False Accusation - chapters 26 - 28 (end)

by Lutra Cana (21/12/2000)

Starsky stared into Hutch's eyes, trying to decipher the thoughts behind those beautiful eyes that Starsky knew he had loved since the day he met Hutch. For just a brief moment, Starsky felt scared, that maybe Hutch didn't want this as much as Starsky had thought. Then a slow, sensual smile grew on Hutch's face and the blond reached up an unsteady hand to lie against Starsky's head.

"God, I thought you'd never say it. I've wanted you physically inside me for so long. After all, you've been inside my heart for all of my life." Relaxing under Starsky's body, Hutch wrapped a leg around Starsky's hips and pulled him down. Their lips met again. Starsky did not know if it was the kiss that took his breath away or Hutch's desire, he simply enjoyed the feeling running through him thick and warm as heated honey.

With the promise of it lying between them now, the burning need to join with each other settled into comforting warmth as they lay in each others arms. Starsky gave himself to exploring Hutch's face and body with lips and hands. Hutch, in turn, ran loving caresses over every inch of Starsky that he could reach without releasing the gentle hold he maintained with his leg around Starsky's hips. Finally, Starsky pulled away from Hutch's lips and gazed into his partner's eyes.

"I want you so much, my love. Let me go for a minute." Starsky pushed up against Hutch's restraining leg, but Hutch wouldn't let him go.

"Where you think you're going?" Hutch twined long fingers into Starsky's hair and pulled him down for another kiss. Starsky gave himself to the seduction of Hutch's lips against his own, almost purring as Hutch's hand stroked Starsky's hair then moved down his body again.

Starsky smiled against Hutch's mouth, "I need to go get something, but ya got to let me up." He murmured into the mouth under him, thinking that it was oddly exciting to breathe the same air as his partner.

"Only if you promise to come right back." Hutch whispered, his hands stilling in their investigation of Starsky's ass cheeks.

"Always. Now let me go, you big lug." Starsky dropped a quick kiss on Hutch's nose as the blond dropped his leg and released Starsky as he asked. Except Starsky didn't immediately leave. He slowly worked his way off the bed and off Hutch, one lazy, teasing kiss at a time, until he reached Hutch's cock. Grinning at his partner, Starsky stopped there and caressed the erection, eliciting a drawn-out moan from Hutch. "Hmm, maybe I'll just stay here and forget about the other for a minute." Starsky lowered his head until his lips barely touched the warm flesh. "Or two." He took as much of Hutch's length into his mouth as he could without choking and licked at it with gentle strokes of his tongue.

Up to this point in their lovemaking, Starsky had only touched his partner's cock with hands and gentle fingers. In his life, Starsky had never touched a man's erection with his mouth and he prayed that he knew what he was doing. Remembering how it felt when Hutch had taken Starsky into his mouth, he tried to duplicate what he had experienced, but was afraid he would fall far short.

"God, babe." Hutch's moan and the way his whole body trembled reassured Starsky that even if he did not know what he was doing, Hutch was certainly appreciative of the effort. Settling down to the task of pleasing his partner, Starsky was surprised to discover that the act was as tantalizing to him as it was to Hutch. Listening to the moans and little hisses that Hutch made caused Starsky's own erection to respond and Starsky had to pull back from what he was doing or he would have climaxed right then. And that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Gasping, Hutch rolled over on to his side and reached down a shaking hand to touch Starsky's head where it rested against Hutch's leg. "I sure hope you don't plan on leaving me like this, Starsk. I'd have to kill you for it, when I can see straight again that is." Hutch's fingers stroked gently through Starsky's hair, reaffirming Starsky's knowledge that Hutch really would not hurt him for any transgression, not even this one.

"Had to stop, I didn't want to get there without ya." Starsky lifted his head, regretting that it meant that Hutch's hand lost its place in the dark curls. "I'll be back. Don't go anywhere." Starsky managed to grin up at Hutch, the grin widening when Starsky saw the condition his usually composed partner was in. Patting Hutch's flank, Starsky crawled the rest of the way off the bed and amazed himself when his legs managed not to tremble as he walked to the bathroom.

Hunting out his shaving kit, Starsky emptied out the little bag and found what he was looking for. Grabbing up a couple of towels, he returned to the bedroom, stopping for a moment in the doorway to admire the scene before him. Hutch had shifted around until he lay lengthways down the center of the bed and arranged the pillows into a pile beneath his blond head. The nearest leg, bent at the knee, barely hid Hutch's still prominent erection from view. The smile on Hutch's face was teasing and sensual, soft and loving all at once. Starsky swallowed hard and tried not to also swallow his tongue in the process.

"Well, are you going to stand there all day or are you coming back to bed?" Hutch leered at the mesmerized man, causing Starsky to shiver in response.

