Disclaimer: The characters of That 70s Show do not belong to me.
A/N: It doesn't really matter what season this is set in, it's just general. But if you really need a time frame, probably think around early season 5. Enjoy!
---
"Jilligan, no!" Fez cried, eyes glued to the TV in the Forman basement. Nobody bothered to correct his pronunciation. "Oh, you are so stupid." Fez shook his head sadly.
Kelso, also concentrating on the screen, slurped at a Popsicle. "You know, guys, I think Gilligan secretly wants to stay on the island, and that's why he keeps messing up! Nobody's that stupid in real life." His Popsicle slid down the stick to his fingers and he dropped it in alarm, only to have it fall in his lap. "OOH! That's cold!" he yelled spastically.
"You just set yourself up so well that burning you would just be unoriginal." Hyde remarked dryly from his chair, Jackie in his lap. Eric and Donna smirked from their positions on the couch.
The Gilligan's Island ending theme played and Fez cheerfully hummed along. Jackie rolled her eyes. "Guys, I'm bored. We should do something."
"Oh! How about we sit in Eric's room and throw water balloons out the window at people who walk by, but they're not really filled with water, it's vinegar?" Kelso piped up, finishing his red Popsicle and breaking the stick in half.
"Vinegar?" Jackie repeated. "That's gross, Michael. I meant let's do something fun."
"Like listening to ABBA or throwing a tea party?" Eric suggested sarcastically. Jackie glared at him.
"Well if it's not bowling or a movie we're out of luck, because Forman's out of gas money and we can't even make it to Kenosha on what we've got." Hyde said.
"Ooh, a movie would be fun!" Jackie said. "We could probably catch the last matinée in a little while."
"What is playing at the movies?" Fez asked.
"Who cares?" Jackie answered. "If I have to see that idiot Gilligan sink another raft I am going to go crazy!"
Eric turned to his girlfriend. "So, a movie? What do you think?" he put his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm. "I'm in if you are, baby."
Donna smiled at him regretfully. "I can't... I have... I'm busy tonight. And, um, tomorrow. So don't bother coming by- I won't be there."
Eric nodded and gave her a quick kiss. "Okay."
"So, Donna, where are you going tonight?" Jackie asked.
Donna rose suddenly and flung out her arms. "God, what is with this? The Spanish Inquisition?" She stormed out of the basement as the others looked on, stunned by the outburst.
"What's Donna's problem?" Hyde asked.
"'Cause if you're shopping at the Big 'N Tall store again, don't!" Jackie called after the girl.
"Jackie!" Eric frowned at the obnoxious brunette. He looked around at his friends. "Hey, do you think I should go after her? She seemed upset about something."
"No shit, Sherlock." Hyde said, giving Eric a look. "The question is: what?"
"Did you do something?" Jackie asked accusingly.
"What? No!" Eric denied. "At least, I don't think so."
"That's reassuring." Hyde muttered.
"You think it's lady problems?" Kelso asked, nonchalantly finishing off a second Popsicle.
"She started to act defensive when you asked about her plans for tonight." Fez observed. "Maybe she is trying to keep it a secret."
"Keep what a secret?" Eric asked.
"If I knew that, then it wouldn't be a secret, Eric..." Fez explained.
Hyde laughed. "Duh, Forman." he readjusted Jackie in his lap. "But Donna was acting pretty suspicious..."
"I got it. She's cheating on you, buddy." Kelso said, patting Eric's shoulder sympathetically.
Eric rolled his eyes. "For the last time, Kelso. Donna wouldn't cheat on me."
"Eric, Donna is a hot chick." Kelso said, speaking slowly as if explaining something to a four year old. "She might-" He was cut off as Eric punched him in the bicep. "Geez, Eric!" He covered his arm with his other hand. "Then where is she going tonight that she doesn't want you to know about?"
Eric slumped back in his seat. "You're right. I gotta go talk to her." He stood and left through the basement door.
"If she needs clothing, tell her that I will help her pick something- she shouldn't try to do it herself!" Jackie yelled after him.
---
"Donna?" Eric called, knocking on her bedroom door softly. He heard a muffled response and entered. Donna was in her bathroom brushing her teeth and Eric went to her, tentatively slipping his hands around her waist from behind her. "Hey, are you okay?"
