#expect a Shawn fic coming up

[obsidiancreates]

The Smartest Dumb Person She's Ever Met (Shules Shawn Genius Reveal Fic)

“Shawn, this is ridiculous.” Even as she says it, Jules knows her smile completely undercuts her protests as Shawn sets out more and more and more plates of food.

“Babe, I told you, we are finding our new go-to takeout spot tonight,” Shawn insists. “We’ll just dump all the leftovers on Gus! He’ll love it, maybe even more than he loves watching debates about rash cream side-effects.”

“I don’t think he loves watching those, Shawn.”

“Then why does he spend hours on it every few months?”

“Well, maybe, because he has a day job. We’re not all so lucky to be employed by spirits and whims,” Jules teases lightheartedly as Shawn sits down and starts putting together a sampler plate. “Speaking of which, we didn’t talk about what I should expect from living with a psychic.”

“Aside from constant swooning and daily hair updates?”

“Aside from those.”

“Well, Jules, I’m afraid I can’t tell you what to expect, because I don’t know either.” Shawn hands her the plate, and sniffs. “Truth be told, this is uh… this is the first time I’ve moved in with somebody.”

Jules smiles softer. “Mine too. But I just mean… how often do you have visions outside of cases? And what about your dreams, are those affected?”

“No, not as far as I know- but I have been told I talk in my sleep.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

“Because you know me.” He kisses her before dishing up his own plate. “But uh, yeah, no psychic vision dreams for the most part.. … Well, sometimes, but not usually. And I can control the visions at home, don’t even worry another second about it.”

“Really? Because I thought you were completely beholden to them at all times.”

“Ehhhh… more or less.”

“Shawn.”

“Alright, so maybe a minor one here and there- but I’ll save the big stuff for the cases. No dramatic psych-outs in the living room.”

“Thank you.” Jules takes a bite of one of the various dishes on her plate, and coughs. “Oh my god, they used so much black pepper!”

“Let me try- hck! Oh my- ekch! That is just stupid, how much there is-”

“Get some water-”

“On it, on it, holy-”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shawn doesn’t have psychic visions or dreams, just like he promised.

But he has something else going on.

Jules starts noticing it after the first few days of lovey-dovey, disgustingly happy mushiness finally starts to settle into domesticity. She sits at the table and Shawn has a big stack of toaster waffles already drenched in syrup ready for both of them, even though he’s not a natural early riser, because it’s a day they both have off and it’s more Brunch than Lunch, and Shawn… isn’t eating.

His head is tilted, his eyes narrowed, and that usually means he’s having a vision. But this morning he’s just barely reading the newspaper- Jules is sure he’s not actually reading it, his eyes aren’t moving right for that, in fact they’re barely moving at all. They’re narrows and still, taking the paper in as one whole picture, probably absorbing nothing.

And she starts to realize he gets that look a lot, with no visions following them. He gets it when the delivery guy drops off their food, he gets it when the news comes on, he gets it when Lassiter comes over to drop off something Jules left in his car during a stakeout, and again and again and again.

And then it just goes away, and he doesn’t say anything. And she assumes, well, it’s a minor vision. He has them a lot more often than she had previously thought, clearly. Small, apparently unimportant visions that he just brushes off.

And then he tells her that they should stop getting takeout from the place two blocks away because the delivery guy is about to quit from being overworked. There’s no fanfare, no hand to his head, no sharp inhale- just an offhand statement that slips out right after he closes the front door.

It’s not the first time she’s heard him make a random prediction, not even close. But something about the understated nature of it makes her pause, and after a second she asks, “What makes you say that?”

“You’ve seen the state of that car they have him driving, it's one rough road away from falling to pieces. Plus his shoes are completely tattered, and his jeans, basically everything that’s not given to him as part of the uniform, but they’re also all stiff still- he just bought them and they’re already wrecked because of how many deliveries he’s making. That’d piss anyone off enough to quit, especially at his age.”

She hadn’t noticed that- at least, not all of it. She knew the car was a piece of junk, and the clothes were tattered, but thinking back she sees what Shawn means by them still looking stiff and out-of-the-box new. And somehow, somehow, she feels like if she points out that she hadn’t caught onto all of that herself, something… big, would just… slip away.

“That’s a shame, I like him,” is all she says instead. “He has a nice smile.”

“He just got his braces off, he’d probably literally skip for joy if he heard you say that,” Shawn says, handing over her food. Again, no fanfare, no theatrics- he just says it, unthinkingly, almost distracted as he digs into his honey cashew shrimp and chicken. 

It’s different. 

It has to be a vision, but it’s different. 

And again, Jules gets a feeling that pointing that out would break… something, about this moment. So she makes a note, and tucks it away in her mind, and hopes she’s able to remember to follow up later.

“Good for him.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shawn talks in his sleep most nights, as it turns out. 

It’s not very comprehensible majority of the time- usually all she can make out, when she’s even awake to hear it, is Shawn mumbling something to or about Gus. At first it’s a little offensive, frankly, that her boyfriend dreams about his best friend constantly and she never hears her own name, but it quickly becomes just… normal. Like most of Shawn and Gus’s codependency. Some days she feels like she’s dating both of them, just a little bit. It bothers her less than it probably should, certainly less than she would expect if she was an outside observer. Gus was Shawn’s original rock, his strongest pillar, his tightest tether, and she knew she’d never truly be able to match that even before she and Shawn got together. 

She should probably ask Gus about some of Shawn’s more daily psychic dealings, actually- he’s known Shawn for their whole loves, so he must have lots of advice for her about how to deal with it. And how to deal with the rest of Shawn’s… quirks. Which she loves about him, she truly does, as messy and intrusive as some of those quirks are in their lives. Psychic visions, murder scene dates, fearing that Shawn’s going to get himself killed with his daily recklessness. She had kissed him on that Canadian overlook expecting all of it, thinking she had finally come to learn everything she needed to learn about him.

And then, all those months and years later, she’s laying in bed unable to sleep and reading a book to try and calm down when Shawn mumbles out something shockingly understandable about the case they’re both working.

She freezes, as though her silent eye movements while reading could somehow disturb the moment.

“Doesn’ ma’ s’nse,” Shawn mumbles in his sleep. “Th’ t’re tr’cks…”

Jules slowly lowers her book.

Shawn rolls over, facing her now, still fast asleep, lightly snoring. Jules watches him like a deer caught in headlights.

“T’res don’ ma’ch,” Shawn mumbles out. “Tr’d too w’de…” His brow pinches, his lips pursing a little. There’s a long beat of silence.

Jules holds her breath. Like with the delivery boy, something about this moment just feels… big. Important.

Shawn’s face smooths out. “M’gn’ts.”

Magnets. 

Jules thinks about the case that they’ve been working together all week, a hit-and-run. They’ve got one witness who got a whole license plate number, they’ve got the plate number matching a car of that exact description, and the only problem is they’ve also got  a suspect who vehemently denies ever driving that route in his entire life. And like always when things seem straightforward, Shawn had declared that he wasn’t convinced they had the right guy. 

But that doesn’t help her figure out what magnets have to do with anything. After a moment she doesn’t have to figure it out on her own, because Shawn makes a soft noise of sleep-laden realization.

“Th’ s’x an’ th’ n’ne.” His hand twitches, roughly tracing out the numbers on the sheets. “Fl’p ‘em…”

Magnets. 

License plate number magnets. Moveable, alterable plate numbers.

“S’me car m’ke, s’me num’er, diff’ren’ t’re.” There’s a note of satisfaction, even in the sleep-slurred mess that is Shawn’s voice. He smiles a little in his sleep, and moments later… he’s snoring.

Jules sits, book almost falling out of her nonexistent grip, stunned into silence.

Shawn just cracked the case. In his sleep. With logic and authentic detective deduction. 

… But that’s not possible.

Shawn doesn’t work like that. He doesn’t pay attention to clues, reason out possibilities, connect dots. He receives visions, he relays them, he makes connections with the help of his abilities. And maybe she’s seen some times that contradict tha belief, but- but it’s just not how he works. She would know.

… Maybe he does get psychic dreams. Maybe he just doesn’t know he gets them? But there was a thought process there, and a natural one for it to come to him so easily in sleep. She’d heard every step of the process, followed him on each conclusion.

… But the tire treads not matching? Jules relaxes, closing her book and turning off the lamp. That had to be psychic. No-one else noticed or said anything about tire treads through the investigation. How would he even pick out and remember that detail, anyway, without spiritual guidance? He’d seen only photos of the crime scene, and not great ones at that- darn trainees.

… Psychic dreams. Has to be.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Jules, look at that.” Shawn smiles and points at the ducks in the pond they’re having a picnic by. “There’s a bunch of baby ducks over there.”

Jules gasps and looks over eagerly, but quickly frowns. “Where?”

“Right there, in those tall hot-dog looking things.”

“Um, the reeds?”

“I’ve heard it both ways.”

Jules squints, searching for signs of ducklings. “Where are you seeing them?”

“Right there, look.” Shawn leans and points harder , like that will help somehow. “You can totally see the hotdogs moving.”

“I think that’s just the wind.”

“No, look, the moms are circling the hot dogs and luring the feeders over to them.”

“What?” Jules looks at the edges of the pond now, and realizes that, yes, the ducks are luring the people with the food towards the reeds- and finally, the ducklings swim out into view.

“Told ya.” Shawn takes a bite of an eclair. 

“How did you even see that movement from here?” Jules looks back at Shawn in awe. 

“You kidding? They were totally moving all over.”

“But it looked like the wind.”

“The wind is blowing the total opposite direction. Look, you can see it in the ripples.”

“Huh.” Jules looks back at the pond. “That’s really impressive, Shawn. I had no idea your eyesight was that good.”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve been asked to be studied by science for my eyesight, but they said it would drain all the color out of them, and then of course I’d have to become a supervillain.”

“Or a mysterious warning corpse in the basement of a haunted mansion.”

“Neither of which I felt up for.”

“Right.” Jules giggles, and looks back at the pond. 

She has no idea how he noticed that. Not unless it was psychic, somehow. And further, she has no idea why he’s acting like she should be able to notice it, too. And, like before with the delivery boy, it’s not the first time he’s done this. But it’s the first time it feels…

Like something she needs to pay attention to.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Shawn?” Jules sets down the bowl of brownie batter when she realizes he’s stopped licking the spoon and is staring, eyes glazed, at the wall. It’s probably just a vision. She should just consider it a vision. There’s no real reason to think it’s not.

“Shawn,” she tries again, shaking his arm slightly. He startles, just a bit, and then clears his throat and puts the licked-”clean” spoon down on the counter. “Are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah.” His eyes flick back to the wall. “... Jules, uh, does the wall look…” He pouts a little, shrugging. “Suspicious, to you?”

“Suspicious?” She looks at the same spot. “It’s… a wall.”

