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Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! I love them. Enjoy this chapter. Only a few more to go!
Warning: Nothing much. :)
For Her Sake
Chapter 17 – Worth It
About Damn Time
The Pinciotti house
Jackie stared at herself in the full-length mirror she'd convinced Donna a few years back. She smiled. Steven would love this dress. Black, thin straps, form-fitting. A dip in the already low neckline, and a slit up the side. Easy to take off. Yep. Steven would love this dress. She'd styled her hair the way he liked it best, loose on her shoulders in mild waves. The perfume, dotted at all her pulse points and of course, in her cleavage and behind her knees, that he snarled like a wild beast at. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and gave the mirror her best come hither look.
And she immediately frowned. No amount of make up could hide her black eye, or the bruises on her face. She looked ridiculous. Ugly. And fat, sort of. The wrapping around her rips was thin, but it bulged out a little bit. Maybe form-fitting wasn't the best way to go. Of course, she was just glad she wasn't in too much pain. The first night had been hell, even to breathe. But by some miracle, tonight she felt okay, almost normal.
"You look gorgeous, Jackie."
Jackie didn't turn, but shook her head. "No, I don't. I look awful." Her eyes misted. She wanted to look beautiful, breath-stealing beautiful. For Steven. Somehow she knew that he was doing something for her tonight that she'd remember forever, and she wanted him to remember it forever, too. How could he remember it with happiness if she looked like this?
Donna sighed and stood up, walked to the mirror and stood behind Jackie. She put her hands on the tiny girl's shoulders. "Yes, you do." She hated having to feed into Jackie's healthy vanity, but in this case, she figured it was okay. Necessary. This night was important to Jackie. "Look, you can hardly see the bruises at all. You did such a good job with your make up."
Jackie smiled slightly. Maybe Donna was right. The bruises were a lot less lively than they'd been just half an hour ago, due of course to her expert touch. Maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought. "So…I look hot?"
Donna nodded and patted Jackie. "You look hot."
"Would Eric think I look hot?"
Donna chuckled and backed away. "Yes, Eric would think you look hot."
That satisfied Jackie. If Eric would think she looked hot, she most likely looked hot. She turned and sighed, feeling a dreamy sort of excitement burn her insides. "I just…I can't wait for tonight, Donna. I don't know what he's doing, but I know it's gonna be amazing!" She clapped her hands together.
Donna sat on her bed. "Yeah." She furrowed her brow. "But it's just so odd. Hyde's not exactly the romantic type. Don't you think he's been acting weird lately?"
Jackie put her hands on her hips and glared. "Excuse me? It is not weird for him to want to treat me like a princess!" Even as she spoke, her chest tightened, her stomach dropped, and she looked down. She shrugged. "Look, I know he's not acting like himself. He's been sweet and open and…" Tears filled her eyes. "Am I being stupid for believing it?"
The question she'd tried and tried to suppress, to ignore. One she didn't want to admit had the possibility of being answered in more than one way.
Donna closed her eyes. Great. Now she'd crushed Jackie's excitement. And she hadn't even meant to suggest that Hyde wasn't sincere in his feelings for Jackie…she didn't believe that at all. She couldn't. She'd seen him at the hospital. That wasn't it. There was something else going on…something she had no clue as to what it was. "No, Jackie, you're not. That's not what I meant."
"I mean, it's probably just because he's upset about me getting mugged." Jackie took a ragged breath, clutching the neckline of her dress in a nervous fist, twisting the silk in her fingers. "Right?"
Donna smiled. "Right." Maybe, maybe not. She hoped so, for Jackie's sake. For Hyde's sake. "Anyway." She stood, determined to renew Jackie's excitement. It wasn't often Hyde offered surprises, at least not of a romantic variety, and she didn't want to diminish Jackie's enjoyment of it. "I bet he bought you flowers." She smiled when Jackie's eyes lit up, when the trademark Jackie squeal sounded. Only Jackie could enjoy the prospect of flowers so much. Then again, Donna thought, watching Jackie as the girl began flittering around the room, last minute touches on her look, chattering on about how she couldn't wait to see what Hyde had done for her, maybe it wasn't so much the flowers as it was Hyde. That he was making such an effort…for her.
And it was about damn time.
