I’ll Be Right There

Hutch’s parents visit unexpectedly.

Starsky dusted the dirt and leaves off the living room/dining room windowsill. Mabel had brought over all Hutch’s plants while Starsky was in the hospital recovering from the beating outside the gay bar before apprehending two men that were beating patrons and killed one.

“You let her keep your plants after she evicted you,” Starsky complained.

“She would never take it out on innocent plants.” Hutch continued to water his plants.

“The apartment looks like a greenhouse,” Starsky whined.

“You were in the hospital and I had the time off to go to Venice Place to get my plants.”

“You carried that greenhouse of yours in one trip.”

“Mabel followed me. I missed talking to them.” Hutch had put plants all over the two bedrooms as well. “I need to install a few hooks in the ceiling to hang my spider plants.” Hutch got on a chair and started to drill a hole.

“You’re obsessed with your plants.”

“I had to live in this sterile place for too long.” Hutch screwed the hook into the ceiling. Hutch talked to the spider plant calling it darling and asking it if it had missed him during his long absence.

“You’re the most eccentric, hard-headed clod, I know.” Starsky hugged Hutch briefly after Hutch stepped down from the chair and kissed him briefly.

Hutch moved the chair to install another hook on the ceiling. “That’s me. Kenneth Hutchinson, a legend in his own mind.” Hutch kept working on putting up another hook.

The phone rang and Starsky picked it up in the living room. “Mrs. Hutchinson, what a nice surprise.”

“I just got in,” she said. “I’m at the Bay City airport.”

Starsky waited for Hutch to climb down from the chair before handing him the phone. “Kenny, it’s your mom.” Starsky was still in the hint of calling him by his first name since they just got off a case where they couldn’t use their last names; besides, he couldn’t call him Hutch in front of his parents that would be rude.

“Hi,” Hutch said into the phone. “Give me the name of the airline and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

After Mrs. Hutchinson gave him the flight number and airline, she said, “Kenny, are you working tonight?”

“Dave and I have three days off. How do you manage to visit when I have time off?”

“I checked my horoscope.”

Hutch told his mom good-bye. “Dave, don’t kill the plants.”

“You can’t leave half of them on the dining room table.” There was only five left on the dining room table, but Starsky had this need to exaggerate. “I was planning to do laundry while you were out.”

Hutch put on his holster and jacket. “Don’t get bleach on the plants.”

“You have such little faith in me.” Starsky put all the laundry into two baskets.

“I know all about your black thumb.” Hutch gave Starsky a fast hug.

“Are we going to tell your mom about us?”

“She might spend the night.” Hutch stepped out the door of the apartment.

Starsky did the laundry at the Laundromat; he hoped to spend the next two days recovering from the most recent beating in his love’s arms, but now he had to share the next two days with Hutch and his mother. Hutch told his mother immediately after they moved into the two-bedroom apartment to visit anytime. She must have thought that was an excuse to buy tickets for the next available flight to Bay City. Starsky’s mother had visited for nearly two months during his convalescence and Hutch hadn’t seen his folks in a long time.

Hutch and his mother weren’t at the apartment as Starsky put the clothes away. He put on a record and lay on the queen size bed to relax, feeling amazingly strong for a man that was hit over the head with a baseball bat several times and kicked in the chest with steel toe boots the night before. Bored with the music, he flipped the channels on the television and stopped at an ad for Reagan in the Republican primary. It showed an Apollo flight on the launch pad and Reagan’s promise that he would continue the space program. The next commercial was for Apple computers claiming that it was more reliable than the competition. A computer that didn’t crash, the new computers in the police department needed to be rebooted constantly. He was glad to be doing his work on paper. He heard reports that days of work disappeared on the computer without a trance.

After turning off the television, Starsky greeted Mrs. Hutchinson with a hug. “Ma’am, welcome to our humble abode.”

“David, you’re looking well,” she said.

“Amazingly so,” Starsky agreed. “Did Kenny take you out to lunch?”

Mrs. Hutchinson nodded.

