An Interesting Development

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Life is full of surprises–big and small.

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It was morning. He knew this, even though he hadn’t opened his eyes yet, because the streak of sunlight that peaked through the gap between the shade and the bedroom window was making its customary appearance across his chest. The warmth from that little bit of sun felt good across the scars.

He stretched, a habit that many mornings caused a significant amount of pain. His waking mind still didn’t always make the connection between his body pre-Gunther and post-Gunther. But today was different. The stretch resulted in a little tug, but no searing pain. Just a tug–no pain!

He sat up gingerly, not wanting to press his luck. He looked over at the sleeping mass next to him–blond hair hiding the face buried in the pillow, the sheet covering the body from the waist down, except for the one long leg that was sticking out over the side of the bed. Hutch was dead to the world.

Starsky was now in a quandary. He wanted to share his good news with Hutch, but he didn’t want to disturb his sleep. Hutch hadn’t gotten much sleep in a long time. When he finally came out of his coma in the hospital, he watched an exhausted Hutch sit by his side late night after late night, worrying about him. Once Hutch had taken care of Gunther and his goons, he seemed to relax a bit. Though Starsky suspected Hutch’s relief was more connected to the doctors’ assurances that Starsky was finally on the road to recovery.

Hutch. His best friend in the world. The person who insisted on taking a leave of absence to take care of him after his mother and brother went back to New York. He chuckled quietly at that point. Ma had to drag Nicky kicking and screaming to Bay City.

Taking care of an invalid was not his style. Not that Nicky did more than drive to the drugstore or pick-up take out. Ma, Uncle Al and Aunt Rose, and Hutch did all the dirty work. But Ma and Nicky had to go back to their lives. Uncle Al and Aunt Rose stopped by once or twice a week, but they were too old to handle so much responsibility. Hutch volunteered for duty.

And, he was glad. After the first month of wondering if he’d ever be able to walk farther than the length of his apartment, to his early days of painful physical therapy, to all the times when it seemed he’d take two steps forward then fall three steps back–Hutch somehow made it all feel better. That was why Hutch was sleeping in the same bed as him. Those first weeks when he would be in so much pain that it would make him cry at night, Hutch would come in and wrap him in those strong arms and soothe him to sleep. So, one night, Hutch just didn’t bother making up the couch. And he had slept with Starsky ever since. Starsky just sat back and smiled. He was very lucky to have such friend.

“Hey Gordo, you’re burning a hole in the back of my head. What’s up?” a sleepy Hutch mumbled into his pillow.

“Nothin’ Blondie. It’s not important. Go back to sleep.”

Hutch raised his head to look at Starsky. Seeing the smile on Starsky’s face, Hutch propped himself on his elbow and succumbed to his own grin.

Starsky blushed a bit, having no idea why. “It’s silly…”

“You know I won’t rest until you spill, so go ahead.”

“It’s just that when I woke up and stretched this morning, I felt good. There was no pain. A little tightness, ya know, but I didn’t hurt…”

Hutch sat up like a shot with a huge grin on his face. “Buddy, that’s great! That’s no little thing at all!” He reached over hugged Starsky and Starsky willingly returned the embrace, both of them laughing like idiots.

Finally, Starsky pulled back so he could look at Hutch’s face. Hutch just looked so happy, over something so minor. “Aww, Blintz…” Starsky began, right before he kissed Hutch on the lips.

Shocked by his action, for a moment he just froze, as did Hutch. But then, Hutch’s soft, warm lips came alive against his, and his lips responded in kind.

Finally, they separated for air. “Hutch, I don’t know…I’m sorry…” Starsky stammered, trying to pull out of Hutch’s embrace.

“I’m not,” Hutch said decisively, holding him tight.

“You’re not?”

“Not at all.”

“Oh.” Now Starsky just paused to stare at Hutch, whose face wore the Ken Hutchinson ‘I’m in Looove’ sappy look. Then, it occurred to Starsky. That look was for him! “This certainly is an interesting development.”

“That’s an understatement, babe.”

“I wasn’t expecting this.”

“You weren’t?” Hutch asked as one of his hands started stroking Starsky’s hair.

Starsky gulped. “Okay, maybe I’ve thought about it from time to time–maybe every day since I woke up in the hospital. But, you’ve always been with women as far as I know, and I’ve always been with women…”

“Hey!” Hutch was grinning again. “I’m the one who thinks too much in this relationship, remember?”

“We’re in a relationship?”

Hutch got serious for a moment. “Honestly, Starsk, I think I’ve loved you since the first moment you burst into our room at the Academy with that blinding smile of yours talking a mile a minute. I was married, and you didn’t swing that way from what I could tell, and I certainly wasn’t ready to even consider the possibility. For years. But, last year, it kinda started sneaking into my consciousness, and when I held you in my arms in the parking lot…let’s just say I couldn’t deny how I felt anymore. Didn’t want to.”

Starsky noticed that they both hadn’t let go of each other, in fact they both were squeezing each other a little tighter. “You didn’t say anything…”

“As far as I knew, you were only interested in women. As long as that was the case, I wasn’t going to say a word. And, I’m not asking for exclusivity…”

“Well, I am. I don’t share, Blondie.” Then a realization hit Starsky. “And I don’t want anybody else but you.”

“Starsk…that’s a lot to decide based on one kiss. I think you need to consider…”

“Ah, ah, ah…now the world’s right side up. Now you’re thinkin’ too much.” Starsky sat back on the bed, with Hutch doing the same. They sat with their backs against the headboard, their bodies still touching. Starsky reached down and held Hutch’s hand. Hutch squeezed his palm and Starsky returned the pressure.

“Hutch, ever since the hit, the entire time in the hospital and even coming back here–it’s been the most difficult time in my life. But it’s also been the happiest. You know why? Because of you.” Hutch looked at him with a kind of wonder in his eyes. The smile on Starsky’s face mirrored the one he felt in his heart. “I’ve never felt so…so loved. Yeah, that’s it, loved. And there is no one else on this entire planet that I would have wanted to, that I could have, shared this time with. So, ya see Blintz, decision’s already been made about how I want to spend the rest of my life, who I want to spend it with. But that’s me. If you have any doubts…”

“Not a one. You’re the only person I want, babe.”

They both took a moment to take in everything that just transpired. Then Starsky pulled Hutch into another hug. “Hey, I’m still not feeling any pain.” Then he kissed Hutch again, starting with the lips, but then moving to the neck, causing Hutch to giggle. “Let’s really celebrate…” Starsky lowered them to the bed, and they proceeded to do just that.

 

The sequel to this story is Revelations.