"Hutch? HUTCH!" Starsky half hissed, half whispered into the darkness.

"Ennnhhh." Hutch had been sleeping somewhat soundly in the only bed in the room, and he was intent on keeping things that way.

"What was that?" Because Starsky sounded nearly hysterical, Hutch decided to open at least one eye and see what his partner was getting worked up over. He was treated to the sight of a grown man cowering in a sleeping bag on the sofa. Hutch tried to take him seriously, but seeing Starsky's bedraggled curls and wide eyes peeking at him over the sofa, he didn't know if he'd be able to resist the urge to laugh in Starsky's panicked face.

"What was what?"

"That sound. I think it came from the chimney." He pointed at the chimney, hoping Hutch would get up and check it out. The pointing also added dramatic effect, but Starsky wasn't going to admit it.

Hutch closed the one eye he had opened. It was too late at night for this. "The only thing I hear is you keeping me awake. If you plan on going fishing with me in the morning-"

"But what if it's a deer or something else ferocious? What if it wants to eat us in the dead of night, leaving our nibbled-on bodies behind as its only sign of ever having been here? What then?" He sounded downright terrified by now. Images of killer deer baring bloody fangs and running straight for him and Hutch raced through his mind. It helped with the dramatic effect.

"Deer don't eat people, least of all annoying, insomniac partners."

"Oh, come on! If you hadn't scared me earlier tonight-"

"Starsk? Shut up and go to sleep," Hutch said into his pillow. He had to admit the look on Starsky's face earlier that night was priceless. When he wondered just what Woods Virgin was going to attempt to do with that ketchup bottle, Hutch found himself desperately smothering a few chuckles with his pillow.

"But-"

"No buts. It's probably just those college kids on the other side of the lake or something. I've already humored you once tonight with those stupid night lights. Now, go to sleep."

Starsky glanced back at the chimney, but he didn't say anything. For about 46 seconds.

"Hey, Hutch?" he quietly asked into the near darkness.

Hutch made a noise that was somewhere between exasperation and amusement. "No, you can't sleep in the bed with me tonight. If you see something come out of the chimney, just shoot it. But do it with a silencer because some of us are trying to sleep. Goodnight."

Starsky slid back down into his sleeping bag and cursed his luck. Maybe tomorrow night he could fake a stomach ache from the bear meat or something, forcing Hutch to be nice and share the bed with him. Starsky would be damned if he came all the way out here in the middle of nowhere just to fish and "be at one with nature." He was planning on getting something out here, and it sure as hell wasn't fresh air.

Deciding that his bear meat plan just was dumb enough to work, Starsky eventually drifted off to sleep, and he didn't even dream of man-eating deer.

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