One of those Sunday morning quickie stories inspired by the Sunday Discussion on Me and Thee.

The Reluctant Tourist

by CC

"Starsk, how long are you going to stare out the window? We need to get some sleep."

Starsky turned slightly and shook his head. "I want to see as much as I can. It's all so different out there…kinda exotic, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, brother," Hutch muttered as he pulled back the comforter on one of the two queen-sized beds in the room.

"Hey, give me a break. You're used to traveling to foreign countries. This is my first time." Starsky turned to stare out the window again. "The cars here seem mostly the same; did you notice that?"

Hutch chuckled softly. "Yeah, I noticed. Come to bed soon; we've got a lot to do tomorrow."  He climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to his waist.

Starsky turned again and walked slowly to the bed where he toed off his sneakers and sat down beside Hutch. "About tomorrow…are you sure we don't need a guide, Hutch?  What if we get lost or something?"

"We'll ask someone for help."

"But what if they don't understand us? Or what if we don't understand them? What if we say something wrong and they think we're trying to hurt them and they have us arrest--"

Hutch sat up and clamped his hand tightly over Starsky's mouth. "Will you quit worrying so much? Please?" He waited until he received a nod from Starsky before he released his grip and lay back down.

Starsky managed a full three seconds of quiet. "I can't help it, Hutch. Don't you remember that movie from a few years ago? What was it…Midnight Express! That was based on a true story. Did you know that? That guy got 20 years in prison. Do you remember that disgusting prison? I don't think I would survive in a foreign prison."

"You might not survive the night here if you don't shut up and go to sleep."

After shooting Hutch a dirty look, Starsky walked back to the window and surveyed the street again. "It's just so different. I'm used to being in a place where I know how people are gonna act and I can understand them."

Hutch threw off the coverlet and walked to the window. His original intent was to pull Starsky forcibly to the bed, but when he saw the tensed shoulders and the worried expression on his partner's face, he relented and simply wrapped his arms around him from behind. Resting his chin on Starsky's shoulder, he smiled when he felt the body he embraced relax and lean into him. This was what he had imagined when he suggested this long weekend away. He never imagined Starsky would react so…strangely.

The street outside grew quieter as they stood watching. When Starsky yawned, Hutch decided to press the issue and loosened his embrace. "C'mon, come to bed. You're wiped out." He tugged on Starsky's shoulders.

Starsky yawned again and let the curtain drop back in place. "Yeah, it seems like we've been traveling all day."

"That's because we've been traveling all day. That storm in San Francisco really held us up." Following Starsky back across the room, Hutch reached out to help him pull off his shirt. He couldn't resist leaning forward to kiss the bare shoulder in front of him.

"Thought you wanted to go to sleep." Starsky's smirk was interrupted by another yawn. He stepped out of his jeans and tossed them on the vacant bed.

"I do; that's just a promise for tomorrow morning."

Once settled in bed, Hutch thought they might actually get to sleep but just as he was drifting off, Starsky released a mournful sigh. Hutch wanted to ignore it, but he knew another one would follow on its heels if he didn't at least ask what was wrong. "What's the matter now?"

"It's just strange is all. I never slept anywhere but America. It feels weird knowing I'm not with my own people, that outside that window is a whole country of foreigners. We don't really know their habits or their customs. We could do something by accident that might cause an international incident or something. Which reminds me, do you know where the American Embassy is here? We might need it."

Hutch couldn't restrain a groan. "First of all, Starsk, outside that window are residents of this country; we're the foreigners. Secondly, we're not talking about Martians; we're in Canada, for God's sake. Some of the people here are more 'American' than we are in a lot of ways. Plus, there's not much of a language barrier, is there?"

Starsky was quiet for a moment. "Yeah, but what about that cab driver. I could barely understand a word he said."

"Starsk, he was Iranian. We have plenty of Iranians in Bay City, and you don't understand them there either."

"But he was an Iranian in Canada. That's different."

"Starsk?"

"What?"

"Did you remember to pack the stuff?"

"You mean THE stuff?"

"Yeah, did you pack it?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Cause I'm beginning to think the only way to get you to go to sleep is to--"

Hutch paused as Starsky suddenly sat up, reached under his pillow and pulled out a tube of K-Y. As the warm plastic was plopped into Hutch's hand, he realized he'd been had once again. "You mean all this nonsense was a put on?"

"For Pete's sake, Hutch, you didn't think I was really scared, did you? We're in Vancouver. From what I've heard, the worst that could happen is we pay too much for something. Now do you wanna talk about this or…?" Starsky waggled his eyebrows and flopped back on the bed.

Laughing, Hutch rolled over and molded himself to Starsky's body. After several minutes spent exchanging sweet languorous kisses, Hutch broke away. "Why the games? Why didn't you just come right out with it?"

Starsky snickered. "You've been yapping since nine o'clock this morning about getting a good night's sleep tonight. I had to give you incentive to stay up late."

"You're an idiot, you know." Hutch completed his message with another kiss to Starsky's shoulder and leaned into the hand that reached up to cup his face.

"Yeah, but I'm an idiot in Canada. Now shut up and get moving. We've got a lot to see tomorrow."

End

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