Last Chapter: I hurried down the hall and knocked on the door. No answer.
Default: I don't own That 70's show or anything else I talk about in my story. Although, Lena is an original character of mine!
I turned to look down the hallway and no one was present. I stepped back from Jackie's apartment door and tried to stare through it. I wished for a moment that I was Clark Kent and I was able to see into her room. I decided that fate wasn't on my side for that coincidence, so I instead turned and leaned against the wall. A thump sound echoed into my head when I slumped down to the floor. I rested my arms on my knees and stuck my head between my legs.
I sat there on the floor and waited. My watch was loud enough so that I could hear the ticking, as it's every movement thumped into my mind. I almost didn't notice when the ding of the elevator sounded. I kept my head down, wondering if it was Jackie coming down the hall. The footsteps were slow and almost inaudible. They clacked down the hall and stopped. I froze.
"What're you doing here?" It was a women's voice. I kept my head down but tilted it to the side and blinked. Jackie was standing above me with her baby on her hip. She gurgled and reached her hand up to swat at her face. She stared down into my eyes and I looked away. It was too old to be judged by a baby.
Jackie stepped over my feet and reached out to unlock her door. The deadbolt slide back and Jackie pushed the door forward. The cool air swept against my side and I turned my head all the way to the side to see where she was going. I stretched out my legs and reached my hand out to the door. I grabbed the knob and pulled myself up.
Jackie put Alexis down onto the couch and turned back to me. She walked over to the door, never taking her eyes off mine. I put a foot in the door and Jackie quickly got over to me. She shook her head and put her hand on the doorframe. I was confused.
"No Steven," Jackie warned. I knew what this was all about. Jackie had seen me with Lena and now she was thinking things she shouldn't be thinking.
"Jackie, it's not like that," I tried to redeem myself. She once again shook her head.
'I saw you Steven and it' s okay. I know you'd want to go back to Lena. She's familiar and I'm a nobody…" She got quiet and tucked one arm under the other. I looked at her standing in the doorframe looking small and calling herself a 'nobody.' I rubbed her arms and smiled.
"You're not a nobody," I reassured her. I turned her into her apartment and walked towards the couch. Alexis giggled and we sat on either side of her. Jackie placed a hand on Alexis's back and began to rub it softly. The baby cooed and reached out to grab her toes. Jackie half smiled and then frowned. I reached out to touch Jackie's hand and she pulled back and got up off the couch.
She padded into the kitchen and opened up a cupboard. Inside were assorted cups and mugs. She pulled out two and turned to face me. She helped the cups up and waved them in my direction.
"Hot chocolate?" She mouthed. I nodded and turned to focus half my attention back to Alexis, who had fallen asleep on my knee. Jackie had taken out the hot cocoa and began to heat up water on the stove. I watched her lean against the counter and stare at the kettle as if watching it would make it heat up faster.
Soon the kettle began to whistle and Jackie snatched it off the stove and poured the water into the ready mugs. The steam evaporated out and Jackie began to stir the water into the cocoa powder with a spoon. She blew on the cups and brought them over to where I was sitting, placing them gently on the table in front of us.
She moved Alexis so she was rested against her side and I tucked up a leg underneath me. I sipped from my mug and gasped at the burning sensation. Not one of my better moments. Jackie held hers in her hand, not afraid of a little heat. She stared at the swirls that were forming on her drink and I tried to take another sip from mine.
"I need to explain," I started. Jackie glanced up at me before quickly looking away.
"You don't need…" I cut her off and began to explain again.
"I was only…the only reason you saw me and Lena together was because we didn't want to end it off on bad terms, so I went for a drive and I saw her so we talked and now it's all okay. Nothing more can happen," I took a deep breath and watched her reaction.
"I'm sorry," Jackie whispered. With Alexis's quiet breathing I almost missed it but when I heard it I couldn't help but smile. She began to fiddle with her thumb, which was hooked through the mug handle. My smile grew as I prepared to say what could be the boldest thing in the history of Steven Hyde.
"Jackie, I know I've already said this before, but it's still true. I would like to be apart of this," I waved my hand around in the direction of her apartment, her and Alexis. "I wouldn't mind being here, maybe, all the time." Jackie snapped her head up and stared at me. Maybe I was going off of hope, but I could have sworn I saw happiness in her eyes.