FIRST TIME DRABBLE

Part 1 - by Virginia Call

    Fighting darkness and crowds, Hutch searched the party until he found his partner. Nodding to the others, he grabbed Starsky's arm with a painful grip and steered him toward the yard and darkened garden. Hutch dragged his partner to a secluded, hidden corner, desperately wanting privacy.

    "You want to talk to me," Starsky hissed, jerking away violently, "from now on you ask!"

    "What the hell are you doing?" Hutch demanded. "Why are you with Kira?!"

    The moonlight showed Starsky, cold as marble. "We've settled this once," his voice was hollow. "Kira wants me back." Starsky's eyes flashed sudden pain.

Part 2 - by Killa

    "And there ain't nothin' you can do about it."

    If he was trying to goad Hutch into a blind fury, it was working. The blond clenched his fists and made himself bite back the retort he would have made. He knew he had to get his anger under control before he said or did something that couldn't be undone.

    You have no right, he reminded himself fiercely, making himself face it. No right. Get it under control, Hutchinson, before you lose him completely. "Starsk, come on. I said I was sorry."

    He was surprised to hear it come out like a plea.

Part 3 - Virginia Call

    "I don't understand you anymore," Starsky replied sadly, turning away. "You knew how I felt about her, but you slept with her. My best friend wouldn't have done that."

    "It was a mistake, Starsk," Hutch replied quietly, desperately. I had to get rid of her, show up her lies … "I never meant to hurt you." Had to show you she was playing with you… "I explained…"

    "It sucked," Starsky replied, anger vibrating his voice. "I can tell when you lie. That explanation was bullshit, we both know it. Want to try for the truth?"

    Hutch shivered at the thought.

Part 4 - Sandy

    The sound of crystal crashing to a marble floor whipped their glances towards the dim quadrangle behind which over-dressed shapes moved drunkenly. A muffled shriek. Their gazes locked.

    "Someone should keep Linda off the Bloody Marys," Hutch commented wearily, giving thanks.

    But his partner's eyes were relentlessly icy. "She's your bed-bunny. Only one in a dozen. I wouldn't presume to interfere. And you're changing the subject."

    The truth. Hutch could not sustain that gaze, let his eyes cling to the doorway for refuge. Saw a familiar figure emerge, rushing straight towards them.

    "Thought you'd be here," said Huggy briefly. "Trouble. You better shelve whatever it is and come back in."

Part 5-Isabel

    "Trouble?" echoed Starsky. "What kind of trouble?" 

    "With a capital 'T', my man," Huggy responded, looking pointedly at Hutch. "When you gonna find yourself a woman who can hold her liquor, huh? I don't know who's been saying what to whom, but your date's in there spoutin' I don't know what kinda shit about two-timin' cops. It's gettin' ugly." 

    Out of the frying pan in into the fire... thought Hutch, wondering if maybe he'd wake up soon and find that this entire disaster of an evening had been just a bad dream. Fat chance... you made your bed, now you gotta lie in it.

Part 6 - MEKerley

    "Oh, god. I better go."

    Starsky grabbed Hutch's arm, and said tightly "I want the truth tonight, or we're finished as partners."

    "Starsky, No!" I can't lose you! "We c-can w-work t-this out," he stuttered in panic.

    "I can't trust you anymore," Starsky said coldly.

    Hutch blanched, the pain clearly etched on his face; but he nodded, trudging heavily back to the party.

    "Ken!" Linda staggered over, her drink sloshing onto the floor in small red puddles. "You're a two-timin' bastard!" With a sense of doom, Hutch watched Kira -- a smirk on her face -- quickly distance herself from his intoxicated date.

    Part 7 - Jae

    "Linda --"  Hutch grabbed his date's arm to steady her. "Let's get out of here. It's getting late."

    "Not now. Party's jus' started," she mumbled.

    Hutch winced as he noticed the small group of party-goers who had gathered around. God, I hate public spectacles like this, he though miserably.

    "Please, Linda, let me take you home. We'll straighten out this ... misunderstanding tomorrow."

    "Don't wanna! Need another drinkie."

    "I said let's go." Hutch put his arm around her shoulder to maneuver her towards the door.

    "Know what m'frien' Kira tol' me?"

    "Don't --" he began. But Linda pulled away from him. Hutch jumped back as her drink hit him full in the face.