Don't Want to Share You
Hyde stood in the Pinciotti living room, pacing while waiting for Jackie to make her entrance. Of course she couldn't answer the door. Of course she couldn't be waiting for him. Nerves rattled his ribs, made his limbs stiff. He'd never done anything like this, because he didn't do stuff like this. Didn't plan nights full of girly, so-called romantic crap. He'd probably screwed it up, anyway, and it wouldn't be enough for her. She'd pretend to like it, but it wouldn't be what she'd always dreamed of. He closed his eyes. Damn it, he should never have done this, never should have tried to do something so not him.
"Steven?"
He turned, and instantly remembered why he'd done this. He lost his breath. There she stood, his kitten, his sleeping angel, standing there in a black dress that clung to her, teased him with hints of her breasts and her thighs. He could hardly see the wrap underneath the bodice, could barely perceive the bruising on her face. Details were lost to him, but he was sure that he'd never seen her look so heavenly before.
She smiled, her hands trembling because of the vision in front of her. Nervously, she took a few steps towards her boyfriend. She'd once told him he cleaned up well, and boy, did he. He wore black pants, his gray sports coat, and a black tie. A tie. He hated tie, but he looked so sexy in them. No glasses, and the blue of his eyes seemed more dancing motion than still color. "Hi."
He swallowed, then smiled. "Hey." He went to her, and suddenly remembered the rose he was holding. "Here." Her eyes lit up, and part of him relaxed. At least he'd done that right.
Jackie took the rose, her heart now galloping up and down her entire body. "Oh my god, Steven," she sighed. She brought the bloom to her nose. "Oh, Steven…" There just weren't any other words. "It's beautiful."
He gazed at her, a small smile on his lips. "Not as beautiful as you are." She looked up at him, her eyes shining with joy, and that made his heart skip a beat or two or fifty. All the same, he had to make sure she was on the same page he was. He cleared his throat. "Okay, look, Jackie, before we go, you gotta understand that everything that happens tonight will never happen again, so you better enjoy it." Something akin to a machete knife pierced his heart. God damn truth.
Jackie smiled flirtatiously. She could indulge him if it made him feel better, if it allowed him to save face in his own mind. "Okay, Steven."
"Good. You ready?"
She nodded, but didn't move. Her eyes dropped to his arm.
Hyde sighed with pretended impatience and held out his arm. And he smirked when she smiled in victory and moved to link her arm through his. "Lets go."
In the car, as he pulled away from the curb, he glanced at Jackie. Yeah. Maybe tonight would be worth it. Hopefully. He wanted her to remember this night. It was all he could give her now.
"So, Steven," Jackie said, scooting over on the seat so she sat close to him. She put her hand on his thigh. "Where are we going?"
He shrugged. "Well, I was gonna take you out, but then I decided that…" He glanced at her again. She was so beautiful, not just hot, though she was, but absolutely from above. He gave her his most charming smile. "I'm not in the mood to share you tonight, so we're just gonna stay in. Just us."
Already, Jackie knew this night was going to bring her tears. The first hint of them already tinted her eyes, but she smiled, put her hand over her heart. "Oh, Steven," she said. "That's so sweet! You don't want to share me!" Ignoring the fact that she might muss her hair, she lay her head on his shoulder and gave his leg a little squeeze. "Oh, Steven…"
His cheeks warmed, but he had to grin. Her hand was on his thigh, after all. But still. Just to remind her he wasn't turning Forman. "Shut your piehole, kitten."
Maybe a little Forman.
Her little sigh and the second squeeze she gave him made it worth it.
Losing My Freaking Mind
She'd seen her apartment dressed up before, but tonight was so different. The lights were out, lit candles were everywhere, literally everywhere, pink candles, lavender candles, white candles, red candles, all topped by teasing flames. The room glowed tenderly with a golden—orange hue, and the sweet scent of cinnamon mixed with vanilla flooded her senses. She stepped into the place, looking around her with hardly a breath in her lungs, hardly strength in her legs. Beyond the living room area, the table was prepared for a dinner for two. In the middle was a beautiful vase, filled with velvet red roses that matched the one she held. "Steven…."
Hyde closed the door behind him. Locked it for good measure. He'd convinced Kelso to keep Fez away, and if he didn't, someone would be paying a hefty price. He watched Jackie wander the room, taking it in, her face awash in pleasure. Memorized her movements, her smile, her tiny sighs. "So…you want to eat first or dance?" He almost winced. Dance. He hated dancing. But this night was for her.
Jackie looked at him in surprise. "You're gonna dance with me?" Her eyes widened. "Are we talking disco, here? Or just slow-dancing?"
