Authors Note: Hope you are enjoying my little story. Just an epilogue left after this chapter.
I don't own but a girl can dream! If you are reading, please review!
"Damn it, Jackie. I did love you. I still do," he confessed, freaked out by the distant look in
her eyes and how she had gone tense in his arms. "Doll, look at me."
flashback
She was remembering all the times she had told him she loved him and all he would say was
"that's cool" in that frustrating zen way he had. Occasionally he might say "me too" but mostly
he would just show her. Steven was a man of action, not words. It was him holding her hand in
the hallway at school, pulling her down on his lap in Eric's basement or slugging Michael when
he came on to her. It was him beating the crap out of that creep under the bleachers, shaving his
beard for her or insisting she sleep with him when her parents left, even if it meant pissing Red off.
Best of all was when he made love to her. He could call it whatever he wanted but she knew there
was no way sex could be so perfect and beautiful without love being involved. Yet despite all the
ways he showed her he cared she had still been hung up on hearing him say it.
"Words are cheap," he would say.
"You would know! Cheap is your middle name," she'd reply or something equally bitchy. They
would argue about it but most of the time he would just give her that sexy smirk and she'd have
to jump his bones, no matter where they were.
Tonight he had not only shown he cared by basically stealing Jake's car and getting her away
from the humiliation of being left at the altar but by listening to her. Best of all, he had held
her and made her feel like she mattered to him again-that she was special. The most amazing
thing was that he was saying the words. There was just one more thing she thing she needed
to know.
"Steven, why would you let me marry someone else if you still love me?"
He looked at her the way he looked at Kelso when he did something especially stupid. He shook
his head and reminded himself that she needed to hear it even if it should be obvious.
"Geez, Jackie, why do you think? 'Cause you deserve better than me and I-I want you to be happy."
Watching her, he saw the smile start in her eyes and spread over her beautiful face. Her hands
came up to his chest where they rested against his heart.
"Oh, Steven! You do love me!"
He nodded and smiled that rare sweet smile he gave only to her. He took her small hands in his.
"Yeah, doll. I do and just so you know…"
She was squirming excitedly on his lap, her bare bottom pressing against his growing erection.
He held her tighter, partly to settle her down but mostly because it felt good, having her back in
his arms.
"Yes, baby?" she nuzzled his neck and damn if he didn't feel it everywhere.
"Knock it off, will ya? I wanna tell you something ," he growled in her ear "and I'm only gonna
say it once."
That got her to stop wiggling but her eyes were laughing at him, "Yes, puddin?"
"You know my idea of happily ever after is a six pack, a joint and my girl sitting on my lap. If we
had all that and a house with a couple of kids running around some day-well, it wouldn't suck. You
said you don't want the fairy tale anymore but I wanna give it to you."
She smiled and let him continue, which he did after clearing his throat. She used to say he did
that whenever he was nervous. Well, she was right but it was time to man up.
"Jackie, you say you don't need me to promise forever but I want to, more than anything. You're
it for me, doll. You always will be. I'm with you," his voice was low and rough. "Only you."
Tears glistened in her eyes but she was still smiling. He figured that was a good thing.
"Now I can't promise I won't be a jackass from time to time," he said.
"You are stubborn," she nodded.
"And I can't promise we won't fight."
"Why stop when we do it so well?" she asked.
He grinned, "I sure as hell can't promise you won't need to kick me in the shins now and then."
"I can do that," she agreed.
His lips were against her cheek and she could feel that he was smiling. His voice was low and
serious when he spoke, sending a frisson of excitement up her spine.
"But I can promise that I will try to listen before losing my temper and I will let you talk as much
as I can stand before I tell you to shut your pie hole. I promise to let you play your damn disco
records on my stereo-when I'm not home. And I promise not to complain if we have fettuccine
every night for dinner."
They grinned at each other and he said, "And I promise to fuck the hell out of you whenever,
wherever you want, doll."
By now she was laughing, little puffs of air against his cheek.
"But, Jackie…" his arms tightened around her.
"Yeah?"
"Most of all I promise you'll never have to wonder if I love you 'cause I'm gonna tell you
everyday."
"Oh, Steven," her eyes shone and her smile was tender. She lay her cheek against his shoulder.
They sat in silence for awhile, just holding each other. As much as his girl could talk she knew
when to appreciate a moment.
"We have so much to talk about," she finally spoke. "Like, for example, how am I going to tell Grandma Bradley that I threw her diamond tiara from Tiffany's in the lake?"
"Tiffany's? Christ, Jackie," he cursed.
"Ssshhh, it's my turn to talk," she nudged him. He rolled his eyes, which made her laugh.
"Get used to it," she said, which made him grin. God, he'd missed her.
"Like I said, we have so much to talk about, and we will, but right now I want you to know that
I will take whatever you can give me , Steven. You love me-and that's enough."
He stared at her for a long while. It seemed they had both grown up some and learned a lot along
the way. He wasn't stupid enough to think it was going to be all sunshine and rainbows but that
was the thing about Jackie. Even when things were rough, she made it worthwhile. With her he could entertain the idea that maybe fairy tales and rainbows were ok. Girly but ok, as long as it made her happy and if that didn't make him sound like freakin' Forman, nothing did.
"Stop staring at me or I'll kick you," she teased.
He stood, with her in his arms. "Try it doll and I'll throw you in the lake. Maybe you can look for
my shades while you're in there" and he swung her out over the water. She shrieked and clutched
at him, nails digging into his shoulders.
"Steven! Don't you dare!" she screeched.
Laughing he set her on her feet and pulled her tight against him. They kissed thru the laughter until
the passion that had never faded between them-and never would- flared white hot. When they broke for air there was an unholy light in her eyes.
"Puddin' Pop?" She reached between them and grasped his growing hard on.
"Yeah, doll?" he groaned.
"Do you remember what you promised me?" she was stroking him now and he could barely think.
"Yeah-what?" he said.
She whispered in his ear, her voice all breathy "You know, about fucking the hell out of me whenever I want? Remember?"
"Yeah, I remember," he groaned, louder this time. Jesus, her hand felt so good on him.
"Steven, I want-now," she whispered, sounding imploring and bossy at the same time. He didn't know how she did it but he loved it. When he didn't reply she tugged on his earlobe with her teeth and her bottom lip jutted out. "Please, you promised, didn't you?"
God, he loved this girl.
"Hell yeah," he said and made good on his promise. Something he intended to do for the rest of
his life.
.