Title: The Days Of Our Lives, Chapter Four

Author: Tayla

Fandom: Starsky & Hutch

Pairing: Starsky/Hutch

Rating: PG13

Category: Drama

Status: Completed August 29, 2002

Archive: Yes to WWOMB/Peja. All others please ask

Feedback: Yes, please. All constructive criticism will be graciously accepted

Email: tayla36@aol.com

Authors Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/tayla36/index.html

Series/Sequel: Ongoing Series

Disclaimers: I don't own them. They belong to each other.

Authors Notes: I told myself once that I was never going to write a fic with song lyrics. Well, the muse had other ideas. This has not one but two songs in it. I was tempted to use some Partridge Family tunes because of Evie's huge crush on Keith, but I figured the guys would be more into Jim Croce.

Summary: It's Friday night at Hutch's apartment. The guys decide to show off their musical talent for Evie.

Warnings: Mushy stuff

The Days Of Our Lives 4
by Tayla

"Daddy!"

Hutch opened the door to let his daughter in just as his ex-wife pulled away from the curb. He sighed. He wished that he and Vanessa could have remained friends after their divorce. Then he realized the ridiculousness of that statement. They hadn't really been friends before they married. She was beautiful and charming. He went out with her because she seemed to be interested in him, and he was getting over a break up, and he was trying to pretend he wasn't gay. He realized too late that Vanessa had only wanted him because his family was wealthy, and she trapped him into a marriage by getting pregnant. He couldn't be too upset about that. He loved his daughter unconditionally. He also realized, considering his sexual orientation that she was probably the only child he was likely to have.

"Daddy, is Uncle Dave coming over?" Evie asked him as she was hanging up her sweater. It was a big sweater. Starsky had given it to her. It was one he used to wear all the time, until he made a mistake and washed it in hot water.

"I think so, sweetheart."

Actually Hutch didn't know if Starsky was coming over at all. In the five weeks since Hutch has told his partner he was in love with him, they hadn't spent too much personal time alone together. They had gone to Huggy's to shoot some pool a few times but that was all. Before "The Revelation" they had spent three or four nights a week at each other's apartments, just hanging out watching TV, playing cards or whatever. They were, or at least they had been, the best of friends.

Now, Hutch was afraid that he had damaged their relationship beyond repair. He had told Starsky that their friendship was the most important thing and Starsky had assured him that nothing that Hutch could say would change that.

But it had changed. Oh they still worked well together. They were still the best detective team in the department. But Starsky seemed to be taking pains to avoid him. He wished that he had kept his mouth shut. He didn't know how he would survive it if Starsky didn't want to be his friend anymore.

There was a knock at the door and then a familiar voice saying, "Hey, anybody in there order a pizza?"

Evie squealed and flew to the door just as it opened. Starsky walked in holding a pizza box.

"Uncle Dave!" Starsky quickly handed the box to Hutch and caught the little girl up in a big bear hug.

"Hey partner. I wasn't sure you were coming."

Starsky was puzzled. "Why wouldn't I?"

Hutch just shrugged and went into the living room, setting the pizza on the coffee table. Starsky followed, carrying Evie in and setting her on the floor. After flipping her upside down, of course

Hutch was nervous. Very jumpy. And that pissed him off a little. He shouldn’t feel like this in his own home. But it had been in this very room five weeks ago when he had told Starsky of his affections. And nothing had been the same since.

Starsky felt just as nervous. He had tried not to think about it at all. He had tried to just keep their friendship the same as it had ever been. That had lasted a week. Until he had a date with that woman. A hot date with a hot woman had been enough to convince him that his life was empty. A long string of dates with women that he didn't care about with an occasional short relationship with a woman that he did care about, but that didn't work out.

He had about given up hope that he would ever find the right woman. And perhaps he wouldn’t. Hutch had given him an alternative to think about. A relationship with a man. A man that he already loved. A man that he could fall in love with? Maybe. He had thought it to death over the past month. Thought about what Hutch meant to him. Thought about whether he could have a physical relationship with a man. He had come to the conclusion that he wouldn't know until he tried. And he thought he really wanted to try. He was a little nervous about the physical stuff, but Hutch was his best friend. If they decided to try, he knew that Hutch wouldn't push him too far too fast.

He really needed to talk to Hutch about all this. He didn't know if that was such a good idea with Evie over. But then again, maybe it was a good time. Starsky knew that if he and Hutch did decide to try, he wanted to go slow. There would be less chance of them getting carried away if Evie was in the next room sleeping.

But Evie wasn't asleep, yet. They still had a couple of hours to go before the little girl's bedtime.