Slowly, oh so slowly, Starsky came to Hutch. The strut he used was one that he knew made Hutch crazy. It was the same one Starsky always used when he wanted to show off or make someone, usually Hutch, angry. But this time there was no pretension in it. Starsky meant it to be sensual - provocative. Meant it to rattle Hutch, drive him a little mad and by the look on Hutch's face, it worked like a charm.

Maybe it worked just a little *too* well. Starsky barely had time to realize that he might have gone too far when Hutch surged up and grabbed Starsky by the arms when he stopped beside the bed. Towels and the small tube from the kit flew one way and Starsky the other as Hutch pulled Starsky down on the bed.

Covering his surprised victim with his body, Hutch smirked almost malevolently down at him. "Did anyone ever tell you that you are a cock-tease, my dear partner?" Hutch did not give Starsky a chance to answer as Hutch bent down to kiss his lover hard enough and long enough to make Starsky see stars. Panting, Hutch eased up on his quarry. "So, is this thing all for show or do you plan on doing something with it?" Hutch's hand on Starsky's painfully tense erection left no doubt in Starsky's mind to what the blond was referring to.

Growling deep in his throat, Starsky grabbed Hutch by the hair and pulled him back down into a kiss. The two struggled for domination for a few moments until Starsky managed to get the upper hand by the rather sneaky method of biting Hutch hard on the neck. Hutch let out a yelp of surprise and released Starsky. "What was that for?" He slapped a hand on the bite, which gave Starsky his chance.

"For this," Starsky grinned and pushed up on Hutch, making the taller man fall backwards on to his butt. "And this," Starsky swarmed up on top of Hutch, forcing Hutch on to his back. "Now, we can do this a number of different ways, but from what I've read, the best way the first time is with this," Starsky patted the part of Hutch's ass he could reach, "in the air."

Hutch shook his head, sweaty tendrils of fine blond air sticking to his forehead, "Only you would research something like this. What'd you do, go to the library and ask at the information desk for books on how to have sex with your male partner?" Hutch's cocked eyebrow took any censure out of his teasing.

Starsky grinned maliciously at his beleaguered mate. "Something like that. Now, are you goin' shut up and turn over or should I just go and take a cold shower?"

With a long-suffering sigh, Hutch twisted under Starsky, "If you would move, I could turn over, you twit." Starsky complied, watching closely to make sure that Hutch did not try something else. Soon Hutch was on his stomach, long legs stretched out beside Starsky.

Patting Hutch on the backside again, Starsky reached for the tube of lubricant that had fallen beside the pillows when Hutch had pulled his sneak attack. Hutch looked over one shoulder at his partner. "What is it with you and my butt, Starsk? You keep patting me like I'm a fidgety horse or something."

Sitting back on his heels, Starsky tilted his head, giving the long lean body a good look. "Hmm, now there's a question and a half. What is it with me and your butt? Well, let's see," Starsky laid a hand on Hutch's ass, rubbing gently at the smooth surface. "It's beautiful for one thing. So soft and just enough flesh here that I won't hurt myself on it. Nothin' I hate more than a bony butt."

Hutch's skin twitched as Starsky's fingers moved sinuously over the sensitive area. "Starsky...." There was a hint of warning and more than a hint of need as Hutch wiggled under the questing fingers.

"Hush," Starsky lightly slapped Hutch's ass. "You asked me a question and you always say you hate it when I don't answer ya, so let me think here." Starsky rubbed at the little red mark his palm had made on Hutch's fair skin. "Now see what you made me do, got it all pink when I like it white and creamy the way it usually is. See, that's another thing I like about your butt - it's such a lovely color, makes me think of vanilla ice cream, the real good kind." Starsky bent over Hutch and lapped at the skin under his hand. "Hmm, kinda tastes like vanilla ice cream too. Always figured you were good enough ta eat."

Hutch trembled under the onslaught of Starsky's tongue and lips against his ass, then lurched when Starsky's warm fingers moved from just below Hutch's waist to glide gently down the crack between the cheeks. "Whoa, there, Hutch. You could do serious damage to somebody, jerking around like that." Low and husky with desire, Starsky's voice sounded strange to his own ears.

"I'll do you serious damage if you don't stop screwing around and do what you said you wanted. C'mon, Starsk. I want you so bad I'm going to die here." Hutch grabbed at Starsky's leg, the only thing he could reach while being held down by his partner's body crosswise over him. "Please, buddy. I need you."

