A/N: Hey guys I realize it's been well over a year since I've updated this but…I'm back! I am happy to report that I have the rest written already so it's just a matter of proofreading and uploading. I'm not exactly certain what the upload schedule will be, it's sort of dependent on the response but regardless, the story will be completed. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoy, and if you feel so inclined please leave a review, they are extremely helpful in letting me know what you guys would like to see or are enjoying/not enjoying. Either way I greatly appreciate you clicking on this story in the first place and buckle up for the rest of the ride!
The following morning, Jackie woke up in both a position and a place she hadn't been in for over a year.
She blinked slowly, adjusting her eyes to both the morning light and the very familiar, yet alarming surroundings. She looked around at the various shades of black, grey, and brown as well as beer cans strewn precariously around the room. Steven's room, crap.
Friends with benefits don't spend the night, they do the deed and get going, despite how nice the previous night had been, the best one she could recall in recent history.
The sex was, of course, amazing, but beyond that it was almost like the feelings that had been sitting beneath the surface had finally popped through. Which was in of itself bittersweet. While she loved Steven, despite her best efforts to both repress and deny, she couldn't possibly forgive him, and even if she could would he even care?
As she continued to think through this very tangled web that was currently her feelings, she began to register the arms around her waist that were beginning to move.
She took a glance behind her and registered Hyde's face that revealed, while slightly hungover, he had not just woken up. "How long have you been up?" She questioned with both curiosity and confusion.
His eyes widened at the sudden voice, he quickly gained his composure and cleared his throat, attempting to seem nonchalant. "Oh uh like ten minutes maybe. I didn't want to disturb you because uh" he stuttered, still slightly off guard, "I know how bitchy you can be in the morning."
She smacked his chest and scoffed. "It's called being assertive Steven, and I'll have you know that I'm not any more assertive in the morning than I am at any other point during the day."
He smirked, his arms still woven around her waist, "You got me there, but still your assertiveness usually results in my shins being bruised."
She smiled softly at the lighthearted nature of their conversation, such a stark contrast from the malice filled insults, and brief but biting nature that their interactions had recently taken on.
After a few moments of silence, Jackie realized that his arms were still very much around her waist, and she was still very much engaged in what one may refer to as a spooning position with him. Both being things that people who have an "agreement" as they do should not be doing. Hyde seemed to come to a similar realization at the same time as his arms abruptly moved to his sides, and she quickly slid forward, out of the cradle of his hips.
Neither acknowledging the awkward lapse, but both desperately looking for an excuse to leave the bedroom.
Hyde scratched the back of his neck, before lamely providing a suggestion. "Mrs. Forman probably has breakfast just about done, we should probably get up there before she sends Eric down to grab me for breakfast and he catches us again."
She nodded as he began to walk to out but stuck her arm out quickly to stop him. "Steven I can't go out there, they'll ask why I'm here."
He nodded considering this, "Damn ok, maybe you just swing out the basement door and we'll catch up later?"
"Yeah ok that's good I'll just sneak out."
They left Hyde's room at just the precise moment that Eric came barreling down the stairs. "Hyde, mom says that if you don't get upstairs now you don't get a whipped cream smiley face on your-." Eric said, stopping abruptly as he saw the incriminating figures of Hyde and Jackie, who was wearing the same dress she had worn on her date last night, leaving the room.
Hyde sighed, looking at Jackie with a knowing look, "What did I tell ya? This family is like clockwork." He whispered to her before turning his attention to Eric. "Look man, you already knew this was going on so let's just skip the theatrics and pretend you didn't see anything while Jackie sneaks out the door."
Eric let out a small chuckle, "Theatrical? Me?" He said scoffing and gesturing to himself in disbelief. "I would never, in fact I am nothing if not a gracious host, and Jackie actually should join us for breakfast." He said, as if it was the best idea that had ever struck him. "I bet I can even convince my mom to put a whipped cream smiley face on your pancakes too."
Jackie's eyebrows scrunched together. "I know I shine a bright light on your guys' otherwise very dull lives, but why would you want me to come up to breakfast?"
