Archive of Our Own ^beta

There are three things that Eric Forman knows. The first is that as hard as he tries, he's never going to be the son his father wanted. The second is that as much as he hates it, these times with his friends in his parent's basement are going to be some of the best times of his life. The third is that Jackie Burkhart is the one of the most annoying creatures on God's green earth.

And one of the most attractive.

I mean, have you seen her?

But also, have you heard her?

Jackie is loud and aggressive and demanding. She wants everything and everyone to be perfect. She insists on the best things in life because she knows what she’s worth and Eric can’t deny her that.

He really wishes he could though.

And he also can’t deny her himself.

“Eric, you need to take me out.” She’s sitting on the couch, her legs crossed and looking at him expectantly, like he’s just going to eagerly nod and ask how else he can please her.

It’s just the two of them, which is good because if any of the others were around, there would be arguing and fighting breaking out. But it also means that Eric has to deal with an obviously brain damaged Jackie all on his own and he really doesn’t feel like it.

“Why do I need to take you out?” He asks, laughing to hide his nervousness. He forces his face to school into something blank. “Jackie, if you’re asking me to hire an assassin, just let me tell you how honored I am to-”

She uncrosses her legs to kick him, the cutest pout crossing her lips. He laughs as he manages to move his body away from her in the nick of time, which is good because she is much stronger than she looks. Her kicks hurt . “I need you to take me out on a date .”

He feels the laughter drain out of his body because he has no idea what the hell she’s talking about it while at the same time having spent far too much time imagining the two of them. Ever since Hyde forced him to realize how utterly hot she was, it’s been all he can think about.

Because fuck she’s really hot.

“W-Why me?” he stutters.

Jackie gives a long-suffering sigh and rolls her eyes. “Because you are like the one guy in Point Place who does not seem to realize how utterly amazing I am, which means that there’s something wrong with you. But it also means that you’re the one guy I can trust to actually help me and not spend the entire time trying to get in my pants, okay?”

She’s wrong, but Eric doesn’t know how to work his mouth to tell her that. Somehow the only thing that manages to get out is, “Yes.”

She settles back against the couch and smirks. “Good. Now, you really need to clean up. I can’t be seen on date with this.” She gestures to his entire outfit. “It’s a good thing your face isn’t that bad, because your fashion sense destroys you.”

It’s the sweetest thing she’s ever said to him.

“Aw, thanks, Jackie. I’m glad to know what a terrible dresser I am.”

“I can’t be the first person to tell you that.”

“What the hell is this date even for?”

Jackie shifts in her seat and looks down. A small blush lights up her face and makes it glow. “I need a date for a modeling function. I heard that making it look like you have a steady boyfriend makes you more likely to be hired by the designers that will be there. They think you’re more responsible. Which is another reason I have decided that you’re the best date. You’re also the only person who I trust to behave himself around all the other models and designers.”

There’s something that flutters inside of him, warm and bright at her words.

“Welp,” he pops. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

He won’t let her down.

*

He should have seen it coming. Jackie likes to prepare and control. She’s not going to want to throw them blind into a situation that means so much to her.

She insists that they get used to each other as an actual couple. In Jackie terms, that means that she insists on them actually acting like a couple in private in preparation for their big debut.

Her words, not his.

Eric’s sitting in the basement, enjoying a nice, relaxing time with Mary Tyler Moore and her tight clothing. He’s alone for once, Kelso and Fez being idiots somewhere else with Hyde encouraging them and Donna probably studying because she’s actually a good student. Jackie barges in like the force of nature she is and plops herself down right next to Eric, getting as close as she can and leaning her head against his shoulder. Without even thinking about it, he encircles his arm around her. She feels good like this again. Nice and warm and her hair smells like lavender.

It takes him a couple minutes before he realizes that this shouldn’t feel normal. He laughs nervously. “Jackie, whatcha, whatcha doin’?”

She shrugs. “We obviously can’t just throw ourselves into this. It’ll look like we’re about to break up! So we have three weeks to get used to each other and actually act like a couple, Eric.”

It’s actually a good idea! But it also means that these next three weeks are going to be hell.

He laughs again. “So what do you have us planned to do?”

“Glad you asked,” Jackie says, gesturing with her hand and not moving her body away from Eric at all. “We need to get used to cuddling like this, casually touching, and kissing.” She motions stop with her hand as Eric’s mind blanks out at the thought of actually kissing her. “Not like full on making out, that’s just gross, but pecks? Yeah, we can’t have that look awkward. It needs to look natural .”

Eric’s definitely in hell.

Jackie settles back against him, clearly done with discussing this further. He doesn't think he wants to argue.

*

It continues with small touches for the next few days, and Eric has no idea what to do. He’s never realized how good Jackie smelled until she was always next to him whenever nobody else was around and he couldn’t focus on them. Lavender haunts him, as does her smile and the way her soft hair feels on his neck.