“Yeah… but there’s something a little off, isn’t there?” Shawn walks over to it, and taps his knuckles against the plaster. “... Sounds off, actually. Come here, listen.”

She obliges, leaning in close. Shawn taps one spot on the wall, and then the spot he said sounded strange.

“... What am I supposed to be hearing, Shawn?”

“It’s more hollow over here.” Shawn taps the first spot, and then taps the second. “Right here, it sounds more uh… almost like wet cardboard.”

She listens again. “Okay… I think I hear it now. But you didn’t hear the wall from over at the counter, did you? Was it a vision?”

“There’s a ring around this spot,” Shawn mumbles, like he didn’t hear her. He smacks his lips, and then jerks away from the wall as the focus suddenly drops away into his usual energy. “Man, we’ve got a leak in the walls! I knew that landlord was lying when he said it was all up to code.”

“A leak? Shawn, we tapped the wall a little bit, that doesn’t really tell us anything.”

“Yeah, maybe… but I’m calling someone, tomorrow, just- remind me in the morning.” His eyebrows twitch up, his mouth forming an ‘O’ as he realizes something. “If I play this card right I might be able to knock a bit off our rent.”

“Shawn, you are not blackmailing our landlord over a leak that might not even exist.”

“I’m not! Not yet! Just planning to, possibly. So we can have more money for date nights!”

“It’s illegal.”

“Alright, alright. …How illegal, exactly?”

“Shawn.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s trickery. It’s lying. It’s wrong.

But she had been sitting at her desk, reviewing the latest round of new Detective’s Exam scores, when she’d remembered Shawn saying years ago that he had taken the exam when he was 15, and got 100.

A perfect score.

And maybe that meant very little to her once, when Shawn was just the strange somewhat charming guy who came into her life only on occasion to make a case more interesting. But now, dating Shawn and seriously considering spending the rest of her life with him, now as soon as she had recalled that tidbit it began to haunt her. Every time she watched Shawn around the house, and even in the station. It echoed in her head while she watched him look over reports, scan crime scenes, even while he was just watching movies and predicting things about their endings. 

I got 100. … Why? What did you guys get?

He hadn’t even been bragging. 

So now she sits on the couch, a thick binder in front of her, guilt twisting in her stomach at what she’s about to do. 

She’s about to lie to her boyfriend, with the full intent of tricking him into the taking the exam again, just to see.

When he walks into the house, slightly out of breath and carrying something that looks suspiciously like the pineapple statue put into evidence during the last case, he startles upon seeing her and hides the statue behind his back. But his excuse dies in his gaping mouth when he sees how stressed she looks.

“Babe? Everything okay?” He sets the statue- it’s definitely the same one put into evidence- aside as he moves to sit next to her.

“Fine,” she sighs. “Just- Chief Vick asked me to help review the Detective’s Exam after someone complained there were errors in it.”

“Hmm. That person should either pass immediately, or be barred from detective status forever.”

She giggles softly. “That’s a little extreme. It’s just, this is going to take forever, and I was hoping to go out today and finally try that spa that opened up.”

“Well you totally should!” Shawn looks at the binder. “Just, leave it for another time, it can’t be that pressing. After all, Santa Barbara already has it’s best detective.”

She rolls her eyes fondly.

“And, she just so happens to be dating an equally awesome but more brunette psychic detective.” He kisses her on the cheek. “So she should go out and treat herself while her awesome boyfriend tries to divine if there’s actually a mistake.”

“Oh, the spirits know that kind of thing?”

“Some of them, some of them.”

“Well, let them know I’ll still have to check their work, so they better show it.” She gives him a kiss back and stands. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Love you.”

“Love you too.”

The guilt gnaws at her as she drives to the spa, as she picks her treatment, as she gets her facial and her massage and her body scrub. She knows she had to- she knows Shawn well enough to know he’d never retake the exam if she just asked him outright. He’d be suspicious why she was asking him to, and she’s not sure she can tell him without making him think she’s doubting him.

She’s not. He is psychic. 

But he might also be more.

And if he is, he’s hiding it- maybe not as much as he did when she would only see him at the station, or planned dates, but he’s still hiding it. She sees him seeing things, noticing details, making connections, and when he does he never seems to…

She’s not sure. She just knows that he treats these moments like they’re something a normal person can do when they can’t, or like they aren’t happening at all, or even…

Even like they’re psychic.

She takes the long way home, breathing deeply the whole time. Shawn lies to her every day- she’s not blind to that. Usually about a case, usually because he’s more than likely doing something she could get reprimanded for just knowing about. She doesn’t like it, but even though he lies he doesn’t trick her, at least as far as she knows. 

When she gets home, Shawn isn’t there. She finds a note on the coffee table, stuck to the binder. Gus called, be back soon, XOXO.

She smiles, takes a deep breath, and opens the binder.

There’s mostly Doodles. His artistic skill on display ranges from shockingly masterful to shockingly kindergarten-like, some doodles belonging in a gallery and some not even qualifying for the fridge under a free pizza place magnet. Aliens, dinosaurs, scenes from movies, random invention ideas…

No answers, at first, which disappoints her. Until she notices that one doodle seems to coordinate to one of the questions, and it’s like a Rosetta Stone.

Not all, but many of the doodles seem to relate to the answer to a question in some way, and where there’s not doodles there’s not-answers that show knowledge of the actual answer. There’s snark and quips and jokes that contain answers, and every once and a while she even finds something straightforward smushed among the almost deflective content of the pages.

Deflective.

He’s deflecting that he knows the answers. The more she flips through, the more she sees it. Shawn went out of his way to answer without answering, to show his knowledge without admitting he has it. He couldn’t just not answer, and he couldn’t just pretend not to know- but he couldn’t outright show it either.

“Oh my god.” Jules closes the binder and puts her face in her hands. “Of course. Henry.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jules finds Henry’s detective’s exam score a week later. It’s high- not perfect, but high. She finds Shawn’s score to compare. Like he’d said. It was perfect.

She goes digging through the file archives on her lunch break, and finds the actual exam itself- someone preserved it, because a fifteen year old got 100.

It’s not like the one Shawn did in their living room.

It’s still got doodles, tangents, signs of distractibility- but the answers are much more plain. Forthright. It reads like an actual potential detective, taking the exam seriously, trying his best.

And she’s pretty sure she knows who gave Shawn that exam.

Of course, of course. His dad was a cop, a revered one, of course Henry taught Shawn some skills- more than some! How did that never occur to her? It feels silly now, to think Shawn wouldn’t have at the very least picked up a few tricks of the trade, even if Henry hadn’t taught Shawn outright.

She puts the file back, smiling and satisfied with knowing she was right and Shawn does have genuine, non-psychic detective skills like she’d suspected.

… The smile fades when she starts to wonder why he pretends he doesn’t.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Carlton, can I ask you about something?”

Lassiter looks up from his paperwork and sets his pen aside. “Anything to save me from the banality of filling another report out.”

“You… met Shawn’s mom, right?”

Lassiter’s mouth snaps shut, his eyes going a little wide. “This isn’t anything about you and Spencer’s… relationship progress, is it?”

“What? … Oh, god, no! No, I’m not looking to propose or anything.”

He sags (well, relatively- Lassiter never truly sags or loosens up) with relief. “In that case, yes, she did my last psych eval.”

“Right. And you-you talked with her a lot?”

“As much as was required by the situation.”

“Was she… like Shawn, at all? It’s just that, well, even though she’s been in town three times now, I’ve never actually talked with her beyond some passing comments.” She’s barely involved with Shawn’s life- if Jules didn’t know how absent Madaline is from her son’s existence prior to dating, she’d have assumed Shawn’s mom hated her by how little they’ve actually interacted.

Lassiter thinks for a moment, looking out into the bullpen, and then looks down and picks his pen back up. “Not really, no. Closest she came was recognizing the Clint Eastwood movies I was telling her stories from. She was generally professional, somewhat soft-spoken, and somehow got me to open up without even half of the pressing nature of her son.”

Jules nods. “Did she… mention Shawn at all?”

“Only at the end, after I shared my innermost thoughts. … You know, I take it back. That was the most Spencer -like thing she did during our sessions.”

“Huh.” Jules looks down at her own paperwork. That answers nothing about why Shawn is pretending he isn’t a good detective. It can’t be his dad, Henry would be much softer and more proud if Shawn showed off that skillset, surely. Madaline seemed like a good lead…

“She was weird, though. Outside of the relation to Spencer. She didn’t even record our sessions, she claimed to have… dammit.” Lassiter frowns as he tries to remember. “Something about being able to remember everything she hears with almost perfect accuracy.”

Jules’s head snaps up. “What?”

“I thought she was bullcrapping, but I got ahold of the file and didn’t actually find any errors in the quotes she included- she must’ve tapped the room or something.”

“Carlton, go back. Perfect memory? Shawn’s mom?”

“See, I believed her about it until I learned that. With Henry’s recall, and a mom with perfect memory for sounds, there’s no way Spencer should be as airheaded as he is. Not unless his brain short-circuited from overwhelming competency it just wasn’t built for.”

“Oh my god.” Jules puts her face in her hands. “Carlton, what if that’s exactly what it is?”

“What? What are you on about?”

“Nothing, just- it’s nothing.” She fixes her ponytail and then stands up. “I’m taking my lunch break, I’ll bring you back a coffee.”

“Uh, and a danish.”

“And a danish.”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Henry swings the door open with a readied scowl, but it drops away when he sees it’s Jules standing on his porch. “Oh, Detective O’Hara.”

“I’m here on a personal matter, actually.” Jules smiles a bit. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Sure, sure, come on in.” Henry steps aside. “I actually just grilled up a catch from this morning, if you’re hungry.”

“Thank you, that sounds great.”

Minutes later they’re both sitting at the table, Jules sees a little carving in the top of the old piece of furniture, a shaky scratching of Shawn and Gus Club right by her elbow. It makes her smile.

“So, ah, what is this about?” Henry gestures at her with his fork. “Shawn’s treating you right, isn’t he?”

“We’re great,” she assures. “I just wanted to ask a few questions about Shawn’s gift.”

Henry leans his head to the side, frowning. “I uh, can’t really help you there, Juliet.”

“Not the psychic one.”

Henry pauses, his frown deepening. He looks up at her with something… unreadable, in his eyes. “How do you mean?”

“I’m not doubting him,” Jules rushes to reassure, and it does seem to loosen something in Henry’s twisted expression, but not by much. “I just… I’ve always known Shawn was a little smarter than he let on, you know? But I’ve had reason to believe, since we moved in together, that it’s much more extreme of a mask than I thought.”

Henry puts his fork down entirely. “What’d he do?”

