Second Chance

By: Annie

Second Chance
By: Annie

Starsky glanced across worriedly at his partner. The bust had gone down exactly as planned. The perps who'd been doping gay men and then filming them being raped had been arrested just as they were about to throw Hutch into their van and take him God knew where. Starsky still shuddered at the memory of his partner lying stuporous in the stagnant puddle in the alley where they'd found him.

The doctor in the ER had said there'd be no permanent ill effects from the narcotic he'd been drugged with. Hutch would probably sleep heavily for a few hours, then be groggy for another 12 hours or so; but he'd be fine at home with someone to keep an eye on him. Starsky had no intention of letting that someone be anyone but him. Captain Dobey had given them a few days off, warning Starsky not to bring Hutch back to work until he'd been cleared by the department doctor.

Hutch had seemed reasonably alert at the hospital, probably due to the needle sticks and tests he'd been forced to undergo, and he made it to the car almost under his own steam with the help of Captain Dobey and Starsky. But now he sat with his head propped awkwardly against the window, his eyes closed. He was making vague sounds but the words had no coherence and Starsky confined himself to reassuring his friend with stock phrases.

"Take it easy, pal. You'll be fine. I'll have you home soon. You just relax there, babe, okay?"

The words took on the form of a mantra as he drove, repeating them from time to time, although he had no idea whether Hutch heard or understood what he was saying.

Pulling up outside of Hutch's apartment he jogged around and opened the passenger door, grabbing Hutch's shoulder as his partner began to fall sideways.

"Come on, Blondie, rise and shine. I've carried you enough today. You're home. How 'bout you help me out here, babe, and try to stand up so I can get you inside."

Hutch's eyes slid open and he gazed blurrily at Starsky.

"Starsk?" he mumbled.

"Yeah, pal. Can you stand up?"

Hutch fell rather than climbed out of the car as Starsky reached an arm around his back and took most of his weight. They stumbled up the path to the porch where Starsky manoeuvred until he had Hutch propped in the corner while he opened the door.

"Starsk, am I drunk?" Hutch muttered into Starsky's ear.

"No, pal, not drunk. You were drugged, remember?"

"Yeah... 'sright...drugged. Starsk?"

"Yeah, Hutch?"

"Thanks."

"No problem, babe."

Starsky managed to half carry - half walk Hutch to the couch in the living room, pushing him down onto the cushions. He reached his hand down to his partner's face, cupping his cheek gently, then brushed an errant strand of hair away from the blue eyes.

"Just lean back and take it easy for a while, pal. Let me get you comfortable, then you can sleep for as long as you want."

He felt Hutch's hand waver up to cover his.

"Hutch, you okay?" Starsky asked, concerned.

" I'm okay."

The words whispered across his cheek as Hutch grasped his chin, turning Starsky's face to his.

"I love you, Starsk," Hutch breathed, the small exhalations tickling Starsky's lips as he leaned in closer. Starsky froze as if hypnotised as Hutch bent forward and kissed his mouth.

Starsky suddenly jumped back as he felt Hutch's tongue trace his lips and then a stirring in his groin as his cock responded to the intimate caress.

"Christ, Hutch. What are you doing?" Starsky murmured.

Hutch closed his eyes and slumped back into the cushions. "Nothing, " he said finally. "Sorry, just forget it, okay?"

"Hutch? Talk to me, will ya?" Starsky had moved away, his eyes never leaving his partner's face.

"Just forget it. I'm tired. I want to go to sleep."

Starsky fetched a blanket from Hutch's room and covered his friend, intentionally keeping his touch as impersonal as possible. Then, when he was sure Hutch was asleep, he retreated to sit in a chair at the dining table. He leant forward, resting his head on his bent arms, his eyes focussed unwaveringly on the still form on the couch.

Starsky had wanted this for so long, but now that it had happened, he had no idea how to respond. Hutch was out of his head on whatever poison they'd pumped into his bloodstream; he'd just come off a job where he was playing the part of a gay guy looking for a good time. That's all it was, Starsky told himself. Starsky was sure he'd managed to keep his true feelings for his partner camouflaged behind the affectionate pats and hugs they'd shared over the years they'd been together. After all, he was sure Hutch wouldn't have been interested. They'd both had plenty of female lovers and Hutch had been married once. Starsky had never told anyone that he was bisexual. He'd had a few reasonably satisfying experiences while he was in the army; a furtive mutual hand job in the shower to de-stress when women were in short supply and sometimes because he'd been attracted to the guy who'd offered it. But Hutch had gotten under his defences; become the other half of him, and gradually his feelings had grown stronger, till there were times when he'd felt he'd burst if he couldn't tell Hutch how he'd begun to feel about him. But the time had never seemed to be right and he'd contented himself with knowing that he and Hutch were as close as partners could ever be; me and thee. And now, the thing he'd wanted had happened, but Hutch probably wouldn't even remember it in the morning and Starsky sure as hell wasn't going to take advantage of the situation. He wanted Hutch to love him, but if it was ever going to happen, it was going to be when Hutch knew what he was doing, not when he was off his face on dope.

Starsky must have dozed off because he awoke to the sound of movement, and light streaming through the windows. He stretched, shaking the stiffness from his bones. The couch was empty, so he made his way through to the kitchen. Hutch was cooking eggs and bacon. He still looked pale, with dark circles ringing his eyes but he flashed a small embarrassed grin at Starsky as he became aware of his presence.

"Hey, how you feeling, pal?" Starsky asked.

"I'm fine. Well... you know, bit woozy to tell the truth. But okay. You?" Hutch answered.

