Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the slightly changed plotline.
Concluding the 'I love you' thing :)
"Alright guys," Eric said, folding up the map he, Hyde, and Fez were looking at, "If we leave right after school, we should make it to Jackie's ski cabin by, like, six o' clock."
"Man, I can't wait; a trip to my favorite place," Hyde smirked as he settled into his chair, "Anywhere but here."
Eric snickered as he climbed over the couch, taking a seat on the back of it, "And I'm bettin' that Alpine Valley'll get The Kid many make out opportunities with Donna. The Kid is in."
"What's with the whole 'Kid' thing?" Hyde asked, giving him a strange look.
"It's cool," Eric said, but his grin slowly fell when Hyde and Fez simply stared at him, "...It's not cool?"
"Not cool; dorky," Fez said, a 'duh' tone in his voice as he gave Eric an odd look.
They turned to the basement door as it opened, watching as Kelso came in, grinning and snickering, "Guess who made out with Pam Macy behind the gym?"
"Everyone," Hyde deadpanned.
"No, man," Kelso laughed, not noticing Hyde's tone, "Me! And you know what's so great about it? A lot of people hang out behind the gym, so everybody saw it!"
Jackie chose this moment to walk into the basement, exclaiming happily, "Guess what? My parents aren't coming this weekend, so it's just gonna be us!"
"Alright!" Kelso exclaimed.
Hyde shifted a little when he looked at Jackie, thinking about the Christmas party from last week. He thought about how she called him (the only person in the group with his number), crying about her hangover, not knowing how to take care of it. He thought about how nervous he was when he went over to take care of her, only to find out that she remembered nothing of what she said, and that she saw his gift on the night stand and just 'loved it so much'. He had decided not to tell her, afraid that she would take it back, or that she really didn't mean it and that she only said it because of the booze.
He wanted to hear her say it sober.
Hearing Kelso's shout brought Jackie's attention to him, and she snickered when she looked at him.
"What?" Kelso pouted.
"You and Pam Macy?" Jackie laughed.
"Yeah, I know, isn't it great?" Kelso said with excitement.
"No," She snickered, making Kelso pout, "Kelso, she'd do it with anybody."
"Well, yeah, but she's hot," Kelso said, a 'duh' look on his face, and Jackie shook her head, "I can't help it, I get urges."
"Don't we all," Fez nodded sympathetically.
"Well, what if you had an actual girlfriend, like when you were with Shelly?" Jackie asked.
"Well, I don't know," Kelso shrugged, "Maybe if I had the right girl, I wouldn't go around."
"Aww, that's sweet," Jackie gushed, and Hyde and Eric snorted, "I'm sure you'll find the right girl one day, Kelso."
"Yeah, I mean, it's not like I loved Shelly," Kelso said, "We weren't even together that long, right?"
"Well, I guess not..." Jackie trailed off, her eyes pointed upward in thought, "I don't know, I guess I'm not sure about love either..."
"Sure you are," Kelso laughed, "I mean, you love Hyde."
Hyde sat up a bit straighter, glaring menacingly at Kelso, and Eric and Fez shifted nervously, glancing between Hyde and Jackie as she gave him a questioning look.
"I never said that," Jackie smiled, shaking her head, keeping her eyes on Hyde.
"Yeah, you did," Kelso smiled stupidly, "Remember, you were all drunk and you told everyone you loved 'em?"
"Kelso," Eric hissed.
"What?" Jackie asked lowly, glaring at Hyde; he simply stared back blankly.
There was an awkward silence as Fez and Eric glanced back and forth between Jackie and Hyde, Kelso's smile slowly falling when he finally caught on to the tension in the air.
"Um..." Eric stuttered, slowly standing, Fez following his movements, "So, we're just... gonna..." He trailed off, glancing around before quickly sprinting up the stairs, Fez immediately following as they took one nervous look back.
Kelso smiled nervously, "So I guess..." He paused, glancing back and forth before quickly running after Eric and Fez.
Jackie glared at Hyde, "I tell you I love you and you don't even bother to let me know?"
Hyde stood up, still giving her a blank stare, "You were drunk, Jackie, it's not like you knew what you were saying."
"Well, it wasn't your choice to make, Steven!" Jackie snapped.
"What's it matter, Jackie?" Hyde snapped back, "You were drunk! You didn't know what you were saying and you forgot about it the next day! What does it matter?"
"Okay, fine," Jackie said, staring at him, "What does it matter? It's not like I meant it."
