Chapter 12
"I love your car Hutch." Starsky sighed in contentment when they finally reached the place where they'd left the old, battered vehicle Hutch called a car.
"You do huh? I'll remember that buddy."
" We're finally going home. Home sweet home!" The brunet almost cheered with delight thinking about the safety of the city and being in his own place again.
"You wanna come to my place and eat something?" Hutch started the engine but all they heard was a click, no sound of a motor running.
"What the ….." Hutch tried again but nothing happened and angry he slapped his hand on the wheel.
"Stupid bloody car" he yelled "You still love my car Starsk?"
"Yeah, for the moment I do. It's dry and we're inside and that's all I need right now. But it would be nice if ya could get the thing on the road though."
"Dammit Starsk, I just had it fixed and now it's bailing out on me again. Must be the rain, too much rain always kills my engine."
"God, I hope not Hutch." Starsky grinned "It's gonna rain again one day ya know and I wouldn't like to bury ya in bad weather."
"What do you….oh." Hutch grinned back at his friend "Well, if you put it like that I'll rephrase it. It's killing my car, that better?"
"Yeah, much better. But ya know this car is a goner don't ya? Look at it this way, with all the money you're gonna spend on getting it fixed again and again and have already spent you could have gotten yourself a brand new Ferrari."
"I don't want a Ferrari; I want a car like this. I love this old thing, it suits me."
Starsky chuckled, "This heap suits nobody Hutch, it's ready for the graveyard. Hey, I know a place where ya can get a great car for little money."
"Yeah? Is it kosher?"
"Whadda ya mean is it kosher? Of course it is. Would I let ya buy a car that ain't kosher?"
"Well…"Hutch hesitated but then laughed. "No, I don't think you would. Now tell me where do I find this place and what's it gonna cost me?"
"It's my uncle Al's and with a little luck you'll get a great car with all the trimmings for ……….I don't know, but cheap. I can talk uncle Al into a good deal."
"Maybe I should go and take a look then but first we gotta get home and I'm afraid this car ain't gonna run anymore."
"Nope, I think you're right. How are we gonna get away from here? "
"We could try to hitch a ride at the main road."
"T'riffic" Starsky muttered "back into the rain again and catch my death, all thanks to your so called car."
"I'm sorry buddy but if we wanna get home some time today it's the only option."
Groaning Starsky opened the car door and got out of the car "It's all your fault ya know, you and your outdoor ideas. I'm never going on a trip with ya again."
They walked to the main road and waited for the first car to come by. It wasn't very busy, the rain kept most people inside but finally a truck came their way and they waved him to a stop. The truck driver turned out to be a gentle guy who was willing to take them to town, happy to have somebody to talk to. Grateful the two friends climbed into the truck and from that moment on there wasn't one second of silence anymore. The big man behind the wheel kept talking, not noticing that his two passengers didn't say a word and had fallen asleep.
It was late that afternoon when they finally arrived in Bay City and their driver woke them up. "Where do ya want me to drop ya fellas?"
"Oh...um...somewhere near a …..No wait, you know Huggy Bear's?" Starsky yawned and looked around; "hey, ya can let us out here."
"Sure can" the man said and stopped the truck next to the curb "You sure this is it?"
"Yep" Starsky nodded and jumped out of the truck with Hutch on his heels. "Thanks for the ride" he yelled and waved goodbye to the driver.
"Pleasure." the man answered and drove away, steering the truck back into traffic.
"Where are we now Starsk?" Hutch looked around but didn't recognize anything.
"Near my place. It's time you see where I live even if it's not for much longer."
"Hey, you're gonna move?"
Starsky nodded "Yep, got to get out of this dump and find myself a better place to live."
They were standing in front of a rundown house that desperately needed fixing up and a lot of paintwork.
"This is a dump, you're right." Hutch looked as if he just had seen something gruesome "You gotta get out of here buddy and fast."
"You haven't even seen the inside yet" Starsky grinned "Maybe the better, I don't think you'd survive."
He opened the door and stepped inside a dark corridor with Hutch right behind him. It smelled awful and when Starsky suddenly stopped Hutch bumped in to him. "What's the matter?" he asked.
