granderobino | More Pic Fic: Breathe (Reply)

Most pics snagged/edited from Cindy's Starsky and Hutch Screen Captures here: http://shpics.shahrazad.net/ a great resource when you're looking to capture the boys doing something in particular. Alas...I found no kissing. But several good hug shots ;-) Also one or two from Marion (bless her heart).

This is a story I first posted on Me and Thee 1000, but I wanted to add pics...so...here goes

Breathe

Okay. So I said I wanted to get away and be by myself for awhile.

I thought that was what I wanted. I mean, after the week we had: chasin down perps and hoods and kicking some ass, as well as getting our asses kicked (and not just metaphoric-like). I was spent. Plus the city was under one those smog-alert things that the news stations just loved to talk about constantly. It was hot and humid, the AC in the Torino was on the fritz.

Hutch had been surprisingly calm and cool through all of it. Part of me loved that about him. Usually. But, for some reason, his superhuman ability to not be affected by the oppressive heat had ticked me off this week.

So I told him. We had three days off and I was going up to Pine Lake (Dobey had said I could use his cabin). Alone. Needed time away to clear my head. To get out of the city and just...breathe.

He managed to hide his surprise (and, was that disappointment?) pretty quickly.

“Sure, buddy,” he had said, as if to encourage me, “Give me a call when you get back.”

So, here I am. Hasn't even been twenty four hours, and already I'm realizing my mistake.

Sure, the air is cleaner up here. And it's quiet. The folks in town are even being friendly this trip. But I'm missing one thing. My partner. I should've known. Vacation isn't really a vacation without the Blintz.

And now that I let myself think about it...I was kinda mean in the way I made a point of telling him he wasn't invited. Cranky as I was all week, he's probably just as glad to get rid of me. Still there was that look in his eyes, when I told him I was going without him...Damnit! I hurt him. How could I be so thoughtless?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“H'lo?”

“Hey, Blondie. Took you long enough. Hope I didn't interrupt a big date or something...”

“Hey, Starsk. No date. Just me and the tube. How're doing? Everything okay?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, everything's fine...just...miss you, I guess.”

“But you wanted this time to yourself, remember? Felt like you couldn't breathe. I figured you'd had enough of my smothering since...the shooting and all. I mean, you reminded me all week how you could take care of yourself. You barely even needed me to help bring in the Spivac brothers...”

“I always need you Hutch. Don't ever doubt that. I know I'm not good at saying it out loud. But I always need you.”

“Well, you've always got me. Don't you doubt that.”

“'Kay...watcha' watchin? Game? Who's pitchin?”

“Sutton, pretty uneventful though.”

“Got plans for the rest of your days off?”

“Hadn't thought much about it...”

“Think I could talk you into coming up here?”

“You sure, buddy? I don't want you asking just 'cause you're feeling sorry for me.”

“Sure, I'm sure. Every time I turn around to tell you something and you're not there, I realize it. I was a dope to think this could be any fun without you. So, will you come?”

“I'll get my stuff together first thing in the morning. Thanks, Starsk. I'm really glad you called.”

“Me too. I'm glad you answered. And that you even wanted to talk to me. This'll be great Hutch. It's really beautiful here. The air is so clean, I was right about that. You really can breathe up here. See you in the morning, Partner.”

“G'night, Starsk.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~

Funny how one little phone call could cheer me up so much. Maybe now I could start relaxing and enjoy myself. Just knowing that Hutch would be there in the morning, made everything...right.

I'd even let him have the bed, and I'd take the lumpy old couch.

Or maybe...

It was a nice fantasy. Me and Hutch sharing a bed, when neither of us is sick or injured. Wonder if it'll ever happen...Why not?...Would I risk it? Risk losing my partner and best friend...I wasn't sure I had the guts. But in the meantime...it was still nice to imagine. Even as I sat, basking the nature that I knew he loved.

I imagined him there, and being happy to see me and sharing with me his love of nature. I heard the soft night sounds; crickets, frogs, the occasional trill of a bird.

I breathed in the sights and sounds and then concentrated on the smells. The pine. The smoke from my fire. The slightly burned smell of my toasted marshmallows. Yeah, this was great. Hutch was gonna love this.

Then I inhaled a scent of something slightly out-of-place. Not threatening. In fact, soothing. Comforting. Familiar. Sandalwood. Leather. Musk. Without turning, I said his name. Hoping that I was right.

“Hutch?”

“I should know better than to try to sneak up on the best detective in Bay City,” he chuckled.

Without thinking, I jumped up and enveloped him in a fierce hug.

Neither one of us seemed to want to let go. That was just fine with me.

I turned my head just slightly and leaned into his neck a little more, and breathed deeply, inhaling lungfuls of his scent. He shivered slightly at that, and managed to pull me even closer.

“Well, I'm here now,” Hutch said in a sotto voice “What do you want to do first?”

“Breathe babe,” I whispered as sort of a statement, request, and demand all at the same time.

But, soon we realized breathing was overrated, when it came to interrupting passionate kisses.

I guess I was right about needing to get away for a while to be able to breathe. What it took me a little longer to realize was that my partner needed this as much as I did. Thankfully, we figured it out. Just like always. Together.