Hour of Separation

Fanfiction
Title:	Hour of Separation
Author(s):	Sylvia Bond
Date(s):	1994
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Starsky & Hutch
External Links:	online here and here
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Hour of Separation is a slash Starsky and Hutch story by Sylvia Bond.

It is in Heart and Soul #1 and is online.

Summary

Dobey's temporary replacement forces Starsky and Hutch to separate and each must work with a new partner. In their increasing desperation to see each other, the two finally kiss.

Excerpt

"As he walked home, he realize how dull everything seemed. How dull the grass looked, brown in the wiltingly hot California summer. How dull he felt.

He was going on a stakeout with Andrews later, and that prospect of future dullness ground his teeth together, made his hands slam the ball that much harder as he dribbled his way home.

Stakeouts with Hutch could be tedious, or trying, or dangerous, but never that all encompassing, dust-filled lung feeling that Andrews brought with him.

Starsky cheered up somewhat as he entered his faintly cooler apartment, thinking of the cool shower he would take, the cold drink he would have. Wished he had a Hutch to talk to in between here and there.

The smile formed before he realized it was happening.

Everyone should have a Hutch to talk to."

Author's Comments

If Sky Blue and Black was harder to write and not very well received, than Hour of Separation was, in comparison, an easy to raise and well-loved child. This post is about that story, which you can read on Flamingo’s fabulous Starsky and Hutch site.

First and formost, this is a slash story about two men who love each other, and who, as David Soul once said, “just happened to be cops.” So, be warned, if you don’t like slash, this story is not for you. It’s pure romance from start to finish.

The title, as some have speculated, comes from a line from a collection of poems by Haklil Gibran called “The Prophet.” The line is as follows:

“And ever has it been that loves knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.”

I had long thought that this idea deserved a story. Because it’s true, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone; it’s hard to see what you have until someone takes it away from you.

On the show, Starsky and Hutch, the boys are always together, and in fact, Hutch, in one episode, Death in a Different Place, breaks down the percentage of time that they spend together (in hours) and then complains that in spite of that, Starsky is not even a good kisser. (Ah, the madness of the seventies, when characters could joke about men kissing men without having to chop down a tree to prove their manhood afterwards.) Given that they spend so much time together, how would the boys react to being separated?

And indeed, how should I separate them? I didn’t want either of the boys out of their element, I didn’t want them not being cops. I didn’t want either of them in the hosptial (at least not for very long), because I seriously wanted them to be apart. If your very best pal in the whole world is in the hospital, and you are, say, Starsky, you would visit your pal every day, so that’s not much of a separation, although it could involve a whole lot of worry. Same goes for Hutch. So I brought in the new boss, Brown, who is the same as the old boss except in that he simply does not get the boys. He doesn’t understand their closeness and feels that their lack of respect for authority (his) indicates shoddy workmanship on their parts and separates them to teach them a lesson about something. Dobey, for his part, feels the same way Brown does, but understands that who the boys are and what they feel about each other only enhances their performance. On the street, that is. I’m sure it never occurs to him to ask them how their performance is when they’re not on the street.

Exit Doby, for an extended vacation, and enter Brown. Brown separates them and gives them each new partners who are, for the most part, totally unsuitable to each boy’s temperments. (I refer to these grown men as boys simply because that’s what they seem to me to be, and also because of the song, “They Boys Are Back,” which TNT used one year to promote reruns of the show.) The clash in ego and personality leads to fights, misunderstandings, and an astonishing clarity of vision for the boys, because not only do we get to see them through their new partners’ eyes, we get to see them missing each other. And figuring out why they miss each other so much.

From there follows many, many pages of angst, grumpiness, insomnia all set against the stage of a lovely, hot L.A. summer. Part of the fun is that the boys don’t understand just how close they’ve become over the years, and what exactly it is that they like about each other. Of course, there’s a happy ending, with no torture, at least not the regular kind, heh-heh-heh.

The story was a joy to write, and I really got into the whole L.A. atmosphere, and the heat, and just how mean the boys could be to each other, even when they were trying like anything to get along. Anyway, here it is, online, for the enjoyment of everyone.

Reactions and Reviews

1999

A really great example of Starsky and Hutch's teamwork in slash is one of my favorite stories, "The Hour of Separation," by Sylvia B. This terrific story has Dobey on vacation and in exasperation with some of their typical antics, the captain on duty forces S&H to work apart much to their dismay. Her handling of Starsky as an explosion about to happen without Hutch is amazing. And then, when they are finally allowed back together, you expect things to go a certain way, but she never writes to your expectation and things actually in a totally different way! It's a brilliant story in Charlotte Frosts first Heart and Soul zine. One of my absolute faves.

