Disclaimer: I Do Not Own That 70's Show

"What do you think of this one, Steven?"

"No," Hyde shook his head as Jackie held up the shirt he had worn to their first Prom together. He hadn't cared what he wore last time and had been very blunt when he told Jackie such.

But he was trying to be different. And that meant doing things he disliked to keep his girl happy. So if she wanted his input on what he would be wearing to the dance then he would give it.

And his input was that ruffles were stupid and he wouldn't be wearing them again.

"Why not?" Jackie held the shirt up to his chest with one hand and slid her other hand from beneath his throat all the way down to his waist flattening the shirt against him.
"I think it looks good on you. And it matches my dress."

"Then find one that's the same color," Hyde pushed the shirt away. "Just make sure it doesn't have ruffles."

Jackie pouted pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "You don't like the ruffles? I think they would look good on you."

Rolling his eyes at the look Hyde folded his arms over his chest staring down at the brunette.

"I'm not wearing ruffles, Jackie."

Batting her eyes Jackie ignored the way Steven's arms stretched the t-shirt he was wearing. Now wasn't the time for ogling. There would be plenty of time for that later.
"Please, Steven. For me?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Steven!" Stomping her foot Jackie's pout went from cute to angry and Hyde smirked at how sexy she looked when she was pissed.

Having had his fun Hyde relented realizing Jackie wasn't going to give up on the ruffles. He had worn them once. And besides, tonight was hopefully going to go a lot different than the first time.

"Fine."

Beaming Jackie jolted forward leaning up on the tip of her toes to wrap her arms around Steven's neck.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!"

Setting his hands on her hips holding her close Hyde nodded. "Anything for you, doll."

Burying her face in Steven's chest Jackie face went red for the second time that day.

"You've called me that twice you know." She mumbled into his shirt.

"What?"

"Doll," Jackie pulled back slightly so she could see her prom dates face. "You've called me doll twice."

"Oh," Hyde blinked behind his glasses. He hadn't meant to, it was just natural to fall back into old patterns when she was close to him.
"Sorry, I can stop if it's making you uncomfortable."

Making her uncomfortable was counterproductive in his plan to get her to date him.

"No!"

Hyde winced at the loud shout in his ear and leaned back on instinct only to drag Jackie who wouldn't let go of his neck with him.

"Sorry," She whispered quietly. "You don't have to stop. I actually kinda like it."

"Cool."

Scooting closer to Steven Jackie hid the frown on her face in the crook of his neck. "What does he mean by cool?"

...

Forman's Basement,

"Eric, are you listening to me? Hyde is taking Jackie to the prom." Donna shivered just talking about it.

Sitting beside his girlfriend Eric stared at the blank black screen of the television. How could those two being going to the prom together? Couples went to prom. Hell, friends went to prom. But Hyde and Jackie were neither a couple or friends.

He had known Hyde since they were kids. And his curly-haired delinquent of a best friend had never gone to one school function.

"So why start now?" He whispered to himself but Donna heard anyway. "Why after so many years of shunning school dances does he want to go now? It doesn't make any sense."

Donna scoffed turning so she was sitting sideways on the couch and facing her boyfriend.
"He said he had never had a reason to before."

"What?"

"Yeah," Donna nodded. "And the Jackie got all doe-eyed and went, Oh Steven. She was even blushing."

"I thought they hated each other because of what happened at the Ski Lodge?" Eric frowned.

How could Hyde go from walking home in a blizzard just so he wouldn't have to spend time with the devil to taking her to prom? What changed?

"So did I!"

"Okay, well we need a plan." Eric rubbed his chin. "You said they went to the mall together right?"

Donna nodded.

"Good that means Jackie will probably come to your house after. You know, to talk about what she's going to wear to the prom. You convince her that Hyde is only taking her to prom to burn her in front of the school, and I'll talk Hyde into realizing he has gone completely insane."

Biting her lip Donna frowned. "You really think he would do that?"

She hadn't ever said it out loud but Jackie was pretty much the only girlfriend she had. And after everything Kelso did to her she didn't deserve to be burned in front of the school. It might break the poor girl.

