A Human Bolt of Lightning

The guys don’t need dates. They have each other.

Written for a twenty-minute fic challenge. Prompt words: trunk and chest.

Hutch leaned against his kitchen counter, fixated on the steady drip of the faucet. The water collected into a puddle, circling but not reaching the drain, as if it were void of any clear direction.

He thought about his recent call with Janice, the woman who went from girlfriend to ex-girlfriend in two minutes flat. He should be upset. He should want to call her back to apologize. He should have wanted to, but didn’t.

Hutch tore his eyes away from the sink, struck by a sudden epiphany like a bolt of lightning that flashed without warning.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

“Hey, Hutch, are you almost ready to go, or are you testing how much weight that counter can withstand?”

Hutch’s pulse quickened at the sight of Starsky. He was dressed in a crisp pair of jeans, the contours of his muscular legs straining against the denim like sturdy tree trunks. His blue shirt, casually unbuttoned halfway down, revealed a tantalizing glimpse of chest hair. Starsky’s freshly shaved face and neatly combed hair enhanced his allure, his crooked smile brightening the room.

“Sorry, but Janice and I won’t be coming tonight. You and Melanie have a great time, okay?”

Starsky shot Hutch a puzzled look.

“What happened? We have been trying to double date for weeks.”

Hutch’s palms grew sweaty as he reached for a dish towel to wipe his hands.

“Janice and I broke up. When I called to confirm our date tonight, she asked whether I would actually show up. Too many cancelled dates, I guess. One comment led to another, and that was the end of that.”

Starsky’s smile vanished, his eyes conveying a mix of understanding and disbelief. “Okay,” he nodded, placing a hand on Hutch’s shoulder.

Starsky picked up the telephone.

“Hey, Melanie, it’s Dave. Sorry, but I have to cancel our date tonight…”

Hutch pulled Starsky’s elbow with a silent plea, urging Starsky to reconsider, but Starsky shrugged him off.

“Something just came up and…oh, you talked to Janice? So you’re saying…”

Hutch could hear the escalating sound of Melanie’s voice on the other end.

“If that’s how you feel, I understand, Melanie. Take care of yourself. Goodbye.” Starsky hung up the phone, then shrugged with a smile. “Dinner for two, then?”

“You didn’t have to do that on my account,” Hutch said. “You know I would have been fine by myself tonight, so what gives?”

“I don’t know how to explain it. I should have tried everything to change Melanie’s mind, but I admit I didn’t want to.” Starsky scratched his cheek, his voice trembling. “Hutch, have you ever felt like you’ve been hit by…?”

“A bolt of lightning?” Hutch finished Starsky’s thought.

“Exactly. A bolt of lightning that lights your world.”

Starsky’s palm traced a path down Hutch’s shirt, then back up, finally settling on the collar.

“When you said your date was off, I realized I’d rather spend an evening with you than anyone else. You come first, always have, always will.”

Warmth cascaded through Hutch’s body as Starsky’s hand remained firmly on his collar. He felt a spark, drawn to Starsky like a magnet to a thousand pounds of steel. With a rush of courage, he tugged at the fabric of Starsky’s jeans, pulling him near. “It hit me too. I realized I have a person I can’t live without.”

Hutch closed his eyes as his bottom lip grazed Starsky’s top lip, their breaths mingling in the charged air as they tasted each other for the first time.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Hutch asked as their lips separated.

“If you’re thinking that was the best kiss you’ve ever had, then yes,” Starsky whispered.

Hutch inhaled the scent of Starsky’s hair, the feel of his skin as he trailed his hand down Starsky’s open shirt. “So where do we go from here?”

“Bedroom?” Starsky raised an eyebrow. “If you like.”

“Oh, I like,” Hutch managed to say. “Very much.”

The air crackled with electricity, building like a summer storm that would soon release a soft and refreshing rain.

“A human bolt of lightning, that’s what you are,” Hutch whispered, taking Starsky’s hand.

Starsky laughed. “Come with me, sweet-talker, and I’ll show you my lightning rod.”

Hutch laughed out loud. He would follow Starsky wherever he wanted to go. And if he got lucky, lightning would strike the same place more than once, a lot more. From that moment on, absolutely anything was possible.