THE RIGHT WAY AROUND.
Chapter 8 – Friends Will Be Friends & Games Will Be Games.
A/N: You all will never cease to amaze me. Your reviews were incredible and I loved reading them all. I had assumed putting Jackie and Hyde back together would get a positive response but the reaction to their talk was better than I could have imagined so I had to get this next chapter written faster than I had originally intended. OK, I've sucked up long enough so the rest is up to you. Next chapter is the date and this one covers a lot of things building up to it. Happy reading!
(P.S. I decided to write another circle scene where I reveal the truth about Kelso's stupidity lol)
Disclaimer: I own nothing and after the crap the show spilled out in Season 8, I'm relieved to have nothing to do with the show.
BURKHART MANSION
"Donna! You're here!" Jackie exclaimed with a smile, throwing open the front door of her house to the sight of her dishevelled friend. Pulling her inside, Jackie shut the door and bounced up the stairs awaiting Donna joining her.
A few minutes later, Donna slowly pushed open the door to Jackie's bedroom and, like a zombie, stumbled over to the bed and planted herself on it. "Took you long enough." Jackie inquired, barely looking up from the Cosmo she had bought an hour earlier. Opening her eyes, she gave a glare to her midget of a friend.
"Well forgive me, Jackie. I'm not used to being called at 8am with you yelling "I'M NOT GONNA BE AN OLD MAID LIKE YOU! I'M NOT GONNA BE AN OLD MAID LIKE YOU!" Jackie rolled her eyes and waved her hand.
"Whatever, Donna. It's not like you were doing anything important like shopping or…" Jackie smelled the area around her and shuddered. "…showering. There is no excuse for lacking in the personal hygiene department, especially on a day like this. And by the way, I thought we had decided you wouldn't do this anymore." Jackie said, pointing to the polyester outfit Donna was wearing."
Looking down, Donna gave a confused expression. "What, wearing clothes?"
"Nooo." Jackie drawled out. "Subjecting me to the sickening sight of your misguided fashion sense. Fabrics are additives, not body lotion. You don't need to smear it all over your body."
"Jackie, what the hell are you talking about?" Donna asked, without a clue.
Groaning, Jackie answered, "What do you think? I'm going out with Steven!" she finished, overcome with happiness. "He got down on one knee and everything."
Shocked, Donna thought for a moment. "You're telling me that you two are back together? And that Hyde did a romantic gesture? What was he, high?" she said sarcastically. Frowning at her friend's lack of enthusiasm, Jackie replied,
"No, he just knew it was the only way to get me back. It all came out after our heart-to-heart."
Donna had to raise a hand to her head. "You had a heart-to-heart with Hyde? Again, I ask. Was he high?" Donna snickered. "OW!" Donna rubbed her arm where Jackie's hand had struck a moment earlier. "What's up with these violent tendencies of yours?"
Trying to explain once more, Jackie started. "Listen carefully to me Donna. Steven comforted me after I had a hard time with my dad, and then early this morning we had a bit talk and everything is fine. I mean not fine, fine. But fine enough that we are finally going to be a real couple and if this date goes well, then I think we will be… well I think we're gonna be fine." She gave a proud smile while Donna tried to count how many times Jackie had used the word 'fine' in that speech.
"So what, you two are just going to forget everything you did to each other?" she asked finally, in a biting tone.
Taken aback, Jackie replied, "No, not forget. Just move past it. We're not going to let things get so out of control again." Jackie was confused when Donna stood up and looked down at Jackie condescendingly.
"Yeah, good luck with that."
"Donna, what is going on with you? Yesterday at Funland you were saying that I should try and work things out with him. Now, what? You think I'm making a mistake?" Jackie was feeling unnerved by Donna's cold attitude.
"I just think you should have taken more time before you jumped back into a relationship. That's all." Donna said, with a sigh.
