Story #6: Getting Even
It was coming, he could feel it coming. He raised the tissue to his red nose and waited for the explosion. The sneeze was so loud it woke his sleeping companion with a start. The bedside light came on, as did the angry eyes of a certain blond.
"Do you mind?" Hutch spat, while rubbing the corner of a sleepy eye. Starsky simply stared at him with red rimmed eyes for a moment before sneezing again.
Hutch leaned against the head rest and sighed.
"You know it's your own fault," he said as he rubbed a hand along his partner's tense shoulder.
"Just because you keep saying that..." Another sneeze, "doesn't make it true" He threw the snot covered tissue in the bin beside the bed and took another one from the box.
"After that stunt you pulled with me and Dobey you deserved water poured all over your head."
Starsky blew his nose loudly. "I asked for two weeks holiday and after getting poisoned and nearly dying you'd think that was acceptable to ask for."
"You could at least have invited me."
Starsky grunted. "I was going to, I was just waiting for Dobey boot me out, and then I was going to tell you, I swear."
Hutch didn't look convinced.
"Yeah, well, you got your extra time off all right."
"Yeah and what a way to spend it." He sneezed again, this time not covering his nose, so the germs flew in Hutch's direction.
"Starsky!" Hutch grabbed a tissue and stuffed it up his partner's nostrils. Starsky sneezed the tissue out, making his ears pop in the process, leaving him with his eyes closed and his hands pressed against his ears.
"You'll pay for this, buddy." He slumped his head back onto the pillow and pulled the covers up over his nose. He kept his eyes closed, but could sense his partners lips hover over his forehead.
"I'd like to see that." The moist lips pressed against his hot forehead, sending mixed signals to Starsky's brain. A part of him wanted to snuggle up to his lover and forget whose fault it was, but the part that made him turn his back was the part that was still too mad and sick to care. He buried his head into the pillow and dreamed of ways he was going to make Hutch pay.
***
Eight thirty announced itself loudly via the alarm clock bringing Hutch out of his pleasant dream about sitting on a cliff watching the sunset with a beer in one hand and Starsky's hand in the other. He clung on to the dream as he swung his legs over the bed, but reality hit him when he heard an all mighty sneeze coming from a lump behind him. He turned his head just enough to see his partners head pop out from under the duvet.
"Just heading off to work, buddy," Hutch said softly. He turned completely around and leaned over the lump, but Starsky's face was half covered by the duvet. "If you talk to me I might bring you back a treat for dinner."
Starsky rolled onto his back and looked up at his lover with heavy, sleepy eyes. They were still red rimmed, which matched his nose.
"You can give me a treat right now," he croaked and reached up to pull Hutch down close enough for them to kiss. He used his tongue to intensify the kiss, but it wasn't long before Hutch pulled away.
"Careful, buddy, you'll give me your cold."
Starsky smiled wickedly. "That's the plan, we can be sick together. Kinda romantic don't you think?" Hutch chortled until the words registered fully.
"I'm not falling for that, Starsk," he said as he pulled away. Starsky reached for him, but Hutch stood up.
"Falling for what?" He said with a pout.
"You're not getting your revenge this way," Hutch said, picking up a pair of trousers from the chair and pulling them on. Starsky gasped.
"I am shocked and appalled that you would think such a thing"
Hutch wasn't buying the act. "Drop it, Starsk. I know what's going on in that thick skull of yours and I'll tell you now it is not gonna work. I am not getting your cold." He threw a t-shirt over his head and rolled his eyes as he watched Starsky roll onto his side with his back to Hutch.
"I'll get you, Blondie" He muttered as he pulled the bed covers right over his head. Hutch didn't quite make out the words so he ignored his partner's grumblings and finished getting ready for work.
"I'm off early tonight so I'll bring you back a treat. If you behave yourself it'll be something other than cough syrup" He gave Starsky's forehead a very quick peck before heading into the kitchen for his usual health shake for breakfast.
*
The house was dark when Hutch returned; only the strobe lighting of the TV provided any form of illumination. The figure laying sprawled out on the couch didn't move when the TV was turned off or when the lamp on the side table was switched on. With more light in the room Hutch could see the number of tissues dotting the floor and a sandwich on the table with a note next to it. Hutch sat on the arm of the couch and picked up the note.
Made some sandwiches, but couldn't eat them all. Help yourself.
