Chapter: 5/?

Chapter title: Admiratiore: to be surprised

---

Jackie awoke by the blinding light of the sun shining through her window. She cuddled back in bed, facing the other direction and snuggled within her soft pillows and yawned. Suddenly, she remembered that she wasn't alone in her house. With a big jolt, Jackie jumped up and looked at the wall that separated her and the guest room.

"Steven." She remembered, her voice a little above an excited whisper. Jackie quickly threw on her bathrobe and made her way out of the door in a rush. After a moment though, she back tracked into her room and stopped right in front of her mirror.

Jackie looked at her reflection critically, examining every part of her body. To any other person, Jackie looked perfect for someone who had just woken up, but in her own opinion Jackie looked like hell.

"Ugh." She groaned and then leaned down and grabbed a pink hairbrush to fix the few tangles that had appeared in her usually flawless locks. After tugging at the loose tendrils for a few minutes, Jackie grabbed a bit of lipgloss and placed it over her lips and quickly brushed her cheeks with a bit of blush. Looking back at the mirror, Jackie smiled- happy with the results. Then her gaze went down and Jackie noticed the lavender unicorn pyjamas that she wore with fluffy bunny slippers and laughed. She couldn't believe that she had allowed the 'man of her dreams' to see her in those last night. Intent on not making the same mistake again, Jackie went over to her large wardrobe and threw clothes in and out looking for the perfect morning ensemble that she hoped would take Hyde's breath away. Clothes went flying across her room until she found what she was looking for. Jackie smiled in satisfaction as she pulled out a satin, pink nightgown, which was sexy but not too revealing. It was just right.

After perfecting her image to the best of her ability, Jackie finally decided to meet 'her man'. With a deep breath, she left her bedroom and knocked on the spare room she had let Hyde stay in the night before.

"Steven?" She called, but got no response. She opened the room to see that it was empty. Jackie then heard faint clanking noises downstairs and smiled in excitement. She quickly trudged down the big stairwell in her house towards the one room where she barely spent her time in her house- the kitchen.

---

"Whoa, really?" Eric exclaimed, as Donna sat down next to him in the basement.

"She called me at like two in the morning. Apparently he's staying with her." Donna confirmed. Eric popped a Popsicle into his mouth and shook his head in disbelief.

"So, Jackie and Hyde are living together?" Kelso asked. As expected, the tall doofus was the most shocked over the news of his ex-girlfriend and best friend sharing a house. Even, his long eyelashes couldn't hide his bulging eyes when Donna told the rest of the gang about Jackie and Hyde. Since that moment his mouth had been permanently gaped open in an 'O' shape with him occasionally shouting out a throaty "gah!"

"Seems like it." Donna said.

"No fair. Hyde can have all the sex he wants and I will never get any." Fez said, from the other end of the basement.

"Gah!" Kelso yelled again.

"They're not going to have sex, guys. He hates her, remember?" Donna exclaimed.

"Then why did he decide to live with her?" Eric asked his girlfriend. "I talked to Hyde yesterday and yeah- the Fotohut is a dump, but he wouldn't admit to it. He said he deserved that place and refused to take anyone's help and now he's living with Jackie? Something's up, Donna."

Donna sighed and shook her head, trying to be the voice of reason. "Look this is Hyde. Do you actually think he'd want to be with Jackie?"

"He's hung out with her a lot recently." Kelso grumbled from his seat.

"She's followed him around a lot recently." Donna argued. "Look, Jackie obviously digs him. She's madly in love with Hyde." A subdued expression placed over Kelso's face and Fez looked down in disappointment. "But, Hyde doesn't love her. Maybe he doesn't hate her, but he doesn't love her and doesn't really like her. Believe me, nothing's going to happen between them."

---

"'Morning, Steven." Jackie greeted when she saw Hyde. She took fast, short breaths as she realised that Steven was in her kitchen.

"Hey." He replied, not looking at her.

"What ya doin'?" She asked, sitting down at the counter on a bar stool. She grabbed the cereal box that Hyde had taken out and started munching on a bit after examining the contents or more specifically the calories of the cereal.

"I was looking for a bowl. You know w-where they are?" He asked, finally looking at her. His words faltered as he shot his eyebrow up in surprise seeing her. Hyde gulped; as he found himself doing what every other man in his situation would do- checking her out. Jackie then looked up at him and Hyde quickly tried to act cool.