"You think I'm jumping back in?" Jackie asked, with a laugh. "I wasn't the one throwing myself at my ex-boyfriend the second I got dumped by my rebound guy. I also wasn't the one who took back my fiancée the week after he ditched me at my wedding. And I'm sure as hell not the one who will immediately welcome the same guy back with open arms when he returns from the other side of the world after leaving me for a year. Don't presume to think you know any better Donna." Jackie was standing by this point; fuming at the idea that Donna thought she understood her relationship.
"Hey, you have no idea what I have been going through! You've been too busy focusing on Hyde ever since the day you started dating him to understand how hard it is for me to be without Eric." Donna said, using her height to intimidate Jackie. But Jackie was tired of her friend's lame-ass excuses.
"Oh Donna, grow up! You're just pissed because you thought you and Eric were meant to be and were destined to end up together. But now he's gone and you're left feeling rejected and like your life is over. Well, it's not. Because no matter how much you two hurt each other and no matter how long you are apart, you and he always get back together whereas the rest of us have to work through crap after crap just to make it through the next week let alone the rest of our lives. So maybe if you got off your romantic high horse for once, you would notice that the rest of us weren't as lucky as you in finding our perfect soulmate at age 5 and have to be content with getting what we can get. Now, I have worked so hard to get where I am with Steven and I have put up with a lot for our relationship to be taken seriously, so if you can't see how important this date is to me, then you should just leave." Jackie was breathless by this point. She knew that she had gone too far and that Donna didn't deserve to be blown up at like that. But Jackie was beginning to learn that things had to be said straight and not dragged out so that they became more confusing. "I'm sorry, Donna. I just… I didn't mean to yell at you but I…" Jackie sighed. "Can we just talk about this later when we have both cooled off? Please?" Jackie asked, hoping that she hadn't driven a permanent wedge between them.
Donna was feeling hurt by Jackie's comments but didn't have the energy to make things worse so she simply nodded and left.
Jackie sat down on her bed and heard softly through her bedroom door, "Have a nice time." in a sincere voice.
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FORMAN BASEMENT
"So I hear you and Jackie are back together." Kelso said, smirking.
Oh, don't start this. Hyde thought.
"Yep." He answered, in a non-committal tone.
"Just as well," Kelso started. "She'll be needing somebody to keep her warm at night now that the Kelso train isn't letting anybody else aboard. I'm strictly a one-woman man." Hyde looked surprised. "Brooke." Kelso clarified.
Hyde nodded his head repeatedly. "Of course. Commit yourself to one girl who lives in another state and isn't around to catch you cheating on her."
"Pretty smart plan, huh?" Kelso smiled broadly at his 'ingenuity'. Hyde just shook his head and laughed before returning his focus to the TV.
"You know," Hyde said several minutes later, "things are going pretty well right now. Me and Jackie. You and Brooke. I'd say this calls for a celebration, wouldn't you?" Kelso grinned.
"You are reading my freaking mind!"
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CIRCLE
Hyde: (laughing) Man, I've missed this. It feels like we never spend anytime together anymore, just us.
CUT TO KELSO
Kelso: Yeah! Now it's all about chicks, and kids, and work. We need to get back to our boots.
CUT TO HYDE
Hyde: No, man. You mean roots. We need to get back to our roots.
CUT TO KELSO
Kelso: (distant expression) No, I couldn't go back to being a red-head. (realises what he has said) NO! I mean… aw, man!
CUT TO HYDE
Hyde: (looking disgusted) You dye your hair?
CUT TO KELSO
Kelso: (spluttering) Well, I… SHUT UP! (calming down) Anyway, I don't think I do it right because I always end up swallowing most of the dye.
CUT TO HYDE
Hyde: (in realisation) The final piece of the puzzle.
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GROOVES
Hyde busied himself around the store in a vain attempt to distract himself from thinking about Jackie. Or more specifically, their date. Even though she had kidded that he should be rude and impolite, Hyde knew it meant a lot to her and he figured he should be making a bit of an attempt to make it special. And since romantic gestures were not in his nature, (he had put his embarrassing date invitation down to something he smoked) he was having a little bit of trouble coming up with the perfect way to make tomorrow night memorable. At this thought, Donna walked in and Hyde said a silent thanks to the gods, a.k.a. Hendrix and co.
