"My Chick"

4 || Drunken Fights

"Guys I'm serious..." Eric continued, his words a bit of a slur since he was extremely intoxicated, "When... when Red gets home... I'm gonna... I'm gonna tell him... that I'm gonna put my foot... IN HIS ASS..." he leaned forward, his free hand pointing towards each of his friends, "and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Why would we stop you, man?" Hyde said from his seat, leaned back with his feet propped up on the table, cup in hand, "That is entertainment at its finest,"

"Don't encourage him," Donna groaned from the couch, obviously annoyed and much too sober to deal with drunk Eric, "Hospital bills are a bit more pricy than you'd think,"

Kelso chimed in his opinion, but Hyde had stopped paying attention because Jackie's eyes had grown wide. Donna apparently noticed too because she interrupted Kelso, "Jackie? You okay?"

"Mhm..." Jackie replied, unmoving.

Hyde smirked, "Mmm nope, I know that look. Jackie's been away too long..." he pulled his feet down and settled them on the floor so he could lean forward. "She can't hold her alcohol anymore," he teased. Jackie had always been a lightweight, but she hadn't been with the gang to drink in a while... She'd drank half as much as everyone else and still was just as intoxicated... and it looked like it was about to bite her in the ass.

Her focused gaze hardened as she turned it towards Hyde, she took a deep steadying breath before saying "No... I'm FINE." She hissed, her hands already beginning to tremble and a light sheen of sweat forming on her forehead from trying to hold back her urge to vomit.

He regretted the words before they left his mouth, "Then chug the rest of your cup. You're way behind the rest of us... time for you to catch up." He challenged.

Jackie froze, her cold gaze holding Hyde's for a long moment. Her breathing uneven and already struggling, but she leaned back slowly and lifted her almost full cup to her lips. Hyde's own stomach clenched, but it had nothing to do with the beer. With every gulp Hyde became more tense, and she had almost finished half of her cup before it dropped to the floor and she went running for the door. When it slammed behind her all eyes went from the door to Hyde. He was still leaning forward with his almost empty cup in his hands, hatred towards himself roiling throughout his mind. Why do I always have to do that? Why am I like this?

Hyde leaned back in his chair forcing a smug look on his face as he finished off the remains in his cup and set it on the table. "Told you. Been away too long."

Kelso laughed, vomit in any situation was hilarious to him. Fez wrinkled his nose, vomit in any situation was disgusting to him. Eric was pointing at the door, confused, too drunk to have comprehended what was going on... but Donna... Donna was glaring at the side of Hyde's head so hard that he didn't even have to look at her to know it.

Hyde ignored her and leaned forward to refill his glass from the keg, and Donna sighed. "Well, I guess since no one else is going to, I'll clean this up." She said as she picked up Jackie's cup off of the floor and walked up the stairs to get a towel.

Hyde set his now-full glass on the table and clenched his teeth. I shouldn't have done that... he thought. His gaze moved to the door and before he realized what he was doing he was walking out of it to find Jackie. He found her in the Foreman's backyard throwing up next to a tree. He sped up to a jog and when he reached her he pulled her hair back while she emptied her stomach. They stood there for several moments, one of his hands holding her dark brown curls away from her face, the other resting on the small of her back.

Once she caught her breath she swatted him away weakly. "Go. Away." She seethed.

Hyde winced, but gently let go of her hair as she straightened herself. She staggered a bit, regaining her balance by placing a hand on the tree. Tears were rolling down her cheeks but her face held no sadness, only anger. He clenched his teeth, knowing that he deserved whatever angry tantrum she threw.

Jackie's dark brown gaze locked with his, "Why do you always do that?" She asked, hatred filling her voice. Hyde's stomach churned as the words he'd said to himself were voiced by her.

I don't know... I didn't want to... I'm so sorry... "What?!" He snapped, "You think you can just disappear for weeks at a time and jump back into the gang like nothing happened? Bringing home you're shiny new boy-toy and showing him off like some damn puppy and pretending like you never abandoned us?" He shot back.

Jackie's eyebrows raised and she straightened, "what?!" She hissed. "I stopped coming around because of YOU. Because of shit like THIS. Because no matter what I do or say YOU attack me for it. And no one else in the group has a problem with me when I come back... everyone is always just happy to see me... everyone but YOU, Hyde."

Of all the words she'd said, the last one always stung the most.... She'd always been the only person in the gang to call him "Steven." He used to hate it, but ever since she started calling him 'Hyde' like everyone else, it felt like a stab to the heart every time.

Please... I'm sorry. I don't want to be like this, I just miss you and I'm angry that I hurt you...
He didn't know if it was the alcohol, or seeing so much hatred in her eyes, but for once he was actually able to say what he really wanted to.  "You're right... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have told you to chug your beer."

Jackie's eyebrows furrowed, confused and speechless to his apology. Hyde had been unapologetically hatefully towards her for so long that she didn't really know how to respond to "I'm sorry." She wanted to be angry. She wanted to hit him. She wanted to scream profanities at him and burn his beloved El Camino into ash. But then she made the mistake of looking at him... really looking. And the anger melted away. She was so very tired of hating him. She had made herself hate him for so long because hating him for cheating on her and marrying someone after they broke up was easier than truly allowing herself to feel the sadness of losing him.

Hyde offered his hand, "Just come back inside,"

Jackie looked down at his hand for a long moment before looking back up at him, and taking his hand in her own. "Okay... just... don't let me drink anymore,"

Hyde smirked as he helped her step over the puddle of her own making and gently supported her with his arm as he walked her around to the front of the house. "Yeah, just water for you for the rest of the night." He replied as they disappeared around the corner to go into the kitchen.