"Bowls? Umm…I don't know." She admitted ashamedly. "I usually have breakfast in front of me when I wake up."

Hyde smirked and rolled his eyes, turning back to the dozens of wooden cupboards. He knew it. He had already predicted that Jackie wouldn't know where the bowls, or hell any utensil, was in her kitchen. What would a spoilt, rich girl do with a bowl anyway?

"Maybe try that cupboard." She said. Hyde opened a few of the drawers and cupboards before he eventually found one loaded with bowls, plates and other dishes.

"You want one?" He asked and she nodded.

"Sure. I haven't had cereal in ever." She said, as she walked over to the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk. Hyde filled up a bowl with cereal for her. "Our cook usually makes pancakes."

"You've never made anything yourself?" Hyde asked. "Surprise there."

"I concentrate on looking pretty." Jackie said with a smile. "And what would the cook do if I made my own breakfast?" She scooped some cereal and milk in her mouth and fluttered her lashes at Hyde, who shook his head in disbelief.

"So, where is your cook?" Hyde asked.

"Took time off because my parents aren't here." Jackie replied.

"Whose made you food then?"

"I've gone to some restaurants, got some take out…oh and hung out at the basement a lot more. Mrs. Forman doesn't let you leave without eating, which isn't that bad." Jackie said and Hyde smiled.

"Yeah. She's the world's best mom." Hyde said quietly. Jackie watched Hyde and then leaned over and touched his arm lightly with her hand.

"She is…and she really cares about you." Jackie said. Hyde looked at her before yanking his arm away.

"Whatever." He said and ate some more cereal. The two sat in silence for a long time with Hyde eating his food slowly and Jackie just staring at him with a small smile. Finally, Hyde looked back at her and caught her sight.

"Um, I-I was thinking of heading back to the Fotohut tonight." Hyde said.

"What?" Jackie exclaimed, knocking over the milk in shock. She scrambled to pick up the carton, but was an instant late as milk spilled all over Hyde's shirt. Hyde groaned, as he stood up and started wiping the shirt before taking it off. Jackie watched in a trance as Hyde exposed his bare skin.

"I-I'm sorry, Steven."

"You got a washing machine or something?" He asked, as he tried to wipe the stains off the only shirt he had.

"Um, I guess you can put it over there. I'll have the cleaner wash it when she comes in on Thursday." Jackie said, pointing to a pile of laundry.

"I won't be here then. I'm going to talk to Leo later about staying at the Fotohut again."

Jackie stared at Hyde in shock. "Why? I thought it sucked there!"

"It did. Last night. But it's not that bad and I can't live here."

"Why not? I want you to, Steven. You have to!" Jackie whined, gripping his hand. Hyde quickly pulled it away.

"Look, Jackie. Your house is cool and everything, but i-it's not me and it's not right. Especially considering you can't stop coming on to me. I don't want you to think that I actually like you." Hyde declared. Jackie looked down uncomfortably. She hadn't come on that strong had she?

"What are you saying, Steven? I haven't come on to you. "

"You're wearing lip gloss at breakfast." Hyde pointed out.

"You noticed?" Jackie asked, with a grin. Hyde shook his head.

"It's just not right for us to be living together without your parents. It's wrong." Hyde argued.

"Steven, this isn't wrong to us. It maybe to other people, but since when do you care what others think? Besides, we're not doing anything…yet." Jackie said with a pause as Hyde shot her a look. She smiled at him and continued, "What I'm saying is, I don't see anything wrong with you staying here for longer. I want you stay here and if I'm 'coming on to you' too strong, then I won't."

"Jackie…"

"And you can drive my dad's Lincoln to school on Monday." Jackie said. Hyde looked at her as if she was unbelievable before plastering a grin on his face.

"Guess I'm staying here." He said, as Jackie smiled back at him. "But, that was my only shirt. I only have these clothes, so I'll stink."

"We'll get some more from the basement later. I told Donna we'd come over anyway."

"I-I can't go there. I don't think Red would want me on his premises." Hyde said, as he got up and chucked his cereal bowl in the sink.

"Oh." Jackie said. She then got up with her bowl as well and walked up to Hyde. "Well, It's okay Steven. I'll just pick them up for you. And then later we can have take out for dinner and maybe watch a movie." She said excitedly.

Hyde nodded at her, as she left to get dressed. Once she was out of his sight, Hyde sighed leaning against the counter, contemplating what he had gotten himself into.

---