"I love it when you beg, Blondie. As for 'screwing around', I thought that was what you wanted me to do." Running teasing fingers further into the inviting warm space, Starsky found the soft skin of Hutch's anus. Chuckling evilly at the gasp that escaped from Hutch, Starsky concentrated on teasing the delicate area. "Like that, do ya, buddy boy? Well, hang on 'cause you're going to love this." Pulling away for a moment, Starsky moistened his fingers with the lubricant and quickly returned them to their task.

Easing his forefinger into the tight opening, Starsky waited out Hutch's body's instinctive attempt to block the invader's progress. "Shh, it's okay, Hutch," Starsky soothed as Hutch whimpered against the sudden pressure. "Take deep breaths and just let yourself get use to having me there." Gently circling, massaging the tight muscle, Starsky felt Hutch relax as he moaned and pushed back a little into the hand cupping him. Pushing in further, Starsky grinned to himself as Hutch let out a little gasp of pleasure, and pushed back even harder.

"Boy, you're an anxious one." Starsky removed his hand from Hutch's body, ignoring his partner's protest at the abandonment. "Spread your legs apart, Hutch, I want to get between them." Hutch complied, pulling a pillow under him at the same time to elevate his hips a bit more. "Good, now, I'm going ta put two fingers in there, so if it hurts or somethin', let me know." Starsky added a little more gel to his fingers and gently inserted his index and second finger into the not quite so tight opening. "How's that?" Starsky leaned down and kissed the spot just above Hutch's tailbone, rubbing his nose against the little dimple there.

"You have no idea, Starsky." Hutch bucked up a little against the hand holding him so intimately. He turned his head so that he was looking at Starsky behind him. Locking eyes with Hutch, Starsky felt his heart thumping so loudly in his chest that he was surprised that Hutch was not protesting the noise. Hutch's smile was so wanton that Starsky's skin shivered in response. "Just knowing it's you in there makes me hungry for all of you. I'm ready, babe. Stop 'screwing around' and start screwing me." If Starsky had not have been trying so hard not to lose all sense of control he would have been able to laugh at Hutch's teasing.

Sitting back on his haunches, Starsky, faking a calm he in no way possessed, removed his hand from Hutch once more. Never taking his eyes away from looking deep into Hutch's, Starsky groped for a towel. Finding one, he wiped his hands on it and reached for the tube of lubricant again. Hutch twisted a bit more so that he could watch as Starsky thoroughly and deliberately coated his by now aching penis with the gel. "I think you might need another pillow, Hutch. We got ta remember your bad back."

"Yeah. Fine. Just hurry up." Hutch pushed another pillow under him, moaning as his tense erection brushed against the cotton pillowcase. Starsky had to close his eyes against the sight of Hutch's pale gold ass flaunting itself in front of him. Starsky felt like a starving man who had suddenly been offered every delicacy in the world and told to help himself to all of it. Regaining control of his frayed resolve to be careful, Starsky opened his eyes again and crawled closer to Hutch.

There had been purpose behind Starsky's playing with Hutch, something he had learned during his encounters with all the women he had bedded over the years. The teasing, the flirting, the slow caresses and gentle foreplay helped to calm Starsky's own tearing need until he knew he would not give in to it and drive himself into the waiting body and selfishly satisfy only himself. The time Starsky had spent preparing Hutch - teasing him until the blond was practically begging for release - did not cool Starsky's own desire, it simply dampened it down a bit.

"Okay, Hutch. Now listen to me. If it hurts or you need me to stop, tell me. I want this to be as good as it's possible." Starsky eased Hutch's hips up a bit more so that they were on a level with Starsky's crotch. Pulling his partner back just a bit, Starsky stroked more of the gel around Hutch's anus, pushing some inside. Hutch tensed slightly then visibly forced himself to relax as Starsky's fingers stroked inside of the now moaning Hutch.

"C'mon, Starsk. Please, babe." Hutch's words were almost incoherent as Starsky prepared them both. Starsky took a deep breath, willing his body to behave and let his mind get them at least through the initial part of what was about to happen. Then, taking hold of one of Hutch's hips with one hand and his own aching cock in the other, he steadied himself against Hutch and pushed.

At first, Starsky thought that Hutch's body was not going to let him in - that natural instincts would take over and that would be that. But Hutch had other ideas. With a strangled noise that sounded to Starsky to be more of pain than passion, Hutch pushed his hips back. Both men let out groans - Starsky's deep and low, Hutch's a little higher pitched. Starsky held tight to his partner, not allowing him to move again as Starsky tried to regain some control.

"Wait ... Hutch, just wait." Starsky was panting with the desire to thrust all of himself into the willing body beneath him, but the fear of hurting Hutch slowed Starsky.

Hutch wiggled against Starsky, driving Starsky's erection a little further in. "C'mon, just do it. God, Starsk, you have no idea...." Hutch's words deteriorated into whimpering moans as Starsky moved inward again. Then Hutch let out a sharp yell, and jerked under his partner.

