𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀 𝑫𝑨𝑻𝑬 - Steven Hyde

forty one

41|EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAYS AND SURPRISE PARTIES

Marigold glanced at the sleeping boy beside her, stroking his curls off his forehead as she admired his peaceful face.

"Morning." She kissed his nose as his eyes fluttered open, smiling as he greeted her with a genuine smile. "Go back to sleep. You had an exhaustive night from your early birthday present."

"I want more." He grabbed her hips, rolling her on top as he left sloppy kisses on her shoulder.

"Maybe later." Goldie teased, getting out of bed and slipping her clothes back on before sneaking back to her room.

She made pancakes for breakfast, spoiling her boyfriend without telling anyone it was his tomorrow birthday. She knew he did not like celebrating the day so she decided to treat him the day before.

Goldie found herself in the basement with her friends, half asleep and sat cross legged on the foot stool as she cursed Hyde for his large amount of stamina.

"Guess who gets eighteen hugs the day before his eighteenth birthday?" Kitty burst into the basement with excitement. She stood behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "One, two, three, four, five."

The group quickly joined in with counting, laughing at the boys misery as he hated affection.

"Okay." Hyde stood up, brushing the woman off. "All right, all right! Thanks Mrs. Forman, but you can drop it. I'm not really into birthdays, especially this one."

"Oh, no, you don't." Kelso hugged the boy from behind. "Nine, ten."

"Get off me, spaz!" Hyde shoved the boy off him. He stormed out the basement, ignoring the stares on his back.

"Oh, Steven likes birthdays." Kitty said enthusiastically to the group. "He just doesn't know it. Which is why we're throwing him a surprise party. Now, I need two helpers with keen feminine sensibilities to help decorate. Jackie and Fez."

"Yay!" Fez clapped excitedly before him and Jackie followed Kitty upstairs.

"What the hell?" Donna said, looking around the room annoyed. "I'm feminine. I should kick her ass for that."

"Feminine girls don't kick." Goldie patted the ginger girls shoulder encouragingly. "We use words to destroy men from the inside out. But kicking works too so it doesn't matter."

"Smart words from a smart woman."

Marigold chuckled as she found the boy pacing in her room, her box of weed laid out on her bed. Her back hit the wall before she could ask him what he needed, quickly understanding as his hands moved to her thighs.

A hand stayed over her mouth as she became a moaning mess beneath him, his name on her lips as she begged him for more.

~•~

Goldie hummed to herself as she helped her aunt make many cupcakes. She knew Hyde would hate her for helping her aunt in her scheming.

"Steven!" Kitty jumped in fright as the boy appeared in the kitchen, a cupcake in his hand. "I thought you were at work."

"As did I." Goldie added quietly, staring at the boy with confusion.

"Not till later." He answered the two confused women. "Why are you baking so many cupcakes?"

"I had four dozen eggs." Kitty lied, her fidgeting hands giving it away. "They were gonna go bad."

"Mrs. Forman, I don't want a party." Hyde sighed, putting the cupcake down as he glanced between the two guilty women. "And, I'm not saying that because I'm fishing for a party. I mean, I don't want a party. 'Cause I know how this family works. You guys say you don't want stuff that you actually want. Like on Mother's Day. You said you didn't want a fuss. But you did want a fuss. So we made a fuss, and you were happy? That can drive a guy nuts."

"It really can." Red put down his newspaper to comment.

"So now, I don't know what to do, or say or not say because I really don't want a party." He tried to explain to the older woman as she nodded along, ignoring him as she made icing.

"Well, I don't wanna do anything you don't want." Kitty stopped to face the boy, smiling up at him.

"See, I don't know what that means!"

"Well, it means there's no party." She explained to him cheerfully. "Oh, please. Would I lie to you about making you a party? I am hurt."

"Fine." He reluctantly agreed, folding his arms. "Okay. I'm sorry."

They watched him leave the house, Kitty going back to making food for the surprise party. Goldie felt guilty about helping but knew her aunt would not listen no matter what.

"You lied." Red did not look up from his newspaper.

"No, no." Kitty stopped her husband, justifying herself. "I said, "Would I lie?". It was very tricky. I was like Houdini, but with words."