He shrugged, though his gut ached. Disco went against everything he stood for. And yet…he was going to do it. "I guess we can…shake it, or whatever, if you really want to." He pointed at her. "But if your ribs hurt, you better not lie to me just so I'll dance with you."
Jackie clapped her hands in glee. Her ribs did sort of ache, but nothing compared to the night before, and she wasn't going to let ANYTHING get in the way of this night, of this miracle! "Oh, Steven! I can't believe you're gonna disco with me!"
Hyde shook his head. "You can't tell anyone about it. Ever."
She sauntered over to him and threw her arms around his neck. "How are you gonna keep me from telling everyone, huh?"
He grinned. "Maybe a little of this." He leaned down and kissed her softly, mindful of her injuries. But she had other ideas, and when she thrust her body into him, when she opened her mouth and offered him a much more fulfilling taste of her, he eagerly accepted with a soft grunt he couldn't stop.
She drew back after the kiss, and beamed up at her boyfriend. "Steven…" She wanted to thank him, wanted to tell him how much this meant to her. But there were no words. Nothing strong enough. She reached up and touched his cheek. "I just…"
He winked. He knew. "Lets eat first. If we're gonna disco, I better do it on a full stomach."
During dinner, they talked about everything, from the mundane small talk, to Jackie's tales of burning Eric during their shopping trip, to Hyde's sarcastic rendering of his week at Grooves. They sat across from one another, and underneath the table, played with each other's feet. Jackie slipped her heels off and sneaked hers under the leg of Hyde's pants. They laughed, stared at one another, teased each other, loved one another in such an easy way.
Finally, Hyde set a covered plate down in front of Jackie. "Your dessert, Madame," he said, in an exaggerated and very bad accent. She giggled, and that made it worth it. Made everything worth it.
Jackie lifted the lid off the plate and gasped. "Oh my god, Steven! Those deviled egg thingies!"
Hyde smiled, crossing his arms over his chest and enjoying the view of her squirming. Just a little more and the top of her dress might just slip down and he'd get a nice little view of her chest. Yeah. He could get into that. Big, big, big time. "Are you losing your freaking mind?"
Jackie nodded, now her eyes burning with tears, and she pushed her chair back. She pressed herself to Steven. "God, yes…I'm losing my freaking mind, Steven, and you…you just…" Her voice choked, so she stood on her toes and kissed him hard. So what if her mouth felt a little sore. So what if her ribs did a little screaming. Didn't matter. At all.
Make it Mine
The disco dancing lasted a few songs, until Hyde realized that Jackie's ribs were seriously hurting. She pouted, but didn't get her way, and pouted some more until he put a record on. A slow song, perfect for another, less vigorous form of dancing.
Three coins in the fountain
Each one seeking happiness
Thrown by three hopeful lovers
Which one will the fountain bless?
"Have you ever done that? Made a wish in a wishing well? Or a fountain?"
Hyde smiled. "On my way over here. Tossed a coin in a puddle. That counts, doesn't it?"
Jackie laughed. "Yeah, it does."
Three hearts in the fountain
Each heart longing for its home
There they lie in the fountain
Somewhere in the heart of Rome.
"I'd like to go to Rome. See the Coliseum. Man, they used to fight to the death in that place. That would have been awesome to watch."
Jackie shivered. "Gross, Steven!" She sighed and put her hands on his chest, her smile softening. "My heart has its home." She hesitated, chewing her lower lip lightly. "Does…does yours?"
Hyde stared at her, losing himself in the beauty of her eyes, of her. The corners of his lips turned up, and he leaned to her. He kissed her, pulled back only quarter of an inch, breathed on her. She shivered in his arms, and that pleased him. "Yep." They kissed again, and in the back of his mind, he knew no matter what happened, where she was, his heart was hers.
Which one will the fountain bless?
Which one will the fountain bless?
Jackie gazed dreamily up at Steven, deep into his blue eyes. She imagined the Roman sky looked just like his eyes right now. Clear, bright, soft and so warming. "I think it blessed our coin, Steven."
Hyde smiled, forcing away the nasty pit in his gut. Not now. No time for that. Couldn't think about it until later, until he'd left. "Of course it did, Jackie. I mean, look at us."
Three coins in the fountain
Through the ripples how they shine
Just one wish will be granted
One heart will wear a valentine
Make it mine
Make it mine
Make it mine
To Jackie's surprise, Steven sang the last few lines to her, his voice slightly off-key, but the fact that he was singing at all… She started to cry, and buried her head in his shoulder. What had she done to deserve this? True, she'd always expected and demanded this kind of behavior, this romance, from her other boyfriends. And she'd always been disappointed when Steven never gave it to her.