Starsky, almost lost in the sensation of being inside Hutch, stopped. "Hutch...? God, I'm sorry, babe. Hold still, I'll...." Starsky started to move back, withdraw from the wonderful sanctuary his cock had found, but Hutch tightened down on him causing Starsky to moan in delight.

"No, don't.... That was ... I don't have the words ... just do it again." Gasping, Hutch slowly unclenched the muscles in his rectum. Starsky took a deep breath, and moved just a little in experimentation. As Hutch groaned again, Starsky realized what had happened. Rubbing against the head of his cock, he could feel a rounded something - he had been stimulating Hutch's prostate gland and it was obvious from Hutch's ecstatic reaction that he had no complaints.

Something let go in Starsky. The knowledge that he was bringing so much pleasure to the one person in the world that Starsky wanted to please freed him. With a shout of culmination, Starsky surged forward, totally impaling himself inside of his partner. Hutch's body accepted the intrusion with his own shout of gratification, muscles working to engulf and capture.

Soon the two of them were moving in sync, each taking from and giving pleasure to the other. Starsky's world shrank down to the sensations of each stroke his body made into the welcoming embrace of Hutch's body. The sounds Hutch uttered as they struggled together sounded more like music to Starsky than anything he had ever heard his partner sing. Each gasp, each tiny squeeze of muscle around his flesh, each whisper of desire and love drove Starsky further until his body and mind overloaded. He never knew if he shouted Hutch's name or whispered it as they collapsed together with the strength of Starsky's climax. As he came, he felt the muscles of Hutch's body spasm around Starsky's cock and Starsky laughed in delight at the knowledge that he had done this to his partner... his mate. Together, they soared and fell, and soared again until both drifted away hanging on to each other to sleep wrapped in cherished arms.

***

They spent the rest of the day in bed. Between sleeping wrapped in each others' arms and indulging in lazy loveplay, the afternoon drifted away into evening. It was Starsky who climbed out of bed first, leaving his lover with a lingering, promising kiss then wandered downstairs to find them something to eat. Dressed only in jeans, barefoot, more tired, and happier than he ever remembered being, Starsky puttered around the kitchen making roast beef sandwiches and coffee for himself and his lover.

Whistling softly, Starsky thought about the man he had left upstairs trying to make some order out of the ruins of the once neatly made bed. Long ago, he and Hutch had crossed an invisible line from being simply friends to being committed partners in life. This new aspect of their relationship was simply another step along the path they had chosen the first day they met back in the Academy. Little had they known that a friendly handshake upon their introduction would lead to this. Starsky knew that even if he could have avoided all the pain and fear they both had gone through these last ten or so years at the price of losing this, he would have still done all the same things. Nothing was as important as what they had today and, hopefully, for the rest of their lives.

Putting the final touches to the monster sandwiches, Starsky turned to find Hutch leaning against the doorframe, just watching. "Hi." Starsky's body reacted to the sight of the tall blond form lounging indolently there with the glow of the hall light behind casting an aura around him. Feeling a little disconcerted, Starsky would have sworn that he was too sated to react to anything, but his body had other ideas.

The smile Hutch gave him was one of fond amusement, "Hi yourself. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever coming back with the food. Should have known you were building one of your masterpieces." Hutch straightened and walked slowly to his flustered partner. Stopping in front of Starsky, Hutch reached around the other's body and picked up a piece of beef that had fallen out of one of the sandwiches. "So, you want to eat down here or should we take these back upstairs?"

Hutch was also wearing only jeans, and when he reached for the tidbit of meat, his bare chest rubbed against Starsky's arm. Starsky had to close his eyes and clamp down on the urge to take his partner right there on the kitchen floor. Gathering strength from somewhere, Starsky swallowed and opened his eyes to find Hutch gazing at him from only inches away. "Uh, I think we should eat at the table. They're kinda messy." And maybe I'll be able to keep my hands to myself long enough to let you eat your sandwich.

"Okay. Was there any milk?" Hutch patted Starsky on the arm and moved away to look in the refrigerator.

Starsky dragged in a deep breath and tried to control his shaking hands. "Yeah. Behind the pickle jar." Walking very carefully, Starsky carried the food-laden plate to the table. He found that if he did not watch Hutch, it was easier to concentrate on getting the food and the dishes to their destination without mishap. God, how the hell am I goin' to be able to work with the guy if I can't even be in the same room with him without wanting to jump his bones. You're a sick, sick man, David Starsky.