Part 8 - Lynne

    Sudden silence fell so heavily around his ears that he could've sworn it echoed. For a long heartbeat he considered never opening his eyes again, never facing the stunned guests, the drunken date, the smug blonde--never facing his partner again. A chill shook him as a small gust of night air snatched at his soaked collar.

    Oh hell, oh hell. Snapping his eyes open, he deliberately focused his entire attention on Linda. "No...as a matter of fact I don't," he said, keeping his voice mild and praying that it held at least some remaining shreds of steadiness. "Why don't we go over there, and you can tell me?"

Part 9 - Candy Apple

    Many pairs of curious eyes followed the couple to a table in the corner.

    "So what is it that Kira told you?" Hutch was blotting the remnants of the drink off his face with his handkerchief.

    "She tol' me 'bout you an' your par'ner." Linda's face twisted in distaste. "Tol' me it isn't funny you walkin' out on me t'be w'him." She snorted an ugly little laugh. "She tol' me 'bout you callin' out his name."

    Hutch felt the flush creeping up his face from his neck to his hairline. It was only a matter of time now before Starsky would know. I've been wondering when Kira was going to use her trump card...

Part 10 - by Beth

    Hutch looked around the room and saw Kira leaning against the wall, drink in hand, watching with vicious amusement. He stiffened and turned back to Linda.

    "And, your point would be?"

    "My...poin...? You an' him, you're--"

    "Sleeping together," Hutch supplied helpfully. "So?"

    "So?" She gaped at him, swaying under the influence of alcohol and shock.

    He laughed. If she had been any less drunk she would have heard the fear in the laugh, but as it was, she was the one who flushed now.

    "Of course," he said easily, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, as if only a naive idiot wouldn't have known. It worked.

    "You, you bastards," she hissed. "Faggots." In the face of his continued air of amused tolerance she backed down. "Jus' stay away from me, perverts!" She stumbled away to the bar.

    Hutch closed his eyes for a moment, drained. He opened them again, turned, and found himself staring into Starsky's unreadable eyes.

Part 11 - by Jatona Walker

    Too emotionally drained to argue, Hutch lowered his gaze, waiting for the explosion he knew would come.

    Starsky, ever sensitive to his partner's moods, closed the distance between them until they were practically nose to nose. Reaching out, he titled Hutch's chin upward until their gazes met once more. "Hutch, you've never, willingly, lied to me and I don't expect it now; therefore, I'm gonna ask only once, are you in love with me?"

    For the first time that night, Hutch's smile was true. "Yes", he replied, shyly, but without hesitation. "Since academy days."

    "So, what took you so long?"

Part 12 - by MEKerley

    "Wha--?" Hutch blinked. Starsky was looking at him expectantly. What the hell just happened? An unreal confession of love, in the middle of a party, in front of all these people? None of it happened. Oh, god, a walking hallucination... 

    "Spreading rumors again, Blintz?" Starsky laughed, nodding toward Linda. "You shouldn't tease your dates, Hutchinson." In stark contrast to the sunny tone of his voice, Starsky’s eyes were cold, piercing. Talk. Now.

    Heartsick, Hutch looked over at Linda. She was staring stupidly at her drink, mumbling.

    "C'mon, let's get her home," Starsky quietly said.

    "Yeah," Hutch swallowed convulsively.  I'm drowning... 

Part 13 - by Yolanda

    His partner was hurting, which meant that he hurt too.

    He knew Hutch's moods. They'd shared fear and laughter, tears both of anger and of joy. And now Hutch was closed off from him, wandering in the mazes he built in his brain.

    His partner's confession had been unexpected, and unwelcome. Or was it?

    He found himself staring at Hutch's hands as they drove Linda home. Hands that had held him, so many times. Hands that were now nervously moving up and down Hutch's thighs, rubbing as if wiping away sweat.

    His cool partner was scared.

    And so was he.

Part 14 - by Jatona

    The moon shown down on the deserted beach and the two men who sat in the parked Torino. The only sound were the waves crashing on the shore.

    "Starsk?", the blond whispered, finally breaking the suffocating silence.

    "Yeah, Hutch?", the darker man replied in kind.

    "Forgive me for what I'm about to do."

    The plea drained all doubts and fears from Starsky's heart. He moved closer to his friend until mere inches separated them. "Me & Thee, Hutch. Always."

    Hutch groaned, closed that final distance, and claimed those perfect lips.

    Starsky surrendered.

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