Eric feigned a look of hurt, putting his hand to his chest. "Jackie I am hurt," he shook his head as if searching for a word, "no make that devastated, that you would think I wouldn't want to start my day off graced with your uh-." Eric paused unsure how to finish his statement.
"Assertiveness?" Hyde provided, receiving a light smack on the chest from Jackie.
"Sure we'll go with that." Eric said complacently.
Jackie smiled sardonically, "Well as much as I would love to start my day off hearing you spew out star wars references, your dad threatening to put his foot in your ass, and your mom trying, and succeeding, to convince you to stay in her house forever" she said clasping her hands together and gesturing to the door, "I'm still wearing my date clothes from last night, and while I wear the 'whore' look better than most, it doesn't really suit me. Plus I have to go see Donna"
Eric's eyes widened at the mention of his girlfriend. "Donna? You're going to see Donna? Do you think you could mention to her what a help I've been to you in mending your broken heart that this one," he laughed gesturing to Hyde, "caused?"
Jackie glared at him in a mix of disgust and confusion. "No, now if you'll excuse me, I have to go because I think Eric got into some of his mom's pills." She said, still glaring at him as she walked out the door.
Once she was out of sight Hyde smacked the other man's arm. "What the hell is the matter with you man? You're being squirmier and more talkative than usual.
Eric looked at his friend with a serious expression before placing his hand on his shoulder. "Look, you and Jackie have to get back together and I have to play some part in it." He looked at the ground in remorse. "I just hope God can forgive me for aiding in the revival of this unholy union.
Hyde looked at his friend in a confusion for a moment before hitting him again. "Look Forman, I'm not sure what kind of game you're playing here but Jackie and I aren't getting back together. Even if we were, why would you want any credit in it?"
Eric sighed heavily before sitting on the couch. "Apparently things aren't as fine between me and Donna as I thought they were. She blames me for pretty much everything that happened this last year and is evidently pretty upset with me."
Hyde shook his head, taking his place in his usual spot. "I understand why Donna's mad at you, I mean you were an ass, but why would getting me and Jackie back together help her forgive you."
Eric looked at his friend scornfully. "Because you were even more of an ass than I was man. You left Jackie, the girl you were going to propose to, to stay married to a stripper you didn't even know."
Hyde returned the scrawny man's glare, "I've already heard all of this like a hundred times, I can't change it, and even if I could maybe Jackie and I just don't work." Hyde scrunched his eyebrows. "I still don't understand what this has to do with Donna."
Eric looked at him tiredly. "Focus man, focus. Donna is mad at herself for abandoning Jackie when your slutty wife came to town," Eric looked to Hyde who scowled, but mostly at himself. "Anyway," he continued, shaking his head as if getting himself to focus for an intricate plan for a museum heist, "she thinks the only reason that she did that is because you abandoned Jackie first, and she was trying to be a good friend to you." He began to laugh in spite of himself, "Which leads to her absolutely infallible logic that me leaving, is what caused all of that."
Hyde blinked slowly, processing his friends convoluted explanation. "What?" He asked rhetorically, turning to see his friend nodding frantically. "She actually said that you leaving for Africa caused me to get drunk and make bad decisions, and caused her to be a shitty friend?" He asked, raising an eyebrow that was just visible above his sunglasses.
Eric tilted his head side to side, as if weighing everything out. "Well she more so said that she felt bad for being a bad friend, and that you were also an ass, but she tacked on at the end that she was mad at me for abandoning her." He explained before smiling, "So I figure that if I fix your mess, she'll be less mad at me and then everyone wins."
"Ok Forman look, I know that usually I support your dumbass plans because I think it's funny when they blow up in your face," he stated, to which Eric nodded in confirmation, "but this plan is exceptionally dumb and will affect me so I'm just gonna stop it now and tell you what you should do." He looked seriously at Eric who was watching him in anticipation. "Just talk to Donna." He advised simply.
Eric laughed condescendingly. "Oh Hyde, I'm not sure if you know this, but when I talk it generally makes things way way worse." He said patting Hyde's knee. "So I'm just gonna stick with my original plan."
