December 20th- Mind Drift: Me and Thee by Flamingo

Author’s Note: Pacific Rim is a 2013 American science fiction monster movie set in the future, when Earth is at war with the Kaiju, colossal sea monsters that emerge from an interdimensional portal on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. To combat them, humanity creates Jaegers, 250-foot robots, controlled by at least two pilots, whose minds are joined by a mental link called “drifting.” You can see the official trailer for Pacific Rim here. And see two pilots, brothers, suit up and mind meld in this clip.

When pilots drift, they gain intimate knowledge of each other’s memories and feelings. The concept of drift-compatibility made for excellent shipping opportunities and became a common fusion AU in fandom.

When I introduced Suzan to this film, I wasn’t thinking of Starsky and Hutch. But as we discussed drift compatibility, I realized the boys, with their intense partnership, would make them prime Jaeger pilots. And the tight black uniforms they wear would be just perfect for Starsky and Hutch.

This story is directly inspired by Suzan’s art piece, Mind Drift, posted to this year’s Advent Calendar.

Hutch still wasn’t used to the drift. Especially when he was asleep. Or when they were making love.

He was surrounded, enveloped, encased in another human being. It was more passion than he’d ever felt, more love than he’d ever known, and all for him. He could be as greedy as he wanted, taking as much as he could bear. And he could bear so much!

Starsky was on top of him, swallowing him alive, using his mouth in ways no woman ever had, taking his length, holding nothing back, pulling him in, swallowing him alive, and it was so good. Beyond good. Beyond imagining.

It wasn’t a problem when they were working, when they were dropped into the 250 foot, red and white robot Starsky insisted on calling the Torino-tron. Hutch had intended to have a discussion with their leader, Marshall Stacker Pentecost, about that paint job, but whenever he was actually face-to-face with the stern marshall, there always seemed to be something more important to talk about. If they talked at all.

“Gentlemen, we need you to hold the coast line in Bay City. Two other Jaegers will be five miles out in the ocean to combat a new category four Kaiju, code name Hammerhead. You’ll be backup if it gets past them, or if a secondary threat appears.”

“Yes, sir, Marshall,” Hutch responded respectfully.

“Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are ready for action in the Torinotron, sir!” Starsky added.

Hutch rolled his eyes.

“Ranger Starsky,” Pentecost growled, “those are not your code names. You do not have code names. You are manning the mecha known as the Red Menace. Please respond appropriately in the future.”

Hutch knew damned well Starsky would say the same thing next time. He’d come up with the Star Trek names the first time they’d melded in the drift. Of course, Starsky considered himself the impulsive, emotional Kirk while envisioning Hutch as the logical Vulcan. Pentecost wasn’t the only one aggravated by it.

Pentecost had recruited them himself out of the Bay City police department. They were well-known detectives with a record number of high profile arrests. And a secret relationship they had to keep deep in the closet or risk being separated.

Separated. When they were cops that was their deepest fear—the thought of working with anyone else was unthinkable. They never questioned why they always seemed to be on the same wavelength, why they finished each other’s sentences, why they communicated in a shorthand that seemed uncanny to the people around them. Apparently, in some way, they were reading each other’s minds. And Pentecost, somehow, had figured it out.

It didn’t happen overnight, but he convinced them to consider joining the Ranger program, to agree at least to be tested for compatibility.

“Most of the candidates wash out early,” he’d said in front of them when they were gathered in Dobey’s office. “You’re also older than most of the new recruits. The strain is harder on older subjects.” He’d looked right at them when he’d said it.

Hutch felt his jaw tightening, but Starsky only grinned. “Long way to come to recruit such weak candidates. You must be desperate, Pentecost.”

“You’re not wrong, Mr. Starsky,” Pentecost had said honestly, impressing both of them.

“What incentive do we have to risk our lives doing something we’ve never done before,” Hutch asked, “for an organization shrouded in secrecy? You’ve already outlined our shortcomings.”

Pentecost had met Hutch’s stare without blinking. “I think, gentlemen, you’ll find rewards for your service that far outstrip what you enjoy right now. For one thing, your partnership would remain intact…regardless of whatever personal conflicts affect you here.”

