Chapter Text
Jackie didn't take her eyes off of Hyde this whole week. He tried everything he always did to turn a chick away and carry on with his life. He burned her more then usual, even added a bit too much of his signature mean streak that it almost pained him to say it to her. He clearly tried to avoid her so many times, asking the gang to do something and when she said yes, he'd say no. He even tried mirroring her right back with constant staring and attempts to be alone with her. The last ones backfired quicker then Kelso can say burn.
Which reminds him. This is such a burn on Kelso.
But even after all his best efforts he heard her as she was saying to Donna how she's so sure that they are meant to be, in that too girly and shrill tone of hers. He wanted to turn away and get back into basement when he saw them talking, he really did, but Forman was in the basement making another one of his leggo sets and if he walked in he'd bug him to help him. And as much as he could usually deal with it, everything seemed to tip him over the edge lately, especially with Jackie practically glued to his side.
So he stayed behind the Vista Cruiser as the girls stood leaned on the hub, and listened to Jackie's pathetic speech.
„But Donna, I just know that he'll have to budge one day!“ she screeched and Hyde's neck tingled, „And then it'll be happily ever after!“
He watched as one of his oldest friends sighed and closed her eyes in frustration. Apparently, this was a continuation of many conversations he had the luck to miss. „Why are you so caught up in him, anyway? It's not like he ever gives you a time of day, Jackie.“ Go Donna!, he wanted to shout, silently cheering her logic. He couldn't be more obvious if he tried – Jackie and him – a big no-no.
But then the midget sized human shrank back into herself and for the first time since he knew her, her voice wasn't high enough to break any nearing window.
„I just can't tell you why.“, She hummed and raised her damn doe eyes at Donna. „He's just, I don't know, I can sense that it would be like a taste of heaven to be with him.“
„Eww, Jackie, I don't wanna hear that“, Donna cringed and he wanted to bludgeon her to death. He was suddenly really interested in the next thing that came out of her annoying little cheerleader mouth.
Jackie smiled a lazy smile and hid her eyes again. „No“, she spoke, and Hyde could barely hear her, „No, I don't mean it like that. I just, I can imagine what it would be like to be with him, what it would be like to be loved by him.“
It was Donna's turn to get her interest peaked as Jackie blabbed on: „I mean, have you ever seen him without those stupid glasses on? I haven't, but I just know, I know, that his eyes shine so much. That they look like, like a distant diamond sky, you know?“
Donna shook her head, but her friend payed no attention to her at all.
„And when he's close, I feel like coming undone. Like everything inside me melts.“
Then she looks up at the redhead and whines as her pout comes into play: „I know it's stupid, Donna, but I just can't help it.“
Hyde caught himself sucking in a breath as her voice reached him. There was something so honest in the little quiver it carried that he couldn't bend his mind around it. Jackie liked him because she was bored or she liked him to get her mind off of Kelso, or so he thought. Now, Jackie was telling Donna how it's all because of him. Purely, and only, him.
„I had this dream after prom,“, she continued and his mouth dried up. „Where we're lying somewhere, just the two of us and we're looking at like a million little stars in the distance.“ She smiles as her eyes gloss over, „And just before dawn his hand touches mine and everything clears up and the stars are suddenly spelling out his name and when the sun comes up, his hand still feels like the warmest thing in the world. And he's looking at me so... so brightly and beautifully and I can't breathe, like there's this fire in my stomach. Like it's burning brighter then the sun.“
Her smile falls and he wants to hit something.
„I remember the next day I came to the basement and everything was the same as before but I didn't feel the same. He sat there, in his chair, and talked with Eric and Fez, and I could still feel his touch so clearly.“
She gasped and he was just about to call her a drama queen in his head when she continued: „Oh Donna, I can still feel it, even though I know it was just a dream. But then he looked at me and I knew he frowned behind his glasses and he felt so distant.“ She moved her weight to the other leg so she wasn't leaning on the car anymore as she whispered: „So untouchable.“
Donna looked at her through a sheen that dangerously resembled teary eyes. Hyde watched as her arm looped around the younger girl's shoulders and Jackie seemed to collapse even further into herself.
„I don't think I've ever even felt that with Eric.“, she said.
As a response he just heard Jackie sniff.
„Look midget,“, Donna continued, „I can't tell you what to do, but I know Hyde a lot longer then you. If he doesn't like you, he doesn't like you. You can keep reaching out for as long as you like and it's not going to change his beat. I mean, damn, I've know him my whole life, and he's always been...“ she trailed off, her eyes scanning the air above her best friend's hair, „How'd you call it? Untouchable.“
Jackie detached herself from Donna and looked up at her, pout and doe eyes once again making an appearance.
„You can't keep pushing him to say that you'll be together or anything like that.“ Donna told her.
„If it's meant to be, I promise you that he'll come around. If it's meant to be he'll have that same dream as you, but it will be your name that the stars align into.“
Jackie nodded her head and sniffed again.
„I know it's meant to be.“, she said, with all the force and the belief a 95 pound cheerleader could summon.
His cheek twitched and he swallowed to hide the smile that crept onto his face. Maybe having that dream wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.
He felt the air disappear as Jackie drew in a loud breath.
„Okay, Donna.“ She chirped, „You're right.“ Once again her shrill voice reached his ears and he rolled his eyes as on command. „I've been making a fool of myself, and that's just not what Jackie Burkhart does! Have you ever seen someone THIS GORGEOUS begging for someone's attention? I don't think so!“
The girls giggled as Jackie threw her hand around Donna's elbow and walked down the driveway. He was wrong. If it meant he'd avoid that dream, he'd give up sleeping completely. Damn, he'd even build leggo sets with Forman for the rest of his life.