Hyde seemed to freeze at those words, and he didn't move when Jackie calmly left through the basement door, just stared at the spot she had been standing. He suddenly felt cold, and he slowly sank down into his chair.
He could feel his eyes burning.
She didn't love him, and he took in a shaky breath when he realized his fears were proven correct. He felt like a joke once again, more alone than ever; now it wasn't just his own damn parents that didn't love him, it was her too.
She didn't love him.
His chest hurt.
Donna nervously glanced at Hyde as she slowly and hesitantly walked through the sliding door, quietly putting his rolled up sleeping bag into the trunk of the Cruiser. She saw him look at Jackie, who was already sitting in her usual spot in one of the backseats, arms crossed, and eyes lowered. She watched him lick his lips nervously, before sighing and looking away, turning to lean back against the car, crossing his arms.
Donna puffed out her cheeks, releasing a shaky breath, grabbing Eric's arm as he tried to walk passed her, "Eric," She whispered, "We need to help them."
"Donna," He quickly glanced at Hyde, making sure he wasn't looking at them, but he was simply staring at the ground, "What exactly can we do?"
"Well, first of all, Kelso's not coming," Donna said quietly and more than a little angrily, "That idiot caused this, and before you say Hyde brought this on himself, it was only natural for him to be scared. She was drunk, Eric, and he didn't know what to do. And they need to fix this, but they won't be able to if Kelso comes because it'll just make Hyde want to smack him around, and I'd be more than glad to help 'em with that."
She was pissed; she sees Hyde as a big brother just as much as he sees her as a baby sister, and her big bother and her friend were hurting because the dumbass had to open his stupid mouth.
She glanced back at Hyde, and, though she may not have heard it, she could see him suck in a shaky breath, his chest trembling as he did.
"Okay, okay," Eric consented, trying to placate her, "Well, maybe... Jackie said there's only one room at her cabin, alright? We can let them take it so they can talk it out, yeah?"
"Okay," Donna nodded before giving him a fake smile, "Now go kick Kelso's ass to the curb."
Eric sighed, rolling his eyes upward as he turned around, heading back through the sliding door. Kelso stood in the kitchen, his bag sitting on the kitchen table as he attempted to stuff things into it despite it obviously being too full.
"Hey, Kelso," Eric grinned fakely, and Kelso looked up, smiling goofily.
"Hey," He said, "Man, I can't wait for this ski trip. It's gonna be awesome!"
"Yeah, yeah..." Eric nodded, still grinning fakely, "Here's the thing," he placed a hand on Kelso's shoulder, "You're not coming."
"What?" Kelso shouted.
Outside, standing by the sliding door, Donna smirked.
"Hey, you're the one that caused this whole mess," Eric snapped, "And me and Donna need to fix this, and we can't do that if Hyde's too busy tryin' to bury you in the snow where no one'll ever find you!"
"But-"
"You brought this on yourself, man," Eric calmly interrupted.
"I understand I did, but that's no reason for me to suffer!" Kelso exclaimed, obviously not understanding despite his words.
"What?" Eric snipped, "That is a great reason for you to suffer! Wha..." He shook his head, giving Kelso a look, "I'm going." He quickly walked out the sliding door, grabbing Donna's arm as he passed her, taking her with him.
She was grinning at him.
"Fine, go!" Kelso called after him, "See if I care!" He stood by the kitchen table, arms crossed, glaring in Eric's direction. But, seeing that Eric obviously didn't care if he went or not, he began sputtering, quickly following Eric's path, "Oh, come on! We're-" He cut himself off, his foot getting caught on the ledge of the sliding door, and he spun around for a moment, his mouth opened in pain.
Eric, hearing him but not looking at him, rolled his eyes before tuning his father back in.
"Well, here's your emergency roadside kit," Red said, handing him a medium sized box.
"Kitty litter...?" Eric asked, giving the bag an odd look before looking up at Red, who was giving him the eye, "Oh! Kitty litter!"
"Honey," Kitty said, coming up behind him, "I, um, I put some sandwiches in your duffel bag. Now," she looked at him funny, "Why do you need such a big bag of oregano?"
"Because..." Eric stuttered, wide eyed, "Donna's Italian...?"
Kitty looked at him for a moment before giving a small laugh. He laughed with her, though his was fake, before quickly spinning around, speed walking to the driver's seat.
"Okay, stay warm," Kitty said as he placed the box in the empty backseat before stepping into his own.