It was overwhelming. This from Steven…she was so dizzy, yet she never wanted it to stop.
"Okay, none of that. Time for another one of your favorite things."
Jackie pulled away and reached up to wipe her eyes. She was sure her mascara was running all over the place, but right now, she didn't care. "What?"
Hyde reached out and brushed her damp cheeks. "A present." She started to squeal, and he held up his hands. "It's not shiny. I mean, I got you something shiny, but I had to order it, so you'll have to wait for a few days."
"Oh, Puddin' Pop…"
"For now, you'll have to just be satisfied with this." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Here. Read it." He handed it to her, and then turned, walking towards the living room and trying to settle his stomach.
Jackie opened the envelope and pulled out a card. She didn't notice the picture on front, just opened it, anxious for whatever it said, whatever he'd written. As she read, more tears came, more happiness came. She looked at him. "Steven," she whispered, taking a few steps to him. "Steven, will you read it to me? Please?" The words she'd read were so Steven, but so beautiful, and to hear them in his voice…she'd die.
He rolled his eyes. Of course just writing it wasn't enough for her. But he turned and nodded. Walked to her and took the card from her. He owed her. Wanted her to have this. Oh crap, Hyde. You want to do this for her. Just freaking admit it. He cleared his throat and skimmed his own handwriting. "Okay, fine." He took a deep breath. "Roses are red, violets are blue. The government's out to get all of us, but I really, really…" He paused, looked at her, her beautiful face, those wide, damp eyes, so full of her heart. His own heart swelled, and despite himself, he smiled. " I really, really love you." He smirked. "Whatever."
And she was in his arms, tugging his head down to her. Before he knew it, they were kissing madly, wildly, as if their very lives depended on kissing one another. She pulled away and started to tug him towards her bedroom, but he stopped her. "Wait. I…I've got…" So hard to breathe, her kisses had stolen all his sanity. "I need to do something first. Just wait."
Steven Loves Jackie
"Okay, kitten, come in."
Jackie opened the door to her bedroom, and for the fifth (at least) time that night, she gasped. More candles, more roses on her nightstand, white and red rose petals scattered all over her bed. And a poster over the headboard, with a rainbow drawn on it and in big, black letters, "Steven Loves Jackie" Her hand flew to her mouth, but not in time to catch the sob of joy.
Hyde swallowed hard, repeatedly, because otherwise he was going to do something extremely Forman, maybe even worse than Forman. He strode over to his kitten and put his arms around her. "Jackie?"
"Steven," she whispered, struggling to make sense of what she was feeling. She'd never felt this loved, or this much love for another person. "I just…It feels so…you just made me so…happy…Steven…"
He kissed her forehead. "Anything for you, doll." He took her face in his hands, gingerly caressing his thumbs over her nearly invisible bruises, and looked deep into her eyes. His heart tore, because he knew she wouldn't understand. Not now, anyway. Soon she would. And it would kill him. "Anything for you, Jackie."
They kissed again, deeply. Hands roved; hers over his shoulders, his back, his chest, thighs, ass. His over her waist, her ass, her breasts, her thighs. Everywhere.
"Wait, Jackie." He whispered into her ear in between light kisses on her neck. He breathed heavy, already completely turned on, already panting with intense desire, physical and emotional, to be with her, to be part of her. "Are you sure we can do this? I mean, I don't wanna hurt you."
Jackie smiled sexily and began undoing his tie. Her ribs be damned. She didn't care. She ached for him, longed for him, she had to have him. Now. "I'm fine, Steven. Just…Just…" She swallowed . "Love me."
He grinned. That was all the encouragement he needed. "Oh, I will. Just you wait."
He swept her up in his arms, and she laughed.
Yep.
The whole thing, all the planning, all the cheesiness…it was all worth it.
Hovering above her, he panted down on her, she panted up on him, and he smiled. "So. I guess Steven loves Jackie. I mean, it says so on that sign so it must be true."
She smiled, stroked his cheek, both her body and mind on absolute sensory overload. "So show me, Steven. Just show me all night…" She kissed him. "I love you so much, Steven…you…I just love you so much."
He tried not to think, tried to just feel her in him, all around him, everywhere.
One day. One day. One day.
Song Credit: Three Coins in the Fountain, written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, as performed by Frank Sinatra
