Two Sides of the Coin by Hardboiledbaby

[dawnebeth.livejournal.com]

Fandom: STARSKY AND HUTCH
Pairing: no pairing
Length: 4,800 words
Author on LJ:hardboiledbaby
Author Website: http://hardboiledbaby.livejournal.com
Why this must be read: I've always been fascinated by the brief, tantalizing glimpse we get into David Starsky's childhood and his interesting relationship with 'Uncle' Joey Durniak in The Set-Up. Hardboiledbaby creates a wonderful, fully believable story that connects three parts of Starsky--Durniak, a lucky coin and the i-ching coins he wears on a rawhide string. She captures all sides of Starsky--and Hutch--perfectly.

All his life, Starsky had kept a piece of himself hidden away and walled off. A tough childhood, a brief stint in a street gang, and a couple of tours in Vietnam had combined to teach him a hard lesson: protect the soft underbelly at all costs, show no weakness. He'd learned the lesson well, adopting a casually cheerful front that effectively kept the world at arm's length, barricading his feelings from those who might use them against him. No one could get in close enough to hurt; no one could get close, period. It was a grim trade-off, yet one that hadn't mattered much to Starsky, truth be told. He'd been burned enough. There were few who would have given a damn about him, anyway.


Two Sides of the Coin

Comments

[hardboiledbaby]

Thanks so much for the rec, Dawn! :)

[dawnebeth.livejournal.com]

Thanks for writing such a great story.