Hyde groaned. "Forman I've got a good thing going right now alright? Jackie doesn't totally hate me and I get to have sex with her without having to talk about this last year, and commitment and all of that." He stood up, standing over Eric on the couch, with a finger in the air. "If you ruin this for me I swear I will kick your ass so hard.
Eric stood up to meet Hyde's height, almost challenging him. "Hyde when are you gonna drop this crap? Look I know I make a lot of cracks about her being the devil, and well I can't say that she's my favorite person, but she made you happy man." He said softly, watching Hyde's face struggle to be zen. "For god's sake you were gonna marry her, and now what? Because Kelso once again caused a misunderstanding and you fucked up, you're not even going to try?"
Hyde finally schooled his face into keeping its composure. "Yeah fine, I fucked up but maybe it's for the best. Jackie and I are too different, and we would just end up hating each other, like we almost did last time."
"The way I see it, your guys' little 'arrangement' is gonna end way worse once it does end, which may be soon at the rate Donna's going." Eric said with slight resignation in his voice.
Hyde's eyebrows furrowed together. "What are you talking about? What's Donna doing?"
Eric scoffed. "Pretty much anything in her power to set Jackie up with a guy." He lifted a hand up in supplication. "I told you she feels really bad about her role in what happened with Jackie last year so she's trying to fix it. That's why she's pushing so hard for this Dylan guy."
Hyde swallowed hard before setting his head resolutely. "Well fine then, if Jackie can find happiness with that guy then good for her, and good for Donna if she can fix her guilt too. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go upstairs before your mom sends your dad down here to put his foot in our asses for not being at breakfast yet." He said as he began to head upstairs, only to be stopped by Eric's hand on his shoulder.
"Dude you can't seriously be ok with this, I mean come on that Dylan guy? How can he be right for Jackie?" Eric questioned, his tone taking a serious and desperate edge.
Hyde removed the hand on his shoulder and cleared his throat. "Actually Dylan is her perfect guy on paper, that being that he's rich and probably wants that whole marriage thing. Now Forman, I'm only going to say this to you one more time, leave this thing alone, it's only going to end badly. Promise me." He said looking Eric in the eye.
Eric looked to the sky, considering his words carefully. "I promise that anything I do, won't make things worse than they already are."
"Forman." He said threateningly.
"Alright fine." Eric said putting his hands up in surrender.
"Alright dumbasses get upstairs before your mother calls a family meeting that nobody wants, and I have to put my foot up both of your asses!" Red suddenly called from upstairs.
Hyde sighed. "I swear, you guys are the most predictable bunch of people." He said shaking his head, before obligingly walking up the stairs.
Eric, now in the basement alone, laughed to himself shaking his head. "Well I never actually promised. Now it's time to hopefully not make things worse." He said, now walking up the stairs himself.
Meanwhile, Jackie immediately walked over to Donna's, in need of discussing what happened the previous night.
She walked in without knocking, because duh she was Donna's best friend so it was basically her house too, and she had lived there once so really it didn't make a difference.
Donna, according to Bob, was out "buying ingredients for dinner because she couldn't appreciate his frozen meals", so she waited, very impatiently.
She paced nervously around Donna's living room waiting for her best friend to return. The usually very composed, and definition of pristine, Jackie Burkhart, was an utter mess, and a certain curly haired man who technically wasn't her boyfriend, but also wasn't not her boyfriend, was the cause.
From the start of their renewed 'agreement' she knew there would be complications, the very nature of it lent itself quite well to the that. She should have known this from what happened the first time around with them, she had just been hoping that she'd be stronger this time.
This whole time she had been able to deny any feelings she had, sure she knew that she was still attracted to him, and yeah, she enjoyed his company, but anytime the topic of her still having legitimate feelings came up, she stuffed it deep down. Until last night.
She has had a fair amount of sex in her life, some good, some bad, and with one person in particular had actual love involved, last night those feelings of love had resurfaced. At the beginning of their renewed agreement, the sex and make out sessions were mostly just full of the anger and regret they had been holding in for months, while still good, it didn't hold a candle to love making that lived up to its name.
Her constant pacing came to an abrupt halt once Donna walked in the room.