Hutch brought his mother’s bag. “Mom, you’re staying with Dave and I. You can sleep in the full size bed.”

“I won’t have one of you boys sleeping on the couch,” Mrs. Hutchinson said. “David, I like the haircut. Now, if you could convince Kenny to do something about that mop.”

“Mom, Dave and I share a bed,” Hutch said.

“I don’t understand,” Mrs. Hutchinson said.

“I love David. When David was well enough to date again, he wanted to date me,” Hutch said as he dropped his mother’s bag in the smaller bedroom. “I didn’t want to waste my time and money on a stranger when I was sitting beside someone that I loved.”

“I don’t understand,” she repeated.

“Kenny and I are good together,” Starsky said. “I hope to use my VA loan to get us a house.”

Mrs. Hutchinson sat on the bed and took a deep breath. “Kenny, the life that you choose is difficult.”

“Not that watching two women that I love die was easy and after Terry died, no respectable woman want date either of us. David Starsky and Kenneth Hutchinson are the kiss of death,” Hutch said. “I spent so much time at David’s apartment that I missed paying my rent and was evicted.”

“This is a big step,” his mother said.

“It was so easy; no more fighting over women,” Starsky said. “Kenny kisses better than the lot of them. Kenny makes my life worth living; he’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I love him so much.”

“We felt married since the shooting. I couldn’t date when all my free time was used to treat Starsky. I felt more like his nurse than his date.” Hutch put his hand on Starsky’s shoulder. “Only Huggy congratulated us about getting an apartment together. I wish we could have thrown a party to celebrate our commitment to each other. Maybe gay marriage will be legal when we’re still young enough to benefit from it.”

“I lost you somewhere,” she said.

“David means the world to me. If I could marry him, I would,” Hutch clarified.

“I thought that was what you said,” his mother said taking slow calming breathes.

“How is Kathie?” Hutch asked about his sister.

“She’s having a hard time of it,” his mother said.

“She called me a pervert on the phone and told me to stay away from her children,” Hutch said.

“I know that you love David, but with your body?” his mother asked.

“I don’t intend to live as a monk,” Hutch said.

“Mrs. Hutchinson, would you prefer to go for a walk on the beach or go window shopping? We can spend a few dollars at the arcade. Kenny plays a mean game of Skeeball.”

“As long as you two don’t kiss in public,” she said.

“Mabel had a fit because she thought she saw us hold hands,” Hutch said.

“I can handle you boys holding hands,” she said. “We can go to the beach and waste a few quarters at the arcade.”

“I pick the restaurant,” Hutch said. “You’ll have us eat as some road kill café.”

“My taste isn’t that bad.” Starsky kissed Hutch briefly allowing his hand to linger on Hutch’s face afterwards.

“You taste good; it’s your taste in food that I worry about,” Hutch teased as he pulled away from Starsky’s touch.

“I trust you, David,” she said.

“Mom, did you tell Dad?” Hutch asked.

“Kenny, I told him that you were living with David,” she said. “He doesn’t want to speak to you. He plans to disinherit you.”

“He can’t disinherit me. He did that when I became a cop.” Hutch laughed.

“Your name is still on the will,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter. He can give the money to Kathie’s children,” Hutch said.

After dinner, Mrs. Hutchinson insisted that she take a cab to a hotel and didn’t give Starsky or Hutch the number.

***

“Why do you think that my mother left like that?” Hutch asked as he undressed for bed.

“Your father is at the hotel.” Starsky got into the large bed.

“Probably.” Hutch kissed Starsky’s palm. “She probably thinks we’re perverts holding hands at the beach all afternoon.”

“In the fifty degree weather.” Although it was the first week in December, it was fairly warm; it didn’t get that cold in southern California. “Kenny, am I your first?”

“I flirted with a guy. Nothing happened; he had a boyfriend and didn’t play. I met Van so nothing became of that. I’ve been attracted to you forever. I wanted to seduce you so many times while we were in the academy.”

“You were married.”