Hutch had been rocked by Pentecost’s statement and for once, Starsky had nothing flippant to add. Dobey wouldn’t meet their gaze. Neither man could risk eye contact with the other.

Hutch could almost hear Starsky wondering, “How could he know…?”

After Pentecost discussed the program and their potential with Dobey, Dobey consulted with the Chief and, just as they would with military reservists, promised to hold their jobs open if they washed out, or the Ranger program ended. No one talked about how high the chances were they’d be killed in the job. That was a given. They had survived more than one attempt on their lives as detectives. How much more dangerous could it be connected to a Jaeger—a giant robot fighting massive alien sea monsters they called Kaiju?

Starsky, a lover of monster movies since childhood, thought it was a job made in heaven. To say Hutch didn’t view it in the same way was the understatement of the century. But he wasn’t about to let Starsky go alone. And Pentecost wouldn’t have taken only one of them. He wanted them both. Because of their partnership. And maybe because of that part of their relationship that Dobey judiciously ignored—their love affair.

The one thing Hutch never imagined is the effect the job would have on their affair, on them, on their lives together. Because outside the Ranger program, nobody talked about the drift.

It was almost impossible for a single pilot to control the Jaegers. Early in the program, single pilots were physically and mentally damaged from the effort to control the huge automatons. Mentally connected to the robot’s controls, pilots managed the huge mechas with their brain, using their physical body—legs and arms—to drive the giant limbs: to walk, to run, and especially to fight. They soon learned that they needed two pilots to handle the load, one using his or her right hemisphere and the other controlling the left. The pilots melded together through a process called the neural handshake. Even in simulation, it could take multiple tries to master the handshake, to be willing to yield part of yourself and join with another mind. And if things went bad during the drift, it could be disastrous for everyone involved.

“Engage pilot-to-pilot protocol,” Hutch heard Pentecost direct the Operations Manager, as Starsky and Hutch were prepared for their first simulation.

Suddenly, the technicians adjusting their suits and the spinal apparatus that would interact with their nerve synapses stepped away and they were alone. They glanced at each other at the same time through the helmets.

He didn’t need a mental connection to read Starsky’s expression. “Here we go, partner!”

Hutch smiled back at him.

“Engaging now,” the Ops tech said.

“Pilot-to-pilot connection protocol sequence,” the system voice confirmed.

“Prepare for neural handshake,” Pentecost warned. “In fifteen seconds….”

“Fourteen…” the Ops tech began the countdown.

Hutch remembered the training: relax, take some deep breaths, close your eyes. He remembered it, but had to force himself to pull his gaze from Starsky’s. And he could see Starsky struggling with the same impulse.

“…Three… two…one…” the Ops tech intoned.

“Neural handshake initiated,” the system voice said.

And then it happened. They fell into the drift, and suddenly everything that had physically separated them over the years—the constraints of the flesh, misunderstandings, miscommunications—all of it were gone as the two joined as one being, one mind. For the first time, Hutch truly understood what people meant when they talked about “two becoming one.” Because they finally were. With nothing hidden. Nothing muted.

Starsky was here, everywhere, inside and around him, the one being in the universe he loved and trusted without reserve. And realized Starsky felt exactly the same. Hutch knew that no matter what happened in the future, they would forever be altered by this moment. They could never be separated again— Until death do us part….

Starsky and Hutch had managed to drift the very first time they’d tried. Video from the control room showed Pentecost giving up a rare smile when their success confirmed his instincts. He deserved that smile since so many of the other Rangers thought he’d lost his mind recruiting men of their age, men whose fighting skills were more street than disciplined martial skills.

But once they had been fully trained on all the Jaeger’s abilities and weapons, they’d proved themselves in the field as well, racking up impressive Kaiju kills both alone and as part of a team with other Jaegers. No one questioned Pentecost’s judgement anymore.

Hutch had been exhilarated after their first successful drift. Starsky was, too. They’d been so overwhelmed at their sudden mental link that they had to be reminded to go through their physical checklist that would enable them to control their Jaeger. After a few more simulations, that became second nature. As had getting the mecha to do their bidding.

But what they hadn’t been prepared for was the repercussions of ending their time in the drift. For Hutch, getting disconnected felt like losing the most important part of himself. He felt lost, almost panicky. But then Starsky was there, physically touching him, holding his arm, anchoring him in the here and now. They made eye contact and the near-panic Hutch had been feeling as the connection terminated melted away.