"No," Eric shook his head. "Hyde can be a jerk sometimes but he wouldn't do that. But that doesn't mean you can't get Jackie to believe he would and end the unholy union before it's too late."

...

Donna's Room,

"Donna!"

Startling as her door was thrown open and a cheery brunette skipped, literally skipped into her room.

"I'm guessing shopping went better than I hoped." She muttered sitting up on her bed.

Was it really too much to ask that Hyde would dump Jackie as his prom date after seeing her in her natural element? She must have been bossy and controlling the whole time.

And those were two things Hyde hated most.

"Donna, shopping with Steven was amazing." Jackie sighed dropping down on the edge of the redhead's bed.
"I mean he still complained, but what guy wouldn't, right?"

"Well if he was complaining then how was it amazing? Didn't you get tired of the constant whining?"

"Well with Kelso I did. But that doofus was always running away to the closest toy store." Jackie frowned as she thought about how immature her ex really was. What kind of seventeen years old ran around the mall screaming for toys?

It was so embarrassing.

"And Hyde didn't do anything that pissed you off?" Donna asked sitting up and closing her magazine.

Maybe if there was a flaw in Hyde she could use that to get Jackie to not go to prom with him instead of lying. Eric's plan was a good one but she didn't want to be a liar.

"Well..."

"Spill!" Donna ordered smiling. She wasn't going to need to lie. Of course, Hyde and Jackie wouldn't get along. Why had she even doubted it?

"These senior girls just came up and...and propositioned to him!"

"What!"

Jackie nodded growling at the thought of her Steven touching those big breasted bimbos.
"Yeah, apparently one of their friends gave praise to his, um, skills, and they wanted to see if the rumors were true."

"Wow, what'd Hyde do?" Donna asked hoping to steer the conversation away from her friend's sexual prowess. That was just too weird to talk about.

"Nothing." Jackie beamed. "He told them to talk to him after prom and something might happen. Might, Donna, might! Do you know what that means?"

"Hyde might get to screw slutty cheerleaders?"

"No, you big goon." Jackie smile faltered at the thought.

Steven was too good for slutty cheerleaders who were just going to use him. He needed someone who would stick by him. With Edna leaving he was bound to have commitment issues and girls who just wanted to slum it with the bad boy wouldn't be doing him any favors.

Someone who could care and nurture him into the man she knew he could be. He had so much potential but he let it go to waste smoking in the basement.

"Jackie!"

Smacking the snapping fingers away from her face Jackie glared at Donna. "What?"

"If Hyde isn't going to get with the sluts then what does maybe mean?"

"It means he might still be with me after prom!" Jackie clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Crap." Donna sighed. She was going to have to lie after all. How could she not? Jackie and Hyde going to prom was one thing. But dating? If those two dated it would tear the basement gang apart.

"Jackie, listen. I don't want to ruin prom for you, but Hyde's gonna burn you at the dance."

"No he's not."

Donna blinked at how quick Jackie was with her denial. "Um, yeah, he is. He told Eric about it."

"Then Eric lied to you, Donna." Jackie looked down at her hands checking her nails. "Steven wouldn't do that to me."

"Okay, maybe Steven wouldn't, but he doesn't exist." Donna sighed. "Listen, Jackie. I know how much you want to go to prom but Hyde doesn't do school dances. Never has. That leaves only one reason as to why he would take you to prom."

Jackie nodded. Donna wasn't telling her anything she hadn't already thought about.

"He cares about me."

"No! He's going to burn you, Jackie! God, are you so lost in your fantasies that you can't see what's really happening?"

"See, Donna that's the thing. It's not me that can't see what's real. It's you!" Jackie jumped off her friend's bed. "All of you see Hyde as this unfeeling machine. But you don't see the caring man underneath. My Steven would never do anything so cruel to me, and it sucks that his friends can't see that."

Staring at the heaving brunette in shock Donna gasped. "My Steven?"

Feeling the heat explode from her cheeks Jackie turned on heel and fled the room leaving a comatose Donna behind to try and process what she just heard.