�This sucks,� Steven Hyde observed. He and Jackie were the only ones currently occupying the usual hangout, well, the basement. Eric and Donna had went off on some elaborate date they had planned Fez actually had a girlfriend to obsess with and Kelso . . . What they knew of Kelso he was probably preoccupied wondering how they got soup in a can.

The television was on but only offering reruns as they blandly watched. For once Jackie didn�t offer to fill up a gap in the conversation choosing instead to slump on the couch and watch with bleary-eyed disinterest. She seemed different today, distant. This actually spurred Hyde on to try and get her to talk, a very unlike-Hyde way except when he was extremely bored.

He turned to her with a disinterested look, arms crossed over his chest.

�I�ll give you five bucks to strip down.�

She didn�t even look his way; instead she unknotted the scarf around her neck, threw it in his general direction and held out her hand expectantly.

�That doesn�t count. I�m giving you a good deal, Laurie would do it for bus fare.�

She merely shrugged and dropped her hand to her side.

�Alright, what�s wrong with you?� Hyde griped.

�Why do you care? Why does anyone care? I�ll just be alone for the rest of my life even if . . . I might as well join a convent,� she stated with her usual dramatic overcast.

�Oh come on!� he yelled, annoyed, per usual, at Jackie.

�Come on what, Hyde? The fact that love is just a barren wasteland of pain?� she exclaimed.

Hyde huffed and slouched in his chair as he watched the television.

�Who would think I would end this way? I mean, there is so much potential!�

He was now realizing he shouldn�t have started Jackie off in the first place, her mouth was like a run away train.

�When did I--�

�Oh, please shut up!� Hyde whined.

�Fine,� she curtly responded. Jackie folded her arms over her chest and stared at the television.

�Thank you,� he hissed.

A moment went by before Jackie spoke yet again. �I should be having sex right now.�

�What?� Hyde exclaimed. This was not the usual Jackie-speak, Laurie had sex, and Jackie made love.

�This is my high school years, it should be filled with sex and drinking and all that stuff. By the time I�m forty I�ll probably be some drunken, depressed shell anyway.�

�Jackie, what--�

�Come on, Hyde, we�re going to have sex,� she stated normally.

�What?� he asked, squinting in disbelief.

�You�re right, I should be drunk first. Better enjoy my years now because they aren�t going to end up better,� she said with raised eyebrows and frantic hand motions.

�I . . .� He wasn�t exactly coming up with the brilliance but in this situation who would. He had no idea what was wrong with Jackie but he managed a sarcastic, �What about the white picket fence and perfect family.�

�It�s for saps, Hyde. Grow up.�

His mouth wanted to drop but it wasn�t his style, wasn�t what now seemed to be Jackie�s style as well. He shook his head, though, peering at her through his dark glasses as she watched expectantly.

�Jackie--�

�Do you want to have sex or not?� she asked.

�Not with you!� Hyde threw back; knowing it would bother her. It didn�t though, when usually she would whine or huff she simply looked at him blankly.

�Come on, Hyde. I�m not asking for marriage.�

Those words had him stalled. What was up with the change? Sex without commitment was definitely not a Jackie thing to do . . . it was hardly ever a Hyde thing . . . well, sometimes.

�Hello? Are you even listening? I�m talking about free sex here, Hyde,� she told him in wide-eyed expectation.

�Why aren�t you calling me Steven?� He wasn�t sure why but that was the first thing that popped out of his mouth. It sounded suspicious and she could tell he knew something was up.

�I�m just getting in as much carefree fun as possible. When I�m married off and supposedly happy I can look back and--�

�What happened? All you keep talking about is--�

�Alright, something happened, but do you want to make me feel better or not?�

She deadpanned it, not denying just agreeing before her full-out proposal.

�I�m not going to take advantage of you, Jackie.�

�Who says I�m not taking advantage of you? Look at yourself, Hyde. Just a poor *boy*, some protesting freak writing letters to the government when really you just don�t want to do anything for yourself.�

Anger ignited in Hyde and he didn�t even stop to consider she had said those things to piss him off. �Listen, I don�t need you trying to �read� me, Jackie. I don�t give a damn what you think or what the hell is wrong with you.�

�Then why did you ask?�

�Temporary insanity,� he muttered, his face masked with untapped anger as he turned back to the television. True, she had said some harsh things, things that made him not want to respect her, not that he did . . . much. He had to admit that even though he could hardly stand her she was one of those people who always held at least that soupspoon of respect. She wasn�t the type of girl to go all Laurie and whore around even if that did seem like that was her new interest.

�Yeah, go ahead and pout,� Jackie conceded, setting back on the couch. �If my mother left me behind I�d develop a little �pity me� attitude too,� she mocked.

�You already have one,� he bit out. The comment about his mother leaving did cut him but he wouldn�t show it, even for a minute.

She seemed to get annoyed then, like she wasn�t getting enough of a reaction out of him. She strode up with an exasperated sigh and approached him. She swung one leg over his lap and sat down looking straight into his sunglasses as her chest pressed softly on his still-folded arms.

�Maybe something is happening with me and even if you try not to show it I can tell you care a little.�

It was as if she couldn�t hold back her true personality for that one second, that little hopeful I-told-you-that-you-liked-me touch slipping pass. It was brief because the �new� Jackie leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck to rest on the back of the chair as she rubbed her crotch against his.

�If you do care, or even if you don�t, you could at least make me feel better for a while.�

Hyde stayed silent and Jackie didn�t budge. They were nose to nose, she wrapped around him while he was unreadable, arms crossed, eyes hidden behind colored lenses. Finally, as if nonchalant, he answered.