She had planted herself on the floor in front of the sofa and was waiting impatiently for her pizza. She could sense the tension between her Father and Uncle Dave (she didn't care what her Mother said and continued to refer to Starsky that way when her Mother wasn't around.)

"Daddy, I'm hungry. Let's eat."

Both men sat on the floor, one on either side of the little girl. The tension between them faded as they ate dinner and joked around with Evie. Starsky was struck by the domesticity of the scene, three people eating pizza and sitting in front of the television on a Friday night. Almost like a real family. Except in this family, both the 'parents' were men. It wasn't normal and it wasn't generally accepted, but Starsky thought it felt pretty damn good.

Then 'The Brady Bunch' came on and both men had to deal with an excited five-year-old, who was sitting too close to the television. Both men told her several times to sit back, she was going to hurt her eyes, and she would move back for a moment or two. But she would start creeping ever closer to the set, just as if the two men couldn't see what she was doing. Hutch finally lifted the little girl up and bodily placed her on the sofa where she settled down between her father and her favorite 'uncle' and watched the rest of the show.

That is she settled down until 'The Partridge Family' came on, and then the partners sat and watched in amusement as the little girl danced around the room singing 'Come On, Get Happy' at the top of her lungs. After the opening credits, Evie again planted herself on the floor in front of the TV and no amount of cajoling by either of the men would make her back away from her contemplation of Keith Partridge.

"You want me to go pick her up and drag her back here again?" Starsky asked.

"No, we might as well let her stay up there. She wouldn't sit still anyway."

They both looked fondly at the little girl who was stretched out on her stomach, chin propped up on her hands and her feet kicking in time to the music while Keith Partridge sang just for her.

When the show was over, Starsky got a wicked grin on his face and called out to her, "Hey Evie, did you know that your Father sings? And plays the guitar?"

The little girl whipped her head around and stared at her Father. "Really Daddy? Will you sing for me?"

"Wonderful. That's just great, Starsk. We'll never get her to go to bed now."

Starsky gave him the impudent grin that he was famous for. Hutch just stared back at him and then he suddenly grinned himself. "I seem to recall seeing you strum a guitar a time or two. And your voice isn't half bad."

Starsky's grin faded as he realized that his plan of getting his partner to sing had backfired somewhat. He was going to have to sing too. But that was all right. He could deal with that as long as he got to hear Hutch sing. He thought that his partner had a beautiful voice, much better than his.

He got up off the sofa and crossed the room to the closet, where he knew Hutch kept his guitar. Evie's eyes grew wide as Starsky come back into the living room with the instrument. "Daddy, I never noticed that was in there. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know sweetheart, it just didn't come up."

"Will you sing for me Daddy?" The little girl asked again.

Starsky smiled and handed the guitar to his partner.

Hutch sighed. "Two conditions." He said as he took the guitar and began tuning it. "Starsky has to sing one too, and when were finished, you have to go right to bed."

Evie ran over to Starsky and hugged him. "Please, Uncle Dave. You'll sing too, won't you?"

"All right, all right." Starsky looked at his partner. "I don't know why you want to hear me try to croak out a tune. But I'll sing if you will."

Hutch beamed at his partner and began strumming the guitar. Evie and Starsky both settled on the floor at his feet in rapt attention as he began to sing:

*Well, I know it's kind of late
I hope I didn't wake you
But what I got to say can't wait
I know you'd understand
'Cause every time I tried to tell you
The words just came out wrong
So I'll have to say I love you in a song
Yeah, I know it's kind of strange
But every time I'm near you
I just run out of things to say
I know you'd understand
'Cause every time I tried to tell you
The words just came out wrong
So I'll have to say I love you in a song
'Cause every time the time was right
All the words just came out wrong
So I'll have to say I love you in a song
Yeah, I know it's kind of late
I hope I didn't wake you
But there's something that I just got to say
I know you'd understand
'Cause every time I tried to tell you
The words just came out wrong
So I'll have to say I love you in a song

Hutch had avoided Starsky's eyes as he sang, focusing his gaze on either the floor or his daughter. But Starsky knew that the song was for him. And all the doubts he had been having for the past month disappeared in an instant. He had come over tonight, intending to discuss with his partner whether or not they should try to have an intimate relationship. He knew now that the discussion was unnecessary. He loved this man, more than he had ever loved anyone in his life. He couldn't imagine spending his life with anyone else.

As Hutch finished, Evie clapped her hands in delight. "Daddy, that was so good. You should be on the radio."

"Thank you, sweetie, but I'm not that good."

"I think you are." Starsky said quietly, from his place on the floor. Evie turned her attention to him.

"Your turn, Uncle Dave."

