Midnight Ramblings and Morning Musings

Starsky feels the urge to write Hutch a letter and Hutch replies in kind.

Originally published in Blue Eyes and Blue Jeans 2 in 1996 by Linda McGee, Kath Moonshine, and Mary Louise Fisher, under the name, Idiot Triplets Press.

MIDNIGHT RAMBLINGS

SO, COLLEGE BOY, TELL ME
JUST WHERE DO I END AND YOU BEGIN?
SEEMS THE LINES ARE KINDA SMUDGED LATELY.
I NEVER THOUGHT I’D FIND A LOVE LIKE THE ONE I SHARE WITH YOU.
DAY IN AND DAY OUT, BAD GUYS AND GOOD GUYS,
COPS AND ROBBERS.
“NEEDLES, GUNS AND GRASS, LOTSA LAUGHS,”
ISN’T THAT HOW JONI MITCHELL DESCRIBED IT?
SO WHY AM I SITTING HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF US?
I DON’T THINK I COULD BREATHE WITHOUT YOU—
HOW’S THAT FOR EUPHORIC SENTIMENTALISM?
EVERY DAY I DON’T SEE YOU AND TOUCH YOU
ISN’T WORTH A DING DANG NICKEL.
SOAPY SCENES?
I’LL GIVE YOU ONE:
TODAY, WHEN YOU GRABBED THAT LITTLE GIRL OFF THAT LEDGE
AND HELD HER AND ROCKED HER
AND TOLD HER THAT SHE HAD SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR
AND THAT YOU, ONE KENNETH R. HUTCHINSON,
WERE GOING TO MAKE IT YOUR LIFE’S GOAL TO PROVE IT TO HER,
WELL, I ALMOST BAWLED.
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, PARTNER.
INSIDE AND OUT.
DID YA EVER THINK I’D BECOME SUCH A GUSHING SAP?
I GUESS I BETTER STOP TYPING NOW, COZ YOU JUST CALLED AND
SAID THAT YOU MISSED ME AND THAT YOU DIDN’T CARE THAT IT WAS TWO
O’CLOCK IN THE DAMN MORNING, AND THAT WE HAD TO BE AT WORK AT
SIX-THIRTY—YOU WERE COMING OVER.
THAT’S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU, BLINTZ.
WHAT DON’T I LIKE ABOUT YOU, BLINTZ?
NOT A DING DANG THING.
(OKAY, MAYBE THE CAR…)

LOVE FOREVER AND ALWAYS,
YOUR STARSK

* * * *

MORNING MUSINGS

(I found the previous page stuck under
your typewriter—here’s my answer)

WELL, CITY BOY, I’LL TELL YOU—
YOU AND I ARE SO INTERTWINED
WHO CAN TELL
WHERE I END AND YOU BEGIN?
WHO CARES?
YOU KNOW HOW THE GUYS ARE ALWAYS CALLING US
“STARSKYHUTCH” LIKE IT’S ONE WORD?
WELL, I LIKE IT. IT FITS.
BREATHE WITHOUT ME?
WHEN MARCUS’ GOONS NABBED YOUR
GORGEOUS HIDE—
I DIDN’T BREATHE
UNTIL I FOUND YOU.
(THANK GOD—AND DOBEY AND HUGGY)
SOAPY SCENES?
HOW ABOUT YOU AND LISA IN THAT
HALLWAY TALKING ABOUT DOODLE TOWN?
YOU ARE AN EXCEPTIONAL POLICE OFFICER,
NOT TO MENTION THE BEST PARTNER
ANYONE COULD HOPE FOR
AND NOT TO BEGIN TO MENTION THE MOST INSPIRED…
NEVER MIND…
EVERY DAY GOD GIVES ME WITH YOU IS A DAY
TO BE CHERISHED.
EVERY DAY THAT THOSE SAPPHIRE EYES MEET MINE
IS A DAY TO BE TREASURED.
I GUESS WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY IS
I LOVE YOU DAVID MICHAEL STARSKY.
ALWAYS HAVE,
ALWAYS WILL.

YOURS,
HUTCH

P.S. I RESISTED TAKING A SIMILAR STAB AT YOUR
BELOVED TORINO—AIN’T LOVE GRAND?

* * * *

Hutch tore the page out of the typewriter, folded it up with the original page and put them in an envelope. He scribbled “DMS” on the outside, tiptoed to the kitchen, and fastened the envelope to the first place he knew his partner would see in the morning—the refrigerator door. Then he crept quietly back into Starsky’s bedroom and crawled under the covers. The lump beside him stirred and he felt the familiar arms enfold him as a dark curly head burrowed into his chest.

“Mnnmmnhm, where were you—was gettin’ lonely,” Starsky asked sleepily.

“Just finishing up a letter. Go back to sleep.” Hutch smiled as his partner did just that.

Hutch put his arm around the sleeping man and closed his eyes. As he drifted off to sleep himself, he whispered a prayer of thanks for the precious gift of love he had been given.

He could never take it for granted. And he never would.