Starsky flipped through the address book, locating H for Hutchinson. He chuckled because, sure, he knew where his favorite Hutchinson lived, but there were more than one.
Checking twice on the house number, he wrote the full address for Richard Hutchinson on the envelope. Slashing his John Hancock inside the card with the cheery picture of deer munching on a green, snow dusted tree decorated with holly berries, he pushed it into the done-for-now pile.
“What ‘cha doing, babe?” Hutch padded up behind him.
“You’re a detective.” Starsky turned his head enough to get a peck on the cheek and return the endearment. “What do you think?”
“I thought we were going to eschew all the traditional trappings of Christmas, and focus on ourselves this year,” Hutch said, a slightly stressed but resigned expression registering when he observed the two piles of cards.
Starsky nodded, well versed in all Hutch’s usual obfuscations about the holiday. Hutch couldn’t quite align himself into conforming with the commercial, constant bombardment of holiday sentiment in December. When alone, exchanging gifts, singing Christmas carols together or watching Miracle on 34th Street together, he was fine. He enjoyed the happiness of the day, but objected to having it force fed on the public as a mandate for family festivities. “I’m all for that.”
“It’s over a year since you were reinstated on the force, we’ve had a great 1980…” Hutch began, stopping when Starsky tapped him on the lips with a pen and handed him a pile of cards.
“Put your illegible scrawl on these,” Starsky directed. “And I’ll make you a cup of spiked eggnog.”
“You wrote one for my dad?” Hutch asked softly, sitting down for the job. “After what he said…”
“He was outta line.” Starsky addressed one to Karen Hutchinson and her boyfriend/possible fiancé, Mark Atkins. “But he’s still the only dad we got between us.”
Hutchinson senior had implied they were deviants and performing illegal acts that could get them arrested, at the same time hugging his son one last time with a glint of tears in his eyes. Starsky had seen the evidence himself.
“Starsk.” Hutch sighed, clearly understanding. “I just—”
“Stuff changes,” Starsky continued with confidence. His own mother had accepted them as a couple with open arms. Nicky, not so much, but there’d been a posturing in his macho bravado, and a longing look as if he wished he could find true love that had convinced Starsky that there was a small opening in their future. Louise Hutchinson, who had worked as a nurse in the ER for decades, had been reserved but loving. She knew. Like his own mother, he was fairly certain Louise had known before he and Hutch had come out to their families. Karen was a sweetie, and in love herself. There’d been no problems there.
“You think he’d come around?” Hutch said with such distress.
Starsky gripped the hand Hutch was holding the pen with. “We’re strong and he’s stubborn. We wear him down like water over a rock—slow,” Starsky said, smiling. “Takes time.”
“One Christmas card at a time. Communication,” Hutch agreed.
“Keeping the door open,” Starsky said, gazing at him, grateful to his bones that he had Hutch in his life.
“You’re smarter than people think.” Hutch smiled at him with those astonishingly blue eyes. “Now where’s that eggnog you promised? I see there’s a big pile of cards to sign.”
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Thank you for this fic. My heart melts for sweet, forgiving Starsky – he knows Richard loves Hutch. And you made me feel sorry for Richard too. Homophobia is really just another irrational fear.
Aw, thanks–this one came straight out of my subconscious. I think I had very little to do with the plot.
So heartwarming . Starsky knows keeping the door open is better than slamming it shut forever. I love how he is the one to remind Hutch of that when it comes to Hutch’s father. Such support between the two of them.
Exactly! I set out to write a 20 minute fic and this resulted. It was a surprise to me, too.
Starsky is a smart (Christmas) cookie. He knows what to do to keep Hutch happy. Thanks!
LOl–yep. Some nog, some cookies and perhaps nookie later.
Such a sweet story!
Merci. I think I wrote it without much input from my brain, it was all Starsky and Hutch.
Oh, this is beautiful! It’s so wise of Starsky to leave that door open. Especially, as he says: “But he’s still the only dad we got between us.” Beautiful line! (Made me melt!)
As did: “grateful to his bones that he had Hutch in his life.” Yes, yes, YES!
Thank you so much! Loved it! XX
When I wrote that line, I knew what the story was about. <3
This is terrific, Dawn. Christmas is a time for forgiveness and reconciliation. Maybe Starsky’s (and Hutch’s) card will bring about a change that he’s already thinking about.
We can hope! My headcanon almost always has the Hutchinsons divorced, so Hutch needs to keep that connection to his dad.
This is such a sweet story. Starsky really is so smart. I love that he sees that keeping the door open will be so much better than holding a grudge. After all, he and Richard do have something important in common – they both love Hutch very much
Perfect! Yes, I had not thought of that. Thanks.
Dawn, your writing always makes me happy. I love that Starsky seeks to keep the door open. Also that the moms knew, and it’s been my experience mom’s are better at that unconditional love thing. Thank you for this gift.
Yes, moms know the truth, even when it might be hard for them to accept, but they do cause they love their sons. Thank you.
One never knows what will open a heart. Nicely done, Dawn, thank you 💖
Thanks! Yes, that one card could make a big difference.
Nice! I love how smart Starsky is, knowing how to keep the door cracked open and just taking care of it.