— FIVE !
005. just friends

THE FORMAN BASEMENT | 1977

—"I'M SORRY," was all Steven Hyde could say when the pair sat down cross-legged opposite each other on his bed.

Margot twiddled her thumbs, fidgeting as she tried to figure out how to adequately respond.

She pursed her lips, "Me too." her eyes stared nervously into those of the boy opposite her and for a second she'd left him all but speechless. He'd missed being this close to her, he couldn't lie, even if these circumstances tainted that.

"No. This is my fault," he sighed, "I was a dick because you were leaving and I was scared you wouldn't come back. But then I was the reason you didn't. I was a massive asshole."

Margot shook her head, contemplating giving in to her sudden desire to wrap her arms round his neck and pull him into a tight embrace.

"Yeah, but I should've just given you a bit to cool off and then we could've talked rationally," she reasoned, "But instead I did what I'm best at, like you said, and just ran away without saying goodbye to anyone. You hurt me, you really did."

She couldn't really understand why Hyde was being so apologetic tonight, when yesterday he'd been less than friendly. Margot knew that Hyde was best at feigning anger to cover up his true feelings, but he'd been damn well convincing as he had snapped at her.

"I didn't mean what I said." he simply sighed, eyes trailing down to his crossed legs.

Margot placed her hand on his knee, silently urging him to return eye contact again. He eventually did, a small, nervous smile slowly spreading on his face.

"Can we just start afresh?" Margot proposed, eyes pleading with Hyde for a yes in reply, "I've missed you, Hyde."

He just nodded as she pulled him into a hug, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck, "Missed you too, Stevie."

Hearing his nickname for her tumble from his lips with genuine affection again warmed Margot's heart, causing her to only hug him tighter as he tried to ignore the goosebumps pricking at his skin.

"Friends again?" he whispered.

"Yeah, friends again," she beamed, finally pulling back from their hug to look at him.

Their faces were incredibly close, his warm breath fanning over her face delicately as his eyes flickered between her hazel eyes and her glossed lips.

And, conforming to cliché, the gap between their lips was closed within seconds, Margot's arms wrapping around Hyde's neck as he pulled her onto his lap so that she could curl her legs around his waist.

The kiss was far different from their last before she had left.

It was full of yearning and longing, but far from their past lustful, passionate kisses. Instead, it was gentle and Margot relaxed into the kiss without a single thought of Kelso or the others in her mind.

Her hands moved to cup his cheeks and his grip on her small waist tightened as he pulled back, his forehead meeting hers softly as they gazed into each other's eyes for a brief second.

"Kelso." Margot simply whispered as her 'boyfriend' finally re-entered her jumbled brain.

Hyde felt his stomach drop but heaved her off
his lap with a nod, "Yeah. That shouldn't have happened... it was just the goodbye kiss we never got to, uh, have before you left. Friends... we're friends. Just friends."

Nothing more needed to be said to know that wasn't the truth.

—

In the meantime, Jackie and Donna were now sat on the Pinciotti's porch, deep in yet another conversation about Kelso.

"Michael is such a boy. He doesn't even know who he is." Jackie complained, Donna sighing, "You know who knows who he is? Steven Hyde."

"Oh no, now you like Hyde?"

"No I don't like him, I just think he's like— the sweetest coolest guy I've ever met." Jackie replied matter of factly as Donna struggled to process it.

She couldn't understand Jackie's sudden change of heart, "Jackie, I thought you hated him?"

Jackie scoffed, as if not understanding why Donna couldn't grasp her liking Hyde, "Feelings change Donna! Like remember when we first met and I hated you?"

Donna gasped.

"Yeah, I thought you were like... this big goon. Didn't we have this talk?" Jackie toyed with her fingernails as she spoke, desperate to get back to discussing her and Steven Hyde.

"No?" Donna furrowed her brows.

Jackie laughed, "I'm so sorry!"