Jackie's hands flew up, and she with her usual amount of drama exclaimed, "Oh Donna, thank god you're here!" and threw her arms around her.
Donna stood there, a nonplussed expression on her face. "Uh Jackie? You okay? I don't think I've ever seen you so happy to me seen since…well ever." She said, awkwardly patting the smaller girls head, who was still clinging to her friend before she pulled back and began moving over to the couch.
A look of horrified shock came over Jackie's face. "Oh my god you're right. What the hell is happening to me." With a sudden serious look she turned to Donna and set her hand on her arm. "Promise me that if I ever say that to Eric you'll slap me in the face or like get me committed or something.
Shaking her head with a laugh Donna said, "Oh I think I'll be slapping Eric before I slap you."
Jackie pulled back suddenly with a quizzical look on her face, "Why? Donna, I mean I know he's annoying and scrawny, and all he does is talk about a movie that came out like four years ago but that stuff has never bothered you before. Plus I thought you guys were like 'unpausing' your relationship or something."
Donna groaned. "If I have to hear that phrase one more time, I swear." She threatened vaguely. "I know Eric is trying to play this whole thing off as like 'a break' or something that wasn't a big deal, but the fact is he left me."
"Yeah I know what you mean." Jackie muttered quietly, with a sad look in her eye.
"What are you talking about?" Donna asked, shaking her head.
Sitting up straight, Jackie composed herself. "Nothing, nothing just you know," she stammered looking for an excuse, "there are rumors that ABBA is gonna break up soon and I just don't think I can deal with it." She covered up lamely. "I don't want to think about that possible travesty though, keep telling me about your problems with your whiny boyfriend."
"That's just it, it's like I'm supposed to be acting like we're fine and can just pick up where we left off but I don't think I can do that ya know?"
Jackie nodded, trying her best to keep a schooled look on her face. "Yeah, yeah I think I can understand that."
Donna sighed, "I know you're probably gonna want to slap me for asking this, so I'll give you one free insult after I'm done," she stated holding up a finger, looking at Jackie seriously. "but if Hyde were to want to 'un pause' your relationship what would you say?" She asked, looking at Jackie like one may look at an animal about to pounce.
Jackie swallowed nervously, she hadn't had the courage to tell her best friend of all people about her and Steven, and while she couldn't bring herself to just yet, Donna may be able to help her without her even knowing it.
"Well I mean it's a totally different situation, Eric went to Africa to teach kids," Jackie stated, her face taking on a sardonic expression, "while Steven went to Vegas to marry a whore."
"Technically she was a stripper." Donna stated, with a slight teasing smile.
Jackie raised an eyebrow. "I swear to god Donna, I will kick you. Just for that I get to insult you twice."
Donna laughed. "Fair enough," She stood up and put her face in her hands. "and yeah you're right it is totally different, and I know that Eric deserves a chance to leave Point Place, and go live his life but it still hurts. I put my life on hold for him, I forgave him when he left me at the altar, and now this." She said, her tone taking on some outrage.
Jackie's mouth quirked up into a half smile. "Donna I may have to add a third insult on to your debt just for what your about to make me say, but Eric's a good guy. I know things feel like they're moving backwards for you guys but maybe it'll give you guys a chance to rebuild things. I know if I got a chance like that with Steven-." She froze looking at the smirk that suddenly appeared on Donna's face. "Not that I want a chance with Steven but you know in a hypothetical world where he didn't marry some blonde tramp."
Donna nodded, the smirk still very present on her face. "Right," she said disbelievingly, "in some magical world where Hyde didn't do," she paused looking at Jackie's face giving a silent warning, "you know, the thing that he did, you would want a second chance at things. Not in any other universe though right?" She asked teasingly.
Jackie lightly hit her shoulder. "Yes only in that universe, now shut up about Steven and let's get back to your nerd." Jackie pulled her friend back down onto the couch with her. "Now, you want to be with Eric right?"
Donna nodded reluctantly. "Yeah I do, I mean that's all I could think about while he was gone." She looked at Jackie earnestly, "I want to try to make this work, but I need him to try too."