"Donna." Hyde said, walking up to her. "I kinda need your help so if you only talk when I ask and vow never to repeat this conversation to anybody, I would really appreciate it." Not getting the slightest response, Hyde tried again. "Donna?" he said, waving his hand. This shook her out of her daze and she muttered a 'hello' as if only noticing Hyde for the first time. Noticing there were no customers in the store because it was so late, Hyde looked around at Donna absently fingering some records and then at Leo who was standing at the door to his office and was running around in circles, chasing the back of his shirt. Well, that's normal enough, Hyde thought at the sight of Leo. Clicking his fingers, Hyde caught Donna's attention and led her over to the listening pit where they sat on the couch. "Donna, what's going on?" he asked, a bit concerned.
"Nothing." Donna said quickly.
"What, is it Forman?" Hyde asked. Since Eric had left, Donna had talked to him a few times since he was the only childhood friend she had left. Well, except for Kelso but she hadn't talked to him for obvious reasons.
Shaking her head, she answered, "No, it isn't Eric. I just had a fight with Jackie, that's all." Letting his head fall back against the couch, Hyde groaned.
"Dammit, she's gonna be pissed now."
Looking over at him Donna said, "She won't be pissed at you."
Looking back, Hyde replied, "Oh, believe me, she'll find a way." Sighing he continued, "So what was the fight about? Cos I can guarantee anything that Jackie has yelled at you about, she has yelled at me about." Hyde grinned.
Donna laughed a little before answering. "It was about you guys." Hyde frowned, perplexed about why his relationship with Jackie had caused a fight and why it had left Donna so sad. "I… sort of… mentioned that I… might have thought that…"
"Donna, I'm hardly a wordsmith but you think you could speed this up before Leo starts barking." Hyde looked behind him and saw that Leo had stopped chasing his back but had instead proceeded to lie down on one of the bins while scratching his ear. "He's probably going to turn into a werewolf" Hyde said to himself after taking in Leo's actions and his shaggy hair. Turning his attention back to Donna, Hyde gave her the signal to continue.
"I told her that I thought you two were rushing back into things." Donna said with the words flying out of her mouth before she had time to censor herself.
"Huh." Hyde sounded. He sat back against the couch and was deep in thought for a few minutes before forming an actual sentence. "And do you?" Hyde asked, glancing at her.
"I think you two have made a lot of mistakes in the past and I don't think getting back together is the solution to your problems." Donna said, unsure if Jackie's outburst or Hyde's silence was harder to handle.
"Mmm," Hyde said without opening his mouth. "And Jackie didn't take that too well, I'm guessing?"
Donna nodded slowly. "She's had better days."
"You're wrong, you know." Hyde said sincerely. Donna looked over at him with a surprised reaction. "About Jackie and me. We're not rushing anything. It's taken me two years for me to take her out on a real date so if anything we're moving slowly."
"Hyde-" she started, sensing he didn't understand her. But he did.
"I know that's not what you meant, Donna. And I know you're just worried about her, but you don't need to be anymore. I'm gonna be there for her from now on." Hyde said with complete sincerity.
Donna was dumbfounded. "What about being Zen?"
"I'm thinking it's time I got a new script. This show's gone stale." Hyde joked. Donna laughed but suddenly had a good feeling about Jackie and him. Maybe they weren't rushing anything. And maybe she could care to learn a thing or two from them.
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HYDE'S ROOM
Hyde was sitting on his bed reading an old comic when he heard the basement door open and close, followed by the animated footsteps of his girlfriend.
"Hey, you." Jackie said, poking her head into the doorframe.
Smiling at the sight of her, Hyde patted the bed for her to sit next to him. She did and after a minute of trying to get comfortable, they were soon lying down with Jackie squeezed up along Hyde's left side and his arm wrapped loosely around her shoulder. "So, did you and Donna talk?" he asked softly.