"You okay, Starsk? You're awfully quiet." Hutch was helping with setting up the table by bringing over the coffeepot and cups. Now he was in the process of finding the sugar bowl and he was standing in front of one cupboard door and stretching to open another. Starsky found the play of strong muscles working over the long lines of Hutch's shoulder and arm to be very distracting and it took him a minute to realize that his partner had asked him a question.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just tired I guess." Starsky could have bit his tongue on the last words when Hutch turned around and gave him a knowing look. "Uh, sit down, Hutch. We'd better eat this before the bread gets dry or somethin'." Starsky knew that he was babbling now, as bad a thing as his earlier silence, but he could not seem to stop. Maybe if he shoved some food in his mouth....

They spent the next few minutes in silent chewing until Starsky looked up from his plate and caught sight of Hutch sitting across from him. Hutch was looking inside the sandwich, picking out the olives that Starsky had put in to liven it up a bit. There was a tiny smear of mustard just to the right of Hutch's bottom lip and Starsky watched it in a kind of wonder, thinking how it would taste if he should go around the table, take his partner's head between his hands, and....

"Starsky. Hey! Starsky! What's the matter with you? You've got the strangest look on your face." Hutch had put his sandwich back together and was looking at Starsky with a half-irate, half-concerned stare. "Starsk, you okay, buddy?" Hutch had fallen back into his mother hen role.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Hutch, what happened between you and your parents?" Starsky clamped his lips closed, but it was too late. The question that had lurked in the back of Starsky's mind since their arrival in Duluth had slipped out while he was trying not to think of smearing mustard all over his partner and doing weird things to him.

Hutch carefully laid his sandwich down on the plate and stared at it as if he had never seen one before. Starsky wanted to crawl under the table; so mortified was he at letting the question fall out like that. He really did want to know, but not like this, not with Hutch looking like that.

"It's okay, Hutch. I'm sorry." Starsky reached out a hand and rubbed Hutch's arm. "You don't have to tell me nothin' if you don't want to."

Starsky could tell that Hutch was thinking hard. All the signs were there - the tightness around the expressive mouth, the furrow between the fair eyebrows deepening, the way Hutch's one eye squinted a bit more than the other. Starsky decided that maybe he should just be quiet and let Hutch alone for now. He started to get up from the table to allow his partner some space when Hutch's hand clutched at Starsky's arm.

"No, stay, Starsk. I guess you've got a right to know." Hutch looked up at Starsky with a little smile pulling at his mouth. "It's not exactly a secret, at least not amongst the family, anyway. I suppose that one day you'll hear about it. You might as well get my version first." Still holding on to Starsky, Hutch moved his hand until it clasped Starsky's. Hutch's hand felt warm and a little sweaty against Starsky's palm, but he would not have let it go for anything. Not while Hutch looked like that.

"It all started my first year in university. I've got to tell you, buddy, that living on campus in the really big city was totally different from anything I'd ever experienced before. I had gone here to the community college for a couple of years and lived at home, but I was anxious to get away from my family and out on my own. I'd applied for scholarships and admittance to every big university on the East Coast and got both from the U of M up in the Twin Cities. I guess I went a little wild. You remember what the sixties were like - the peace rallies, love-ins, and all that junk about finding yourself. Oh, I found myself, all right. And I was none too happy with what I found." Hutch ran his free hand through his fine hair making it stand up in little peaks where it was still sweaty from their lovemaking.

"Dad had always wanted me to major in business law, but from the time I was a little kid helping my granddad with the livestock, I dreamed about being a doctor. Maybe a vet, maybe a GP, I didn't know, but I wanted to be some kind of doctor. So Dad and I compromised. I always had really good grades and it didn't seem that much of a problem to take courses that would prepare me for either profession. And it was really easy for me to handle them, at least at first." Hutch grinned a little disparagingly at Starsky and squeezed the hand in his.

"You see, Starsk, I wasn't always the fine, classically handsome man you see before you today. Nope, I was your A-number one nerd. I went off to Minneapolis with a Dutch-boy haircut, horn-rimmed glasses, and practically wearing knee breeches. By the end of first semester, my hair had grown out, I'd ditched the glasses, and I'd found I'd outgrown the breeches. When I came back for Christmas that year, you'd have thought I'd turned into a mass-murderer or something. Dad and I fought over everything that week, from the clothes I wore to the politics I spouted. We were hardly able to say a civil goodbye when it came time for me to go back." Hutch shook his head, the grin on his lips a little strained around the edges.

Starsky tried very hard to envision the boy his partner must have been all those years ago. He found it easier to believe that Hutch had been a little nerdy - after all, he still had those moments - than the hippie child it sounded like Hutch had tried to turn himself into. But then, it would explain Hutch's weird notions about nutrition and some of the outlandish outfits he would occasionally pull out of his closet. Starsky thought fondly of the serape that Hutch had insisted on wearing for a couple of months one fall until the time he tangled himself up in it so badly, he could not find his gun and almost got both of them killed.