“Just… little things, that I used to think were maybe minor visions or feelings, but sometimes… sometimes he just says things that blow my mind. He notices way more little details than he used to let on, for example, and then today Carlton mentioned that his mom has an um…” She take sout her phone to look it up again.

“Eidetic tonal memory,” Henry fills in before she can even begin typing. “She does. I have a visual one.”

Jules looks at him, quickly tucking her phone away. “And then Carlton said that maybe Shawn struggled with handling that- well, he didn’t say it in those exact words-”

“Shawn does not struggle with his memory, except for when he wants to.” Henry’s mouth is puckered, like he’s eating a lemon dipped in sour dust. “You’re saying you think he’s faking visions.”

“Not all of them.” That’s just not possible, with everything he figures out. “But some of them, and I just- I just can’t figure out why he would fake them for some of the things he does. I mean, the other night he talked in his sleep and basically walked me through his process step-by step by accident, and then the next day he came into the station and pretended it just came to him when he reexamined the scene photos.”

“Shawn has always had an overenthusiasm for drama,” Henry starts, speaking quickly and with heavy exasperation. “He likes things to be public and dramatic as much as possible, especially when it’s an embarrassment to himself and to me.”

“That’s a little harsh, I think.”

“Trust me, it isn’t. Shawn has never wanted to embrace his full potential, Juliet- yes, he has both a visual and tonal eidetic memory, and on top of that I trained him to be a detective for his entire life. I knew, I knew he had the ability to be the best detective this department has ever seen, if he just-!” Henry stops himself and rubs one hand over his head. “But he likes living in a fantasy more. He likes slacking off, and refusing to apply himself, and avoiding responsibility, so he… indulged his psychicness, over his actual detective skills.”

“... I’m not sure he has,” Jules says carefully, watching for Henry’s reaction with a readiness to run. 

Henry laughs a little, bitterly, and looks up. “He’s not a real detective, Juliet. No matter how much I want him to be, or how much he insists he is.”

“Just because he’s not on the force, it doesn’t mean he’s not a detective.” 

“It might as well.”

“... You should be proud of your son, Henry. He’s helped solved a lot of cases we’d have had to let go cold without him.”

“I am proud.” He says it quickly, defensively- but not inauthentically. It occurs to Jules that this is the first time she’s heard Henry declade Pride in Shawn, in all seven years she’s known them both. “I am. Just not of his methods.”

“... Well, um, thank you, for the food, and-and the information.” Jules stands up. She’s starting to form a new theory about why Shawn hides his skills. “Do me a favor and, don’t tell Shawn about this? I just don’t want him to feel weird that I’m, well… investigating him.”

Henry shrugs and pretends to zip his mouth and throw away the key.

“Thanks.” She gives him a smile that has to be forced out, and leaves.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Well I bet you can’t quote every line from The Breakfast Club without looking it up.” They’re playing a game of low-stakes wagers while they make baked mac ‘n cheese for dinner, and Shawn is losing badly- mostly because he’s only making bets that have Jules showing off her best skills.

Shawn looks at her, genuinely offended, before it smooths out into acceptance. “You’re right, I can’t. Not unless I’m given a big buzzing button, to replace the slurs.”

Jules nods. “Fair. How about you just point to me and I’ll make the noise for you?”

“Now that is a plan.”

She feels bad about tricking him again. She does. But she watches him run through the whole movie script, doing the dances, dramatically flailing around the room- and she sees something she’d been completely overlooking for years. 

She laughs as he finishes it off, sweating and panting but grinning at her. “How do you remember all of that but the other day you couldn’t tell me if you’d even locked the front door?”

Well I remember important things, Jules.”

“Home security is important, Shawn.”

“When you’re not a detective dating a psychic, maybe.”

“Ha-ha. I’d still rather not come home from a date to our TV missing.”

“... True. Fair. I’ll work on it.”

“Seriously though, Shawn, sometimes your memory makes no sense to me. Do you think ADHD medication would help with some of the… little details?”

“Uh, no.” Shawn shakes his head. “No can do, tried it once and swore it off forever.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it uh… stuff filtered in but didn’t filter out, you know? Like Gus at a buffet.”

“Gross.”

“It was, it was gross. Both the meds and the buffet.”

“I can’t imagine. It would be awful, just… being unable to stop things sticking around in your head.” She watches him from the corner of her eye as she pulls the dish out of the oven.

Shawn’s posture tenses a little. His mouth parts and the tip of his tongue comes to touch the middle of his top lip. He shrugs, and nods. “Yeah. What a-” he interrupts himself with a chuckle that Jules can only tell is bitter and nervous because of how long she’s known him. “What a sucky thing that’d be!”

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Shawn, this is too much,” Jules says as he leads her, his hands covering her eyes, somewhere for a date. 

“Are you kidding? You saved my life on this case, again, and you totally prevented a huge disaster with getting the detonator away from that guy.”

“And you are the one who noticed he had a detonator in the first place.”

“The spirits noticed, Jules. But I will take credit for this.” He moves his hands away from her eyes, and she gasps.

They’re in some kind of outdoor dining area, an archway of flowering vines set up above a table covered with a floral cloth and light-blue chinaware. As Shawn comes around to her line of vision she sees he’d hidden a nice suit under his usual jacket when he first told her he had a surprise planned, and his tie…

“Shawn, are you recreating the play?” It had been a particularly great date, for a variety of reasons- but mostly, because Shawn had actually managed to sit down, watch the play, and not turn it into a criminal investigation. He’d still kept up a running commentary and restless fidgeting of course- Jules would have been worried if he hadn’t- but otherwise it had been proof to her that he could take this seriously.

“Maybe.” He offers her his hand and leads her to the table. 

“Shawn, these plates are exactly like the ones from the date scene, how did you-”

“I may or may not have, solved a little case for the owner of the theatre and taken payment in the form of old props.”

Jules laughs, picking up the menu on the table. “Is this the actual menus too, then?”

“Unfortunately, no, but I think Gus- I mean, I, recreated them pretty well.”

“Mmm. Let me guess, you ‘managed’ the recreation, and Gus did the work on it?”

“I also turned on the printer.”

“Basically did the whole thing yourself.” She looks over the menu again- it had been held up briefly during the play, a larger version of it shown on a projection screen behind the actors, and she wouldn’t have remembered it if asked before this moment but now, seeing the recreation, she’s almost certain it’s exact.

It had been on stage for maybe one minute, maybe less.

“How did you even remember this?”

“Psychic recreation, Jules. I traveled back to the past in ethereal form. Your future self was there too- clearly, my gifts rub off on you fifty years from now.”

She laughs again, softer. He’s lying of course- he likes to lie for the humor, and the fun, and because no-one can truly call him out on his powers because even he doesn’t understand them as he often admits. But it feels different now.

He’s not lying entirely for fun. Partly for fun, sure- but he remembered the play, he remembered the menu, because he has an eidetic memory and can’t forget things and in the days since she spoke with Henry to confirm it that fact has been haunting her.

She has trouble sleeping some nights- it’s gotten better since Shawn moved in, having someone curled around her making sleep feel safer- because of the things she’s seen, experienced, endured. She still has nightmares about the clocktower, about sitting in a hospital bed waiting to hear if she has Thornburg, about desperately hunting down clues to Shawn’s whereabouts with Gus and having no idea if they’d even find him alive by the end. The images, the emotions, the sounds… they all stick with her, forgotten until the moment they strike.

What is that like for someone with Shawn’s memory? If her memories push in unwanted, what about his? The looks into the distance, the glaze over his eyes right before he reveals something, the visceral reactions when he remembers something he doesn’t like- it breaks her heart now, knowing that at least some of those are because his mind shoves near-perfect flashbacks at him. 

And with observation, she’s realized that it’s usually unwanted and not sought out- just like his visions. It’s hard to tell them apart from the outside, which just makes her even more concerned- does he even know the difference most of the time? Does it affect all of his thoughts, his imagination, the way he fills in blanks? Is that why sometimes his “visions” are so wrong, because he’s so used to them working the same way as the rest of his mind that he can’t tell what’s Him and what’s The Spirits?

“Hey.” She’s jolted out of her spiraling thoughts by Shawn reaching across the table and taking her hand. “Are you okay?”

She plasters on a smile. “Fine. Just- thinking about how lucky we are. To be here, after everything we’ve gone through.”

Shawn smiles back and pats her hand once before withdrawing his. “Lucky, or just awesome and unstoppable as a team? You, me, Gus, sometimes Lassie- we’re literally a dream team.”

“We are.” She tries to push her concerns about her boyfriend out of her mind, ordering food from a waiter wearing a costume clearly not sized for him- Shawn is always making seemingly impossible things happen, and Jules has no idea how he roped a real restaurant into this, aside from it being either a favor or a blackmail- but Shawn doesn’t blackmail people as far as she’s ever known, so probably a favor.

Shawn is impossible. More and more so every day. And the most impossible is his contradictions. She watches him fumble with his napkin, and remembers him leveling a gun with a steady confident hand on more than one occasion during a case. She listens to him recount a completely wrong story that she keeps correcting the details of, and looks at the perfect recreation of a scene from a play they saw once, months and months ago. She watches him exclaim in surprise over realizing the plates have a design of playing labradoodles at the edges, and thinks about how he saw the reeds moving in a different direction than the wind was blowing from almost impossibly far away to pick up on such a detail.

“Shawn.” She sets her fork down and interrupts his gushing about how cute the design of one of the puppies on the plate is. “I need to tell you something.”

His smiles drops, his mouth forming a small ‘o’ shape, eyes alight with panic. 

“I’m not breaking up with you.” The quick assurance makes Shawn sigh and slump in relief. “And-and I want you to know before I say this that I’m not doubting you either, or your psychic abilities.”

The tension in Shawn returns. “What?”

Jules bites her lower lip. “I just… can’t pretend not to know anymore, Shawn. Because it’s been just… awful watching you do everything you can to pretend you’re not intelligent.”

“... Jules, I-I don’t-”

“I talked to your dad.” She immediately wishes she’d started with anything else, the way Shawn shuts down and clams up. “No, that’s not what I- Shawn, I know you have an eidetic memory, and that you’re probably hyperobservant, on top of being psychic.”

Shawn’s mouth is tightly pursed, eyes searching, body language just withdrawn. Jules plows forwards, swallowing thickly.

“I’ve been seeing it since you moved in. You’re so smart, Shawn, and-and your detective skills are amazing. One night you solved a case in your sleep, and you mumbled the whole thing, and I was just blown away by how you were able to come to those conclusions and connect those dots.”

Shawn looks down, briefly licking his lips. “Chief Vick never asked you to review the detective’s exam, did she?”

“... No. And, you just proved my point. You made that connection so fast, Shawn.”

Shawn shrugs. “What-what is this? Why right now? On our date?”

