Disclaimer: same as the last
A/N: Thanks Ash and Carol for being my betas! (
Chapter 4
It was getting closer to November and closer to Donna's birthday. Hyde had already gotten her gift. He was afraid to give it to her. He wasn't sure if they were ready for the next step, or if he was for that matter. She was able to break down his walls, but that wasn't her intent. She was able to do the thing Jackie had tried many times to do. But she was also the kind of person that wouldn't betray him and use his feelings against him.
He had gotten home from work early on her birthday to surprise her with dinner. He usually made the meals anyway, Donna wasn't a good cook but he couldn't ever tell her that.
Hyde would of preferred to take her out for dinner but they were tight on money. Even more so because of the gift he had purchased for Donna's birthday. But money wasn't an object to him since this was the most money he had had ever in his life. But they still had to pay rent and Donna had to pay for college.
He got out all the ingredients he needed and began to put the meal together. When he was cooking he felt like he got away. He felt comfortable and happy. He didn't remember when he felt like this before. Creating something calmed him down and made him forget his problems. He hadn't thought about Jackie in months. He tried to push her out of his head. He was with Donna now and didn't want to cry over spilled milk. She had made her decision and he made his. He had learned nothing was a fairy tale, which his mother told him over and over when he was little. He had hoped that wasn't true but he learned it was. He was so immature back then now he knew how the world worked. He wished he knew this when he was younger.
Donna liked Italian food so he was making her a special dish. He put what he had fixed up so far in the fridge to be cooked later. He knew she would be really happy if she came home to a clean apartment. He never went though this much trouble for anyone. He felt that he owed her. She helped him get his life back on track. Something he thought was impossible after the whole fiasco. He lived with the Forman's too long because now he was giving it a label and not calling it what it really was. And he told himself he had to stop thinking about Eric and Jackie. Even though Kitty had helped him and made him a better person she also raised Eric and look what he did.
When he ran into her he had been living on the street for a few days. He couldn't find Chrissie. He ran into her on a subway. After hearing about his conditions she invited him to stay in her dorm. She smuggled him in and made her roommate promise not to tell. When he found a job he spent his first paycheck on rent money for an apartment. Donna helped pay for half of the rent since he couldn't cover it all. She didn't move in with him right away but she continued to help him pay his rent. She was working at some bookstore for a while but eventually decided to take a job at the restaurant he worked at.
When he moved up from bus boy to cook and got a raise he asked her to move in. It was the very least he could do for her, he thought. He let her sleep in the bedroom and he took the couch. She said she didn't need the bed and that she had only helped him out because that what was friends were for.
Hyde spent a half a hour cleaning up the living room when it finally looked presentable. He then took a shower and got dressed. He didn't want to wear his work uniform on her special night. Normally he wouldn't care but for her it made all the difference. He looked at the clock she would be home soon. He felt the anticipation set in. All the confidence he had built up from cooking was lost. He knew he better start to heat up the dinner so it would be ready when she got home. He stood in the kitchen feeling fidgety. This was not Zen and he was literally kicking himself for being so uncool about this.
Finally when he thought he couldn't take anymore the door to the apartment opened. He heard her drop her bag on the chair by the door and toss her key into the bowl. He left the kitchen and help her take off her coat. She sighed and turned around to face him. "Happy Birthday," He said and smiled. She leaned in and kissed him. "What smells so good?" she asked him. "Your dinner," He responded. "Hyde, you didn't have to do all this," she said taking in the view. "I know," He smirked. "So, what did you get me?" she asked giddy. "You'll have to wait and see," He teased. "Hyde!" she hit him playfully. "I was only kidding. This is more then enough,"
He knew it was time to give her, her present. "Donna, I'll be right back," He said and jogged into the bedroom. He went into the top drawer of his dresser and retrieved her gift. He put the small box into his pocket and walked back into the living room. Donna had moved from the door to the couch. She still looked in awe. "So." He said entering the room to get her attention. She looked over at him. "I was thinking that I could give you your present before dinner," He said. "Its okay. I can wait. I mean dessert is not supposed to be eaten before dinner," she smiled. "Get your head out of the gutter," He laughed. "What no dessert?" she joked. "Later," He smiled. "Alright," she responded. "So where is it?"
He sat down next to her on the couch and looked at her in the same fashion he did when he interrupted her on her date with Eric. She sat there smiling, this time not smashed off her ass because she had two Long Island ice teas. "Donna, you helped me a lot the last couple of years. And I can't thank you enough," He began. "Hyde. that's what friends are for," she responded. "If it wasn't for you, I would still be living on the street," He went on. "Uh." She said but was cut off by him. "Donna. All right I'm just gonna say it." He said pulling out the small box revealing a diamond ring. A ring that looked similar to the one Eric had given her. "I love you a lot. Would you marry me?"