Hearing the car start, Kelso stopped pouting, walking next to Kitty and Red, grinning, "Okay, I see what's goin' on! You're not really goin' skiin'! This is all just a gag; you're just tryin' to get me all worked up so you can go 'oh, just kiddin', buddy'! Yeah, you got me... that's a nice burn."
Eric gave him a fake smile, "It sure is. Bye-bye." He calmly settled into the driver's seat, shutting the car door, and stuck his head out of the window so he can see what's behind him as he began backing out of the driveway.
"Oh," Kelso laughed as he watched the car depart, "He's not goin'. He'll be back... yup, any second now... he's probably just goin' around the block... yup, he got me there, that's a major burn! Yeah... there he is, I knew it!... oh, no, that's not him..."
Kitty and Red simply stared at him in a combination of pity for his plight, and annoyance at his stupidity. They gave each other a glance before calmly walking passed Kelso to head inside, leaving him in the driveway.
"Oh! There he is!... oh, wait, no..."
Everyone sat in silence for a moment, listening to the catchy song playing on the radio. Donna sat next to Eric, Fez beside her. Jackie and Hyde sat in the back, Eric's road side kit in between them.
Donna made sure they sat together.
It wasn't working out like she'd hoped, though. Jackie kept her arms crossed, looking out her window to avoid looking at Hyde. Hyde, however, kept looking at her, but he wouldn't say anything.
Donna sighed. Stupid Kelso.
"I have never seen snow before," Fez smiled, watching the white substance fall onto the car, "It is so beautiful!"
"So, Kelso didn't really wanna come?" Jackie asked, and Donna shifted her eyes nervously, shaking her head, "Nooo, he just, um... noooo..."
"Forman, man," Hyde said, digging through the box next to him, "What's all this crap that Red gave you?"
"I don't know," Eric answered, "He's obsessed with kitty litter or something. I think he might be going insane."
At that moment, the car skids to the side, and everyone shouts in surprise. Donna grabbed onto Eric's arm as he tried to take control of the wheel, and, instinctively, Jackie grabbed onto Hyde, and he held her back.
When the car jerked to a stop, everyone tried to regain their bearings, and Jackie and Hyde slowly and awkwardly pulled apart, trying to avoid each other's eyes.
There was a moment of silence as Jackie resettled into her side of the backseat.
"Far out," Hyde deadpanned in an attempt to break the silence, looking out the window to see where they stopped.
"What the hell was that?" Donna asked, a hint of irritation in her tone.
"I don't know, I guess we hit some ice," Eric said. He tried stepping on the gas, but the car wouldn't move, the sound of the wheels skidding against the ground ringing loudly in everyone's ears.
"Great," Eric muttered, opening his door, "We're stuck."
Hyde, Donna, and Fez stepped out with him, examining how badly they were stuck in the snow.
"Look!" Fez exclaimed happily as he ran over to their side of the car, holding a handful of snow, "I made my first snowball! I love snow so much, my fingers are numb with joy."
"That's frostbite, Fez," Donna deadpanned.
"How rude!" Fez yelled, angrily throwing the snow back on the ground, "I hate your white man's winter."
"Get in the car, Fez," Donna rolled her eyes, stepping aside so he could crawl back into his seat, "Get in the car." When there was enough space, she settled back into her seat as well.
"Eric, do something!" Jackie yelled from her seat.
"Yeah, man, stop goofin' around," Hyde said, bending over to grab the road side kit out of the back seat, handing it to Eric.
"It's freezing!" He tossed over his shoulder as he climbed back into his seat, shutting the door and leaving Eric out in the cold.
Eric could only pout.
Hyde looked at Jackie for a moment, releasing a breath as he settled into his seat, resting his arm against the closed door, his other thrown over the back of the bench seat.
He jerked his head at her, muttering quietly, "You cold?"
She glanced up at him, her head slightly lowered, arms crossed, "...Just a little," She mumbled.
Hyde watched her for a second before scooting toward her, letting his arm wrap around her shoulder, pulling her closer.
She glanced at him before quickly looking away, but she leaned into him, happy to share his warmth.
Kitty stopped in her tracks, seeing Kelso sitting on the basement couch, resting his chin on his hands, elbows on his knees.
"Michael," She said, setting her laundry basket on the dryer, "What're you doing down here?"
"You know what? I think Eric actually went," Kelso pouted, "What a jerk!"
"Well, why don't you just go to Jackie's cabin and talk to him?" Kitty asked as she settled into Hyde's chair.