“Because I love you.” She reaches over, pries his hands away from his sides and holds them. “And I want to understand why. Why do you pretend you’re not one of the best detectives I’ve ever seen? Your psychic visions are one thing, Shawn, but your skills… they’re genuinely incredible.”

Shawn won’t look her in the eye, traveling his sharp gaze around anything else around them. “You know me. I just uh, love putting on a show.”

“That’s what your dad said.” She feels his hands tense in hers. “But I don’t believe either of you. Well, I believe that’s part of it, but not the full thing. … Your dad said you’ve never really embraced it.”

“Of course he did.”

“But you do, embrace it. You do every day. I watch you get completely antsy and out of your mind without a case, and I used to think it was because you were just… chaotic, and-and bored, and maybe some kind of psychic restlessness but it’s not, right? It’s because you need to be able to solve something. Because you like being smart and solving cases, but you don’t like people knowing. Why?”

“Jules…”

“I’m not asking you to bring me in on your process, or to admit to anyone else when you solve instead of divine. I’m just… trying to understand you, Shawn, because I want us to work. And for us, this, to last… we have to know each other, and I feel like I’m just learning about you all over again.”

Shawn is silent for a moment, and then takes a deep breath and meets her eyes, reluctantly. “Gus knows,” he admits. “You probably figured that, but, he does.”

Jules nods. 

“Did my dad… talk about uh…”

“... He mentioned he trained you since you were young.”

“... Yeah. … I don’t know how to, uh…”

She waits. He seems… lost.

“... I learned how to properly stalk a perp through a hideout before I learned how people get sick from each other,” he says. Jules blinks in confusion until he continues, “I learned most things about being a cop before I learned everything else. And it wasn’t… he’s not proud of me, you know? When I was a kid I wanted to be just like him, and I couldn’t be, and he was disappointed in me. Eight years old, I could close my eyes and tell you the clothes anyone in the room was wearing, could tell you who was married and who wasn’t, how… how many hats, were in the room, and it didn’t matter. It was…” He scoffs. “Adequate. That’s it.”

Jules rubs her thumb along the back of his hand. “You got bitter about it.”

“Bitter’s a strong word.” It’s not- it’s just right. It’s in his voice, his eyes, his posture. But he doesn’t like these words, she knows that about him. He doesn’t like these words and these feelings, and he likes to pretend they don’t exist, and he doesn’t experience them. And how hadn’t she realized that was a problem before now? How had that just settled in her perception of him without setting off alarms that maybe something wasn’t okay?

“Shawn, you’re more than adequate. Your dad said so himself, he told me he is proud of you.”

“... He-he did?” The genuine surprise, it makes Jules’s heart shatter all over again.

“And more importantly, we’re all proud of you. Me, Gus, Carlton is even if he won’t admit it either- The Chief, she’s so proud of you and the work you do! Even when you mess it up or cause major problems, she still defends you and knows you do good work.”

Shawn’s mouth finally untightens, slightly, one corner twitching up for a brief smile. But it fades all too quick. 

“What’s the rest of the reason, Shawn? It can’t just be because your dad didn’t give you the credit you deserved. You’ve been doing this for years.”

“Well, like I said Jules, it’s not as fun. You know? You-you solve something psychically and everyone is in awe! Throw in some jokes, make a scene, plus the bad guys always seem to confess way faster when they think I divined certain things, it’s just better!”

“You could do the same with your deductions! I mean it, Shawn, they’re amazing, the way you solved that case with the hit-and-run was incredible. I don’t even know how you came up with the magnets.”

He puts a finger by his temple and gives her a somewhat prodding, questioning look. She frowns at him and raises an eyebrow, and he puts his hand back down with a defeated nod.

“... I don’t want to be my dad.” Shawn shrugs. “I don’t want to be my dad, and as amazing as he is I don’t want to be Gus, and I don’t want to be Lassie, or even-even some… ideal, me. I want to be… me, Jules.”

“I’m not asking you to not be you.”

“Not on purpose, but- this is me, Jules, this is who I am. I can’t live my life with everyone expecting me to remember everything completely perfectly no matter what, or asking me about every little detail of everything all the time, or saying I should know things or be smarter than what I did or-or have to be better than that-”

It’s like when the last piece of a case finally fits into place.

“Oh.” Jules squeezes his hand, and he cuts himself off to look at her with pinched brows and still parted lips. “Shawn… that kind of pressure is insane to put on a child. I’m so sorry.”

He blinks, frozen, and Jules stands up to come to his side and kiss his forehead. She crouches down by his chair. “You, are more than a detective,” she assures. “You are funny, and fun, and sometimes you’re so stupid and reckless that it literally hurts to watch, but that doesn’t mean that what you do right doesn’t matter. You don’t have to match your stupidity to your intelligence just to balance them out.”

“That’s not what I do.”

“Isn’t it? … Oh, my god, and after-after Yin you started going more overboard-”

“Jules-”

“-because he called you out and you had to hide even more-”

“Jules.” She looks into Shawn’s eyes and they’re… glassy. Red. Watering.

“You, being good at what you do, did not put me in danger,” she says softly, reaching up to brush her thumb over his cheek. “You being intelligent will not push me away, or change what I expect of you, or make you lose anyone you care about. But it might make us lose you, if you keep trying to bury it and compensate for it.”

“... I-I…”

“You know you’ve gone too far the opposite direction a lot these last few years, don’t you?”

He’s silent.

“... I understand these feelings run very deep, and all the back to your childhood. I understand that you probably resent what made your dad tain you just as much as you resent him and his training.”

“I don’t resent-”

“Shawn.”

“... I’m… working on not resenting him. Especially after he got shot.”

“I know. But you’re not working on how you feel about yourself because of him, are you?”

“... This is… very uncomfortable.”

“I know.” She wipes away an escaped tear. “You don’t like people being able to really know you, do you?”

“I like you knowing me. And Gus.”

“Do you? Because I had to figure all of this out on my own. Shawn, are you so used to hiding what you could be to be what you want to that you don’t even know how not to hide anymore?”

He flounders, opening and moving his mouth with no words, looking at the ground to her side. “I-I don’t know,” he finally gets out.

Jules nods. “And that’s okay.” Has he ever heard that before, in response to him not knowing something? Maybe. She won’t know unless they keep talking about this. She hopes they keep talking about this.

“... But you uh…” He presses his wrist, sleeves pulled down and gripped in his palm, to his nose for just a second, and sniffs. “You’re not saying you don’t believe I’m psychic anymore?”

“No, I’m not.”

He nods. “... You know, uh… Lassie is the whole reason I even got started, on the psychic detective thing.”

“Really?”

“Really. We still have this uh, table and everything for a few more hours, if you want to hear the story.”

She recognizes it for what it is. You know now, I’m uncomfortable with it, but I’ll try to not be, for you. So she sits back in her seat and listens to Shawn describe how he figured out a case through watching the news, and when Lassie didn’t believe him about it he claimed it was a psychic vision, and then he realized that works.

It recontextualizes even more things for Jules, even more of what Shawn must feel and think, and she wonders if she’ll ever fully figure him out. 

She’ll just have to spend her entire life with him, she supposes.

#I'm not super happy with the ending but I can't make anything else work any better so. Ah well. #psych #psychusa #psych usa #psych 2006 #shules #fanfic #my attempts at fanfic

[neondiamond]

🎁 Recently Read Fics - December 2023 🎁

These are all the amazing fics I read over the past month (from shortest to longest). Don’t forget to leave kudos and comments to show the authors your appreciation if you read any of these! ❤️

🎁 A Green Christmas by @tommokat (871, T)

A short, sweet snapshot of Niall and Shawn’s first holiday season living together.

🎁 to wake up by your side is all I wanna do by @beardyboyzx (1k, G)

Sometimes, Niall still thinks about the way Zayn’s laugh sounds when they watch TV and Niall makes up fake answers for whatever quiz show they’re watching.

🎁 Oh Christmas Three by @tommokat (1k, M)

A birthday surprise goes awry. Louis doesn’t understand. Harry blames the oven.

🎁 make my wish come true by @voulezloux (2k, NR)

the one where all harry wants for christmas is lou

🎁 Baby, please come home by @iysics (2k, T)

Breaking into his neighbour's house wasn't on Harry's Christmas checklist.

🎁 Stuck in Midnight Traffic by @letthemusicmoveyou28 (3k, M)

the one where two broken people meet in an empty tube car on Christmas Eve. Can they find a way to heal each other?

🎁 All The Way Home I’ll Be Warm by @justanothershadeofblue (3k, T)

Harry & Louis jokingly send out holiday cards together as friends, and now everyone is congratulating them for finally getting together. A 5+1 fic, for Christmas.

🎁 Santa Baby (one little thing I really need) by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed (3k, T)

When Louis himself had first heard those words - all the nurses at the A&E have a secret line to Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve-, not nearly long enough ago to be considered a child himself, but long enough that he hadn't really felt like an adult all the time, he’d laughed them off. Thought they were sweet, of course, but just a line, something said to appease the kids who ended up having to stay overnight. Something to explain the presents that parents brought to the hospital on Christmas morning, or that were waiting for them at home, if they were lucky not to have to stay any longer.

Something that would allow a little bit of Christmas spirit in the sometimes sterile rooms of the hospital.

But that was before he’d met him.

🎁 A Christmas at Home by @parmahamlarrie (3k, T)

After meeting his boyfriend in the emergency room, not having Louis home for Christmas Eve (and his birthday) was not a big surprise to Harry. What he didn't expect was just how hard that would be on his six year old son, Arlo.

Or, the one where Arlo wants nothing more than to celebrate Louis' birthday with him, and Harry hates having to be the parent who says no.

🎁 I Saw Several Angels in the Self Help Section by @londonfoginacup (3k, G)

Zayn and Louis are soulmates.

They're also missing some soulmates.

For extra flavour, it's Christmas.

🎁 Elf on the Shelf Suprise by @megz1985 (6k, T)

Liam brings home an Elf on the Shelf to surprise his and Zayn's toddler with Christmas magic, but things don't go as planned when she's completely terrified of her new Christmas friend.

🎁 The Busker by @chelsea-frew (7k, T)

A snowstorm has trapped artist Louis at home on his birthday--Christmas Eve--and on Christmas. Louis anticipates a lonely holiday. A mysterious stranger appears on Christmas morning, however, and Louis doesn't have to spend the day alone. But where did the man come from? Why does he seem familiar? It's a Christmas mystery.

🎁 Lonely Cards Club by @hellolovers13 (25k, T)

Harry's life in Cardiff is rather uneventful. Until he receives a strange Christmas postcard.

It gets even stranger when he finds another one the next day.

An Advent story about missed opportunities and second chances.

🎁 You Ain’t Gotta Feel Fear Just Mingle by @londonfoginacup (32k, T)

Harry has been at his dream job for less than three months, and he knows two things for sure; first, his project manager doesn't know what he's doing, and second, someone in the office is apparently pure evil, and no one will tell Harry who it is.