Jackie stood up, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Look Donna, you know how much I'm against doing this, but you need to talk to Eric."
"Yeah you're right", she sighed before her face erupted into a smile. "Enough about that, I wanna hear about how things went with Dylan!"
Jackie shook her head uncertainly. "I mean there isn't really much to tell. He was nice, he complimented me constantly" Jackie gushed smiling momentarily. "but I don't know."
"He seems perfect for you," she said emphatically, her hands flying up, "I don't understand why you're holding back Jackie I mean you usually go headfirst into these things."
Jackie looked at Donna in a very uncharacteristically sheepish manner. "Maybe I'm just scared."
Donna scoffed. "Jackie Burkhart scared? Look Jackie there are a lot of things that can be said about you, and honestly not all of them are nice, but scared isn't one of them."
Jackie considered for a moment, unsure of how much to tell Donna but knowing that this may be the only person she could talk to. "Donna if I tell you something, I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone."
Hurt washed over Donna. "Jackie how could you think that I would betray your trust like that?"
Jackie shrugged. "Look I know that you're really good friends with all of the guys, but I just need you to promise me." Donna nodded her agreement, hurt still evident on her face. "I think that maybe I still have some feelings for Steven, and I can't move on because I can't imagine feeling that way about someone else." She glanced at Donna for a moment, the other girl listening intently. Jackie continued with a sigh. "If I did feel that way about someone else, I'm afraid that it would erase what Steven and I had or that I would just get hurt again."
Donna looked at Jackie for a moment before pulling her in for a hug. "Jackie, what you and Hyde had was special. None of us saw it coming, but it was special. Nobody can erase that." She said pulling back and looking into Jackie's eyes.
"Donna I really thought that he was the one." She revealed earnestly, the most honest thing she had said about Hyde following their breakup.
The taller girl smiled sadly. "Honestly Jackie, so did I." She shook her head and let a happier expression take way, "Jackie the only way to really get over Hyde is to move on, to give yourself a chance to feel like that again." She put a finger in the air to quickly clarify herself. "And not like you did with Fez." Donna slung an arm around Jackie's shoulder and continued, "Dylan might not be the one but it doesn't hurt to try, and this time around if you get hurt I promise I'll be there for you."
"Thanks Donna." She replied quietly.
"Jackie?" Donna said, Jackie lifting her head in response. "The stuff that happened with," Donna paused searching for the right words that wouldn't upset Jackie, "you know that person Hyde brought back from Vegas, I'm really sorry." Jackie turned around fully attentive. "I should have been there for you and I wasn't. I never should have tried to bring her into the group or laugh at Hyde's jokes. I should have taken your side."
Jackie nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. "Yeah Donna, you should have."
"I know I can't change it, but I'm here now and I can't help but feel like maybe we both need each other right now." Donna said, her arm tightening around Jackie.
Jackie scoffed, tears still in her eyes. "I don't need anyone Donna."
Donna laughed in spite of herself. "Of course not, but just in case you do, well I'm here this time."
Jackie nodded her appreciation, and the girls sat there talking idly about some stupid 'rocket boat' Kelso was apparently working on.
Later that night, Jackie found herself back in the Forman basement, once again just her Hyde were the only ones present.
She entered, pausing momentarily when she saw Hyde sitting in his usual chair. "Hi." She greeted lamely.
He nodded, zen as ever. "Hey."
She sighed and rushed over to the couch. "Look Steven, this thing we have going on it's great, but we need to talk."
Hyde groaned and took his glasses off. He knew that no good could come of talking, there wasn't anything he could say that wouldn't piss her off. "Jackie I thought that was the whole point of what we have."
"Steven, you and I both know that last night meant something." She said, her eyes looking at him braver than she felt.
He sighed, here it was, the lose-lose situation. If he said it did, she would probably tell him that she couldn't forgive him, and if he said it didn't then he would lose her anyway. "Jackie please, can we just not do this? I really don't want to fight."
She didn't want to either, truthfully. She knew that no good would likely come of this conversation, but if they didn't have it now then they were just delaying the inevitable. "Steven we have to. I love what we have, I do, but I need to move on."