“Van could never make me feel as good as you do. I had always preferred your company to hers.” Hutch wiped a silent tear from his cheek. “I still cry when I think about her. With all the death we see on the streets, you would think it wouldn’t affect me that way.”

“You’re still human. What are you going to tell your father?”

“My father still intimidates me.” Hutch stroked Starsky’s short, dark curly hair.

“Just tell him that we’re together and there is nothing he can do about it. Or do you want me to tell him that you’re the best cocksucker that I’ve ever had?”

“Like you have experience.” Hutch nuzzled his neck.

“You might be the first guy to suck my cock, but I don’t want to count the number of girls that tried,” Starsky teased.

“Hey, Dad, I’m a cocksucker.” Hutch started to nimble of Starsky’s neck. “And damn proud of it.”

“And a damn good one. No matter the reason your mother got a hotel room.” Starsky moved his hand over Hutch back. “I get to enjoy it.”

“You only want me to suck your cock.” Hutch licked Starsky’s earlobe. Starsky turned to Hutch and pulled him close and put his arms around the taller man. He pressed his head against the hard chest and licked one of the pert little buds.

“I’m more than willing to reciprocate.” Starsky put his hand inside Hutch’s briefs loosening them around the man’s straining erection. Starsky kissed Hutch’s chest as hands moved the briefs completely off his lover. Starsky planted slow kisses over Hutch’s chest before planting a large hickey near his belly button while his hand teased Hutch’s cock and balls. “I love your body; you’re so fucking beautiful.” Starsky licked the few drops of pre-cum from Hutch’s cock.

“That’s so good,” Hutch moaned pulling Starsky’s head down. Starsky licked down the shaft feeling the veins pulsing under his tongue. Starsky moved back slowly to the head and licked under the foreskin, teasing the head. Hutch pulled Starsky’s head down greedily. Starsky licked its full length, as he seemed to swallow nearly all its length. Then he sucked willing himself not to gag on the hardness. “Shit.” Hutch screamed as his balls filled.

Starsky fondled the hard balls as Hutch’s phallus trembled violently. As they flattened, Hutch screamed again. “Fuck. Shit. That is so good.” Starsky swallowed all of it and licked it clean, not caring for the taste but loving the way it made his love feel. He tried not to think about the first time when he vomited after consuming his lover’s cum instead of spitting it out.

Starsky kissed Hutch forcing his mouth open with his tongue. His hands moved down his partner’s muscular back. Hutch deepened the kiss pulling the remnants if his semen into his mouth not wanting to wait much longer to return the favor while moving his arms around his love tighter moving his hands slowly down the strong back until one hand reaching his partner’s ass. Starsky sucked harder pushing his tongue deeper into his best friend’s mouth until they both parted from the kiss breathless.

Hutch returned to fondling Starsky’s firm ass as he worked his way down his chest until he was in position to return the favor. Hutch licked the circumcised tip before pulling its length in his mouth. Starsky’s organ was jerked like he didn’t have long before he fired. Hutch licked the trembling organ. Hutch licked the under side a few seconds teasing the very hard cock.

“You’re a tease.”

“I don’t tease.” Hutch took the tip in his mouth and sucked on it harder teasing it painfully.

“More,” Starsky screamed.

Hutch pulled more in his mouth teasing it with his tongue, then sucked it with all he had, knowing that Starsky couldn’t last long, but he hated 69 saying he couldn’t enjoying giving pleasure at the same time as receiving it. Hutch had to agree both part deserved as much attention, but Starsky wasn’t going to last long after all excitement.

“Oh. Kenny.” He would yell Hutch when they first became lovers but Hutch didn’t find hearing his last name called sexy. He said that he preferred almost any other term of endearment to be shouted during sex. Hutch didn’t want to think about work when he was in the middle of making love. He couldn’t remember being called Hutch before starting the academy and associated that nickname with work; his friends and family had always called him Ken or Kenny, even the boy that he had flirted with for a few months called him Ken. “Kenny, shit.”