Oh, and the guy who works in conservation at the other end of the building is the most beautiful man Harry's ever seen, even when wielding a hot iron as a weapon.

Happy Christmas, here's to many more.

🎁 Snow In Love by @lululawrence (33k, NR)

Harry and Louis are best friends and have been for basically as long as they can remember. For the first time since middle school, they are both single for the holidays leaving them with the brilliant idea to take each other as their dates to work events. To make things easier they will pretend like they’re dating. But then they learn something funny.

People thought they were already dating. Weird.

An advent fic featuring childhood friends, fake dating turned actual dating, really horrible secret keeping, and a winter weather surprise.

🎁 Heart Beat by @allwaswell16 (33k, E)

Hideaway Haven is the place that Louis has always called home. It's also the place that Harry had tried to leave behind him. When Harry returns to start a music academy in his hometown, he finds himself face to face with his high school crush—and his charming daughter who wants to learn to play the drums.

🎁 I Really Like Your Styles: The Baking Advent-ure by @homosociallyyours (34k, T)

Louis isn't much for frills, and the coffee shop he co-owns with his best friend Liam is evidence of that. Yes, it's got a decent sized, well-kept industrial kitchen, but Louis insists that people come to coffee shops for coffee, not mediocre pastry and plastic wrapped cookies. When Liam's campaign for serving treats turns into watching a few baking accounts on whichever popular app he's on, there's one that really gets on Louis' nerves: "I Like Your Styles." With his chipper demeanor and over the top descriptions of the food he makes, Louis is sure that the (unfortunately cute) baker is full of it. Nothing that adorable could possibly be worth the hype.

It doesn't actually take much for him to eat his words...and some quality baked goods, while he's at it.

#chose the present emoji this month because all of these lovely fics are the best presents to all of us #🥰🥰🥰 #28th appreciation #monthly recs #fic rec #tracksintheam

[allwaswell16]

All the One Direction fics I read and enjoyed in November 2023. You can listen to my podcast to hear me talk about each of these fics as well as an overview of what was posted on ao3 including the fics on this month’s fic roundup which you can find here! Please let the writers know if you liked the fics by leaving kudos and comments! Happy reading!

Fanfictional Podcast #56 |  ko-fi | fic recs

- Louis/Harry -

🍂 Train Tracks and Porcelain by @jaerie

(E, 41k, historical circus au) Shadows were forming into people and things and, there in the middle of it, Louis watched the humongous head of an elephant emerge from a box car right in front of his eyes. Or a Water For Elephants inspired AU

🍂 Big, Bright World by RealName

(M, 35k, office au) Every day, Louis' feelings became more intense, more immediate, each little smile and gesture and silly flirtation mounting up into something palpable, with a life of its own. The only problem? Harry was engaged to someone else and had been from the moment Louis started working at Visionary.

🍂 two feet standing on a principle by Anonymous

(E, 10k, exes) Harry is a famous fashion model and Louis works at the mall, nobody knows they broke up two weeks ago.

🍂 you make my whole world feel so right when it's wrong by orphan_account

(T, 6k, mpreg Harry) Harry is pregnant and stops at the mall to buy cheap baby clothes. Louis has extra money from working a long shift, and he can't think of a better way to spend it than on him.

🍂 make my wish come true by deblond / @braveryandtea

(T, 4k, Christmas) Louis works as Santa’s elf at the mall. He meets Harry.

- Rare Pairs -

🍂 take me back, take me back by eynap / @panye

(E, 32k, Niall/Shawn Mendes) Niall invites his new friend Shawn to Zayn and Liam's three-day wedding in Napa Valley, California. He gets way more than he expected.

🍂 must be love by @nouies

(NR, 6k, Louis/Andrew Garfield) AU where Louis doesn’t know how to approach his neighbour, and Andrew keeps receiving homegrown vegetables at his door.

🍂 lonely in [paris] by f_ckromeoandjuliet / @louiesonlyangel

(T, 5k, Louis/Awsten Knight) Alternate version of Louis's tour where he's in a secret relationship with Awsten Knight from Waterparks. Based on Awsten tweeting at Louis.

🍂 Feeling Feline by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 4k, Louis/Niall) “Not medically wrong,” the blond one says. “But I swear, and I know this sounds nuts, but I don’t think he’s a cat?”

🍂 it's the summer of our love by localopa / @voulezloux

(G, 3k, Louis/Ryan Ross) ryan is in love with his best friend and gym bro, louis. the problem? ryan is straight.

🍂 Got My Chaos Automatic by LetTheMusicMoveYou / @letthemusicmoveyou28

(E, 3k, Zayn/Louis/Liam) the one where Louis comes home from tour feeling exhausted, yet antsy. Luckily, Liam and Zayn are there to put him back together

🍂 Crush by @allwaswell16

(T, 1k, Louis/Niall) When Niall stops smiling around the office, his co-worker Louis sets out to lift his mood with the help of their office mates.

- Trick Or Treat Fest -

1D Trick Or Treat Fest / @1dtrickortreatfest (each 666 words)

she bit someone by larry_hiatus / @larry-hiatus

Sounds horrifying..... tell me more by @lunaticcat009

In The Dark by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

Ghosted by @haztobegood

Summon A Demon by red_panda28 / @red-pandaaa

Slow Dance with the Tension by LetTheMusicMoveYou / @letthemusicmoveyou28

I See You by @neondiamond

Lipstick stain fades with time by @lunarheslwt

Watch How Good I'll Fake It by mmaree / @zqua1d

Irresistible by mmaree / @zqua1d

find a way (to send me a sign) by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

when love gets involved by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

Harryween (series) by @babyhoneyheslt

Fruit Bat by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright

Odds Are That We Will Probably Be... by @lululawrence

A Witch's Longest Day of the Year by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou

pasta-tively sweet by shiptattou / @wecantalktomorrow

perfect pumpkins by shiptattou / @wecantalktomorrow

Fa-boo-lous Halloween by bluegreenish / @greenblueish

Still by downcamethelightning / @downcamethelightnings

#28th appreciation #ficrec #hlcreators #hljournal #trackinghome #trackinghappily #1dficvillage #ficsfor4am #1dsource #larry fanfiction #1d fanfiction

[jjsmaybank20]

heyyyy! can i request a leighton murray x younger finkle sibling fic where they try to hide it from kimberley

Sneaking

Leighton Murray x fem!Finkle!reader

Summary: You are Kimberly's younger sister, and when you and Leighton start dating, you sneak around behind your sister's back.

Warnings: fluff, slight smut

Word Count: 1.1k

A/N: Hope you like it!

navigation  the sex lives of college girls masterlist

---

When Kimberly mentioned that she had a younger sister, the suitemates were expecting a younger, maybe even more annoying version of her. When she described you as a leather-jacket type with tattoos but with manners that rivaled her own, the girls obviously doubted her. Especially since Kimberly said that her ex-boyfriend looked like Shawn Mendes, and he ended up looking like… well, definitely not like Shawn Mendes. They thought that maybe you had gotten one tattoo, or worn a brown leather jacket once, and now that was how Kimberly described you. 

But you. Oh, you. She didn’t exaggerate at all. In fact, she probably underexaggerated. You went to a school near Essex, and when you finally found time to come and visit your sister, Kimberly’s roommates couldn’t hide their shock if they even tried. 

You rolled up in front of the dorms on your motorcycle, white t-shirt hugging your muscles and full-sleeve tattoos on display. The girls stood in shock as Kimberly ran towards you and jumped into your arms, you barely catching her before turning your bike off and walking forward with you still supporting her. 

“This is a prank, right? Like, she hired someone to act like her sister or something. There is no way they’re related,” Whitney states. When she gets no response, she looks at the other two girls for backup. She sees both Bela and Leighton staring at you with their jaws dropped, and just a little bit of drool escaping from Leighton’s mouth.

She taps her blonde friend’s chin, which makes Leighton snap out of her stupor and subtly wipe her mouth. When you finally get to your sister’s friends, you put her down and stick out your hand. “Hey, y’all! I’m Y/N Finkle, Kimberly’s younger sister. I’ve sure heard a lot about you.” Bela’s eyes seem to bug out of her head even further if possible as she exclaims, “Younger?!” 

You let out a laugh that makes Leighton’s heart eyes grow somehow bigger, and you reply, “Yes, ma’am. One year, to be exact. Most people can’t tell, given the height difference.” The girls nod, noting the foot difference. All of you stand there, looking at each other for a second longer before Whitney claps her hands and says, “Okay! How about we go to the room and get to know each other better?” All of you agree, and you follow behind the girls, not being able to help the way that your eyes keep drifting towards a certain blonde.

---

After that day, the girls took a strong liking to you, especially Leighton. You quickly noticed the attention she would give you when you hang out in a group, and soon you began inviting her to hang out with you one-on-one. 

You would never assume someone’s sexuality, so you never made a move on Leighton no matter how much you wanted to. On the other side of things, Leighton was becoming increasingly frustrated with you, and how you never could get the hint that she just wanted to make out with you already. 

One day, you took her to a movie theater. Every time you took a handful of popcorn, your hands seemed to brush together. Finally, Leighton couldn’t take anymore of your prolonged stares at the side of her head. She muttered, “Fuck it,” underneath her breath, and as you started to ask, “Wha-” She straddled your lap and smashed your lips together. 

Let’s just say that you have no clue what happened in the movie, nor did you really care all that much. 

Since then, all of your hang outs with Leighton had been classified as dates. It wasn’t long before you asked her to be your girlfriend, and she said yes. Your relationship was perfect. Except for one little thing. Leighton didn’t want to tell Kimberly about it, feeling like she would think that this was revenge for Kimberly sneaking around with her brother. 

The other girls knew, as they had walked in on the two of you making out more times than any of you could count, but Kimberly, being the clueless person she is, somehow kept missing the signs. You couldn’t help but want to tell her, as the two of you were close and usually told each other everything, but Leighton insisted, and you couldn’t deny her.

Sneaking around began to get more difficult, as Kimberly had a habit of not knocking and an impossible talent of barging in at the absolute worst time. Now, she definitely wasn’t stupid, but her denial ability was top-notch. It wasn’t until she caught you and Leighton with your pants down, literally, that she finally realized what was going on. 

Kimberly opened the door to Leighton’s room, asking, “Hey, Leighton, have you seen my- OH MY GOD!” She quickly covers her eyes, trying to erase the sight in front of her from her memory. There you are, her younger sister, knuckle deep in her roommate and friend. 

You scramble off of Leighton, quickly covering her up, as she was fully naked and you still had your boxers and sports bra on. Kimberly quickly walks out of the room as best she can with her eyes still closed, bumping into the doorframe on her way out. You let out a sigh before turning to your girlfriend and murmuring, “I’ll talk to her.” Leighton nods, and you pull on your shorts and go into the living room.