Hutch grinned as his partner handed him the guitar, still not quite meeting his eye. They switched seats, Starsky settling on the couch and Hutch joining his daughter on the floor. The certainty that he felt in his heart at that moment dictated his song choice. It wasn't a coincidence that he chose a song from the same artist and the same album. When it had first come out, both he and Hutch had played it to death, and both of them would sing along whenever one of his songs would come on the radio.

Unlike his partner, Starsky locked his gaze on Hutch's face as he struck the opening chords. Hutch recognized the song immediately and finally met Starsky's eyes as he began to sing:

* If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
Till Eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you
If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you
But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with
If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you
But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with

Hutch felt his heart beating erratically as Starsky finished the song. Could he have meant it? Did Starsky really want to spend all his days with him? Starsky was still looking at him. In fact his focus had not wavered one bit; he had sung the song, looking into Hutch's eyes the whole time. Both men stared at each other for a moment longer, Starsky trying to put all the love he felt into his gaze, and Hutch not quite daring to believe it.

The spell was broken when Evie squealed and jumped up to hug Starsky. "You were good too, Uncle Dave. You both should be on the radio."

Starsky grinned at the little girl and hugged her back. "Better than Keith Partridge?" He teased her.

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "Much better than stinky old Keith Partridge." She gave Starsky a big kiss on the cheek, then wiggled out of his arms to do the same to her Father.

"Daddy, do another one."

"Not right now, Evie. It's time for you to go to bed."

The little girl frowned in disappointment. "I don’t want to, Daddy. I want to hear you sing again."

"We agreed. Uncle Dave and I both sang one song each, now you have to go to bed." Evie's face showed signs that the little girl was about to get difficult. Hutch tried to head off the tantrum. "Evie," he said in a stern voice "we agreed. I'll sing again for you tomorrow, and I'll even start teaching you to play, okay."

Evie's face brightened. "You'll teach me how to play?"

"Yes, sweetie. We'll go out tomorrow and get you your own guitar."

The little girl thought for a moment. She wanted to hear her father sing again, but the promise of getting her own guitar and learning how to play convinced her to obey her father. "Okay, Daddy, I'll go to bed, now. Can Uncle Dave tuck me in?"

"Sure, if it’s okay with Uncle Dave."

Starsky set the guitar aside. He had been quietly strumming while Father and Daughter negotiated. He picked Evie up, and flipping her around carried her, upside down, to Hutch's bedroom.

Hutch listened to his little girl giggling as his partner carried her down the hall. He was glad the Starsky was tucking her in. It gave him a few minutes alone to try to get his raging emotions under control. He picked up the guitar and strummed a little. He could hear the murmur of his partner and his daughter talking in the bedroom, but he couldn't quite make out what they were saying. He closed his eyes and let the soft sound of the guitar lull him, calming himself.

His initial impulse as Starsky was singing was to throw the other man down on the sofa and kiss him senseless. And if Starsky really had meant that song as an answer to his revelation, he probably would have welcomed that kind of attention.

But what if Hutch was wrong. What if he was mistaken about what he had seen in his partner's eyes? Maybe Starsky had sung that song because Hutch had sung a Jim Croce song. Maybe it was the only one he could think of off the top of his head that he knew all the words to. There were any number of reasons why Starsky might have chosen that song. Hutch was determined not to get carried away in his reaction. Starsky hadn't yet mentioned the night that Hutch had confessed his feelings, and he didn't want to push the other man.

Starsky came back from the bedroom almost half an hour later after tucking Evie in. He had stopped in the kitchen and he handed Hutch a bottle of beer, to match the one that he had.

"Did Evie get to sleep?" Hutch asked his partner.

"Yeah, but she made me tell her a story first." Starsky answered as he flopped on the couch next to Hutch.

"I didn't think you knew any children's stories."

"Well I've been reading some lately. Every since the last time that Evie wanted me to tuck her in and I didn't know any. She had to tell me a story instead."

"I don't remember that. When did that happen?"

"It was a couple of months ago. Remember, when you were getting over the flu? You fell asleep on the sofa before 'The Brady Bunch' was over. And you didn't wake up, even when Evie was singing along with Keith Partridge."

"That's the weekend I woke up on Saturday morning to you cooking breakfast for us. You could barely walk that morning."

"Yeah well, were both getting older, buddy. Like to see how well you walk after sleeping on the cold hard floor all night."

"Well partner, you never have to sleep on my floor again."

"Oh really?" Starsky replied in a husky voice. "And just where would I be sleeping?" He asked, arching his eyebrows in Hutch's direction.

Hutch gasped as he realized what he had said and how his partner had interpreted it. All the tension that he had felt earlier in the evening came flooding back all at once.