Hutch chuckled low in his throat, "Yeah, I went from being a corn-fed redneck to being the next Abby Hoffman. Or at least that's what I thought." He sighed. "Towards the end of my second year, I met Van and I did such a fast reverse I probably left skid marks. Before that, I'd been messing around with half a dozen girls, but once I started pursuing Van, all those girls disappeared. Or at least I thought they had." Hutch let go of Starsky's hand and almost launched himself from his chair. Walking over to the door leading out to the deck, he opened it and stared out into the dark.

Starsky sat and watched his partner, wondering if Hutch needed to be alone or what. The next words convinced him that the "what" Hutch needed was Starsky's arms around him.

"I loved her so damn much, Starsky. I don't think I ever stopped loving her right up to the day she died. Oh, I know we were never right for each other, and everything that happened that summer after we met should have shown me that then. She was so damn beautiful and sophisticated, everything I never was and always wanted to be." Hutch leaned back into Starsky's embrace as he came up behind Hutch and wrapped his arms around to rest hands on his partner's stomach.

"Van went back to Chicago to work for the summer and I came home. Dad always had a job open for me with the company and I kind of liked working on the docks, even if I never could be just one of the guys. Van and I talked almost every night and we made all these plans, you know. But that doesn't have anything to do with what happened. Not really." Hutch's sigh seemed to go right through Starsky.

"Hutch, I...." Starsky began, but Hutch stopped him from continuing.

"No, let me tell it. Maybe it'll help me put some things to rest for myself. One of the reasons I expected my parents to have fits about you and me was how they reacted to what happened that summer. They were pretty straight-laced back then and they saw a lot of things as cardinal sins. They were very pleased that I was interested in Van because she came from a 'good' background. Some of the girls I'd been dating were not of the best of families, at least not what my parents considered the best. Certainly not good enough for the son and heir of the Hutchinson fortune." Hutch's laugh was brittle. "Sounds all soap operaish, doesn't it?"

Starsky let go when Hutch tugged at the clasped hands folded on his stomach. Hutch didn't go anywhere though. Instead, he turned so he was facing Starsky and could fold him into his arms. Chin resting on Starsky's shoulder, Hutch continued his story.

"There was this one girl named Gloria, although she insisted everyone call her Aspen - she was a real flake, but I had thought she was really cool back before Van. Anyway, Gloria shows up one day in Dad's office with some news for him. Seems she wanted some compensation for her pain and suffering that she said I was the direct cause of. She had this whole story about how I'd gotten her pregnant and made her get an abortion. Because the guy who'd done the job wasn't quite the professional he professed to be, she'd gotten sick and now she wanted recompense."

"Oh, babe." Starsky rubbed small circles across the tense muscles of Hutch's back.

"Yeah, well the thing was is that none of it was true. Sure, I'd dated her a couple of times, even slept with her, but I'd never gotten her pregnant. We'd dated early on in the year and her time-frame was all screwy. And I certainly never would have paid for an abortion. If I had gotten a girl pregnant, I would have married her. Even if I thought of myself as a free spirit back then, I still was the product of my parents' upbringing and I would have done the 'right thing'. Problem was, I couldn't convince my father of that. We had a running battle for almost a week before he kicked me out. That's when I decided to move to California. If Dad didn't want me around, then I'd get as far away from him as I could."

Hutch moved his head so that his cheek now lay against Starsky's shoulder. Starsky had a suspicion that Hutch was crying, but he didn't let on.

"I talked Van into moving out there with me. I had been applying for scholarships to other universities and I was accepted by UCLA, so everything seemed to work out okay. I changed my major from Law to Medicine and I thought I was set and, and well...you know how the rest of that went. Anyway, about six months or so after I moved out west, the truth came out about Gloria and her little scam. Seems she'd targeted every guy she'd gone out with that semester with the same false accusation. Some parents threw her out, and some - like mine - paid her off. Mom tried to get Dad to apologize for how he'd acted towards me and me to listen, but neither of us would. And then when I left med school to go to the Academy, it only made things worse."

Hutch stood up and looked into Starsky's eyes. Starsky was mildly surprised to note that Hutch's eyes were dry. "If it hadn't been for that business with Bellamy, Dad and I may never have spoken again. That's when I realized that life's damn short and sometimes you don’t get a second chance. If something had happened to my dad and I never made the effort to reconcile with him, I never would have forgiven myself. It's taken a long time and a lot of unhappiness to get to where my parents and I are now, and I have you to thank for helping me figure things out."

Leaning forward, Hutch kissed Starsky on the forehead then moved downwards to kiss him almost chastely on the lips. "I love you, Starsk. Not just because you're the best person I've ever known, but because you make me the best person I can be. Thank you for that."