You sit down next to your sister, who quickly turns to you and accusingly exclaims, “You’re sleeping with Leighton? Why didn’t you tell me? I thought we told each other everything!” You put your hands on her shoulders, trying to get her to calm down. “Kimberly, breathe. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but Leighton didn’t want to just yet. Also, I’m not just sleeping with her, we’re dating.” 

Kimberly can’t think of anything to say as she stares at you. She finally points a finger in your face and as threateningly as she can says, “Don’t you dare hurt her. She’s already been through a lot.” You nod and laugh at Kimberly’s attempt to scare you, and you wrap your arms around her shoulders.

“Wouldn’t even dream of hurting her, sis. I’m glad that she has someone like you in her corner. You’re good for her.” Kimberly smiles at you. You both hear Leighton clear her throat from the door of her room before she mumbles, “Yeah, I don’t know about that. She keeps stopping me from getting some.” Kimberly’s face flushes red again as she remembers what she had interrupted, and she begins to profusely apologize. 

You laugh before calming your sister down, and she goes back into her room mumbling something about never being able to look at you the same. Leighton comes over to the couch and sits down on your lap. You look at her before asking, “Doesn’t that feel better? Like a weight has been lifted off of you?” She shrugs, but then nods. You smile at her before she mumbles, “Now, where were we?” Let’s just say that that was not the only time that Kimberly got traumatized by the two of you.  

---

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#leighton murray x y/n #leighton murray x you #leighton murray x reader #leighton murray #leigton murray fluff #the sex lives of college girls x y/n #the sex lives of college girls x you #the sex lives of college girls x reader #the sex lives of college girls imagine #the sex lives of college girls #sex lives of college girls #tslocg

[tyoshi9]

And All Those Nights, Down By The River

a travis kelce x gn!reader fic.

w: pretty much just saccharine.

There was always something that tied him to you, or you to him. You never really believed in fate but slowly it became your guiding light somehow. Both of you have been friends for a long time, since you were kids specifically. You practically grew up with the guy, and yet you're still confused and at war with yourself constantly. He's an NFL Player and has dated many women before, it's practically rolling a seven using a six-die and oh did I mention that one of the most famous people and him are allegedly dating?

Yet here you are, at the side of the river. Feelings of peaceful tranquility replace the everyday shattering of it. Vague recollections of memories play like scenes in a movie of you, Travis, Jason and Shawn playing, laughing and unaware of the future ahead of all of you and unaware of your blooming feelings for one of them.

You were abruptly interrupted by said man's footsteps behind you, slowly growing until it reached an end. A shout right after. "Hey ---! Found you! You really don't like people do you?" His voice almost booming as he catches up to you. "Travis, we've been friends for a long long time. I think you already know that."

He chuckles at your remark, god you loved hearing that. "Yeah yeah, I get it. Still I think you'd enjoy being at the party too you know." He smiles and you smile back, stopping as he looks back at you. "This was one of our favorite spots when we were kids right?" He nods. "You know I come by here a lot, something nostalgic always keeps luring me to come back here all the time." His face changes, he was listening. Your heart was beating at an alarming rate as you say each word more emotionally after the other.

"You know Travis, I think that this is the right time to tell you that. That." Travis came closer, almost at arms length. "That what? You're in love with me?" You look at him quickly, his face didn't change like you expected, he didn't chuckle or laugh, he was completely serious. You look down at the rocks as the river's current began ringing in your ears somewhat. "Yeah, I'm in love with you. With you, Travis Kelce."

You expected the hurt, the needles that will pierce your heart and make you bleed, the words that can split a man's body in half. Instead, you were given an arm in your shoulder and a hug. "Yeah, I love you too." The butterflies in your heart were released and it felt ethereal. You hug him back as water pricked your eyes. "I've loved you since we were kids, and i-i just didn't want it to hurt more." He hugged you even harder and chuckled.

"It's ok, you can let it all out." Both of you finally let go after what seemed like forever. "How did you know?" He laughed a bit as he scratched the back of his head. "I mean, it's not really much of a secret to be honest." He shrugged a bit. "And to be honest, I was kinda having feelings for you when we really started to feel more intimate with each other." You nodded with a red flush on your cheeks.

"But." He held your face in his big hands. "I really do think I love you." He pressed his lips to your forehead. The currents of the river became somewhat of an orchestra to all of this, as you laid your hands to his face too.

#travis kelce x reader #travis kelce x you #travis kelce #gn reader #gender neutral reader #I wrote this kinda for myself but now I have the courage to post it lmaooo #i did this instead of sleeping #its 3am

[redheadjustin]

Omg I would love a fic where Bella’s dad remarries a guy and Bella is like thrown off because she is too involved with being a vampire to notice her dad is bi and getting remarried 😂

You sighed happy in your husband's arms. You and Charlie swan had been Married for a few years and you were happy. Yes, Charlie Swan was Bisexaul and it was something he regretted hiding for years. He could have found a partner who respected his wants and desires instead of wasting years in a loveless marriage with Rene. Charlie wouldn't take any of it back. It gave him his little girl. If only she deserved him. It had been years since Charlie heard from his daughter despite her and the Cullens still being in Forks. It was something Charlie held deep resentment over.

You knew of Bella. But, you never met her and hoped you never would. You had spent your life babysitting and taking care of children so you knew that Bella was a grade one brat. You were a pediatrician and knew more about raising children than any parent.  After all, you knew what not to do thanks to your parents. You were abused, mistreated and pushed to the side while your siblings were treated like princes. You became a pediatrician to make sure no child grew up like you did. You met Charlie when he brought a kid in with a broken wrist. You two had seen each other around town and had spoken to one another once or twice but for some reason you two hit it off when you talked about suspected abuse. It was how you also met your adopted son, Shawn.

You and Charlie adopted Shawn after the investigation concluded that the poor boy was being abused. It gave you a chance to heal the kid and show him the love you missed. It gave Charlie a chance to make sure it wasn’t his fault on how Bella turned out. You both showered Shawn with love and gifts. But, unlike Rene with Bella, you never spoiled him. You made sure he knew that if he wanted something he had to work for them. And it turned a Scared five year old boy into a strong, brave, loving, caring and respectful ten year old boy who would go on to do extraordinary things in his life.

You sighed as you heard a knock on the door. “I got it Charlie, just relax. I’ll bring back some coffee.” You told your husband as you stood to put your bathrobe on. You walked down the stairs cursing whoever thought it was a good idea to visit at eight in the morning. You opened the door and the person on the other side of the door was the absolute last one you ever expected.

“Charlie! Your Daughter’s here! Why don’t you come in?” You told the confused Vampire after hearing a shout from your husband. You knew she was a vampire as you were a member of the Quileute tribe. Plus your older brother, Paul, is a part of the wolfpack and you expected your little brother to rush to the house once he smelled a vampire near his baby brother.

“So, um, who are you to my dad?” the female vampire asked as she shifted on the couch uncomfortable. You were smirking on the inside. You knew that she smelt Charlie all over you. And she probably already guessed about your relationship but you couldn’t help the satisfaction that rose up at that. You always wanted to take Bella down a few pegs as she always seemed so Goddamn smug when you met her. You’d be surprised if she recognized you. You were always by Paul’s side and helping Emily before you went to med school.  

“Bella, I’m sorry you had to find out about this but Y/N is my husband.” Charlie said as he stepped into the living room with a matching robe around his waist. “Wait, so, You’re Gay??” Bella asked and you flinched at the accusation. You knew what it was like. “No Bella, I’m bisexaul and so is Y/N. You never knew because you never visit and you keep your family away. I only see my granddaughter when Y/N sees his Brother and Jacob happens to be there. So, if you wanted to know you should have come around more. And you’d know you have a stepfather and stepbrother.” It was obvious that what Bella had been told had hurt her. “You catch her up, Charlie. I’ll help Shawn get ready.” You said as you went to go help your son get ready for the day. You smiled as you saw your son already awake. It was the same every morning. Shawn needed help on things normal ten year olds didn’t. Unfortunately, the abuse Shawn suffered gave him nerve damage and developmental delays. It was like he was two instead of ten. “Hey bud. Sleep well?” You asked as you went over to Shawn's dresser. You helped Shawn get dressed for the day and as you did you felt someone in the doorway.

“He’s special.” Bella said quietly. “He is. Shawn was abused heavily and he got nerve damage and delays in his development.” You told Bella softly as you let Bella closer. It seemed Charlie had a talk with Her about Shawn. “...You’re a doctor. Do…do you feel bad you can’t cure him?” You didn’t mind the blunt question. It was natural that she’d wonder how you felt. Everyone did. “Sometimes, yes. But I love him just the way he is and though I look for treatments I don’t care if I take care of him like this till he’s forty.” And that was God's honest truth.

“I’m glad you two are family. Dad said your brother is part of the wolfpack. Who is he?” Bella asked, running her hand through Shawn’s curly, blue hair. “ Paul Lahote.” You answered, smiling at the thought of your hothead brother. “I’m sorry.” Bella said playfully. “I don’t know why. He’s your uncle in law now.” You told her with a shit eating grin. You laughed at the grouan that came out of Bell’s mouth. You were glad Charlie and Bella reconciled. Shawn gained a sister and a whole extended family to help him. And you got to see Bella as she is now. Not as she was and that was everything.  

#twilight #x male reader #male reader #male reader insert #male!reader #x male! reader #twilight x male reader

[typicalopposite]

i am so close to being done with both the psych fic AND this dog fic so i'm hoping this will be the last snippet i share for both of them before FINALLY posting them :)

and as always thank you so so sooo much @hgejfmw-hgejhsf and @onthewaytosomewhere for the tags <3

going first with psych to give some oblivious Lassie to your morning

“Spencer what the hell are you doing here?” Lassiter barks, taking his attention off the rookies (and they promptly use the opportunity to flee). He watches them scurry off with a look of annoyance, then turns his gaze angrily back to Shawn.  “Aww, come on, do I really have to have a reason to come visit my favorite detective?” Shawn pouts. He steps closer to Lassiter, who promptly takes a step back.  “When it interferes with their work, yes,” Lassiter retorts, arms tensing where they’re crossed firmly over his chest. “Besides, it’s O’Hara’s day off. Figured you’d already know that, psychic.”  “Lassie, Lassie, Lassie,” Shawn sighs. “So naive in your middle rapidly teetering towards old age.” Lassiter’s eyes couldn’t narrow at him anymore… or they would be closed. Shawn basks in the annoyance he is causing. “I know today is Jules’ day off. I was talking about my other favorite detective.” He widens his smile at Lassiter; Lassiter blinks back at him confused. Shawn can all but hear the mechanics of his brain working overtime to figure out what other detectives in the precinct Shawn might know.

and to cleanse the palate with some good ol angst... <3 have some more Arthur and David.