He shook his head, not understanding the implications. "What are you saying Jackie, are you calling it off?"
She took his hands. "No, no not necessarily." She shook her head, working up the confidence to say what she needed to. "Look, last night was really special, it reminded me of how things used to be between us, and it made me wonder if we could ever get back there."
This whole thing wreaked of Forman, there was no way she was actually saying this to him, giving another chance that he was probably just going to screw up. "Did you talk to Forman? Jackie it's just some lame ass plan to fix things with Donna, I-."
"No Steven," she cut him off confused. "I don't know what Eric has to do with this, but I need to know if you want to work things out. Because I think that there's a chance that we could, but you need to want to also." She said, her emotions being both hopeful and scared.
He sighed. "So what is this then Jackie? Another ultimatum? Either we do things your way or you're gone?"
She sat up straighter, how dare he suggest that this was unreasonable when he ruined it in the first place. She deserved a chance to feel in love again, whether that be with him or with somebody else. "If that's how you want to see it then yes Steven, either we start talking things out and take it slow or we cut it off."
This was not how he expected this to go. In fact this was almost the opposite of what he had expected. Part of him wanted to accept this for the blessing that it was, the other part knew that he would screw it up, and an ultimatum? Seriously? Like making him choose on the spot didn't fuck things up before. He shook his head, unsure of what to do, "Jackie I-."
Suddenly the basement door flung open revealing Fez, Eric, and Kelso, all looking dumb as ever. Saved by the morons he supposed.
Kelso, still grinning, sat down on the lawn chair opposite his. "You guys missed it. So we were walking in the park right? All of a sudden this group of nerds keeps chanting 'Rainbow' and guess what roller disco superstar they were chanting at?"
All eyes went to Eric who was smirking sarcastically. "Ha ha, you guys are just jealous because I've made a name for myself in this stupid town." He glanced between Jackie and Hyde, looking hopeful. "Oh were you guys talking about something? Because we can like go." He stammered awkwardly, gesturing to the door.
Hyde glared at him while the remaining people in the room looked confused.
"What would Jackie and Hyde be talking about?" Kelso questioned dumbly.
Before anyone could answer the basement door flung open again, this time revealing Donna and Dylan. "Hey everyone, I was at the Hub and I ran into Dylan. Just thought it would be nice if he got to hang out with everyone, get to know the group."
This time it was Jackie's turn to glare at her friend. "Oh I don't think Dylan wants to hang out with these burnouts."
Dylan smiled, oblivious to any tension. "Of course I want to hang out. Any excuse to spend time with Jackie is a good excuse in my book, plus I'd love to get to know the rest of you guys." He said sitting down next to Jackie on the couch, turning to Kelso and Fez to introduce himself. "Hey guys, I'm Dylan."
Kelso smiled dumbly. "Alright that means that over half of the people in this room have nailed Jackie."
A somber look came over Fez's face. "We never actually got that far. Maybe we can say that over half of the people in this room have made out with Jackie instead."
Dylan turned to Jackie with a horrified expression, to which she gave an apologetic look of resignation.
Hyde chuckled quietly to himself. He wasn't thrilled about Dylan joining the group for the night, but between Fez and Kelso's dumbass-ery and Forman's meddling, this guy would be scared off in an hour.
He could think of what to say to Jackie's ultimatum and this guy would get lost, unless of course he had a higher tolerance for morons than he thought.
He took a glance Kelso who was currently explaining his genius idea of a firecracker suit to the newcomer, and Forman who was as we speak talking about the hidden metaphors in Star Wars while simultaneously removing Dylan's hand from Jackie's leg whenever it wandered there.
Yeah this guy wouldn't last an hour.
A/N: Good? Bad? Let me know please. I know this chapter wasn't action packed and it was heavy on some Donna and Eric stuff but it was important exposition that will of course lead to more hijinks and JH goodness. The next chapter should be up within the week, if you guys really loved this I'll kick it into high gear to get the next chapter proofread and posted asap. Also, feel free to send me any prompts/suggestions on my tumblr jackieszenmaster, or through message on here. Thank you so much for reading!