who's this Fes, Jackie?"
He barged in and, immediately, set up a palpable roadblock against the door. Jackie took two steps back and still cowered in his shadow.
"Are you sleeping around on me or what?"
Hyde stood, chest out, and moved towards the six-foot tall black-haired presence.
"No, baby. I told you about Fes, remember? He's just a friend." That pet name in reference to this monster stirred Hyde in the wrong way. Jackie caught his eyes. She shook her head, begging him not to pounce.
"You mean that foreign guy who's moving in with you? I told you, princess, there's plenty of room at my place for us both." He reached out to her and Jackie took a final step back. She hit the edge of the couch and settled against it. Dick continued to move forward, cornering her.
Yea, that was about all he could take of that.
"Hey man, you wanna back off there?" Hyde looked over his shades at the enemy. The three-piece suit did nothing to hide his bullishness. While he had some muscle to him, it clearly wasn't gained from actual physical labor. Hyde knew the type well.
Dick laughed. "Oh, you must be Fes." He marched towards him and held out a large hand. "Rick. Jackies' fiancé."
Jackie flinched at the label. Hydes' blood boiled.
Hyde didn't move his hands from his pockets. His eyes burned with anger. A quick glance at Jackies' terrified face, though, tamed him. She would try to stop him. He needed her far away from here before he started anything.
With a simple nod, he continued. "Howdy Dick. Names' Hyde."
Slowly taking his hand back, Dick cleared his throat and straightened his tie. With that, he continued. "Hyde, huh? That's cute." He laughed. Hyde sneered. "I don't think Jackies' mentioned you before." He turned to Jackie and thrust an arm over her shoulders. She cringed but allowed the gesture. Her eyes shined from across the room, pleading with Hyde to stop this provocation. "Well, looks like everything is in order, Hyde. I'm sure Jackie appreciates your help with the move but I can take it from here."
With an arrogant wink, the bastard tightened his grip on Jackie. Hyde decided that he would tear his eyelids off before he killed him.
Jackie changed, then. Her mask crumbled. Fear enveloped her entire form. Hyde hardly recognized the shaking girl before him. About to charge despite her lack of consent, she found his eyes. He silently questioned.
This time, she nodded.
He took three steps forward until he was only a foot away from his target. He side-eyed Jackie, hoping she'd understand. Hands free, he began.
"Yea, I bet you'd like that. Then you can really teach her what happens when she brings guys home, right?" Dick squinted, a sneer growing on his lips. Hyde paced back and forth in front of them. Just as Hyde passed Dick again, he slammed his fist into his own opposite palm. "Just like that? Is that, right?"
Laughing, Dick shrugged. "Hey man, whatever it takes to keep the bitch in line."
With a cocky smirk, Hyde stared Dick down. "Oh, no." Winding his fist back, Hyde launched his power directly into Dicks' cheek. Satisfied with the resulting crack, he watched the suit fall against the closed front door.
Quickly, he pulled Jackie behind him. Leaning towards her tear stained face, he whispered. "Go in the bedroom and lock the door. Don't come out for anyone but me."
"No, Steven. What if he…" She began. With little time before Dick reemerged, he shut her up in the only effective way he could recall.
Leaning down, he swept his lips across her soft ones. The salt of her tears roused his taste buds and he vowed to kiss them all away later. Though surprised, she caressed his lips with her own in the unhurried manner they were used to. Deliberate, steady pecks turned to a slow dancing of tongues moving towards a loving embrace.
His entire body melted against her power. He'd forgotten the magnitude of their kisses.
How could he think that anything or anybody else could ever live up to it?
Forced to pull away, he disengaged and met her stare. "Go. Now."
As soon as she was safely behind the bedroom door, he turned. Dick, now standing, stared him down. His arms bulged out and blood painted his face a grossly murderous red.
"How about it, Dick? Ready to try this with someone can actually fight back?"
Dick flung his body towards Hyde and successfully tackled him to the ground. Dazed, Hyde felt the punch land directly against his eye and send his glasses flying. Before the other fist could fall, his knee made contact with his opponents' groin and sent the suit recoiling. He curled into a ball in the middle of the floor allowing Hyde to stand erect once again.
"Oh, is that all you got?" Moving forward, he directed two precisely placed kicks in Dicks' side. The man groaned and rolled onto his back. With a sigh, he paced. "See, now this isn't even fun anymore." With a pause, he considered. "Well, maybe just one more." He sent a final kick to his middle. "That's for breaking my glasses. Now stand up."
With much effort, Dick rolled onto his belly and pushed up with his arms. At first failing, he fell to the floor. Annoyed, Hyde grabbed each arm and pulled him to a standing position. He pushed the suit against the wall and held the tie tightly against his throat.
The man gasped for air. Blue tinged his lips. "Please. Stop." His voice came out in desperate raspy whispers.
"Here's the deal, Dick. You can just consider me Jackies' bodyguard. I'm an unemployed burnout and I have nothing else to do all day except protect her from Dicks like you. Oh, and practice my left hook." With a final swing, he landed a punch directly to the suits' nose allowing him to slide down the wall to the floor.
"Come anywhere near my chick again and I'll kill you." Still holding the tie, Hyde chucked it. Dick ducked as it hit his face. "Now take your corporate slave suit and get the hell out of here."
Dick, hunched over and pale, limped towards the door. Without glancing back, he disappeared.
Exhausted, Hyde braced against the couch. He took several deep breathes, calming the rage that still pumped within, before standing upright and going to check on his doll.