"Yeah, everything's fine." Jackie replied, happy to be on Donna's good side again.
"You're becoming quite the little badass these days, aren't you?" Hyde said, smirking.
"Well someone has to take over from our fallen Zenmaster. Donna told me you were giving up the act." Jackie teased.
Giving a sarcastic laugh, Hyde said, "Like I could ever go through with that. Love me or leave me. That's how it works." he said jokingly but the comment ran a little too close to home for Jackie to ignore. Hugging him closer to her, she replied,
"I think I'll stick with what I've got." They were both silent for a moment feeling content to be in each others' arms without worrying about the future. "So how was Grooves today?" Jackie asked, finally breaking the silence. Hyde breathed out and responded,
"Made money, got high, sedated Leo when the health inspector came. You know, the usual."
Jackie laughed. "I didn't know health inspectors visited record stores."
"Well, there aren't a lot of restaurants in Point Place so they take what they can get." Hyde smiled when Jackie laughed into his side. He had missed this kind of close contact especially since he had had to settle for sleep the last time they were in this bed. That was changed now.
Hyde groaned when Jackie lifted her head and looked at him in realisation. "You know what's going on here, don't you?" she asked enthusiastically.
"Uhhh, no." Hyde said, unsure of what had gotten her so excited.
"You're telling me about your day! Isn't it fun?" Hyde smiled at Jackie's happy expression.
"Didn't suck."
"Maybe it's something boyfriends and girlfriends do together." Jackie suggested while playing with the collar of his shirt.
"I can think of something else boyfriends and girlfriends do together." Hyde said, playfully. Jackie smiled and leaned down to tease him with the close proximity of their lips.
"Steven, baby…" she breathed.
"Yeah?" Hyde managed to say.
"If it took you…" she said while moving her hand down his shirt to the zipper of his jeans; "…to get down on one knee to get me to go out with you…" she continued while opening his pants and brushing against his boxers; "…what do you think it's gonna take for me…" she took hold of him and he gasped at the first feeling of her in weeks; "…to sleep with you?" Hyde opened his eyes at her last comment and was speechless when she bounced off of him and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead before leaving his room and walking up the stairs to the kitchen.
Left alone in his room, Hyde looked down at his compromising position and groaned, throwing his head down against the pillow. He lifted his head again when he heard rustling under his bed. All of a sudden, Fez popped out looking disappointed.
"Well, if that's all I'm gonna get then I am taking my popsicle elsewhere." With that, Fez flounced out in his trademark manner.
I've been sitting here for over 2 hours. How long had he been under there? At any other time, Hyde would have given him a beating, but he was still overcome with frustration at how Jackie had played with him like he was a little toy and how he had loved every second of it. "I don't stand a chance." Hyde said to himself with conviction. Looking down, he muttered, "Sorry, men. False alarm."
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FORMAN KITCHEN
Hyde walked gingerly into the kitchen where he saw Jackie and Kitty talking at the table about another hospital fundraiser. Kitty at once acknowledged his presence.
"Steven, honey! There you are. Jackie said you were having a bit of a hard time but that I shouldn't disturb you." Kitty said, concerned. Hyde glared at Jackie who was grinning wickedly. "Do you want me to relieve some of the pressure?" Kitty asked innocently.
"GOD, NO!" Hyde yelled, deeply disturbed. Kitty was taken aback while Jackie could hardly contain her amusement. "I mean, there's no need Mrs. Forman. Jackie will take care of it, won't you Jackie?" Hyde asked, determined not to let her win this game. Jackie, half-expecting him to talk back, replied,
"Sure, if you want me to."
Grinning, Hyde said, "That would be great. We can go for a ride but we should leave it till the rain lets up. You know how quickly you get wet." Hyde smirked, feeling like he was close to victory.