And then it happened.

“I’m right here, babe.” It was only when Starsky smiled that Hutch realized his mouth hadn’t moved. That he’d heard the words clearly in his mind, even though they were no longer in the drift. Or were they?

He swallowed and smiled. “I hear you,” he’d said mentally, and Starsky nodded, receiving him as well.

Before he could wonder about this new, stronger connection, Pentecost distracted them. “You can stand down, gentlemen, and congratulations on a successful drift.” A typical Pentecost understatement.

The technicians had warned them about normal responses to the first drift that included violent vomiting, crippling migraines, and panic attacks. Their biggest problem seemed to be an inability to stop grinning and spontaneous erections, which, fortunately, were masked by the skintight black pilot uniforms and heavy metal outercasings.

Since they were off duty for the rest of the day, they’d spent it in frantic lovemaking, testing the resilience of their narrow beds until they were completely exhausted.

That night, Hutch realized he could find Starsky in the drift in his sleep. He’s assumed at first it was just a dream brought on by their new experience. It felt as if he were watching Starsky’s dream like a movie playing out for an audience of one. He was used to the chaotic way Starsky’s mind worked when he was awake, so the rapid-fire moving images were no surprise. The dark fears that soon surfaced, however, were.

Images of their past experiences on the streets of Bay City, in particular, their close calls—Starsky’s poisoning at the hands of the criminal, Bellamy; Hutch being trapped under his car in the California hills; Starsky’s kidnapping at the hands of cultists; Hutch nearly being killed by a car bomb—all spelled out Starsky’s terror at the thought of being separated from Hutch. Unable to watch his partner suffer from past resolved incidents, even in his sleep, Hutch inserted himself into the scenes, solving the problems, soothing the moment, reassuring the man he loved.

I’ll always be here for you. You can always find me in the drift.

And Starsky believed him. His dreams changed, and he slept peacefully. Hutch did also.

The next morning, Starsky relayed his odd dream leading them both to realize that they actually would drift in their sleep.

“You think other partners are doing that, too?” Starsky wondered. “Or is it…just us?”

They remembered Pentecost’s cryptic remarks about rewards that would “far outstrip what you enjoy right now.” They decided not to ask.

But there was no way they could have been prepared for the effect drifting would have on their lovemaking.

Years ago, Hutch hadn’t been surprised when they’d finally stopped dancing around their desire and got into bed for the first time that Starsky was an inventive, creative, and thoughtful lover. Starsky had always been a hedonist, loving good food, new experiences, and sensual experiences. He brought all that to Hutch when they fell in love. Hutch brought the depth of his passion, his unbridled strength, his willingness to open himself to this man as he had never done with another. Their passion had always been epic, right from the beginning. And fun. Starsky made sure of that, always worrying about Hutch’s tendency toward heavy thinking and worry. When Hutch was in bed with Starsky, there was always laughter, always joy.

And now, there was the drift. And like everything else about the drift, they had to learn to control it. Letting their minds wander while they were apart could be embarrassing. Especially if one of them found himself awash in desire while the other was somewhere else in the compound.

Hutch reacted negatively the first time it happened, complaining about Starsky “summoning” him. “I’m not a stud horse, Starsky. You can’t tease me to get me in the mood so I can perform!”

“It wasn’t intentional, Hutch, it just kind of happened! I’m sorry.”

But then it had happened to Hutch. In spite of his best efforts to tamp it down, Starsky had been forced to abruptly walk out of a task force meeting and join Hutch in their rooms.

They managed to figure out a mental strategy that allowed them more control and more equilibrium.

But all that went out the window when they were actively making love.

It was impossible to maintain any self-discipline when your lover could tap into your deepest desire, could sense exactly what you wanted when you wanted it, and, more importantly, could control your ability to withstand the perfect torment and make it last and last.

If there was anything Hutch loved more than having Starsky on top of him sucking him so slowly so lovingly it was almost unbearable, he couldn’t imagine what it could be. But apparently Starsky could. Because while Hutch thrashed and clung to his lover feeling as though he could endure this exquisite torture for hours, Starsky’s left hand had somehow collected lubricant and now gently, teasingly stroked his perineum and anus.

