Until the Last Rose Dies
It was the middle of the afternoon and the Forman's basement was completely deserted except for two people, making out on the couch. One of them was curly-haired, aviator glasses wearing Steven Hyde, the other his black-haired girlfriend, Jackie Burkhart. Jackie suddenly broke away from Hyde's tongue-lock. "Steven, even though you never say it, I know you love me." She said to him. Hyde just gave a cautious nod. "But the thing is, I need to know that you'll keep on loving me." Hyde was silent. "Steven, will you love me forever?" Jackie looked at Hyde, her eyes full of love and vulnerability. Hyde was still silent. Jackie threw him off with this question. She knew this wasn't his area. Jackie began to grow impatient at Hyde's prolonged silence. "Well?" she demanded. All Hyde could manage were a few "I… uh… hm…" mumbles. Jackie waited expectantly. Suddenly, a red-haired girl opened the side door to the basement, "Jackie, we got to go, our hair appointments are in 15 minutes." Without taking her eyes off of Hyde, Jackie responded, "Yeah, I'll be up there in a minute, Donna" Donna shrugged and closed the door, going back up the concrete stairs. Jackie began to get up, still not taking her eyes off of Hyde. "By the time I get back, I expect an answer, Steven Hyde, or so help me." And with that she left.
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"Forman, man, what am I gonna do?" Hyde began pacing around the basement, while his best friend, Eric Forman watched. "Well whatever you do, it better be special, over the top, 'cause you got some serious butt-kissing to do." Eric replied. "Butt-kissing? What the hell? Why?" Hyde said, aggravated, as he plopped on the couch next to Eric. "Why? Hyde, she asked you if you would love her forever, and you didn't say anything. Maybe, if you were dating a normal girl, you could've gotten away with that. But you are dating Jackie Burkhart!" Hyde sighed and shook his head, "true. So what do you expect me to do?" "Well, either you a) think of something within the next 45 minutes, or b) be dumped bitterly, weep openly for the next 3 years at the mention of Jackie's name, then live the rest of your life in despair and misery." Eric said with a smile, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Hyde just glared at his friend. "I'm going upstairs," Hyde mumbled, while getting up off the couch. Hyde walked upstairs, his head whirling with thoughts of what to do.
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"Where is he?" Jackie demanded as she and Donna walked into the basement. Eric, Fez and Kelso were watching Gilligan's Island and didn't pay any attention to the rampaging girl. Jackie spun her head around searching for Hyde, when suddenly she felt a gentle tug at her hand. She turned around to see Hyde leading her to the privacy of the basement side-stairwell. When they were outside, she noticed that he was holding something behind his back. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Hyde beat her to it. "You wanted an answer, well," he handed her a bouquet of a dozen pink roses, "Here it is." Jackie gasped while taking them gently from Hyde's hands, "Steven, they're beautiful! Wait…" she took one rose out and examined it, "this one's plastic." "That's you're answer." Hyde said casually. Jackie looked at his face, searching for an answer, "Steven, I don't get it." Hyde just pulled her close, taking her breath away. His face was so close to her face, he brushed his lips against hers, ever so softly, then whispered in her ear, "I'll love you until the last rose dies."