Starsky watched the blood drain from his partner's face and immediately became concerned. "Hutch, are you okay?"

Hutch jumped up from the sofa and paced over to the window, staring out into the night. Starsky had to be teasing. There's no way his partner was flirting with him.

He heard the soft footfalls as Starsky came up behind him. The shorter man wrapped his arms around Hutch's waist and hugged him from behind, his forehead coming to rest between Hutch's shoulder blades.

Hutch's emotions were in turmoil. He took in a deep, shuddering breath and Starsky's arms tightened around him. "Starsky what are you doing?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Hmm, that's a good question. Falling in love?"

Hutch tore himself out of his partner's arms and turned to face him, his face flushed and his eyes snapping with anger. "Jesus Starsk, don't joke around about that."

Starsky's face betrayed his momentary confusion. Then softened as he realized that Hutch thought he was teasing. "Ah babe, I wouldn't joke about that. Not when it's so important to you. Important to us." He spread his arms, beseeching his partner to come back to his embrace.

"Hutch? Come on, buddy, I'm getting cold over here without you."

Hutch hesitated, still not believing what his partner was trying to tell him.

Starsky sighed in frustration. He knew he wasn't doing this right. He had tried to sweep his Hutch off his feet with clever words and it hadn't worked. His partner was glaring at him suspiciously, jumpy as a stray cat. He decided that Hutch needed to hear plain truth. He turned and paced back to the sofa, flopping down on it to, trying to decide what to say.

"Hutch, five weeks ago you told me you were in love with me and I haven't been able to think of anything else since. At first I just tried to get past it, and let our friendship get back on track. But that didn't work."

"Why not? What happened?"

"I had a date. A really hot date. Then I went home alone. I mean, I had just had sex with this totally hot babe, and I left her. I didn't want to stay with her, and honestly I don't think she wanted me to stay. I felt bad about that. For her, having sex with me was no more important than washing her hair, or going to the mall. It was just something to do.

And then I thought about you. About what you said about being in love with me. If I went to bed with you, it would be important to you. It wouldn't be just a roll in the hay. It would mean something."

"It would mean everything to me." Hutch also walked back over to the sofa, seating him on the opposite end, watching his partner, waiting for him to continue. "So you just decided that you're in love with me too?"

"I know I love you. You're the most important person in my life. Falling in love with you should be easy."

Hutch took a deep breath to try to calm his racing heart. "So, you want to try it? A relationship, I mean?"

Starsky took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "When I came over tonight, I had intended to talk to you about whether or not we should try. I wasn't sure I wanted to risk our friendship. I mean, where will we be if the romance doesn’t work out. But then you sang that song." Starsky's voice dropped to a husky whisper. "You were singing that to me, weren't you babe?"

"Yes." Hutch answered his own voice raspy with emotion.

Starsky moved over so that he was sitting right next to his partner. "You know I was singing to you, don't you?" He said reaching out to touch Hutch's cheek, turning his head to look right at him.

"I do now."

"I wasn't joking, babe. I think I'm already falling for you. I don't need to think about it anymore. I'm sure I want to try."

Hutch closed his eyes and shuddered. He couldn't quite believe his ears. His friend, his partner, the love of his life just said that he was falling in love with him.

"Hutch? You okay, babe?"

Hutch opened his eyes. Starsky's hand was still on his cheek, so he was looking right into his partners deep blue eyes. "Have you ever wanted something so badly, and for so long, that when you finally get it, you have trouble believing it's really true?"

Starsky grinned at his lover. He could call him that now. They hadn't consummated it yet, but they were lovers. "Oh, believe it Hutch." He brushed his thumb across his partner's lower lip, feeling the softness of it. All of the sudden, he wanted to taste. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Hutch's. Oh yes, very soft.

When Hutch felt Starsky's mouth on his, he finally believed that it was happening, it was really, finally happening. He let his arms encircle his partner's waist. He pulled the other man closer and leaned into the kiss. He opened his mouth, inviting Starsky's tongue in to play with his.

Both men were breathing heavily when they broke the kiss. Starsky heart was racing and he looked at his partner in stunned amazement. "I thought I wanted to move slowly into this, but if that kiss was any indication, I don't think I'm gonna have a problem with the physical stuff."

Hutch's smile was like the sun coming out. "I certainly don't have a problem with it. But you . . ." Hutch trailed off.

"What?" Starsky asked him.

"I think you need some more practice. Come here."

Starsky grinned back at him and melted into his embrace, eager for the lessons to begin.

End Chapter Four.

*"I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song" and "Time In A Bottle" by Jim Croce "Photographs and Memories" album, 1974