Tough Guy (That 70's Show)

Chapter 10

I wanted more than anything to grow some balls and ask Hyde, "Hey, what the hell are we?"

We had a steady routine now, every night he asked me to squeeze on the tiny couch with him downstairs (since my room was clearly deemed unsafe). And each day I would wake up before the crack of dawn and crawl quietly up the stairs and into my cold and lonely bed. I just wish I knew why Hyde hadn't made a move since our first kiss. We haven't kissed since. Sure, we've been a lot closer since then, telling each other things we never knew about the other before. Maybe Hyde really thought of us as just best friends... best friends that slept in the same bed? (or should I say, couch)

My parents and I finished eating pizza, it was around 9pm, a pretty late dinner. As per usual, I told them I would clean up and kissed them both goodnight. I had to pretend like I wasn't still furious with my dad and the way he had talked about Hyde and his family. Or lack there of.

I tossed our used paper plates in the garbage and headed down the stairs with the leftover pizza. Hyde's eyes brightened at the sight of food.

"Finally." He grunted, taking a giant bite out of a slice. "The smell of pizza has been teasing me for an hour now, I thought I was going to die of starvation."

I gave him a small smile and turned around for the stairs.

"Wait." He talked with his mouth full. "You're coming back right?" He swallowed whatever was in his mouth and dropped the rest of the slice into the box, wiping his hands on his shirt. I shrugged my shoulders, my thoughts from before came flooding back into my head.

"Why?" I asked. Hyde's face contorted with confusion,

"...Why what-"

"Why do you want me to come back? Just to keep you warm at night? I don't understand this, I don't understand us." I don't know what came over me, the words just started falling out of my mouth.

Hyde had a poker face on and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. The fact that his sunglasses hid his eyes wasn't helping either. "Where is this coming from? Is there something wrong?" He asked.

"Forget it. Sorry I asked." I shook my head a started walking up the steps.

"Emily." He called my name but I didn't stop. "Em!" He said a little louder. I spun around, nearly at the top of the steps. Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I glared down at him. "I don't know how to say this..." He said almost inaudible.

"Stop beating around the bush and just tell it like it is, I can take it." I said a bit too harshly, I was becoming impatient with him. He walked up the steps and stopped a step below me so we were about the same height. I raised my eyebrows at him, waiting for him to speak.

"I like you, Em." He reached up and took off his sunglasses, shoving them in his pocket. Of course I kinda already knew he liked me, considering our kiss, but when I heard him say it aloud I couldn't help but blush. "But," He paused. My stomach was doing flips, but what?! "I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know how to be in a relationship, how to deal with a girlfriend."

"Right, because all you know are drunken hook-ups." The thought of Pam Macey floated into my mind and my cheeks burned red with anger.

Hyde looked beyond frustrated.

"When you came downstairs all those nights ago crying about your bad dream-"

"Hyde!" I cut him off, praying he would never talk about that embarrassing night ever again.

"-you stopped crying when I let you sleep with me on the couch. And I swear you looked so peaceful and happy when you slept, and I want you to feel that way all the time." Hyde paused, trying to collect his words. "I didn't know how to make you happy, so I figured if you were happy that one night, you would be happy sleeping down here with me."