Hutch lurched and groaned, his mind exploding with pleasure. He could feel Starsky’s mind moving deeper into his, encouraging his response even as his long-fingered hand promised more with its seductive touch. Hutch spread his legs or was Starsky spreading them for him? He couldn’t tell any longer. He didn’t want to know, didn’t need to know. Everything he was, everything he had, was Starsky’s for the taking.

And Starsky knew it without asking.

Starsky played back for Hutch the memory of their last time, when Hutch had covered him completely, stretched along his back, using his weight to hold Starsky down. All the while, Hutch kept kissing, nipping, and licking Starsky’s neck, his ears, his shoulders, seducing him into a sweet willing submission so Hutch could slide without resistance deep into his body. Hutch relived again the contact with Starsky’s mind that helped Starsky yield willingly so there was only pleasure in the joining. That feeling of having Starsky in contact with all of Hutch’s skin, of feeling the heat of Starsky’s body, of penetrating him so deeply Starsky could only weep from the intensity—Starsky reminded Hutch of all of that so he could enjoy it while Starsky sucked him over and over.

Starsky’s hand slid into Hutch’s body, claiming him as no one ever had, while Starsky’s mind molded the experience, heightening it, bringing into play the memory of Hutch fucking Starsky so passionately that Hutch began to lose track of who was taking whom. Which was just what Starsky wanted. And just what Hutch wanted as well.

Hutch’s hands gripped Starsky’s hair while he fought the urge to force Starsky’s mouth to do his bidding. He didn’t have to. Starsky knew exactly what to do and when to do it. He moved his hand deeper inside Hutch’s body, harder, because he knew that’s what Hutch needed, as he swallowed around the long length of Hutch’s impossibly rigid cock.

Hutch felt Starsky’s deep love for him resonate in his brain and sent an answering emotion back. Starsky’s tongue tortured Hutch’s length and he arched, as if reaching for more. Starsky penetrated Hutch with another finger making him cry out in joy.

Exhausted almost to collapse, their minds became a single unit, and they both came hard, straining and arching to leach out every drop of pleasure they could wring from the moment. Then collapsing together, they gasped for air, heaving, sweating, trembling from multiple aftershocks.

“That was pretty good,” Starsky gasped, making Hutch laugh out loud with the little strength he had left.

“If it gets any better, I don’t think we’ll survive it,” Hutch croaked, reaching for the water bottle next to their bottom bunk. Their no-frills room offered little comfort with its barracks-style bunk beds, but at least it was private.

“But what a way to go,” Starsky mumbled, starting to slide into sleep. He was still on top of Hutch, his weight growing heavy as he succumbed.

Hutch clung to him, happy to leave him there.

“Love you so much,” he heard in his mind and sent the same back along the drift. Starsky’s dreams were slow and soft, letting Hutch know how satisfied he was.

How lucky were they to share this level of connection? Hutch didn’t know but he wasn’t about to take it for granted. Every moment they shared was precious to him and he was grateful for it.

Starsky and Hutch were in uniform the next day, on their way to their Torino-tron, when mail drop brought them a package from Bay City. “What did you buy now?” Hutch asked his partner. It was almost Christmas, and Starsky was a notorious gift giver. The package had some weight to it.

“Not me,” Starsky said, looking equally confused. “Maybe it’s Kaiju repellant. Open it!”

They were scheduled to help repair some Kaiju damage in Bay City. Their robot could lift a damaged bridge and help engineers determine how much was salvageable. They might even be able to enact some of the heavier-duty repairs themselves through the various tools available to the robot.

Hutch started tearing the brown paper wrapping and opened the box. The first thing he found was a card sitting on top.

“To my brothers-in-arms,” he read aloud, then grinned. “It’s from Huggy!”

Peeking into the box, Starsky snagged the first thing he could see, a red Santa hat with the word “naughty” in script on the white fur trim. Hutch moved to smack his hand, but he was already trying it on.

“This little care package,” Hutch read from the card, “is from your many fans in Bay City. Just a few things you might have trouble finding in your austere surroundings. Knowing you’re out there protecting our little slice of heaven means a lot. We all miss you. Stay safe, my brothers! And Merry Christmas. Love, Huggy, and everyone at the Pits.”