"I can't, I don't have a car," Kelso continued pouting, "And besides, Hyde hates me forever cuz I told Jackie that she told 'em she loved 'em."
"Jackie told Steven she loved him?" Kitty smiled.
"Yeah..." Kelso muttered, "But she was drunk on your punch," Kitty gave him an odd look at that, "and didn't remember, but Hyde didn't tell 'er and she got mad at 'em, and Eric told me it was my fault so I couldn't go. But it's not my fault Hyde didn't tell 'er!"
"You know, when Mr. Forman told me he loved me for the first time, he was drunk on tequila," Kitty said.
"But... you told 'em, though, right?" Kelso asked, "Cuz he should get to know."
"Well, you're right, he did have a right to know," Kitty smiled, "But I waited to tell him; you know why?"
Kelso shook his head.
"Because, I was afraid that the alcohol was the only reason he said it, and that he didn't really mean it," Kitty's smile turned wistful, "I waited until he said it to me sober before telling him."
"So..." Kelso looked down in thought, "Hyde thinks Jackie doesn't really love 'em?"
"He's probably afraid of that."
"Oh, man," Kelso muttered, quickly hopping up and spastically running up the basement stairs, "I gotta go help 'em!"
Kelso quickly hopped into the semi, grateful the driver stopped for him.
"Well, hello there," The driver smiled, his tone oddly similar to Fez's suggestive voice, but Kelso missed it.
"Hey," He smiled, shaking the snow out of his hair, "Thanks for stoppin'. Are you goin' all the way to Alpine Valley?"
"Oh," The driver laughed, "I'm goin' wherever you're goin'."
"Wow," Kelso grinned, once again missing the driver's tone, "That's lucky!"
There was a pause as the driver moved the stick shift, beginning to drive down the road.
"So, tell me, did it hurt?" He asked.
"What?"
"When you fell down from heaven?"
"No, I'm fine," Kelso laughed with huge, open-mouthed grin, completely missing the come on.
"Alright, we made it," Donna smiled as Jackie turned on the light switch, lighting up the cabin room.
"I am so cold," Fez pouted, "The snow has stolen my manhood."
"So, I guess you two want the room?" Jackie asked Eric and Donna. The two quickly glanced at each other before smiling nervously at her.
"No, Jackie," Donna said with a fake voice, "You and Hyde should take it."
Hyde rolled his eyes while Jackie gave Donna a funny look, "What?" She asked, clearly confused.
"Yeah, Jackie," Eric said, his voice just as fake, "You and Hyde... you know, that guy you love." Donna smacked him hard on the chest, making him flinch.
Jackie just continued to look at the two strangely before Hyde stalked over, grabbing her wrist and pulling her toward the room despite her struggling.
"Hey, hey!" She shouted, pulling at his hand with her free one, looking back at Eric and Donna, "He's kidnapping me! We have a kidnapper here! Kidnapper!"
The door slammed shut, cutting off her wails, and Fez immediately collapsed onto the floor, curling up as Donna took a seat on the couch.
"I am freezing!" He whined, "The winter in my country is seventy degrees! We must hold each other for warmth!" He leaned up, hugging Donna's leg close him, but she shrugged him off, exclaiming, "Fez!"
"But I am going to die!" He cried.
"Okay, look, Fez," Eric said, glancing around, his eyes stopping on the liquor cabinet, grabbing a bottle, "Ooo, Amaretto."
Eric smiled fakely as he walked toward the couch, handing Fez the booze, "This should warm you right up."
Fez took a small sip as Eric settled beside Donna, throwing an arm over her shoulders.
"Yum, liquid candy," Fez smiled happily, quickly chugging the bottle
Donna gave Eric a look; he simply smiled at her.
Jackie sat on the edge of the bed, her arms and legs crossed as she watched Hyde pace around the room, running a hand through his hair, sighing heavily.
He suddenly stopped, gripping his hair, "Well, this weekend sucks."
"Sorry," Jackie replied in a snippy tone, and Hyde stuck his tongue into his cheek in annoyance, turning to face her.
"What the hell's your problem?"
"You, Steven!" Jackie stood up, "You shouldn't have kept it from me!"
"Why?" Hyde shouted, "So you could take it back?"
Jackie looked at him, her eyebrows furrowing.
"That's it, right?" Hyde said, seeming a bit desperate, "You were drunk! You didn't know what you were saying, so what would the point have been? Huh?"
"What do you care if I said it or not?" She replied calmly, though her voice shook, "It shouldn't matter; I didn't mean it."