His dreams have turned absolutely wild . It’s become all about Jackie, all the time. He doesn’t know how he’s making it through the day when she feels always around, always waiting for them to be alone so she can curl up next to him, but somehow he is. He thinks he’s almost gotten the hang of it. He might actually be able to make it through the next few weeks and throughout the party.

Until she brings back up the kissing. He had almost forgotten about it, considering she hadn’t brought it up since her last announcement, but she hadn’t.

She had been nice in bringing a pizza to his basement, but terrible in waiting until right before he was about to eat it to say, “Before you get pizza breath, we should try kissing now.”

He had almost choked on air.

“Wha- What?”

“Yeah,” she nods. “It just makes sense. I know that no one else is going to be here tonight.”

“How?” he asks. His mouth is so incredibly dry.

“Well, I reminded Michael and Fez about all the empty fields that surround Point Place, told Stephen about a party where I knew a bunch of sluts would be, and Donna’s working tonight. That means we can kiss without anyone wondering where we are or having anyone walk in on us.”

Damn her and her planning ahead. Eric wants to kiss more than he wants to do anything else in the world right now, and he’s very aware of what a bad idea this is. He desperately needs an excuse why he can’t kiss her right now, but none exist on the tip of his tongue. Why for the love of God won’t any idea come to him?

Finally, he manages to squeak out a, “Sure,” and the next thing he knows, her lips on his. He’s still holding the pizza in his hand, but it’s dropped back into the box and he’s wiping the greasy hand on his jeans because he can’t kiss Jackie with grease on his hands.

No, he has to kiss her deep and slow, her mouth petal soft and tasting like sugary lip gloss. Her mouth opens slightly, and he runs his tongue along the edge of her lips, begging her to part them more and asking permission if he can proceed and she allows him to continue deeper. His hands are resting on her back, pulling her closer to him while laying her down on the couch, leaning down on top of her while he thanks God for letting him be here tonight, Jackie in his arms.

And then he hears a familiar clearing of the throat. His stomach drops and with horrified eyes, he looks up to see his father.

Red’s eyebrow is arched as he takes in Jackie and Eric. “Well,” he drawls. “What do we have here?”

Eric attempts to smile. He knows that he does not succeed. “Dad!” he shouts far too loudly. “What are you doing here?”

“My house, dumbass. I should be asking the questions here. Like, what exactly do you think you’re doing?”

Jackie wiggles out from underneath Eric. “I’m going to go. See ya, Mr. Foreman!” she stumbles out in one breath and then she races out the door.

“Huh,” Red says, watching her go. “You should go after her.”

“Wait, what?” Eric asks. He’s confused by the sudden burst of fatherly advice, not sure how to take this. “You think I should go after her?”

“Yeah,” he barks. “She’s too good for you, but somehow you got her to like you. Don’t drop the ball like you did with Donna, son.”

He should explain to his father the truth, except he doesn’t want to hear the lecture and he has a strong feeling that the advice wouldn’t change. Red would still tell him to go after her.

So he does.

*

Luckily, Jackie’s at the first place that Eric looked, the Hub. She’s sitting crossed legged in a booth, frowning as she stares at the table, a delicate finger drawing random shapes in the linoleum. “Jackie,” he says, rushing towards her, mouth opening to tell her the truth, jumbled and scattered as it’s going to be coming out of his mouth.

“Eric, shut up,” he says, and he instantly does, though it goes against every instinct he has which to continue pressing against her and her buttons. “I have to be honest and admit that I didn’t ask you to pretend to be my boyfriend because I thought you were the one guy who wouldn’t try to get in my pants, I asked you because you’re the one guy I actually wanted to take me to this stupid party. And I know how pathetic that sounds, but I’ve liked you for months now and I thought that maybe when you broke up with Donna, you would realize what an amazing catch I am, but you never did! And I just wanted to open your eyes, but I saw you tonight when your dad caught us. You didn’t want him to see that, and I get that I’m an idiot, okay. So just do me a favor and never mention this to anyone because I don’t-”

He kisses her. He stops her train of thought right then and there, pressing against her lips, ignoring the whispers that erupt around them and pushing the reactions of the gang tomorrow when they hear about this, because he just wants to enjoy her lip gloss and her lavender smell and every single thing about her, from how fast and loud she talks because she’s so incredibly passionate about everything to her fierce determination to push the ones she loves into becoming better.

“I like you too,” he whispers when he pulls back. “I just didn’t think you would be into me.”

Jackie shrugs, her cheeks flushed from the kiss and perhaps from just being around him. At least he can wish. “Oh, Eric ,” she sighs, dramatic as a soap opera star and meaning it more than they ever could. “Just kiss me again.”

He does.