Getting Through the Night

“I’m not drunk,” Starsky said. Because he wasn’t. Really.

Flash fill for this prompt: Any+any; I’m not as think as you drunk I am.

Tag for “Starsky’s Lady.” The prompt was meant to be light-hearted, but the fic went a little sideways because WAAAAANGST. Oops?

“I’m not drunk,” Starsky said. Because he wasn’t. Really.

Hutch nodded solemnly. “Me neither,” he said. Which was a lie, but Starsky was feeling manga—

Magana—

Mannag—

Noble. He was feeling noble and wasn’t going to call bullshit on Hutch. Because Hutch was his best pal, even if he was a lying liar. And sloshed out of his mind.

“Yep. We’re not druck,” Starsky said, and frowned. “Druck,” he said again. That didn’t sound right—

Hutch snickered, sort of. Came out more like a cross between a snort and a hiccup. “You said ‘druck.'”

“Did not,” Starsky said, indignant.

“Did too.” Hutch smirked, sort of, only it had a funny downwards twist. He stuck his beer bottle between his lips and the smirk went away.

Starsky rolled ‘drunk’ around in his mouth, testing the word, but decided against saying it aloud again. He took a pull on his own mug instead. He could do that, he was allowed, because he wasn’t fucking druck. Not really.

Not yet.

“So are we quitting?” Hutch said.

“Quitting?” Starsky raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t actually feel his face anymore, but he was sure at least one of his eyebrows was raised higher than the other. “Hell, no. I still got the utilities.” He squinted and poked at the fake cash and deeds in front of him. The stack was a lot smaller than he remembered. What the hell happened to his Water Works? “Well,” he amended, “the ‘Lectric Company, anyways. And I’m gonna pass ‘Go’ inna minute, collect $200.”

“Not talking about the game,” Hutch said, with a funny downwards twist to his voice.

Oh.

It took a little doing, but Starsky managed to get to his hands and knees so he could crawl over to where his partner was leaning against the cabinet. Which, it turned out, was a huge waste of effort because Hutch wasn’t even looking at him. It messed up the board too, but seeing as how he didn’t even have the fucking Water Works, Starsky figured any messing up at this point could only work in his favor. He slid his ass down next to Hutch and pulled Ollie onto his lap. Hutch let the bear slide out of his hands without resistance or comment.

Starsky ran a hand back and forth over the soft fur. After a while, he sighed and said, “She wouldna have wanted us to, huh?”

“Nope.”

‘Don’t let either one of them change.’

Damn. No robbing banks, then.

Starsky was pretty sure Hutch didn’t want to quit being a cop, not really. And maybe, Starsky didn’t really want to quit either. The work was important, being a police officer and upholding the law made a difference in the world. They made a difference. He still believed that, despite everything.

Tomorrow, Starsky would get up, put on his badge and his gun, and the two of them would go back to their beat. He could do this, with Hutch at his side.

But he had to get through tonight first.

Starsky buried his face against Ollie. “Hutch—”

“I know, buddy.” A strong arm came around him and held him fiercely.

Hutch didn’t let go until morning. At Starsky’s side, always.