"Me? I'm alright... Listen, Hutch, maybe we should talk about what happened last night..."

"What happened last night?" Hutch turned and snapped off the hotplate control then swung back to face his partner. "Oh, you mean when I told you I loved you and kissed you and you backed away like you'd been bitten by a rattler? That what you mean, Starsk?"

"Well... yes... I just never knew..." Starsky felt his tongue tripping over the words he wanted to say, sure he was going to mess this up, wanting desperately to tell Hutch it didn't matter; that they were both on the same page. But his partner turned on him, eyes flashing anger and hurt before he could get the rest out.

'Didn't know what, Starsk? That I was queer? You know, I always thought you were like me; the sort of guy who didn't put labels on people."

"I didn't. I don't," Starsky stuttered.

"Ya got a funny way of showing it, pal. Look, Starsk, maybe I got this wrong. I always thought you felt the same about me as I did about you. I just never had the guts to tell you before now. But last night, I guess the drugs loosened me up and all I could think of was seeing your face when you found me and knowing that every time I've been in trouble it's the thought of seeing you again that keeps me hanging on. I love you. I'm in love with you. Have been probably since we met. I never thought I'd feel that way about another man, Starsk. But I'm starting to think that love is love, regardless of gender." Hutch took a deep breath. "So, now's your chance to leave. If you don't want to work with me after this, I'll understand. I won't like it, but I'll talk to Dobey, make some excuse."

"Hutch, I don't want you to do that," Starsky husked, moving toward his partner. He reached out a hand, snagging Hutch's arm, pulling him into a hug. One hand crept up to cradle Hutch's head, the thumb of the other traced a gentle outline around his partner's lips.

"I don't want a pity fuck , Starsk. This is a commitment for me. If it's not for you, just tell me, okay?"

Starsky made his feelings plain. Leaning forward he claimed Hutch's mouth. Then he pulled back and locked both hands on either side of his partner's face. He looked into Hutch's eyes and said
firmly, "Hutch, I love you. I've been in love with you probably as long as you have been with me. I just can't believe we've wasted so much time. Last night, I thought it was just the drugs talking. I
wanted to believe but I needed to know it was what you really wanted."

Hutch leaned in and kissed him softly. Starsky responded, opening his mouth and deepening the kiss. His hands found the belt of Hutch's bathrobe and he pulled it undone, letting the robe fall to
the floor.

"How about we take this discussion to the bedroom?" Starsky asked, as he bent his head and licked a trail across Hutch's chest.

"You sure about this, Starsk? After this, there'll be no going back for either of us," Hutch whispered.

"I'm sure, babe."

They stumbled together into the bedroom, Hutch divesting Starsky of his clothes as they went, then fell together onto the bed. Starsky rolled over, pinning Hutch beneath him. He bent his head and kissed his way down Hutch's body, stopping to capture a nipple with his teeth, caressing the other with his fingers. Hutch groaned and thrust up against him, leaving a wet trail of kisses along his lover's shoulder.

Starsky continued his exploration with his mouth and hands, dippinghis tongue into the indentation of Hutch's navel, his fingerstracing the join of thigh and groin, then taking Hutch's cock in his hand he lovingly ran his hand along its length. He lowered his mouth to lick at the slit, lapping at the drop of precum he found there. His fingers gripped more firmly around the shaft as Hutch moaned and pushed up into his hand. He opened his mouth and took Hutch's cock in, grazing his teeth lightly over the head as his hand snaked between his lover's thighs, caressing his balls and finding the entrance to his body. His finger stroked gently over the opening and then he took Hutch's cock fully into his mouth and at the same time gently inserted his finger into his lover. Hutch tossed his head, pushing back on Starsky's hand, and then plunged his cock deeper into Starsky's mouth.

"Oh, Christ, Starsk," he moaned, scissoring his hips backward and forwards between the two sources of pleasure. He felt his orgasm coming like molten lava curling up from his toes, centering on his cock and exploding out of the top of his head. He wanted to warn Starsky, in case he wanted to pull back but his mind felt fragmented and his climax was on him before he could form the words. Starsky swallowed him deeper, milking every drop from him lovingly, then when the shudders had subsided he kissed his way gently up Hutch's body until he reached his mouth. Pulling Hutch into a gentle kiss, he whispered." I love you, babe."

"Jesus, Starsk, that was amazing."

"Hey, I aim to please, ya know."

"Oh, you pleased me, babe. How about you let me please you?" Hutch said, as he trailed his tongue down Starsky's chest. He laved the nipples to hard peaks and then straddled his lover's thighs. He took Starsky's hard cock in his hand, and felt his partner push up into his fist. He felt his own erection growing again and leant down, groaning into his lover's mouth. He felt Starsky's hands on his hips, pulling him closer . He reached between them and took both of their cocks in his hand, pressing them together, his hand stroking harder and faster as Starsky thrust up and down, moaning his name. He bent forward as he felt Starsky beginning to come, trapping their cocks between their bodies, one hand coming up to cradle his lover's face, rocking together until they both climaxed, calling the other's name.

Hutch collapsed onto his side, pulling Starsky with him so they were spooned together.

"Starsk, you sure you're okay with this?" he asked hesitantly.

Starsky leaned forward and kissed him on the temple. "You're joking, right, babe? I'm more than alright with this. Are you?"

"Oh yeah, " Hutch breathed.

"Hutch?"

"Yeah, Starsk?"

"Thanks."

"For what?" Hutch asked.

"For giving me a second chance."

THE END (maybe)