Title: Resistance

Rating: Whatever PG is now.

Summary: Resistance – Any force that opposes motion. In Hyde's case; that force is Jackie.

Notes: A present for Holycitygirl's birthday, so you may have seen it already on the Zenmasters livejournal community. It's Jackie/Hyde set in season 8, but it doesn't follow cannon because I haven't been watching. So there are a lot of details I made up ;)

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He should have known better. When it was all said and done, that's the only thing he could think of. The only excuse that never escaped his lips. No sorry dears, no begging forgiveness, no promise it would never happen again. Because he knew, under the right circumstances, it would happen again. In exactly the same way.

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She was walking through the swinging door and stopped short when she saw him sitting on the living room couch. "Hyde, what are you doing here?" She had stopped calling him Steven the moment she found out about Sam and it didn't get any easier the more he heard it. Made him remember them.

Every single time.

"Sick." He said, and made a pathetic attempt at a cough. "What are—"

"Mrs. Foreman and I are supposed to go out, but I can't find her." She waved absently towards the kitchen and waited for his reply. When he didn't offer any information right away she rolled her eyes, "do you know where she is?"

"She was called into work. Big accident or something."

"Samantha here?"

He leaned back into the couch. "Jackie don't, okay?" Her response was opposite of anything he could have imagined. She didn't sulk or pout or yell, she became flippant, unconcerned. And he knew it was an act. Saw through it in a second. Even called her on it once, but she stood her ground; told him not to worry about her anymore, she would be just fine.

The kicker was when he realized she was keeping it up on purpose. Because she thought it would make him feel guilty. And she was right. If it was a year ago he could imagine the scene with the guys; "So she knows you know she knows?" Kelso would finally figure it out, Forman would complain that's what he had been saying all along and Fez…well, he hoped Fez would have stayed out of this one.

But it wasn't a year ago. They both made choices that lead them here. Like it or not, this was the future they made for themselves.

"Fine." She said and sat down on the couch. "Mind if I wait?"

He shook his head slightly and sighed, "Go ahead." In the months since he came back from Las Vegas they had been alone together a grand total of three times, and each one was awkward and ended badly. He didn't expect this time to be any different.

"Don't you think it's about time you got your own place?" She was starting in right away today. Nice.

"I mean, if it were me, I'd want my own place." She continued.

"Well I guess you got lucky then huh?"

There was a pause. "Guess I did." Her voice turned a bit colder.

He quickly looked over at her and knew this was taking a bad turn. Alone with Jackie was always bad. He should have known that by now. Alone with a hurt Jackie was even worse, because hurt Jackie was cruel.

"Maybe I should tell her how lucky I was."

"Because that can only end well." He muttered.

"I think Sam deserves to know what you're all about Hyde. That you don't have it in you to be faithful." She said, "And you have no regard for the relationships of other people."

He didn't know where this was heading but he didn't like it. He stood up and motioned towards the door. "I think you may want to leave now."

"Did I lie?" Her anger backed him up a step. "You tried to steal Donna away from Eric, you had no reservations about me and Michael, and you slept with some strange woman you met in a bar. Plus who knows what you've been up to since then.

You don't exactly have a stellar track record when it comes to healthy relationships."

"A person can change Jackie." Why was he having this conversation?

"Really?" She challenged.

The look in her eyes screamed predator. Her whole body transformed, her usual fluid grace was replaced by a sensual sway. She became his stalker and he was frozen. Couldn't move. Wouldn't run away.

"Because someone once told me," she whispered into his ear as she trailed her fingertips over his chest. "Once a cheater, always a cheater." Her breath was hot against his skin and it sent a shiver down his spine. "Isn't that right Steven?"

He had to grit his teeth just to keep the tenuous hold he had left on his control. Her comment was almost enough to send him over the edge. His words to her not so long ago, thrown back in his face. Fury made him want to walk away.

Desire forced him to stay.

He pulled her even closer and in one motion brought his hand to the back of her neck and guided her mouth towards his. His kiss was rough and primal. There was no sophistication, he wasn't out to win her heart or make her love him. He wanted to show her what she was missing. What she gave up with her ultimatums.

She pulled away suddenly; obviously not expecting him to respond at all. He watched the rise and fall of her chest as she struggled to make sense of what just happened. And he waited to see what she would do next; berate him for proving her point, or take the invitation he inadvertently offered.

She took the invitation.

Didn't matter how she was acting on the outside, Jackie always kissed like you were the love of her life. Even though he knew it was coming, it melted him. Again. It did when they were in high school just like it was doing now. He couldn't help to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her tighter against him.

They fit. Always did.

That part was never their problem.

Neither was the way he responded to her touch. The little sparks of electricity that she could send down his spine with just the barest brush of her lips. He tried hard not to admit he missed it, and how now that she was here all he could think of was having more.

They were fire together. Raging. Hot. Out of control.

Just like old times.

"Can we go somewhere a little more…private?" She whispered against his lips.

He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, never breaking their kiss. When he rounded the couch to go to his bedroom upstairs she shook her head "You've got to be kidding." She nipped his ear. "Downstairs." She commanded.

He followed.

Willingly.

And backed them up through the swinging door.

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"Steven Hyde!"

He'd almost convinced himself it was a dream, but Jackie's soft gasp against his cheek told him it was all too real. Dream Jackie didn't care if anyone saw them; she even encouraged him to keep walking more than a few times. The woman in his arms was muttering obscenities and wriggling to get free. Her hands trembled as she attempted to redo the buttons on her blouse.

This was no dream.

He couldn't believe what had almost happened. What he wanted to happen, damn the consequences. She was right; he was no good at relationships. Apparently there were some things he couldn't change. Unfortunately for him, one was quite possibly standing in the kitchen at that moment.

"Oh my god." Jackie whispered and he rested his hands on her shoulders to keep her from running away. He could feel her racing pulse through the thing fabric of her blouse. His fingers brushed down her arms one last time, in a gesture he hoped would be comforting. He wanted to protect her for a little while longer. Shield her from what was to come next. He licked his lips and took a deep breath before turning around.

"Mrs. Forman." He wasn't going to offer an excuse. Wasn't going to admit guilt.

His eyes darted around the room and he was relived to see only Mrs. Forman standing there. He didn't need a confrontation with Sam at the moment. That would come later if the look on Kitty's face was any indication.

"Jackie, I think you should go now." Mrs. Forman pursed her lips and nodded towards the sliding doors. Jackie nodded mutely and skirted around Hyde. He resisted the urge to reach out and grab her hand as she walked by. That wouldn't help right now and it wouldn't change the fact that this couldn't happen again. But for some inexplicable reason he wanted the contact. Needed to know she would be okay.

Instead he just watched her walk out of the house; away from him.

Again.

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The End