"I can't let ya see this Hutch, hell I can't even let myself see it anymore. Whadda ya think if we take a cab and go to your place? You got a decent home and tomorrow I'll be going house hunting."
Hutch shrugged, "okay, but let's hurry, I'm hungry."
Five minutes later they were on their way to Hutch's little house at the canal and when they arrived it was dark and still raining. Starsky paid the cab driver and Hutch hurried to open his door and put on the lights.
"Ah, this is much better." Starsky plopped down on the couch and sighed. "You got something to eat here Hutch? I'm starving ya know."
"I'll make us something, you want a beer?"
"Oh yes, I missed that …..And a lot more." he added softly so that Hutch couldn't hear him. "Let's order pizza, I'm in the mood for a huge pizza with everything on it."
"Well, okay but I want a veggie pizza, no meat and no fish or other weird stuff on it."
"That's no pizza, that's gross. Hutch after all this wildlife we had I at least deserve a decent pizza with all the good stuff."
Hutch grinned and picked up the phone to order the pizza. Looking at Starsky he ordered the biggest pizza they had and added "I'd like to have half of it with everything you can think of on it and the other half just vegetables. You think that's possible?" Listening to the answer he nodded "Okay, that'll be fine" and hung up.
Starsky looked grateful at him and smiled, "you're a good guy Hutch, thanks."
"Don't mention it pal, I wouldn't want you to starve."
The pizza arrived within fifteen minutes and they started eating with enthusiasm. Starsky wolfed down the first slice in world record tempo and Hutch stared at him in amazement. "Do you actually chew your food or do you just swallow it down?"
His second slice already half eaten Starsky answered around a mouthful, "I'm hungry, no time to chew."
"You're gonna give yourself an ulcer if you keep eating like this."
"Nah, don't worry, I've got an iron-clad stomach. Can eat everything without any trouble." The second slice was already gone and he took a swig from his beer. "Oh man, this is so good."
Hutch kept staring at his friend and forgot to eat himself. He'd never seen anybody eat that fast and he wondered if Starsky really never had stomach trouble.
"Hey, you're gonna eat that or do ya need help with it?" Starsky's voice brought him back from his reverie and grinning sheepishly he took a bite. "No, I can handle my half; don't need your help thank you very much."
"Okay," Starsky grinned back. "Just thought you needed help, that's all."
They ate and drank in silence and again Hutch wondered why he felt so at ease with the curly haired man who apparently had nothing in common with him. "Starsk, do you think that ….um … well…that ….shit… I don't know how to say this." Annoyed he shook his head and tried to think of a way to say what he wanted to say without being laughed at by his friend.
"Why don't ya just say what's in your mind right now?"
"Because it sounds so stupid when I say it." Hutch said, then took a deep breath before he went on. "I have a feeling that you and I are connected somehow. Don't ask me how or why 'cause I don't know that but the feeling is there." He hardly dared to look at the man sitting on his couch and a deep red crept from his neck to his face.
"Aaww Hutch, don't look like that! I'm not a fan of things I can't see ya know, but this ….thing we're both feeling don't scare me at all." He tried to see Hutch's face but the blond kept his head bowed still feeling embarrassed by what he'd said. "Hutch, would ya look at me please, I hate talking to the back of your head."
Still not sure what to expect Hutch raised his head and looked straight into the deep blue eyes that were focused on him. "That's better" Starsky smiled, "now tell me what do ya feel? A connection? Ya can't read my mind can ya?"
Hutch smiled back to his friend, grateful that he made it so much easier to talk about the strange things they both seemed to feel. "No, I can't read your mind but somehow I can sense …..or feel… what you are feeling or….I don't know."
"I know what you mean Hutch, we talked about it before remember? And to be honest, I don't care what we're feeling or not." He shrugged "Maybe there are things we'll never understand but as far as I'm concerned, I couldn't care less. No matter what our minds come up with, you're my friend."
"Thanks Starsk" Hutch whispered, "you're my friend too, as long as I live."
"Now we have that sorted out, could we please talk about something else 'cause I hate soapy scenes. Or better, ain't there a monster marathon tonight? I love monster movies, don't you?"
The end (for now)