Jackie stood up and walked close to him. "Well, it's not like a ride with you has ever gotten me that wet before." Jackie was convinced that a jibe at Hyde's ego would knock him back. And it did. But just a little.
"Hey, if you think you can handle it then let's go for it by all means. You got a couple of hours?" Hyde asked, unaware of the trap he had put himself in.
"Oh, are you going in a new direction this time? Because a ride with you usually only takes 10 minutes, tops." Hyde was torn between ripping her head off and congratulating her in out-burning him.
Kitty, meanwhile, was looking at the pair of them and trying to figure out why a car journey would inspire such an animated and odd conversation. Putting it down to romanticism, Kitty stood up and left the pair alone, reminding them to "ride safely".
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AN HOUR LATER -
FORMAN PORCH
Hyde and Jackie stood at the door, still flirting.
"You have no idea how close I came to being sick in there." Jackie said, laughing.
"You? You weren't the one having Kitty offering to relieve some of you pressure." Hyde reminded her. Jackie fell into him as her laughter was making it hard for her to stand. Hyde wrapped his arms around her and was thankful for the angst-free night they had received from the powers that be. Even though they were starting over, he felt so lucky that they were at this place because it meant that he could show her how could they could be and how she wouldn't have to blackmail him into calling herself his girlfriend. Reluctantly, he pulled away when he saw her cab pull out. "Jackie, you should just let me drive you. I don't want some creep with gold teeth pawing you." Hyde said, protectively.
"Steven, this is Point Place. There's no such thing as criminals here." Jackie assured him.
"Hey!" Hyde said, in mock offence.
"Except you, baby." Jackie said giving him a sweet smile. "I'll see you tomorrow night?" she asked hopefully.
"I'll be there." Hyde told her softly. Jackie smiled and he leaned down to give her a soft kiss on the cheek. Jackie finally gave in and moved her head so that their lips met, unmoving for a split second. Slowly, Hyde moved his hands to cup her face and she moaned softly as he deepened the kiss. Arching her back, Jackie threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him as close to her as physically possible. The sound of the cab driver honking caused them to break apart. Glaring at the driver who was gesturing for them to hurry up, Hyde rested his head atop Jackie's while she mumbled a few incoherent sounds. "So much for me having to be impolite." Hyde joked.
Finally able to respond, she said, "Throw me in some mud and you'll be getting lucky for sure." Hyde grinned and patted her butt. She turned and walked to the cab door and smiled at him before climbing in.
Hyde smiled after in and walked in a haze to his room, still thinking about that kiss. "Was she always such a good kisser?" he asked himself. No, you just spent an entire summer making out with her because of her views on the situation in Guatemala. What do you think, dumbass? "Alright, jeez. I was just thinking." Hyde was too jazzed to care about the fact that he was talking to himself. Again. About her. "I'm always thinking about her, aren't i?" Well, duh! It's not like you've got anything else going for you. Hyde was freaked out. He didn't know that an inner monologue could become so abusive. Deciding it was safer to keep his mouth shut, he closed his eyes and thought about the things to come.
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OUTSIDE THE BURKHART MANSION
Jackie was so busy dreaming about the next night that she didn't realise she was home. After paying the fare, she went inside and climbed the stairs to her bedroom, thankful for once that she didn't have to worry about waking anybody.
Too excited to sleep, Jackie was relieved to let down her newly cool attitude and feel like the real, giddy girl she was and announced right then and there to herself that West Side Story didn't hold a candle to her relationship. Call her selfish, bitchy, whiny, or self-obsessed; all Jackie Burkhart cared about was that she had gotten her man. Finally!
To be continued.
A/N: So what did you think? I loved writing this one but that could have more to do with my ego than with the quality. I could quite happily write this story for a long time to come but I really want to explore other storylines and leave this in a happy place because the longer it goes on, the harder it becomes to keep this couple from going through more agonising drama. I think we all deserve a little J/H happiness. Next time is the date, I swear! Those of you who review this are amazing and I love you for it. I'll love you even more if you review again. :p
Stay safe.