“We’ll be leaving shortly. Hutch, he’s really okay,” Dobey assured. “I will drive Starsky to your place.”<\/p>\n
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A month earlier, a bullet meant to take my life had definitely changed it. The moment I arrived in the hospital with a bullet in my arm, Starsky and I both seemed to realize something had changed. Hell, it was like we both got hit by Cupid’s arrow at the same time. Well, no\u2026I got shot by Jonny Green’s bullet, and hell, he was no Cupid!<\/p>\n
Starsky and I had always loved each other, but when did that change to being in love with each other? Sitting in my own kitchen nursing a beer, I looked the clock again; I’d estimated twenty minutes. Dobey would be here in less than half an hour. It was going the longest twenty minutes of my life.<\/p>\n
We’d agreed to take the relationship slow. Starsky had joked that if I wasn’t fit enough for work, I wasn’t fit enough for what he had in mind. I didn’t care, because Starsky’s version of kissing me until I felt better was on a whole new level. Here it was the week before I could return to work, and the anticipation had been almost torture.<\/p>\n
Today I’d planned a special meal, and packed us both weekend bags for a getaway. While I was getting things ready, Starsky got caught in an explosion. He’d needed me.<\/p>\n
I paced the living room, anxious to see him. See those blue eyes of his, run my fingers through his hair, and know he was okay.<\/p>\n
He must be okay because the doctor had allowed him to be discharged. Who am I trying to convince? Seeing is believing. Until I see him for myself, this sickening feeling wasn’t going anywhere.<\/p>\n
Looking out the front window, I saw Dobey’s car pull round the corner. I shot out the door, hitting the sidewalk at a run. I caught sight of Starsky slumped in the passenger seat.<\/p>\n
Seeing him was such a relief, even with his forced smile and bloodshot eyes.<\/p>\n
Opening the car door, the smell of smoke from Starsky’s clothes was a brutal reminder of what could have been. He climbed slowly out of the car. His careful slow movements didn’t hide that he was suffering. I hoped he’d been dosed up in painkillers.<\/p>\n
“Hey,” Starsky said wearily.<\/p>\n
“Feel better, Starsky,” Dobey said giving a wave. “Keep Edith and me posted. She’ll make you some rose hip jelly. It’s good for invalids.”<\/p>\n
“Tell her I appreciate the offer but\u2026” Starsky grimaced.<\/p>\n
“I know.” Dobey winked before driving off.<\/p>\n
“Couldn’t stay out of trouble without me, huh?” I wrapped my arm round his waist to go up the front stairs.<\/p>\n
“All in the line of duty,” Starsky grinned fondly.<\/p>\n
We walked slowly and had to pause a couple of times because he coughed harshly before we managed to get inside.<\/p>\n
Once in his apartment, I hugged Starsky and he laid his head on my shoulder. I could feel the rise and fall of his chest. I ran my fingers through his curls, feeling his crispy, scorched hair.<\/p>\n
Starsky pushed his head back into my hand with a soft sigh. He kissed me, his mouth locked onto mine with such hunger and frenzy. The taste of smoke fuelling my need, I almost lost control until he pulled away, catching his breath.<\/p>\n
“I’m sorry, you need to rest,” I said. The lump on his head and his burnt hair sent shivers down my spine. “Shower, then bed.”<\/p>\n
“In a minute.” His breathing was calming down but he was still wheezy. “You could join me.”<\/p>\n
“You’re incorrigible.” I knew if I did, we would get carried away, even though I could see he needed to rest.<\/p>\n
Starsky walked into the bathroom.<\/p>\n
“Leave the door open.”<\/p>\n
“In case you decide to join me?” He gestured at the shower stall with a half-hearted smile.<\/p>\n
Starsky cupped my face and gave me a peck on the lips. Should I stay with him? Make sure he doesn’t slip on the wet shower?<\/p>\n
Instead, I went into the living room and listened to him showering. While he brushed his teeth, I propped the pillows up on the bed to be ready for him.<\/p>\n
“Come to bed with me.” His hoarse voice made it sound like a plea.<\/p>\n
“I’ll get you some water for your throat,” I said, running to grab a glass from the kitchen.<\/p>\n
Starsky got under the covers and I joined him. I kissed his neck, snuggling up and wrapping my arms round him.<\/p>\n
Starsky entwined his fingers with mine and he lifted our hands to his lips. His hot breath felt ridiculously heavenly as he gently kissed the back of my hand.<\/p>\n
I actually purred with delight. There was an undercurrent of distress from his quivering breath. I knew I had to stay silent, to get him to open up but it was agonizing. Thankfully waiting worked faster than normal.<\/p>\n
“I thought I’d lost you\u2026I couldn’t find you, I\u2026” he whispered as he kissed my hand. He curled into my hold.<\/p>\n
“I’m here, babe, it’s okay,” I murmured calmly in his ear.<\/p>\n
“The victim wasn’t you. He was hardly breathing. It wasn’t you.” He shuddered. “Then I remembered you weren’t…”<\/p>\n
“It’s okay.” We curled up together on the bed. I could feel the tension in his body. Starsky tried to stifle a cough, which caused him to flinch. “Is your back bad?”<\/p>\n
“It’s fine.” His response practically screamed otherwise.<\/p>\n
I wished I’d joined him in the shower, I would have checked him for injuries.<\/p>\n
Because he’d coughed, he had moved positions and released my hands.<\/p>\n
I pushed the bathrobe off his shoulders, and gently massaged Starsky’s tight muscles. He was bruised all over. I grabbed the bottle of massage oil from the bedside drawer and poured some in my hands. Spreading the oil on his skin, I continued kneading his shoulders.<\/p>\n
“Hmm\u2026really cold.” Starsky rolled forward to give me better access to his back.<\/p>\n
I leaned down, nudging my nose against his neck and kissed up to his ear. Starsky moaned exquisitely. “Warmer now?” I asked softly.<\/p>\n
“Hmmm, yeaaah.” He had loosened the robe, so I pushed it down to his waist.<\/p>\n
His back was covered with red and purple blotches. I gently covered his back with the robe knowing he would be suffering for the next few days. Massaging his shoulder, I moved carefully down his arms and felt his tension melting away.<\/p>\n
It took a while until his breathing slowed. I was stroking his shoulders and neck for my own comfort, even after he drifted off to sleep.<\/p>\n
Seeing him sleeping peacefully, I finally accepted that he would be okay. I covered him with the bed throw and softly kissed his forehead. I know it sounds corny, I don’t know what it was relief, love or just pure happiness. I had never felt these specific emotions combined before, but realized they would never fully leave me now. Starsky meant so much more to me, more than I’d ever thought.<\/p>\n
Me and thee, will always be.<\/p>\n
Today’s my last day off recovering from an injury. Starsky is at work and I’m looking forward to our weekend together. I answer my phone as I unpack my shopping. “Hutch?” Noises from the hospital scream over Dobey’s voice. “Is he okay?” Instant fear hit me hard. “His\u2026he’ll be okay.” Dobey’s hesitation caught my attention. … Continue reading “December 5th- Sometimes, You Have to See for Yourself by Shell007”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,11,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fic","category-sfw","category-slash"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=188"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":206,"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188\/revisions\/206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/advent.starskyhutchcalendar.net\/2021\/calendar\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Sometimes-You-Just-Have-to-See-for-Yourself.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"