Hutch pulled away the tissue paper and extracted another hat, also red but in a top-hat style. It had the word “nice” printed on a card in script that was slipped into the headband. He plopped it on his head.

“What else is in there?” Starsky asked as Hutch rummaged around.

“Uh…a rattan wreath with twinkling lights, some mistletoe, a Star of David with a menorah in it—”

Starsky grinned wider, “My man thinks of everything! We can hang this stuff up in the Torino-tron.”

“And…” Hutch started to laugh. “There’s another note. ‘Here’s a little something to sustain you in your seasonal celebrations, if you get what I mean, and I think you do.'”

They were nearly in the loading bay where they would climb into the cockpit and get attached to the brain of their machine.

Hutch pulled out some green cans, handing one to Starsky. “He sent us energy drinks!” Hutch was really laughing now as he held up a large can of Pocket Rocket.

Starsky was shaking his head as he looked at his can of Amp.

Hutch couldn’t help but think how much they could have used these drinks yesterday after their marathon lovemaking. Afterwards, they were lucky they could get out of bed and make it to dinner in the main hall. Without consciously meaning to, he projected the memory to Starsky, who winced as he started getting an erection in the uncomfortably tight pilot’s suit.

“Hey!” Starsky protested, clearly trying to dispel the erotic image to no avail. He started to laugh and lifted his can in a salute. Referring to Hutch’s vivid memory, he said, “I’ll drink to that—but I think you’re wearing the wrong hat!”

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20 Responses to December 20th- Mind Drift: Me and Thee by Flamingo

  1. Nancy K Roots says:

    KUDOS, Flamingo!
    I’m not a big fan on movies like this, but I loved this story!
    Makes sense the guys would be choosen.
    And great illustration!

  2. Endeni says:

    OMG how lovely! Pacific Rim is just perfect for a S&H fusion, I always thought so myself, and your story is such a terrific treat! Thank so much for sharing! *_*

  3. Spencer says:

    Truly awesome. Every now and then I see something I think would suit S & H perfectly, even though others might find it obscure. Even a bit odd ball. But you’ve done it with this magnificently. Thank you for sharing your wonderfully odd ball gift. Merry Christmas!

  4. pat says:

    I LOVE the Torino-tron! Guess I’m going to have to rent the DVD now, since this story and the clips have definitely peaked my interest. THANKS, Flamingo, Suzan, and all the Elves!

  5. CallieDoodle says:

    Well THAT was different! Such a great premise for our guys. I didn’t think they could get any closer, but clearly I was wrong. What an intense connection – fraught with possibilities. Thanks for the gift, and I love the illustration of the Torino-Tron!

  6. oonna says:

    Not sure if I want to see the movie now because I’m sure your version with the boys is much better.
    And the Torino-Tron is really amazing! So cool! Any possibility to get one for Christmas?

    • admin says:

      Oh, see the movie! It’s awesome. I see our boys everywhere. But this is one of my favs. Thanks for your kind words.

  7. Garrideb says:

    Well, that was great fun! I love that it’s an AU that keeps canon until S&H get headhunted by an organization that fights sea monsters. And why not? Sea monster and giant robot battles out in the ocean wouldn’t necessarily change the world that much!

    I loved the enhanced connection they got and it was great seeing Hutch use it to sooth Starsky’s nightmares. And then of course seeing them use it during sex was hot!

    • admin says:

      Oh, thanks so much for your comments! My biggest worry was that story would be incomprehensible to anyone who’d never seen the film. Thanks for this!

  8. Keri Ann Tomkins says:

    I think the imagination you have and the ability to see our guys in different universes and still keep them so perfectly in character is second to none. Thank you!

  9. Wightfaerie says:

    Wow. Not seen this movie. But loving your version better anyway – lol. So hot. Totally them. Amazing AU. Thank you.

    • admin says:

      Wightfaerie, thanks so much. I worried a lot about anyone who’d never seen this film. :You are very welcome and I’m very grateful for your reassuring words.

  10. Dawn Rice says:

    Never seen this film, but the drift works perfectly for our guys. Fantastic lovemaking with both of them so intimately, mentally entwined!

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