Hutch became hard again himself as he licked the cum off his love. Nothing could be sexier than giving his love pleasure. Hutch still felt weird about having another man’s cock in his mouth, but at the same time, it turned him on like no one’s business. Hutch licked his lips, wanting to love Starsky until dawn. He found all of Dave’s body sexy, preferring to use his first name during their most intimate moments.

Hutch moved down Starsky’s back parting kisses along Starsky’s back not missing the scars causing by the three bullets, which nearly took his life. Hutch kissed them so thankful that Starsky was still alive.

Hutch had spent a week waiting to know if his closest friend would live or die. He slept in Starsky’s bed at the hospital when the nurses didn’t shoo him away. When they did, he slept in Starsky’s apartment, not wanting to drive all the way to Venice Place.

Captain Dobey gave Hutch compassion leave while they waited to know if Starsky would live. There was no point in asking Hutch to work when his partner’s life weighed in the balance. After that he used all his vacation days, then he begged Captain Dobey to let him use his sick days to look after Starsky, but Captain Dobey said that they weren’t related although Hutch insisted they were closer than brothers.

As he explored the tender scars with his tongue and fingertips, all the pain of the recuperating came flooding back to him. Hutch would have gladly traded places with his dear friend. “Dave, I love you so much.”

“I know.” Starsky said reassuringly.

“I was so afraid when I heard those thugs beat you.”

“I’m tough. They didn’t break anything. I’m only a little bruised.”

“Like a Timex, takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” Hutch slapped Starsky’s ass.

“Harder,” Starsky moaned.

“You were so bad, making me worry about you,” Hutch said in a mock anger.

“I was a bad boy; Hutch, spank me harder.”

Hutch hit the tender white flesh hard enough that his hand felt the sting. “Davey, you were very bad.”

“Very bad,” Starsky said getting into the game, enjoying the tingle the slap caused on his rump and through the rest of his trunk.

Hutch hit his other ass cheek until it was light pink, enjoying the flesh vibrating against his hard with every stroke. The vibrating seemed to travel straight to his dick making him crazy with desire. Hutch put some lube on his fingers and moved one finger down Starsky’s crack teasing him.

Starsky positioned himself on a pillow propping his ass up a little for easier entry. He stretched out on top of the blankets and he bent one knee slightly. “I want you so badly. I need you inside me. Make me feel good.”

“You’re so beautiful begging for me.” Hutch fondled the rather pink ass a moment. Starsky’s lean round ass seemed so eager for loving. Hutch put his lubricated finger into the tip of his love’s opening teasing him. “You feel so tight; so good.” Hutch put his finger deeper touching Starsky’s prostate, giving him a hint of the pleasure yet to come.

Starsky arched his back as to beg for more than one finger. Hutch inserted another finger and stretched the opening in anticipation. Starsky moaned and pushed back. “I need you to fill me. Kenny, make me scream.”

Hutch warmed the lube in his hands before applying it to his cock and put some more lube on the ring of muscle containing the nerve endings. Hutch carefully inserted the head of his cock, not wanting to cause his love pain.

“This is good.” Starsky tried to push back.

“I’ll give you more.” Hutch thrusted. “I love you so much. You feel so good.”

“My ass wants you,” Starsky moaned. “I can’t believe it’s so good.” Starsky sighed as Hutch moved deeper into him moving the head past the tight ring of muscle. “Fuck me harder. I can take all you have.”

“I need to be careful. This is only your second time. You feel so tight, so hot.” Hutch wrapped one arm around Starsky taking hold of his cock. “Get hard for me, Baby.”

“Harder,” Starsky screamed.

Hutch thrusted harder while he stroked his buddy’s cock to the same rhythm.

Starsky’s hand engulfed Hutch’s changing the rhythm. “Harder. More.” Starsky squeezed Hutch’s hand making the strokes harder and faster. “Make me come.”

Hutch leaned into Starsky kissing his back as he thrusted harder; Starsky’s hand pulled his hand up and down the pulsating shaft. “Shit.” Hutch didn’t know how long he could last now.

Starsky, using both his hands and one of Hutch’s hands, brought himself to orgasm. “God. Oh God.”

