Disclaimer: I don't own.
Warning:Mild language
AN: Okay, I'm sorry, I lied on two counts; that this would be four parts and that I'd post it by this afternoon. Sorry. :( Work issues. Anyway, it's now six parts, and I'm finished, so I'm posting them all:) Hope you enjoy!
FRIENDS WILL BE FRIENDS
Part 4
December 31, 1979
The Forman driveway
Eric and Donna sat on the hood of the Vista Cruiser, holding hands and smiling slightly at one another. Donna raised her eyebrows. "So you understand why I want to take things slow? I mean, Eric, you really hurt me. And as much as I love you, I can't just forget that."
Eric swallowed hard. He'd been surprised when Donna had come into the kitchen while he was eating breakfast and suggested they talk. Surprised and then nervous. He hadn't expected her to tell him that she wanted to start over, to give their relationship another try. But that was exactly what she'd just told him, and now he felt so many things inside that he wasn't quite sure HOW he felt. Except he knew he felt love. He looked at his beautiful Donna and knew he would never love anyone else. And he knew that he'd do anything to make things work between them. "I know, Donna, and I hope you know how sorry I am. I just…I didn't want to hold you back."
Donna shrugged, but her smile muted the coldness of the gesture and the bluntness of her words. "Well, you're still not going to. I'm going to college. And I'm leaving in two weeks. So we'll have to figure something out."
Eric grinned. "Well," he said, lifting Donna's hand to his lips and kissing it softly. "I think I have an idea. Since my parents are going to Florida, and you're going to Madison, why don't I find a job in Madison and work until the fall semester? Then I can go to school. We'll be together, and we can…" He stared adoringly at the love of his life. "We can start over."
Donna looked into his eyes, and for the first time since he'd left for Africa, she felt complete peace. "I think that's a great idea, Eric," she said quietly.
And when they kissed, a slow, languid, loving, yearning kiss, the peace she'd just felt melted into blissful satisfaction and completeness.
Jackie and Fez's apartment building
Hyde strode down the hall towards Jackie and Fez's apartment uneasily. Fez asked him yesterday to give him a lift to the salon this morning because his car was on the fritz. And for some reason, probably because he'd been enjoying the fruits of the circle, he'd agreed to the favor. Now he was wondering why. He had a bad feeling. Maybe it was because it was only ten o'clock in the morning and he should still be in bed. Much too early to be facing the day, especially since he'd spent the better part of last night tossing and turning because of his damned thoughts. Donna just HAD to talk to him about Jackie.
She'd have to pay for it. He'd find a way.
He reached the door and lightly knocked, hoping that Jackie wasn't home. He didn't want to see her, because in his state of mind, who the hell knew what he might say? He sighed and the door opened.
Damn.
His heart plummeted to the floor, just as he was sure his jaw had. Because not only was it Jackie standing there, but she was wearing a pair of short black shorts and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt. HIS Led Zeppelin t-shirt. She was all in black, and the shade of the shirt and the shorts perfectly matched her raven hair, neatly pulled back in a ponytail.
She looked so incredibly beautiful. He'd almost forgotten how hot that shirt was on her, not that it was the shirt that made her so gorgeous. But it definitely had the same impact on him now that it had back in the day; it turned him on. God, was he starting to sweat? He sure as hell felt feverish. His chest was tight inside and he had to struggle to catch a breath.
Jackie's heart raced as Steven just stood there, staring at her, almost appraising her, it seemed. The look on his face was a familiar one, and it made her tingle all over. Her throat felt so thick, but she managed to finally form some words. "Hey, Steven. What are you…what are you doing here?"
Hyde did his best to compose himself. After all, he was the zenmaster. But the reaction his body was having to Jackie and those short shorts and that shirt was more than a little uncomfortable and annoying. "Uh, well, Fez wanted me to drive him to the salon." He swallowed hard and tried to focus his mind on things other than the swells of her pert and obviously braless breasts under the black cotton. He failed. "He here?"
She couldn't help but notice where his eyes were wandering, and the tingles in her body became full blown fireworks as they shot up and down her legs and into her spine. She felt herself arching her back, pressing her chest forward, but it wasn't on purpose. Not really. It was just instinctive. Maybe a TINY bit on purpose. He seemed to tense at her movement, and she had to bite back her smile. She still had it, apparently. "No. Nina picked him up about an hour ago."
He rolled his eyes. "Figures he'd ditch me for a chick," he muttered, looking away and doing everything in his power to resist the urge to look at Jackie again. Her legs were bare. Most of her thighs were bare. Her thighs were amazing, as he recalled. Very firm. Very strong. He wondered if she still liked to wrap them….No! Think about baseball. Baseball. Bases. First base…second base…hadn't taken him that long to get there with Jackie. Just a week or so into their summer "fling" and she'd practically put his hands on her chest herself. Okay, baseball wasn't working. Socks. Dirty socks. Old wrinkled ladies. Menopause.
God, why wasn't anything working?
Jackie stared at him and frowned. Steven was staring off into space and shifting on his feet, obviously not paying attention. "Steven, I asked you if you want to come in."
Hyde shook his head, trying desperately to snap out of it, and he looked at her, keeping his eyes on her face. Not that that helped all that much, because her lips were so pink and sweet-shaped. And he knew what she could do with it. He suddenly felt like he was twelve years old, and licked his lips nervously. "Uh, sorry, I just…sure."
She turned and walked into her apartment, anxiously gnawing on her lower lip. This was the first time in awhile she and Steven were alone together, and lately, they hadn't had much civil to say to one another. She wasn't in the mood for a fight, yet she couldn't bear for him to just leave. She turned around, and he stood there, looking at her again, this time his expression was just like that time in the hospital after Michael had fallen off the water tower. Her heart skipped a million beats. "So…"
"I uh…" Hyde shrugged and pointed at her. "I didn't think you kept it." He shrugged again when she looked blankly at him. "The shirt."