Hutch pulled Starsky closer and held him. Starsky in turn wrapped his arms around Hutch as tight as he could. They stood like that for a very long time.

***

Starsky realized that he liked waking up in Hutch's arms more than he did making love to him. Well...maybe not *more*, but it was definitely up there close to the top of the list of the ten favorite things in his life. They had fallen asleep cuddled together like two puppies under a blanket. One of Hutch's long legs was draped over both of Starsky's and one of Hutch's arms was lying heavy across Starsky's upper chest. The other arm - or rather hand - held Hutch's pillow in a death grip under the blond head. There was just enough space between them to allow Starsky to watch his love sleep.

He lay there looking at Hutch's face, thinking about nothing much, just satisfied in being. They had sat up late the night before, talking about many things - families, their respective childhoods, the dreams that had changed or disappeared over two lifetimes of living from one day to the next. Mostly, they talked about each other and the new dreams that were born in the light of their love. Then, somewhere around midnight, they had come back to bed and fell asleep wrapped together. Sex had not even come into consideration, both being too tired to even work up more than a kiss or two. But it had been beautiful in its own way and Starsky was content in that.

Not sure of the time, and really not caring at the moment, Starsky allowed himself to drift in the warm comfort of being with someone who loved him. It was a nice feeling, this one of being safe and loved. Although he had always been aware of the fact that Hutch loved him, and always, always had he felt safe in Hutch's presence, it was a different feeling having both at the same time and in such momentous quantities.

Lying there with his eyes shut, Starsky listened to the sound of Hutch's breathing, and if he held very still, Starsky could hear his partner's heart beating, the blood rushing through his body. All soothing sounds, so close to a lullaby that Starsky had to concentrate on staying awake. Love had many faces - he found himself thinking of all of the ones that Hutch's love had presented through the years. First, there had been the simple caring of a classmate, then roommate, while they were in the Academy together. After that had come friendship which had grown from two guys who liked to hang out together to two people who dreamed of working alongside the other. Partnership with all its many connotations came next. That form of commitment had grown and developed until their partnership became legendary in their district. Heck - perhaps in the whole state.

Turning slightly to ease his back, but not enough to dislodge any of the warm limbs covering him, Starsky thought about that partnership. They knew one another so well that most of the time they did not have to do much more than look at each other to know what thoughts were being processed. It made them practically invincible on the streets for years, that connection. Many thought it was eerie, how they communicated with barely more than a glance or a slight tilt of the head. Even Starsky had to admit he did not understand how it worked, he could only rely on its being true.

Staring up at the ceiling, Starsky wondered how their life would be now. He wondered if they could hide it from the powers that be back home. He wondered if they should even try to hide it. After all, if Hutch's family had figured it out with no more than a few words on paper and an occasional phone conversation, how much more could the people who saw them every day know? Starsky stretched out one leg carefully. Dobey probably knew, or if he had never admitted it to himself, then he must have suspicions. Huggy must know. Huggy probably knew them better than they knew themselves. Heaven knew that their friend had talked them out of more arguments and into more trouble over the years with how well he knew them. He probably had known years before they did how the wind was blowing and had been too polite to say anything. Starsky would have to have a talk with the Bear just to find out for himself how long they had been giving off signals that neither one had been smart enough to catch.

Starsky drifted some more in that place between sleep and awake. Hutch moved against him, pulling Starsky closer in an unconscious embrace. Smiling, Starsky allowed his mind to wander to his favorite subject. Lying there thinking about Hutch, Starsky sighed happily. Yesterday had been the most extraordinary day of his life. Making first love to Hutch was an event that Starsky doubted he would ever top, but he was more than willing to try. He knew that as they became more comfortable with each other during sexplay, they would find new ways of astounding each other, but still, yesterday had been very special. Not special because it had been the first time one of them had buried themselves in their partner, but because it was the first time they had only themselves to think about, to please.

Moving ever so slowly, Starsky lay his cheek against Hutch's chest so he could feel the air moving in and out and the slow, steady beat of this one amazing heart. Just knowing that Hutch loved him this way made Starsky's own heart beat a little faster. Starsky firmly believed that he had been given a second - or was that a third or fourth? - chance at life simply because Hutch needed him to live. Back in the dark days after the shooting, there had been moments when Starsky would wonder if all the struggles were worth it. When it would have been so easy to give into his body's demand for rest and gone away. But, then he would remember the look on Hutch's face when he turned around and found Starsky blinking at him and know that there was no leaving Hutch.