“There’s a good boy,” Arthur says with a smile when David pushes the door open and walks inside. He jumps up to the side of Arthur’s bed — it’s not the one he used to sleep in with Catherine, this one’s smaller and bends and makes noises. This one has cold metal sides, but Arthur always leaves one side down for David. “I see you’ve been getting into mischief today,” Arthur continues, slowly moving his hand to David’s head so he can scratch behind his ear before brushing the evidence that he has been sniffing around in Catherine’s flower pots from his nose.  He should have known better than to mess in the dirt, it's wet from the rain, that’s why she had them brought in. David breathes out a sigh and rests his head on the bed next to Arthur’s hand, expecting it to go back to scratching his ears. It doesn’t and David looks up at Arthur; he is stiff and holding his breath, his face scrunched up like he’s in pain. David whines, and pushes himself up on his front legs, head tilting when Arthur finally lets out the breath. He worriedly nudges Arthur’s arm with his nose.  “I’m alright,” Arthur says, finally going back to scratching his ears. “I’m just tired.” David rests his head on the bed while Arthur pets him, the latter rambling on about things; his kids, his wife… his life, and how he thinks this is all more unfair to his loved ones than it is to him. David listens, and stares up at Arthur intently, not fully understanding what he’s saying, but he can tell it’s making him feel better. Then from outside of the room Henry’s voice calls for David, who perks up and looks towards the door, tail wagging. “I’m so glad you two have taken so well to each other,” Arthur says happily. “That’s good.” He rests his head back in his pillow and closes his eyes. “That’s good…” he repeats and David hops down to the floor, trotting over to the door.

yall writing for a dog is not easy! I am trying so hard to not make this seem silly but still make it feel like its coming from the mind of an animal not a human! it has be A RIDE! But I'm really excited to share this one!

and for my tags today! as always a COMPLETE pressure tag for @scripted-downfall :) and some no pressure pressure tags to @luainthewild @taste-thewaste @meraki-yao aaaand @adreamareads as well as anyone else who wants to play along! :)

#wip wednesday #my wips #my writing #psych #psych fic #psych usa #shassie #shawn spencer #carlton lassiter #red white and royal blue #rwrb #rwrb fic #firstprince #david the beagle #arthur fox #henry hanover stuart fox

[tameodesza]

Confession (KevinShawn/BretShawn)

AO3 link | masterlist

Shawn is pressured to come clean about his affair with Bret Hart.

a/n: Back with more angst! This follows the events that took place in this fic

“If you don’t tell Kevin, I will.”

The threat came from a very pissed off Hunter after he spotted Shawn leaving the Harts’ locker room, clothes disheveled and a hickey on full display.

The glowing smile Shawn was wearing immediately dropped as he angrily hissed, “No, the hell you won’t! It’s none of your fucking business-”

“It is when I’m friends with the both of you.”

Shawn scoffed, “But you’ve known me longer. I’m your best friend for fucks sake!”

“And he’s my friend, too! You’re putting me in a difficult situation, Shawn.”

“Oh, stop being dramatic,” Shawn said as he continued walking down the hall.

Hunter followed him as he said, “How do you expect me to talk to Kevin and act like everything’s ok when I know his boyfriend’s getting fucked by Bret Hart-”

“Shhh!” Shawn looked around cautiously to be sure no one had heard Hunter. When the coast was clear, Shawn said to Hunter, “You don’t think I feel guilty about it? I feel like shit.”

“Then why are you still fucking around?” Shawn didn’t have a good answer and he didn’t feel like thinking of one.

“Just drop it. You’re giving me a headache.”

“It’s not right, Shawn. And you know it-”

“I know! Ok? I know. Just…give me time. I’ll tell him.”

“Soon.”

“Ok, yes. Soon.”

Hunter wasn’t sure if he trusted Shawn, but he decided to drop it for now, hoping he could take Shawn at his word.

   The next time Shawn saw Kevin was two weeks later. With Shawn traveling in between towns and Kevin having a day off, Kevin suggested that the two of them book a hotel room to spend some quality time together.

Normally, Shawn would be excited. He hadn’t seen Kevin in over a month, and he missed him so much. But he still hadn’t told Kevin about Bret. Shawn felt that the conversation was one that needed to be had in-person rather than over the phone.

Shawn planned on telling Kevin as soon as he saw the man. But it was so hard to even think of uttering those words when Shawn opened the hotel room door to see his boyfriend’s beaming smile.

Kevin pulled Shawn into the room, immediately engulfing the man into a tight long-lasting hug, glad to have Shawn in his arms again. “Hey, baby. I missed you so much,” he whispered.

Shawn tightened his grip onto Kevin whispering back, “I missed you too.”

Kevin pulled back slightly to look at Shawn, bringing up a hand to slowly caress his face as he took in his beauty, before bringing Shawn into a slow and sensual kiss. Shawn kissed back just as eagerly, briefly forgetting why he was so nervous in the first place.

After separating, Kevin rested his head onto Shawn’s as he continued to stroke the blond’s cheek. His lips ghosted over Shawn’s as he said, “I’m so happy you’re here.”

Shawn smiled, “Me too.” Then his smile faltered as he remembered why he was really there.

He had to tell Kevin the truth.

But it was hard to, especially with how sweet Kevin was being.

The taller man had gone out of his way to make Shawn feel special. He ordered room service, lit candles, brought out an expensive bottle of wine, and gifted Shawn a few knickknacks he picked up on the road that he knew the blond would like.

Shawn’s heart melted that whole evening as he further drowned in guilt. He was guilty that Kevin was being so thoughtful while he harbored such a horrible secret. And despite his guilt, he unashamedly basked in the attention Kevin was giving him – the attention that Shawn had been craving for the past few months.

His guilt only worsened when, after pouring another glass of wine, Kevin said earnestly, “I’m sorry I haven’t been putting in much effort lately.”

Shawn shook his head. “Kevin, it’s fine. You don’t need to apologize,” and make him feel even worse about himself.

But Kevin insisted, “I know you try your best to be understanding, but we all reach a breaking point. I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me, Shawn. I love you, and I promise I’ll do better.”

Shawn got teary-eyed, but for reasons that Kevin wasn’t aware of. The taller man chuckled as he brought Shawn into a hug saying, “You’ve always been an emotional guy.”

Which was true. But Shawn was emotional for multiple reasons that night. He was touched by how caring and thoughtful Kevin was being. But the reality of the situation was also hitting him.

Like the good boyfriend he was, Kevin could sense that something was bothering Shawn, especially after noticing Shawn’s shoulders trembling slightly. He stroked Shawn’s back gently as he asked, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Shawn pulled back from the hug, wiping his eyes before looking up at Kevin’s concerned face. The secret was on the tip of his tongue. But instead of the truth coming out, Shawn said, “I love you. So much.”

That brought a smile to Kevin, the taller man cupping Shawn’s face with both of his hands, thumbing away the tears on Shawn’s cheeks. “I love you, too. In case I haven’t said it enough tonight.” He then pulled Shawn into a passionate kiss that soon turned heated.

That was all it took for the couple to forget about dinner and make their way towards the bed.

Shawn didn’t know just how much he missed being caressed and wrapped around Kevin until the man was thrusting into him with such care and ease.

It wasn’t the quick fuck he and Bret usually had. No. It was passionate, sensual, and brought Shawn so much pleasure – so much that he climaxed twice before Kevin could even finish. That night, Kevin gave Shawn everything he needed, but was too impatient to wait for.

And because Shawn was a selfish man, he decided the truth could wait. He’d tell Kevin eventually, but not tonight. For one more night, he wanted to experience Kevin’s love before it would be taken away from him.

   Shawn was the first to wake the next morning, his head resting on Kevin’s chest as his guilty conscience weighed heavy. He didn’t know Kevin was up until he felt the man’s hand slowly tread through his hair.

Shawn closed his eyes, sighing heavily as he worried about how he was going to tell Kevin the truth. He didn’t want to break the man’s heart. He didn’t deserve it, but Shawn couldn’t keep prolonging it.

However, right as Shawn was about to open his mouth, he was thrown off by Kevin saying, “I was thinking about going back to the WWF.”

Shawn’s eyes flew open as he tilted up his head to look at Kevin in shock. “What?”

Kevin smiled as booped Shawn’s nose saying, “You heard me.”

However, Shawn didn’t return the smile, genuinely confused. “But… why? Things are going so well for you at WCW.”

Kevin let out a breath. “I know, I know. But it’s not the same being there without you, Shawn.”

“But…you’d be taking a major pay cut, right?”

“I don’t care. You mean that much to me.”

And Shawn wanted to cry again.

The fact that Kevin was so serious about him, serious enough to leave millions of dollars behind to be with him, was too much. He couldn’t let him make such a drastic decision without knowing the truth.

Shawn frowned to himself before fully sitting up and saying, “I can’t do this.”

Kevin frowned as well, not liking the sound of that. He sat up, asking, “Is there something wrong?”

Shawn groaned as he rubbed incessantly at his face. He then looked into Kevin’s eyes, voice quivering as he said, “I have to tell you something.”

Kevin hated seeing Shawn upset, and obviously whatever he was about to say was bothering him. So he grabbed Shawn’s hand in support, saying softly, “Take your time.”

Shawn grimaced as he said, “Please, don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Be sweet to me right now. I don’t deserve it.”

Kevin tilted his head in question. “Why wouldn’t you deserve it, Shawn?”

“Because after you hear what I’m about to say, you’re going to want nothing to do with me.”

Kevin tightened his grip on Shawn’s hand, saying, “Never. There’s nothing you could say that’ll make me love you any less.”

Shawn slowly pulled his hand away from Kevin’s, taking a deep breath before saying, “I cheated.”

It was as if time stood still, the room quieting as the words settled in the air. Kevin looked like the color drained from his face, mouth hanging open in shock at the revelation. There’s no way. He must have heard wrong.

Seeing Kevin go quiet, Shawn quickly spewed, “I’m a terrible person, and I feel so horrible about it! I’m sorry. I’m so so fucking sorry, Kev. Kevin.” Shawn tried to get the man’s attention who was looking spaced out.

Shawn tried to place his hand back into Kevin’s, but the man snatched away, asking, “Who was it?”

Shawn stalled, causing Kevin to shout, “Who the fuck was it, Shawn?!” Shawn jumped, slightly startled at the outburst.

The truth of the matter was that Shawn didn’t want Kevin to know, honestly afraid of what the older man would do.

Fed up with Shawn’s silence, Kevin hissed, “If you don’t tell me right now, I’m leaving-”

“Bret! It, it was Bret.”

Kevin was taken aback, not believing what he was hearing. Last time he checked, Shawn and Bret didn’t get along, or at least that’s what it seemed like before he left for WCW. “How long?”