Hutch kissed Starsky’s back as his balls flatted and his cock pulsated until he spurted inside his friend’s tightening ass. “You feel so good. Shit.” Hutch kissed Starsky’s neck. “I love you,” he whispered.

Starsky turned to his love and kissed him deeply. Starsky felt like Hutch was trying to pull out his tonsils with his suction. No woman kissed as long or as deeply. Starsky pulled away breathless then lightly kissed Hutch’s neck. “You’re so good to me.” Hutch closed his eyes as Starsky spooned his body around him.

***

Hutch woke to the phone ringing. “Mom.” Hutch yawned. “Mom, would you like joined Dave and I for breakfast?”

“Kenny, I thought you wanted to talk Dave about what you were going tell your father.”

“We didn’t talk about it. Mom, we’ll talk about it when you get here.”

Hutch mixed flour, baking powder, eggs, salt, eggs and blueberries to make blueberry pancakes. Starsky came into the kitchen in his bathrobe. The two-bedroom apartment was only slightly bigger than the one bedroom. The second bedroom was only 9 by 12. Starsky stared at the four plants still remaining on the dining room table.

Starsky put coffee in the percolator. “Those plants have to go somewhere.”

“I’ll put them on our balcony,” Hutch said. “The last two hanging pots can go out there.”

“Your mother will think we’re slobs.”

Hutch put the first pancake in the hot oil. “Dave, I don’t know what I should tell my father.”

“It’s up to you.”

“He comes to California for business. Do you think my mother talked him into taking her with him?”

“Perhaps.”

Hutch looked at the pancake bubbling in the pan, waiting to turn it. “I have trouble seeing myself as gay.”

“I’ve known I was attracted to men since I was a teen.”

“How do you accept it?”

“You flirted with another guy before you married Van.”

Hutch turned the pancake. “I can’t believe you told the apartment manager that we were together.”

“He sees us holding hands and with our arms wrapped around each other. It wasn’t like he doesn’t have an idea. No man sleeps on another man’s sofa for five months when he has an apartment to go to. If you weren’t my lover, you were my sister.”

“Mabel evicted me for just holding your hand.” Hutch put the first pancake on a plate and continued to make pancakes.

“I’m not ashamed that I’m in love with you. Huggy gave us a bottle of champagne; he knew I was the brunette that gave you the hickey.”

“He’s pretty sharp.”

“My mother thinks you’re good for me. I haven’t told Nicky that I want to buy a house with you. I wonder if I would shock my little brother if I told him that I wanted to spend the next forty years with my best friend.”

“You should tell Nicky.”

“I rather tell him in person or over the phone. It isn’t something that goes well in a letter.”

***

After Starsky dressed, he returned to the dining room. He poured two cups of coffee from the percolator. “Kenny, I want to shout that I love you from the highest roof top.”

“I’m not your first.” Hutch teased, not quite sure if Starsky had lied about not being with another man before him. He seemed too willing.

“I fell in love with you soon after we started the academy, but you were married. I was happy spending all my working hours and most of my free time with you. I was afraid of giving you sex because you had everything else.”

“Sex?” Hutch kissed Starsky’s neck as he started to eat his pancakes.

“Incredible. It has never been so good.”

“Maybe if we knew how good we would be together all those ladies wouldn’t have lost their lives.”

“You can’t blame yourself.” Starsky returned to eating.

“If you didn’t date Terry, she would still be around.”

“We’ll never know that.” Starsky stroked Hutch’s hair. “I don’t regret any of the women in my life.”

“I regretted marrying Van. I should have married you when we met. It was love at first sight.”

“Perhaps. I can’t remember a time that I didn’t love you. What are you going to tell your father?”

“That I loved you a long time.” Hutch finished his coffee. “Dave, I shouldn’t have been embarrassed about our relationship.”

“You haven’t called me Dave at work,” Starsky said refilling his coffee.

“Work is work; home is home.” Hutch started to wash the dishes.

