Who: Shawn and Gus What: Mistletoe Madness When: Backdated Dec Where: Streets Rating: low
Shawn was in a lot better mood this year than last year. Jules was here and neither she nor Gus had disappeared which clearly meant all three of them would be here forever together or go back home together. Sure, Gus technically had an unborn baby on the way, but that wasn't such a big deal, right?
He was on his was over to Gus' apartment when he saw Gus coming out into the hall. "Gus! I didn't know you were heading out. I would have if you would just agree to keep the Ring security cameras up like I suggested." And by suggested he meant the ones he had put up without Gus knowing and only found out because Gus had come in while Shawn was adjusting the angle on one of them. It wasn't like he put any in the bathroom!
Shawn moved in what would be obnoxiously close to some people and whispered like they were secret agents. "I need you for a very top secret gift selection assignment." When he was finished delivering this request of his friends time, he tried to pull away, but… couldn't.
"Gus… why can't I move away from you? Also did you have tacos for lunch?"
–
After thirty plus years of friendship, it shouldn’t surprise Gus one bit that Shawn still had no sense of boundaries and yet he always managed to surprise him. “You’re lucky Martha never found those,” he said, shaking his head as he remembered the whole camera fiasco. “She wouldn’t have been nearly as forgiving.”
He rolled his eyes when Shawn whispered to him, but assumed it was something for Juliet and lord knew she deserved the best for somehow living with her husband, which meant that Gus was all in for helping. “Uh… I don’t know, Shawn, but I can’t seem to move away either,” he said after trying to take a few steps back. “And, no, I did not have tacos for lunch.” He had nachos. It was totally different.
***
The question about the gift assignment was out of his mind now and it was on the whole not-being-able-to-move-away-from-Gus thing. Thankfully he and his best friend had been in many situations where they were close together. Usually it was by choice, though, which of course meant that this was entirely annoying and the worst thing to ever possibly happen to them.
Like Gus, Shawn tried more actively to move away. When he spoke, his voice was a little strained. “Are you sure? I’m sure I smell cheese and guacamole… burrito?” No, that was ridiculous. He didn’t smell beans… Thank God. Shawn then tried even more actively and even more which was essentially him straining against an invisible wall making a lot of huffing and grunting sounds which got a few looks from passersby.
–
“What did you do, Shawn?” Gus asked. Because obviously if something weird was happening it was his best friend’s fault and not just random dome shenanigans. “I don’t have time for this today. We’ve got an event going on at the Boys club tonight.” He was enjoying his job there and found it far more rewarding than pharmaceutical sales ever could have been, which was nice since he didn’t have Psych here to offer that satisfaction.
He kept trying to lift his feet and step away, but they wouldn’t budge. After trying a few times, he bent his knees and attempted to jump, which also did not work.
***
Shawn made a series of verbal sounds to voice his disbelief that he could possibly have anything to do with this. His protests died early when he saw Gus' 'jump'.
"What did you think you were going to do there? Jump over the invisible barrier keeping us two very close in a way that will only confirm Cindy Lester's question she had of us in seventh grade?" Oh Cindy Lester. Shawn was briefly distracted by wondering if she still preferred pigtails. The distraction had him looking up which was when he saw it.
"Uh Gus?" He looked at his friend while dramatically and slowly brought up his hand with his index pointing slowly upwards where the mistletoe was hanging.
--
It had been a while since someone mistook their close friendship for something more and Gus rolled his eyes again when Shawn brought up Cindy Lester. He was about to protest when he followed Shawn’s finger and saw what he was pointing at.
“Oh, hell no,” he said, trying again to step back. He loved Shawn, but not that way, and he had zero intention of kissing his best friend just because there happened to be some mistletoe hanging above them.
***
"I'll have you know I take my dental hygiene seriously." Most of the time anyway. Sometimes he was too busy, but the dentist of his childhood scared him enough to at least remember to brush twice a day.
Still, the idea of kissing his best friend was not an appealing one at the moment and so Shawn's mind went into solution mode. He took in a bunch of information and then refocused. "Counter offer. Butterfly kiss?" Yes he was suggesting they lean forward and flutter their eyelashes together.
--
Gus let out an all too familiar world-weary sigh. “That’s worse, Shawn,” he said. “Fine.” He leaned in and barely brushed his lips over Shawn’s, pulling back the moment he felt the slightest bit of contact. It was apparently enough though, because when he tried, he was able to step away.
“I’m going to find my girlfriend. We will never speak of this again.”
***
Well Gus was no fun, but fine. It wasn't like Shawn biting at the chance to kiss his friend either. They might be very close friends and also comfortable with their sexuality, but still. Ew cooties.
For once Shawn nodded and made the hand motion of zippering his lips, locking it, and throwing away the key.
Though he might find the key at Gus' wedding speech.