2000

This is a great story too. That has about 4 parts to it. It is really good as well, has some UST at first that gets resolved after alot of teasing. I think the title comes from a poem by Kahlil Gibran if I am not mistaken. Check it out too.

Also for more Starsky and Hutch Slash you can check out the new Pits archive. It is an archive for the new ThePitsFic list at onelist. You can join that list there too. It has both gen and slash fic at this archive and it is great.

2003

The plot idea is simple. Starsky and Hutch are seperated and given new partners while Dobey is away sick. You never know what you have until it's gone and you never appreciate what you have back until someone hits you over the head with it:)

2004

This is a nice, long story which details the friendship of Starsky and Hutch and their changing relationship. Lovely.

2013

I approached to your story looking for something different, at least about the way Starsky and Hutch understand their feelings and go togheter. And I really loved it.

I like how they fight for stay in touch, for see each other even when their work schedules are against them. I like how they fight to protect one the other also if they aren't partner anymore. Well, what else would they have done? The partners Brown assigned them are really hateful and they don't care about Starsky and Hutch! I hated them! And what a satisfaction when Dobey returned! I enjoyed so much when he got mad at Brown. Ahahah! Yes, but at that point the sufference begins. I sure don't complain about it, I love angsty fics, especially when they turn out in so wondeful sex and in a nice, hopeful end like that.

So, really good job, and thanks for posting it.

2014

I don't often have a rec but this Starsky/Hutch story by Sylvia Bond, "Hour of Separation", is quite special. The story in itself is nothing earth-shakingly unusual: boy adores boy, boys get separated, boys discover how they really feel about each other. What is unusual is the excellent writing and excellent grasp of character. The emotion blew me away. Hope you enjoy!

Sylvia, I have read this story several times over the past couple of years but just yesterday I felt the urge to re-visit it ( and your others). This time I could not leave the page without commenting, which I am ashamed to say (even as a writer myself and knowing how feedback is our life-blood) I am often remiss in doing. This story makes me terribly sad.

You know why? It is because when I am immersed in your words, right there with the boys and their angst and their love, I know my experience is going to end. I finish one story and I immediately want to dive into another ( so engossed am by the way you allow the reader to be a voyeur in this relationship). I want to drop in on them on another day, on another conversation, another situation they find themselves in - but I can't. You never wrote any more of them. Still, I have these and for that I am grateful.

I love your writing style. It's crisp and clean and yet rich and flowing. Your characterisations are vividly real. Perfect.

I would love to think that one day you come back to this fandom and give us some more opportunities to be a part of this very special relationship.

Undated

Sylvia Bond's Hour of Separation is straight-boy slash, but I love it anyway... Starsky and Hutch are repartnered while Dobey is away--that's the "separation" of the title.

Starsky and Hutch are assigned to new partners. I love the slow, natural progression into slash here, as well as all the little details of their close relationship, and the description of their physical closeness. Mmmm.

Ok, I'm not positive, but I think this story derives it's title from a quote by Kahlil Gibran. Who is my favorite writer of all time. The quote goes,

"They say my darling, that love through worship turns into an all-consuming fire. I have found that the hour of separation does :not prevail against the joining of our earthly selves, as I have known with the first meeting that my spirit was your companion :for countless ages, and that your first glance was not, in truth, the first glance." --A Tale of Love-Kahlil Gibran--

God, I love his work. So there you go a rec for a writer outside of the cyber world. If you have never read anything by Kahlil Gibran do, he is an absolutely beautiful writer.

Now on to the rec for the story. In this one Captain Dobey is on vacation or something and the temporary captain replacing him separates the guys. How dare the bastard? That is what the story revolves around. How even though they are apart, they are together in spirit. Lots of love and longing in this one and a really nice long tease. I love a good tease in a story, my favorite thing. To have the love and emotions they feel clearly shown to you before the sex comes. Makes it so much more believable. On my Annoying things in Slash bitch fest, I mention the 'I love you let's fuck' thing that so many of us hate. In those stories I think this is what is missing. That long slow tease. Getting shown through action and inner dialogue how they feel about one another. Being let in to who they are and taken through the steps of the characters coming together. What I don't really like about PWP's is they are like skipping to the end of the story. Having someone give you a book, but first ripping out all the pages except the last chapter where everything is resolved and everyone happily in love. Leaving you wondering how the hell they got to that point. I like to read the beginning, middle, and the end. Knowing the process of working through shit so they can get together. Things aren't even really resolved in this, no one makes a complete commitment, but it is probably going to be made eventually. Plus, any story that might have derived it's title from a Kahlil Gibran quote has my attention.