�No.�

But she kissed him anyway.

He responded with his mouth but the rest of him didn�t move. The kiss was frenzied and quick-tempered with no begging to let their tongues touch, it was nearly immediate. It was fierce kissing while the rest of the burning humming of their bodies were ignored, statues with one exception. Hyde�s tongue struck out to catch hers in mid stoke before returning their battle to the inside of his mouth.

Minutes passed before her hands moved, drifting down to the hem of his T-shirt, her fingers slipped underneath to scratch at his skin, it was only then that he responded. His harsh stance was broken as his arms uncrossed, brushing her breasts with the action. He cupped her face and she took it as an opportunity to pull his shirt up.

And he let her.

His earlier belief that he wasn�t going to use her was gone. This wasn�t using her, he had reasoned, it was making her feel better. It was making him feel better as well. They broke apart and his shirt was suddenly gone, taking his glasses along. He grabbed for her blouse and tore at it; the peasant-style gave way to him, the thin material actually ripping away from her chest. He stared for in what seemed like surprise at her bra-covered flesh. Simple cotton was moved away to reveal her bare skin to his touch and his mouth. His hands, now on her back, urged her to him until his mouth was covering her with greedy attention.

She threaded her fingers through his hair and sighed in satisfaction. This was making her feel better, forgetting her problems. She even forgot about the fact she was even still breathing when Hyde�s hands began to trail up her leg, grabbing at her skirt and struggling it up. She shifted and moved in desperation until the end of the garment met her waist, but both made sounds of dissatisfaction when she still retained her panties.

Hyde gripped the cloth that fell across each hip and pulled but it made no difference, it wouldn�t break as the thin top had. He tried again, jerking Jackie until he finally stopped, his breathing heavy as he stared at the ceiling. She rested forward, burying her face in the crook of his neck as she lay against his bare skin.

There was silence then as they grasped for air, halfway in the midst of something. They just sat there trying to contemplate what was about to happen.

�My parents are getting a divorce,� Jackie whispered from his neck.

�What?�

�My parents, they�re getting a divorce. That just never happens . . .�

Hyde didn�t respond with words but chose to rub her back instead, passing over the gathering of fabric and disarray that he caused. He didn�t know what to say anyway and whatever came out would probably be an attempt at humor to right the situation.

�My father�s been cheating on my mother . . . She told me about it this afternoon . . . She told me shouldn�t have chased him, she should have just had fun in her youth instead of being . . . of being like me.�

�She said that?� Hyde interrupted when the harshness of the last sentence hit him.

�No, not exactly. She was perfect, though. Cheerleader, queen . . . everything . . . I�m not going to do that, Hyde. I�m going to do what I want, have fun while I can--�

Hyde shifted, urging her to face him and she did so only half way, simply looking up from her new position on the edge of his shoulder.

�It doesn�t have to be like that for you.� The words came out comforting enough and he figured he did well when she gave him a weak smile. Maybe it was just for his effort though.

�Maybe.� Was her off-handed answer.

She moved and he thought she was going to collect herself, to right her clothes and leave him behind, but she didn�t. Jackie stood in front of him and Hyde blinked away the image of her still uncovered breasts that he had very recently been reveling in, but she didn�t seemed to mind. Jackie stood to remove the barrier that had stopped them before. Hyde watched as she kicked her panties away and his eyes were still on them when she reclaimed her position on his lap.

She opened his belt and the fly of his jeans before he refocused his attention on her. He looked a little confused and he also seemed like he was going to struggle to get a question out but she prevented it with a kiss. She drew his manhood out with hands that had always seemed too delicate and stroked him until he once again cupped her face and bucked into her attentions.

Jackie rose herself up and guided him to her, slipping inside with much welcome. The nails of her free hand dug into her shoulder and he thrust upward to fill her, earning a squeak in surprise . . . more of the old Jackie. Their motion was set quickly and both were swept up in the feel.

She broke away to moan aloud while he attended to her throat with teasing nips. It wasn�t the time for slow and building, it was so new and wanted, even if neither would have admitted it to this extent. It was too soon when they were clashing against each other as frantic as possible, Hyde thrusting upward in forceful strokes while Jackie spoke his name in muttered continuity.

Even though the fierce contact rasped into her clit in the most wonderful way Jackie was sure she wouldn�t reach her peak, it was too fast, too crashing to the end. Even though, her breath still caught in her throat in that wondered point when she felt Hyde come inside of her. His fingers dug into the softness of her hips and his face was a beautiful pause, clenched jaw and tightly closed eyes. She gently caressed his cheek as he relaxed, the tingling sensations of immense pleasure still shooting through her body.

Time passed and neither spoke, it seemed like a day when they couldn�t know what to say. Finally Jackie leaned forward, placing a chaste kiss on Hyde�s lips; his eyes still closed.

�Thank you, Steven.�

He felt her leave his body and only listened as she gathered herself. He heard the rustle of her attempts to fix her ruined shirt before the sound of her jacket being put on touched his ear. With the closing of the basement door he finally opened his eyes.

If she were there to see him she would have find pain in his eyes. He had told himself he wouldn�t take advantage of her but wasn�t that what just took place? No matter how much he justified it that was the ending.

He looked at himself: without shirt, unbuckled belt and open pants, the reason he gave into her so easily laying limp and exposed. He didn�t give into self-disgust, though it would probably claim him later. For now he pulled himself from the chair and put himself back together. Eric and Donna would be back soon; maybe Fez would bring his girlfriend.

Steven Hyde turned to the forgotten television and tried to focus on a rerun.

The End. Or onto the Sequel.