"It matters because I love you!" Hyde yelled heatedly, going silent when he realized what he said, breathing heavily as he stared at her, her expression shocked.
Donna and Eric stared at the bedroom door from their seats on the couch, looking thoroughly shocked.
"Whoa..." Donna muttered, looking at Eric, "You heard that, right?"
He could only nod.
The moment was ruined, however, when Fez suddenly ran up to them, wearing nothing but his underwear, smiling happily, "Good day, friends! I must go make snow angels!"
He ran toward the cabin door, and Donna and Eric could only stare after him.
Donna looked at Eric, "Go get 'em."
Eric sighed, rolling his eyes as he calmly stood and walked toward the door.
"...What?" Jackie breathed out after a long silence, and Hyde nervously licked his lips, glancing away from her.
"I..." He stammered quietly, removing his sunglasses, "I've only had a handful of people that actually cared about me. My own parents've never even told me they loved me, and I sure as hell never let myself love anyone," he looked back up at her, hooking his glasses onto his shirt "But, then you come and you screw it all up. You drive me crazy, and I do stupid things when I'm around you. When I see other guys around you, I wanna rip their fucking heads off. I wanna do everything I can to make sure no one ever hurts you... You make me feel things I'm not used to feeling, and that scares me."
"Steven..."
"Jackie, I love you," Hyde finished quietly.
"Please tell me you mean it," Jackie begged, tearing up a little.
"Yeah, man," Hyde breathed, giving a small, nervous smile, "I mean it."
"I love you too," Jackie breathed, giving a small smile, letting out a sniffle.
"You-"
"Steven," Jackie interrupted, taking his face in her hands, "I only took it back because I thought you didn't, and that's why you didn't want to tell me."
"Oh," He breathed out, his face feeling hot, his eyes burning, "But, you do..."
She nodded, smiling, "I love you." He smiled shakily, cupping her face in his hands, kissing her. "I love you," She repeated when they broke apart, and he kissed her again, resting his forehead against hers, and she repeated, "I love you."
"I love you too," He whispered, his voice shaky, leaning down to kiss her heatedly, and her arms shifted to tightly wrap around his neck, her hands tangling into his hair.
"Bye, Gus!" Kelso waved, grinning at the semi as it disappeared down the highway.
"Kelso," Eric exclaimed in surprise when he appeared through the trees and bushes, calling Fez's name, "You're here!"
"Hey, man!" Kelso laughed, "Yeah, I got the ride with the nicest guy!"
"Well, glad you made it," Eric smiled.
"Yeah, I came here cuz I need to help fix Jackie and Hyde," Kelso said, "You know he doesn't really think she loves 'em?"
"Well, that's Hyde for ya," Eric nodded, knowing just how insecure his friend could be.
Suddenly, Fez came through the trees, his arms thrown back, dancing around the snow in his underwear, "I am a winter nymph! I love the snow!"
He stopped in between Eric and Kelso, holding up his arms in a victory pose, "Hooray, America!"
With that, he passed out, face first in the snow.
Donna, hearing the door open, turned to see Kelso and Eric enter, carrying an unconscious Fez.
"What happened?" She laughed.
"Fez is a winter nymph," Eric smiled sarcastically.
"Where's Jackie and Hyde?" Kelso asked, glancing around the room.
"Talkin' it out," Donna said, pointing toward the bedroom door.
"Okay," Kelso said, carelessly tossing Fez on the couch next to Donna, walking toward the door, "I really need to tell 'em somethin'."
"No, Kelso, don't!" Donna yelled, but he had already opened the door. He stopped, wide-eyed, before clumsily and quickly shutting it, leaning back against it with a shocked expression.
"Okay, there doin' a bit more than talkin', Donna!" He yelled spastically.
Donna rolled her eyes, holding a hand up to her head, looking extremely uncomfortable, Fez pressed right up against her, his, uh... area too close to her face for comfort.
"Could one of you morons put his pants on?" She demanded, annoyed, glaring at both Eric and Kelso.
"Well, this night turned out okay," Hyde murmured.
He and Jackie were lying back in the bed, her head on his bare chest, his arm around her shoulders.
"It wasn't exactly how I imagined it," Jackie smiled, "But it was still good."
"Hey, at least we didn't get stuck with a pukin' Fez," Hyde smirked, making Jackie snicker.
They were silent for a moment, before Jackie looked back up at him, speaking quietly, "I love you, Steven..."
"... I love you too."
Yay, the 'I love you's' are out!
Aren't you glad for them? :)