Starsky
Hutch picked up the sandwich and lifted up a corner to inspect the inside. There was cheese and nothing else, no source or pickles or any of the other things that usually appeared on Starsky's sandwiches. Hutch was instantly suspicious. He wanted to put it down to Starsky not having the stomach to pile on his usually fillings, but Hutch knew that his partner would never let a little cold stop him from eating junk.
He caught a shuffling sound by his side and when he looked down at the couch he found himself staring into two red rimmed eyes.
"When did you get back?" Starsky asked followed by a couple of sniffles.
"Oh, just now, sorry if I woke you"
"Nah, I was only dozing" His eyes shifted onto the sandwich in Hutch's hand.
"You're free to have that, you know"
Hutch placed the sandwich back on the table. "Oh, I'm not really hungry yet. I'll get myself something later."
Starsky prodded the sandwich, inching it slightly in Hutch's direction.
"What's the matter? Don't trust me to make a sandwich?"
Hutch gingerly picked up the sandwich, but instead of eating it, placed it back on the plate and headed over to the kitchen.
"Like I said I'm not hungry yet, I'll put it in the fridge for later."
As he was placing the plate down on the top self Hutch swore he could hear grumbled words from the couch, but he ignored them. He had spent the entire day doing paper work with only bad cups of coffee for company. He has not in the mood for a confrontation with Starsky.
"I'm going to take a shower," Hutch called, whilst heading for the bathroom.
Upon opening the door he noticed there were no towels on the rack and none in the hamper.
"Starsk, did you do any washing today?"
"Are you kidding" Starsky quietly grumbled back "Apart from making the sandwich I've barely moved all day."
Hutch backed out into the living room and sat back on the side of the couch.
"Then where are all the towels?" He asked. Starsky shuffled around a bit until he produced a red towel from under him.
"I must be lying on them," he handed Hutch the towel. "Here you go."
Hutch took the offered item, but didn't move back to the bathroom. His paranoia wanted to tell him not to trust the towel just as he had not trusted the sandwich, but his wearily muscles told him to just take it and have a shower.
With a shrug Hutch turned back to the bathroom, stripping off his shirt and t-shirt and throwing them into the hamper before closing the door.
One long shower later Hutch emerged from the bathroom dripping wet and dressed in only a robe. He noticed at first that Starsky was no longer on the couch, but a dozen or so tissues made a trail that led into the bedroom. He followed the trail all the way into the room and up to the bed, where he found his lover completely surround by discarded tissues.
"You just gonna hang around the door all evening, because you'd be more comfortable in here with me."
The offer was tempting, Hutch couldn't deny that. On any other night when he'd been during paper work all day he would have jumped into bed without an invitation, but with all the tissues lying on the bed Hutch knew Starsky had an ulterior motive.
"Maybe after I've eaten."
"Oh good, you can finish off the sandwich I made earlier"
Hutch shuddered at the thought.
"Perhaps, I'll see what else we got." With that he turned and made his way over to the kitchen.
After making and eating a small tuna salad Hutch made his way back over to the bedroom, but instead of jumping into bed he made a detour into the bathroom.
"Just going to brush my teeth," Hutch said to a barely conscious Starsky.
He picked up the blue tooth brush from the pot, but before he ran it under the tap he noticed that it was wet. He knew he'd brushed his teeth before work, but that had been so long ago that he toothbrush should be drier than it was. Hutch had a horrible feeling he knew what had happened and it pretty much snapped the last of his resolve.
"Right, that's it," he yelled as he came storming out of the bathroom. "I've had enough of this." He waited for the curly head to turn in his direction before he continued.
"Okay, I spilt water on you on purpose, but I did not mean for you to get a cold, I just acted without thinking and I'm sorry, and now can we drop this childishness please?"
Starsky didn't speak straight away; instead he buried his head in the pillow a little. Hutch watched, his pointing finger posed beside him in case of an argument.
"Fine," Starsky said, his voice muffled a little by the pillow. "I accept your apology." He grumbled.
Hutch gave a nod. "Good." He turned his back to return to the bathroom, but as he did he felt a tickle in his nose, he tried to ignore it but it became persistent. He held his hand up to his nose and waited a few seconds. The tinkling got worse and before Hutch could do anything to stifle it he let out a loud sneeze.
Upon hearing a soft chuckle he looked behind him to find Starsky propped up on one elbow while his other hand covered his mouth.
Hutch didn't say anything; he just raised his finger in Starsky's direction
The End