Chapter 4
It was getting closer to November and closer to Donna's birthday. Hyde had already gotten her gift. He was afraid to give it to her. He wasn't sure if they were ready for the next step, or if he was for that matter. She was able to break down his walls, but that wasn't her intent. She was able to do the thing Jackie had tried many times to do. But she was also the kind of person that wouldn't betray him and use his feelings against him.
He had gotten home from work early on her birthday to surprise her with dinner. He usually made the meals anyway, Donna wasn't a good cook but he couldn't ever tell her that.
Hyde would of preferred to take her out for dinner but they were tight on money. Even more so because of the gift he had purchased for Donna's birthday. But money wasn't an object to him since this was the most money he had had ever in his life. But they still had to pay rent and Donna had to pay for college.
He got out all the ingredients he needed and began to put the meal together. When he was cooking he felt like he got away. He felt comfortable and happy. He didn't remember when he felt like this before. Creating something calmed him down and made him forget his problems. He hadn't thought about Jackie in months. He tried to push her out of his head. He was with Donna now and didn't want to cry over spilled milk. She had made her decision and he made his. He had learned nothing was a fairy tale, which his mother told him over and over when he was little. He had hoped that wasn't true but he learned it was. He was so immature back then now he knew how the world worked. He wished he knew this when he was younger.
Donna liked Italian food so he was making her a special dish. He put what he had fixed up so far in the fridge to be cooked later. He knew she would be really happy if she came home to a clean apartment. He never went though this much trouble for anyone. He felt that he owed her. She helped him get his life back on track. Something he thought was impossible after the whole fiasco. He lived with the Forman's too long because now he was giving it a label and not calling it what it really was. And he told himself he had to stop thinking about Eric and Jackie. Even though Kitty had helped him and made him a better person she also raised Eric and look what he did.
When he ran into her he had been living on the street for a few days. He couldn't find Chrissie. He ran into her on a subway. After hearing about his conditions she invited him to stay in her dorm. She smuggled him in and made her roommate promise not to tell. When he found a job he spent his first paycheck on rent money for an apartment. Donna helped pay for half of the rent since he couldn't cover it all. She didn't move in with him right away but she continued to help him pay his rent. She was working at some bookstore for a while but eventually decided to take a job at the restaurant he worked at.
When he moved up from bus boy to cook and got a raise he asked her to move in. It was the very least he could do for her, he thought. He let her sleep in the bedroom and he took the couch. She said she didn't need the bed and that she had only helped him out because that what was friends were for.
Hyde spent a half a hour cleaning up the living room when it finally looked presentable. He then took a shower and got dressed. He didn't want to wear his work uniform on her special night. Normally he wouldn't care but for her it made all the difference. He looked at the clock she would be home soon. He felt the anticipation set in. All the confidence he had built up from cooking was lost. He knew he better start to heat up the dinner so it would be ready when she got home. He stood in the kitchen feeling fidgety. This was not Zen and he was literally kicking himself for being so uncool about this.
Finally when he thought he couldn't take anymore the door to the apartment opened. He heard her drop her bag on the chair by the door and toss her key into the bowl. He left the kitchen and help her take off her coat. She sighed and turned around to face him. "Happy Birthday," He said and smiled. She leaned in and kissed him. "What smells so good?" she asked him. "Your dinner," He responded. "Hyde, you didn't have to do all this," she said taking in the view. "I know," He smirked. "So, what did you get me?" she asked giddy. "You'll have to wait and see," He teased. "Hyde!" she hit him playfully. "I was only kidding. This is more then enough,"
He knew it was time to give her, her present. "Donna, I'll be right back," He said and jogged into the bedroom. He went into the top drawer of his dresser and retrieved her gift. He put the small box into his pocket and walked back into the living room. Donna had moved from the door to the couch. She still looked in awe. "So." He said entering the room to get her attention. She looked over at him. "I was thinking that I could give you your present before dinner," He said. "Its okay. I can wait. I mean dessert is not supposed to be eaten before dinner," she smiled. "Get your head out of the gutter," He laughed. "What no dessert?" she joked. "Later," He smiled. "Alright," she responded. "So where is it?"
He sat down next to her on the couch and looked at her in the same fashion he did when he interrupted her on her date with Eric. She sat there smiling, this time not smashed off her ass because she had two Long Island ice teas. "Donna, you helped me a lot the last couple of years. And I can't thank you enough," He began. "Hyde. that's what friends are for," she responded. "If it wasn't for you, I would still be living on the street," He went on. "Uh." She said but was cut off by him. "Donna. All right I'm just gonna say it." He said pulling out the small box revealing a diamond ring. A ring that looked similar to the one Eric had given her. "I love you a lot. Would you marry me?"