Donna rinsed and spat. "I'm fine." she answered, meeting his gaze in the mirror. Taking one of his hands, she disengaged herself from his grip and led him back into her bedroom. The two teenagers sat on the bed next to each other.
"I was just wondering, 'cause, you know, you just left the basement pretty... abruptly..." Eric said.
"Yeah, sorry." Donna leaned forward and captured his lips with hers.
Eric closed his eyes, savoring the kiss, but pulled back after a short moment. "You seemed upset..." he said, continuing to fish for an explanation.
"I'm okay." Donna replied, leaning in to give him another kiss.
Once again Eric pulled back before it could become anything more. "Donna, are you sure?" She was kissing his neck at the moment. He had a nagging feeling she was trying to distract him, and it was working. He struggled to form coherent thoughts. "Because... sometimes... you say... things are fine... when they really... aren't..."
"They are." Donna murmured in between little nips at his neck. She glanced up at him quickly to see if he was buying it.
"Donna..." Eric moaned. "Just... tell me what I did."
Donna frowned up at him. "It's nothing you did."
"Aha! So you admit that something is wrong!" Eric said triumphantly.
Donna sighed, rolling her eyes. "It's something stupid. I just didn't want to tell anybody."
"Yeah?" Eric prodded gently.
Donna dropped her chin to her chest. "I'm getting my wisdom teeth removed later." she muttered grudgingly.
"You're... getting your wisdom teeth removed?" Eric repeated unsurely. What was the big deal?
"Don't tell anyone." Donna said.
"Yeah, okay, no. I won't." Eric assured her. "But... um, why not? What's the problem?" His arms tightened around her. "Are you scared?"
"Kind of. I mean, it's going to hurt, yeah, but it's just..." she laughed a little at herself. "This is stupid, but I just, well, you know how when people get their wisdom teeth taken out, their... their face swells up and stuff? I just... didn't want anyone to see me like that..." Eric couldn't believe it, but she was blushing!
"Hey..." he said. "It's no big deal. A little bit of swelling won't change anything. You don't have to be ashamed..." He gave her a peck on the lips.
Donna gave him a look. "Remember that time Kelso got stung by a bee on his nose and it swelled up? And everyone called him 'Pinocchio' for months?"
Eric nodded. "Ohh. That's why."
"Right. That's why you can't tell the others." Donna said. "I don't want to end up with a stupid nickname like 'Chipmunk' or something."
"Fair enough." Eric conceded. "My lips are sealed."
Donna brushed her lips against his. "My surgery's tonight at six... Do you think you could keep the gang away for a day or so?"
"I think I could..." Eric grinned. He pushed her down on the bed and supported himself over her on his hands, leering down teasingly at her before finishing, "...For a price."
"I think I know what might persuade you..." Donna giggled, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him down on top of her so that their lips met in a passionate kiss.
Eric pulled away quickly. "It's like you're reading my mind." he told her breathlessly before leaning back down to meet her lips.
---
Late that night, Donna sat on her bed restlessly, trying to flip the pages of a book and hold a cold compress to her sore jaw at the same time.
There was a knock on the door. "Dad?" Donna asked quietly, slurring her words slightly through numb lips. "Come on in."
The door opened a crack and it was not Bob Pinciotti, but Eric, who slipped into the room, closing the door behind him.
Donna was equally pleased and embarrassed to see him. It hurt to smile, so she settled for holding her book up in front of her mouth to block her swollen cheeks from view. "Hi." she said from behind her makeshift mask.
"Hi." Eric replied just as quietly. He pulled a white-wrapped object from behind his back. "I, um, brought you a Popsicle..." He sat down on the edge of her bed and offered it to her.
Donna put down the book but maneuvered the ice bag to cover her mouth. "That's... so sweet." she said, still slurring. "Thanks."
Eric unwrapped the orange twin pop and handed it to her, shoving the wrapper into his pocket. "How'd it go?" he asked, gently rubbing the backs of his fingers against her arm. "Does it hurt much?"
Donna found nodding 'yes' easier than forming words. Gratefully, she stuck a corner of the Popsicle in her mouth, still trying to hold her compress up. She closed her eyes in appreciation: the Popsicle felt good.
