For All One’s Worth

[nickygabriel]

Claim: Starsky & Hutch (TV) – general
Prompt: #11 character study
Title: For All One’s Worth
Author: K Hanna Korossy
Rating: PG-13
Length: short
Brief summary: Who is the worthy one?
Link: http://korossy.org/khk/Worth.htm

Excerpt:

Hutch could see the shoulders next to him visibly slump, as if in dejection. He stared at his partner. It was him, something he was doing that was digging them both in deeper. Hutch's jaw set. Enough was enough.

"Starsky, what's going on?"

His partner half-turned and smiled an almost genuine smile at him. "Nothin'. What do you mean?"

At least he wasn't mad. Hutch wasn't sure if that was good or not. Probably not. Hutch automatically accepted the outstretched glasses and dried them without thought. "C'mon," he coaxed. "What's bothering you?"

Starsky shook his head. "'M fine. Leave it alone."

Hutch set a glass down with more force than he meant to. "I don't want to leave it alone, not when something's wrong. Did I-"

The dark curls shook vehemently. "'S not you." The answer was reluctant.

Hutch forced himself to keep his voice even. "Then what?" A pause. "Starsk, talk to me."

Starsky looked up at him again, almost pleadingly. "Forget it, Hutch, really. Please just...leave it."