Jackie looked down at her chest, and she realized with a thrill that Steven was actually…oh my god! He was actually feeling sentimental! All because of this shirt! It had been an impulse last night; she'd dug it out from the back of her closet where she'd hidden in after moving in. And she'd slept in it. Hadn't done that in awhile. She hadn't really even known why, but maybe…maybe this was why. She smiled and raised one shoulder. "What, did you think I burned it?"
Hyde grinned. Even now the way her face lit up when something made her happy made HIM…damn it…happy. "Guess I really couldn't have blamed you if you had." He knew he shouldn't, knew he was heading for hell by doing so, but he took a few steps closer to her. "You uh…" And for some reason, he lost all control of his mouth. "You remember the first time I saw you in it?"
She nodded, staring at him, looking him directly in the eyes she could just barely see through his sunglasses. "Yeah," she answered, just barely over a whisper. "The day after my birthday. After you gave it to me. We went to my parents' house…"
Hyde nodded too. "Since it was empty." The arousal that had stirred just a few minutes ago now threatened to rage into something he couldn't control, and he had to clench his fists into tight, almost painful fists. Otherwise…otherwise, his favorite t-shirt might end up getting ripped off of her. His chest began to rise and fall unsteadily as breath became even more difficult to capture.
"That was the first time we…" She trailed off, blushing almost virginally and tore her eyes away.
Hyde chuckled, not only at her uncharacteristic shyness but at the extremely pleasant memory she'd just brought up. That night had been one of…no, it had been THE greatest night of his life, and he had no problem whatsoever admitting it. "First, second, third and fourth times, if I'm remembering right." He smirked proudly. Yes, he was a stud. "You were sore for a week after that."
Jackie giggled, because it was true, but she managed to give him a haughty look. "Whatever, Steven. I think your memory is faulty." It was so long ago, but she could still feel the sensations of that night. He'd been so…amazing, and so not what she'd expected, at least not the first time. She'd expected him to be wild and passionate, uncontrolled, but that first time…he'd been so slow, almost painfully so, and (he'd kill her for even thinking this) so tender. He'd looked down at her, breathing heavily, his face reddened, his hand cupping her cheek, and asked her if she was sure. And afterwards, he'd peppered her with sweet kisses; on her nose, her cheeks, her forehead, her earlobes, her eyelids. He'd whispered her name, just her name, into her ear, and it had said so much to her. Meant so much to her. She'd heard that one word echo in her head for months.
The second time was slightly more rushed, and by the fourth, they'd barely had time or even the NEED to breathe. They devoured one another that time.
Her toes curled, and she began to ache all over. What she wouldn't give to feel his touch the way she had that night…all over.
Hyde arched an eyebrow at her.
And she rolled her eyes. "It was only three days." Lie. It HAD been a week. Well worth it, though.
Hyde nodded, even though he knew she was lying, and as he stood there, his smile faded. Suddenly he was remembering how it felt to be that close to Jackie, to feel her all around him, to be a part of her. Shit! He didn't want to think about it…to remember that the first time with Jackie had been like some sort of…awakening, or something damned cheesy like that. The saddest part about it was that she'd never known that their first time together had been the first time it ever really meant anything to him. The first time it had ever been more than just sex. He felt a weird sort of ache in his chest. Like he was sad she didn't know that.
Of course she doesn't know that, moron. You never told her.
He remembered, completely involuntarily of course, how she'd looked up at him after that first time, her eyes wide and teary. But she said it was in a good way, that she was happy. She'd breathed rather than spoken his name, and her fingertips had danced on his face, traced his lips. The ache in his chest grew stronger. Almost as if…almost as if he wanted that again.
Damn.
Say something, Hyde! Get a hold of yourself! Jesus!
"Yeah, it was…uh…it was a pretty amazing night."
That was wussy, and SO not what he meant to say.
All Jackie wanted to do was saunter the few feet to him and tempt him into a replay of that night, but common sense held her back. This was just a fluke. Maybe Steven wasn't feeling well. That had to be the reason why he was suddenly walking her down memory lane. "Yeah, it was," she murmured, even as her heart and her body tried to convince her that this meant nothing, that he wasn't feeling the heat between them.
He shifted on his feet again, trying without success to alleviate the discomfort in the lower half of his body. Damn, he hoped she hadn't noticed. He didn't want her to know. Didn't want her to think that she still had this effect on him.
Leave. Leave NOW. Before you do something that will only cause more problems.
He cleared his throat. "I uh…I should get going. Stuff to do." He had to get out of here. He was quickly forgetting that he and Jackie were through, that she was a bitch, that he wanted nothing more than to escape her for all eternity. And forgetting was dangerous. You forget, you're doomed to repeat past mistakes.
But SHE wasn't a mistake.
Jackie nodded, disappointed. "Okay. I…I'll see you at the party tonight?"
Hyde nodded and took one last, lengthy look at her in his old shirt. His tongue flickered over his lips. It would be so damn easy to just… "Yeah, see you tonight."
She watched him leave, and sighed. She was overwhelmed. Her eyes closed and she took deep breaths, trying to get her heart to stop racing as much as it was. "Okay, Jackie, pull yourself together," she muttered.
And then it hit her. She still had power over him. He was obviously still attracted to her. His jeans were loose, but they didn't hide certain things. She'd noticed.
She giggled. She knew what to do. She needed to find the perfect outfit to wear to the party tonight. A sexy one. One that would make him eat his heart out.