It was a weighty proposition this. Being the reason for another human being's desire to live was both an honor and a burden. An honor because this one particular human was worth anything to keep alive and happy. A burden because sometimes living was just too damn hard and it would be so very easy to just turn your back and leave. But if he left, Starsky knew that Hutch would too, some how, some way. And there was no getting around the fact that Starsky could not bear that knowledge without doing everything in his power to prevent it.

Sighing, Starsky reached up a careful hand and laid it flat on Hutch's chest over his heart. The texture of Hutch's chest enthralled Starsky. Maybe it always had. Soft, smooth, with only the barest suggestion of fine hair, it was also strong. Although Hutch was not an imposing man, being all arms and legs, Starsky had first hand knowledge of the strength hidden under this fair, almost white, skin. Starsky thought back to the time he had been shot down in that restaurant and Hutch had picked him up from the floor and carried his limp body to the back room. And another time when Starsky had barely managed to drag himself up too many flights of stairs to collapse on a rooftop. Hutch had carried him down those same stairs to the waiting Torino, and still found the strength of will to figure out the case and save Starsky's life.

Closing his eyes, Starsky wondered, not for the first time, how much he owed this man he had become part of. He knew that he owed Hutch his life a dozen times over, and probably his very soul at least that many times more. Starsky knew that Hutch thought the scales were balanced, that Starsky had done the same service for Hutch over the years and neither owed the other anything other than what they were willing to give. Starsky knew that was not true. He owed so much more, more than he would ever be able to repay.

A change in Hutch's breathing alerted Starsky that his partner was wakening. Moving back slowly, Starsky maneuvered himself so that he could watch his lover wake up on this new day. He had never done this before, not like this. Starsky cataloged every motion. Pale lashes fluttered over closed eyes. A muscle quivered in Hutch's left cheek, then his lips. The pink tip of his tongue peeked out then disappeared as Hutch rose a little more towards consciousness. Starsky almost laughed as Hutch's nose twitched once, then again. The movement reminded Starsky far too much of a rabbit he had seen at the petting zoo when he had taken Lisa there one Sunday afternoon.

Hutch mumbled, then rolled on to his back, pulling all the warm limbs away from Starsky. Feeling bereft, Starsky captured Hutch's hand and held it gently between his own. Lying on his side, Starsky smiled softly as sleepy blue eyes opened and turned to look at him. "Hi." Starsky's smile grew into a full-fledged grin as Hutch blinked owlishly at Starsky. "Hey, Blondie, what happened to my up-at-dawn partner?" Lifting the still sleep-heavy hand to his lips, Starsky kissed Hutch's knuckles, then turned the hand to kiss the palm.

"I think you killed him, babe." Hutch's other hand rose to stroke Starsky's curls as Hutch rolled back on to his side so that they were lying almost nose to nose. Tightening his grip on Starsky's hair, Hutch pulled gently so that their lips met in a soft kiss that heated slowly towards passion. Hutch released Starsky's lips and spoke against them, "You want to see if you can revive him, love?" Starsky's only answer was to roll Hutch flat on his back again and show him how appealing the idea was.

****

"So, what's on the agenda today?" Starsky sat sprawled across the chair in Hutch's room. One leg lay flung over the arm of the chair while the other leg lay folded on the seat. They had showered and gone to their respective rooms to dress for the day. Starsky had finished first simply because he had thrown on the first clothes he laid his hands on - a slightly wrinkled shirt and yesterday's jeans. Hutch, on the other hand, was picking through his closet looking for something. The sight of Hutch standing there with his back turned; clad only in rather skimpy cotton briefs was both distracting and entertaining. Starsky knew that Hutch was very aware of the effect he was having on his partner and Starsky was not sure if he should hate him for it or love him all the more.

"I want to show you some of the city. There're a couple of museums that are really worth seeing; the railroad one I know you'll really like. We could go down to the docks and look around the family's business. Or maybe we could go for a drive up the coast of the lake a bit. It's very different from the ocean. No, that won't work; we've got to be back in time to go to dinner at Katie's. Maybe we could do it tomorrow...."

Starsky stopped listening; lost in the wonder of how much things had changed yet stayed so much the same. He and Hutch may have discovered something new in their life together but they were still the same people with the same idiosyncrasies and needs. For the first time since that morning sitting in the parking garage when Hutch had turned to him and spoken his heart, and Starsky's heart too, Starsky knew that everything would be okay. After all, they had each other, just like always. They would weather any storm, any problems that may arise because together they were strong enough to fight anything and anyone.

The love they always had for each other had not changed. It had grown, developed new possibilities, but the underlying shape of it was the same as it had been since the day they first met. And that made all things right. Starsky smiled and got up out of the chair to ambush his partner, who was in the process of putting on his pants. Yeah, life would always be the same - perfect.

The end. Or not.

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