"I know you probably don't feel much like talking." Eric said sympathetically. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Anything I can get you before I go?" When she shook her head, he stood and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Love you."
As he turned to leave, Donna abandoned the ice bag and reached for his hand, pulling him back. "Stay?" she managed to whisper.
Eric squeezed her icy hand and sat down again. "If you want." he answered.
Donna smiled painfully as affirmation. With the compress lowered Eric could see her entire face, which at the moment was red and puffy, the corners of her mouth crusted with dried blood. She knew she looked awful, and she tried not to meet his eyes, remembering (with some amusement) Kelso's horror at seeing Jackie sick one time, back when he was dating her. And Donna knew she looked much worse than poor Jackie had on that occasion. For all she knew she was traumatizing Eric the same way!
But Eric, unlike Kelso, did not scream or run from the room. Instead, he took the hand that was not holding hers and retrieved the ice bag, holding it gently to her jaw as she had been doing. "Is this okay?"
Donna nodded again, repressing a smile that she knew would ache like hell. Eric was such a great boyfriend. How did she get so lucky? "I love you." she forced the words through her stubborn lips.
Eric lowered his head and kissed the side of her hand. "I love you too." he replied easily, wiping a drop of orange Popsicle from the corner of her mouth with his thumb. "But I hate seeing you like this."
"Trust me, I hate being seen like this." Donna said, her words still mushy but getting more recognizable. She wanted to explain to him that she wanted to look pretty to him, even though she knew without a doubt that he loved her anyway, no matter how she looked. In sickness or in health. Unfortunately, even opening and closing her jaw was a painful chore, and she could barely form the words in her mind, let alone in her mouth.
"I mean I hate seeing you in pain." Eric clarified. "You always look gorgeous to me." He grinned so she would acknowledge the little white lie that was really partially true.
She swatted at him playfully. "...Such a kiss-up."
Eric chuckled. "Is that an invitation?"
Donna pointed to her tender and bloody mouth. "Not very kissable material right now..."
Now Eric was grinning wickedly. "There's other places..."
Donna finished the Popsicle and tossed the sticks towards the trash can just in time to give Eric room to adjust himself to a better position on her bed. He propped himself up against her headboard and she leaned into his chest, burrowing into his warmth. The cold on her lips and gums felt good, but the rest of her was freezing in the tank top and sweatpants she wore... and his arms winding around her seemed to solve that problem.
True to his threat, Eric was finding his 'other places' to kiss and touch. Donna shivered as he slowly pulled her shirt strap off her shoulder and trailed a line of kisses from behind her ear, down her neck, and down to her shoulder blade. His lips moved back up to her neck, nuzzling her long red hair out of the way and just generally driving her crazy. When she felt the warmth boiling in the pit of her stomach, she placed a hand under his chin to stop him. "No... We can't do this now..." Her eyes sought out his, hoping he'd understand.
Eric smiled sheepishly and nodded, and he simply leaned forward and pressed the gentlest kiss possible to her lips. She gave a small, painless smile of surprise and he grinned triumphantly. "Maybe you should get some sleep." he suggested softly, pulling her blanket up to cover her bare shoulders.
She nodded. "Thank you." It seemed like, since he had gotten here, the sharp pains in her gums had subsided, replaced only by a more-manageable dull ache. Her eyes closed drowsily, but she opened them and focused them on his face one more time. "Stay until I'm asleep?" she mumbled.
"Okay." Eric scooted down to be level with her, draping an arm around her waist and laying his face on her back.
She felt him smile rather than saw him.
"Good night, Chipmunk."
Had he not been the most caring boyfriend ever... had he not brought her a Popsicle when she needed it the most - she would have elbowed him off the bed. Instead, she smiled as sweetly as her abused mouth would allow and replied, "Good night, Foreplay."
---
A/N: I guess wisdom teeth removal probably seems like a pretty random topic to you, but this plot bunny emerged from my own wisdom teeth removal just yesterday, lol. I definitely could have used an awesome boyfriend like Eric...
As always, please review! Comments, questions, and suggestions are the most helpful and rewarding thing an author can receive. Thanks for reading!