The ginger girl beside her shrugged it off, "That's okay, I mean I hated you too." she admitted, recalling how irritated she had initially been when Jackie first came into the group.

"Yeah that's cause you're a big goon!"

"Bitch!"
"Goon!"
"Bitch!"

"Goon! See we're closer than ever," Jackie beamed, standing up suddenly, "I gotta go find Steven!" she exclaimed, leaning Donna sat alone puzzled.

She spotted Margot leaving the basement with a frown etched on her face and rose to her feet, inviting her inside to discuss what had happened when she'd gone to speak to Steven.

Margot had missed having a close girl friend and in actuality so had Donna, bored of listening to Jackie talk about boys and clothes endlessly.

"What happened down there?"

Margot didn't know where to start.

She knew Donna didn't know the whole story, so began by explaining the events of the day before she left. When she was done pouring it all out, she sat silently awaiting Donna's opinion.

"So he just... let you leave after saying all that?" she asked, rubbing Margot's arm soothingly, "What an asshole!"

Margot shrugged, nodding, "I just didn't get why he had to be so nasty. I couldn't even look at another boy while I was in the UK because he was on my mind... just there every second of every day."

"If it's any consolation I don't think Hyde even mentioned girls much for months after you left. He went all miserable and did loads of shifts at the fotohut with Leo. It was weird. I suspected it was something to do with you but thought he just missed you because you were close, I s'pose."

Margot smiled a little at this.

"So what did he have to say today?" Donna queried, curious as to how Hyde explained his own actions. Margot's eyes widened as she mentally established how to articulate what happened. She didn't know where to begin.

"He apologised, really, and so did I." she shrugged, her teeth tugging at her bottom lip as she anxiously recalled the events from moments earlier, "But we kissed, Donna. We literally established we'd start over and then we fucking kissed!"

Donna sighed, trying to prevent the smile that threatened to creep to her lips, "What about Kelso?"

"You know we're not serious, he just wants to piss Jackie off," Margot knew it wouldn't be long before Kelso got what he wanted and they'd call things off, but she did still feel guilty when despite being a pain in the ass sometimes he had truly been a good friend to her through their 'relationship', "But all I could say straight after was Kelso's name when I realised what was happening and now I've ruined everything."

Donna's palm slapped against her own forehead as she sighed at her friend's stupidity, "You need to break up with Kelso, Mags."

Margot nodded silently.

"You guys are so cute but... as good friends," Donna reasoned, rubbing Margot's shoulder reassuringly, "Besides, since Jackie's suddenly obsessed with Hyde now and claims she likes him. You need to move quick because no matter how much he hates her she won't stop until she can have Kelso back..."

"Jackie likes Hyde?" Margot exclaimed, anger rising in her stomach, "Not a fucking chance!". No matter how much she knew Hyde couldn't stand Jackie, she selfishly feared Jackie's incessant crawling all over him would only ruin things for her further.

Donna nodded, stifling a laugh, "Apparently so."

"There's no way, surely?" Margot pouted, deep in thought, "I need to talk to Kelso about this then, don't I? Otherwise we're screwed."

"You need to talk to him, yeah, but you can't think Hyde would ever go for Jackie?" Donna's chest rumbled with laughter at the notion of the pair together, "He's clearly still head over heels for you, you moron. It's just that we don't want Jackie driving a wedge between you guys."

Margot bit her nails, staying silent for a moment as she pondered over Donna's words. Surely Hyde didn't really feel anything for her still? He would've said so after their kiss if he had — he knew their relationship was hardly serious and Kelso himself had said she'd been trying to get over Hyde.

"I'll talk to him sometime this week," she agreed, "Just want to settle a little more first, I guess. "I know that sounds selfish but... I'm just getting back to spending time with the group and I don't want drama already."

Donna nodded understandingly, a small smile on her face.

"I'm so glad you're back, Mags, I really am."

———
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i love writing donna and margot's friendship so much, but margot and hyde kissing made me sad to write i would protect them both w my life lol