Mrs. Hutchinson arrived by taxi a few minutes after they finished cleaning the breakfast dishes. “Kenny, I lied. I told your father before we left Duluth. He doesn’t approve of me visiting you.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Hutch said.

“Mrs. Hutchinson, do you want me to go?” Starsky asked.

“David, I think it would be better if you didn’t,” she said.

“Dad has two choices. Either he accepts Dave as part of the family or I’m no longer part of the family.”

“Son?” his mother said.

“David is my spouse. If Dad can’t accept it, I don’t need him,” Hutch said.

“Honey, I know that you love David very much,” Mrs. Hutchinson said. “Your father will see what he means to you. David, go with us.”

***

Hutch drove the three of them to an expensive Italian restaurant. Mr. Hutchinson, a tall slender man with fine white hair, was at the bar.

Hutch took Starsky by the arm and walked him to his father. “You remember Dave.”

Starsky extended his hand and waited for Mr. Hutchinson to shake his hand. “Sir, it’s an honor.” Starsky ordered himself and Hutch each a beer.

“Dad, I love David.” Hutch put his hands down at his sides.

“You shamed me enough marrying that money hungry bitch and then dropping her to join the police force,” the older man said.

“Vanessa died,” Starsky said, handing Hutch his beer.

“She was murdered in your house,” his father said.

“The charges were dropped,” Hutch said, putting his hand on Starsky’s arm.

“This gives people a reason to blackmail you,” his father said.

“Mr. Hutchinson, people have always found reasons to blackmail other people. As long as people have love ones, there will be secrets,” Starsky said.

“But your apartment, your job. People don’t want faggots working or living with them,” Mr. Hutchinson said.

Mrs. Hutchinson walked over to the men. “Our table is ready.”

Hutch put Starsky’s and his drink on one side of the booth. “We prefer queer,” Hutch said. “It isn’t secret so we can’t be blackmailed for it.”

“And the other police officers?” his father asked.

“It isn’t their business,” Starsky said. “There have been rumors for years. If someone we know asks, we answer.”

“Kenny, I don’t understand. You were married,” Mr. Hutchinson said.

Starsky touched Hutch’s hand. “There isn’t more to say about it. My mother didn’t give me a song and dance about my choice of roommate. Kenny is a big boy; he can decide who he wants to live with.”

“Mr. Starsky, my son wasn’t a pervert before he met you,” Mr. Hutchinson said.

“We aren’t going anywhere.” Starsky stroked Hutch’s face.

“Dad, I love David. He’s the most important person my life.” Hutch looked in Starsky’s eyes and took his hand.

***

“Kenny, I could threaten to disinherit you, but that wouldn’t mean anything to you and we only visit once or twice a year as it is. I don’t know what you want from me,” Mr. Hutchinson said as he paid the check.

“Dad, I want you to accept David as my spouse,” Hutch said. “Nothing more; nothing less.”

“You touched constantly during the meal,” Mrs. Hutchinson said.

“Dad, I make no excuses for who I am,” Hutch said.

“David, you’re a lucky man. I can see how much my Kenny loves you,” Mrs. Hutchinson said.

“I love him just as much,” Starsky said. “Kenny didn’t give up on me. He exercised with me, watched my diet, taught me that the mind and body were connected. He wouldn’t let me believe that it couldn’t be done even when my therapist said our goals were too high. I’m in better shape now than I’ve ever been thanks to Kenny. He’s the most generous, loving man I know.”

“I’m proud of him,” Mrs. Hutchinson said.

“He needs to know that,” Starsky said.

“Son, I never wanted you to be a police officer, but you’re a damn good one. I can’t understand this. How could you with a man?” his father asked.

“It’s part of being in love.” Hutch wasn’t going to talk about sex with his parents. He still had trouble imagining that his parents did the deed.

Starsky smiled. “When you and Mrs. Hutchinson were first married you had to learn about each other. People are people first. I love Kenny for Kenny. I loved Terry for Terry. I cried on Kenny’s shoulder when Terry died. People don’t fit into nice little boxes.”