Shawn swallowed hard, his hesitation causing Kevin to reiterate, “How long has this been going on behind my back, Shawn?!”

Shawn’s heart pounded as he said shakily, “Uh, a-a few months. I’m sorry- Babe!”

Kevin swiftly stood up from the bed, no longer wanting to hear what Shawn had to say. He was beyond livid, and he knew being anywhere near Shawn was a bad idea.

Unfortunately for him, Shawn trailed behind him, desperately grabbing at Kevin’s arm as he said frantically, “Would you please just listen to me-”

Kevin snatched his arm away, exclaiming, “Get the fuck away from me, Shawn! Don’t fucking touch me.”

Shawn’s eyes instantly pooled with unshed tears, the younger man not used to being on the receiving end of an irate Kevin.

Throughout their relationship, Kevin was always so careful with him, so patient and understanding. They rarely fought, and even during the small times that they did, Kevin always tried his best not to raise his voice, especially because he knew how fragile Shawn was, and screaming at the blond only tended to make matters worse.

However, now Kevin had every reason to be pissed, and Shawn knew it. But it didn’t make being on the receiving end of Kevin’s tirade hurt any less.

Shawn sniffed, saying weakly, “Kevin-”

“Tell me. What was the meaning of this,” Kevin asked as he gestured between Shawn and himself. “of us falling in love, of me devoting my life to you, of us planning our lives together, of us meeting each other’s family? What’s the meaning of it if all you were going to do is shit on everything we’ve been building together?! Does it mean anything to you-”

“Yes! Of course it does, Kev. You mean so much to me. I love you!”

Kevin tsked, shaking his head in disbelief. “Love. This is how you show me you love me? By running to the next man when I’m not giving you enough attention-”

“No-”

“Because you want to know how I show my love? By being fucking faithful to you!”

“I know-”

“You don’t think I get lonely on the road without you?! You don’t think I get frustrated when we don’t have time for each other?! You don’t think I’ve had opportunities to fuck around with people, too?! I have, Shawn. But I never did it because I love you! But I guess I loved you more than you loved me-”

“No, Kevin, that’s not true! I love you – only you.”

“Then why’d you do it?! If you love me so fucking much, why would you throw us away like this?”

“I-,” Shawn cut himself off. He was at a loss for words. No explanation could justify why he did what he did. “I-I don’t know.”

“You don’t know.”

Shawn shrugged, “I-,” he sighed. “I just missed you so much. We barely talked, and the few times we did, we would get into these petty arguments. Then we would make plans to see each other, but they’d get canceled. And you were always so busy-”

“So it’s my fault-”

“No! No, it’s not, Kev. That’s not what I’m saying. I just, I don’t know what to say. I was stupid. I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry.”

Kevin went quiet, dragging his hands over his face as he contemplated what to say next. He was so stressed out. This was his worst nightmare, and he never thought Shawn would be the one to put him through it.

He was so angry, both at Shawn and himself. Maybe he didn’t try hard enough. Maybe he didn’t put Shawn first at times. Maybe he did prioritize his work obligations over spending time with Shawn. He knew he was a sucky boyfriend for that.

But did that mean he deserved to get cheated on?

“Kev?”

Kevin was brought out of his thoughts, looking up to see Shawn slowly approaching him like a scared animal. However, Shawn halted at Kevin’s next question. “How many times?”

He needed to know. As heartbreaking as it was to imagine Shawn sharing his body with someone else, Kevin needed to know how bad it was. Was it only one time? Although that was still bad in his eyes, a part of Kevin felt like he could forgive Shawn and move on.

“Um,” said Shawn as he averted his eyes.

The guilt was eating him alive. He hadn’t anticipated for Kevin to ask such detailed questions. Part of him hoped Kevin would give him a pass and they could forget it ever happened. But he should’ve known better.

“Shawn,” Kevin said flatly, this time having no energy to raise his voice. “How many?”

Shawn looked up again and his heart nearly broke at seeing Kevin’s misty eyes.

This was what he was afraid of. He never wanted to hurt Kevin. Never. Yes, Shawn was selfish. Yes, he enjoyed being with Bret. But breaking Kevin’s heart was never his goal.

“I-I don’t know.” Which was the truth. He wasn’t proud to admit that between the various sneaky meetups in locker rooms and hotels, he and Bret had fucked more times than he could count.

“Give me a number.”

Shawn furrowed his brows, saying, “I don’t know, Kev. Multiple times. I can’t give a number.”

Multiple times. They had sex multiple times. Not one. Not two. Multiple. That was all Kevin needed to hear for his world to come crashing down.

Kevin closed his eyes as he felt his throat closing up. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing as a nauseous pit settled in his stomach. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take.

“If you want to be with him, then go.”

Shawn’s heart dropped. He did like Bret, but he didn’t want to be with the man. Shawn knew he was such an asshole for cheating, and Kevin deserved as much space as he needed. But he didn’t want them to end the relationship.

“What, no! Kevin, I don’t-”

“We’re done.”

The tears that Shawn was holding back were unleashed, streaming endlessly down his cheeks as he reached for Kevin’s hand. “Baby, please-”

“Shawn, leave.”

“No,” Shawn sobbed as he threw himself at the man, tightly wrapping his arms around Kevin as he cried into the man’s chest. “Please don’t do this! I’m sorry! I want to be with you!”

It took everything in Kevin not to reciprocate the hug. He’d always been weak for Shawn’s tears, but this was a moment where Shawn didn’t deserve his sympathy. “Shawn, let me go.”

When the younger man didn’t listen, Kevin tightly gripped Shawn’s arms, forcing them away from his body. “Go!”

Seeing that Kevin wasn’t going to change his mind, Shawn dropped his arms before slowly walking to his gym bag. He threw on some clothes, glancing at Kevin every so often, before putting on his shoes, grabbing his bag, and making his way towards the door.

He gave one last glance at Kevin before leaving the room and the broken man inside of it.

Once Shawn was gone, Kevin didn’t hold back any longer, his emotions coming at full force as silent tears streamed down his cheeks. He desperately wanted to punch someone – preferably Bret Hart – but with no one in sight, Kevin let out a yell as he picked up a lamp and threw it into a wall, the lamp shattering on impact.

Breathing heavily, he sat on the edge of the bed, gripping his hair in his hands as he cried, feeling just as broken as the lamp on the floor.

#divider cr: @benkeibear #affair au #kevin nash x shawn michaels #bret hart x shawn michaels #angst #kevinshawn #bretshawn #hartbreak #shawn michaels #kevin nash #bret hart #triple h #wwf #wwe fanfiction #alternate universe

[isnt-it-pretty]

any advice for someone who never wrote a fanfic before?

Writing is a skill like any other. You wouldn't expect to pick up a flute and know how to play, would you? So no matter what, just keep writing.

Beyond that, here's a few pieces of general writing advice:

- Make sure your dialogue formatting is correct. A new paragraph every time a new person speaks, proper quotation marks, etc.

- Remember your tense. If you're writing in past tense, make sure everything is in past tense. The same applies if you're writing in present tense. It's an easy mistake to make, but people will notice.

- Don't use physical descriptors in place of nouns. Like this:

"Dialogue dialogue," the raven haired man said.

It's one of the quickest ways to turn people off your work. Use pronouns or the character's name unless the reader doesn't know the character's name. Sometimes you can get away with character relationships, ("blah blah," his father said), but use them sparingly.

- In a similar vein, just use 'said.' Words like whispered, shouted, etc., should be used for emphasis, not for regular dialogue.

- Don't learn to write from reading fics. You can tell when somebody does because they use all the tropes common to fanfiction, but honestly, those aren't very good (we've had passionate debates in my discord server about whether "golden orbs" or "the bluette said" is a greater sin. There is still no agreement.)

- Run your work through Grammarly. Copy and paste it into Grammarly's word processor since that works better than their google docs extension. Even the free Grammarly will help you a lot with little grammar things you don't notice. I know it picks up typos and such for me all the time.

- Personally, I suggest checking out some nonfiction writing books too. I'm fond of Stein on Writing by Sol Stein, and The Story Graph by Shawn Coney, but most people never do that, and they write fic just fine.

- Depending on the topic you plan on writing, research. I'm serious; the number of stories I've read that just toss in a deaf character because the author likes the headcanon is insane. If you want to deal with topics like disability or social issues, you need to research.

- If you post on ao3, learn the tagging system and use it properly. For example, "/" is romantic, and "&" is platonic. In general, don't use both for the same two characters.

- This is an excellent master list of writing advice by tumblr user she-who-fights-and-writes. Not all of it will apply to fic writing, but the basics are the same.

None writing but still important things:

- You'll never be happy if you compare your work to others. You can look at your pieces all day and wonder why they don't sound right or feel right or why it isn't like your favourite fic author, and it won't to make a difference.

- Coming off that, jealousy is a natural part of being involved in a skill-based community, but don't let it sour your friendships or make you bitter. I've seen it happen, and it makes everybody involved feel shitty. Meet people with kindness and move on, even if you think they don't deserve their popularity.

- Make friends! Fandom is a community. Authors should make friends with each other and with their readers. They should participate in the community by leaving comments on fics, reblogging art on social media, etc. This is supposed to be fun, so let it be.

- It is illegal to earn money off fan works. Don't mention anything to do with money on ao3. Don't link a kofi, paypal, say a work was a commission, etc. It breaks the terms of service.

- Just be kind and have fun.

#asks #writing #i'm sorry if this isn't helpful #i'm not very good at giving advice

[winterlovesong1]

2022 AO3 Year-End Fic Review

Saw this around and decided to answer. 

1. What is your AO3 account?

winterlovesong

2. How many words did you write total in 2022?

Around 259,000 - though that feels incorrect and I’m not a math person so…

3. How many fics did you publish in 2022? How many multichapters vs oneshots?

  44 (only counting completed fics)

4. What was your longest fic? Your shortest fic?

 Longest Fic: 

there was light once (I tell myself still)

Nancy Drew I Ace x Nancy I Word Count: 29732 

Shortest Fic:

just for a moment

Andor I Cassian x Bix I Word Count: 738

5. What was your most popular fic? Your least popular fic?

I’m going to score “popularity” by kudos -

Most Popular:

there was light once (I tell myself still)

Nancy Drew I Ace x Nancy

Least Popular:

come back and tell me why I'm feeling like I've missed you all this time

Boy Meets World I Cory x Topanga

6. What fic didn’t perform as well as you thought it would?

Probably time moved too fast (you play it back) - a Nancy x Ace fanfic - it’s a rather lengthy fic and the time inputted versus the feedback was disappointing

7. What fic performed way better than you thought it would?

if I help you up, will you lead me through the night? - it’s a Nancy x Ace fanfic - I wrote three fics around the five times, one time trope and this one exceeded expectations - who knew the fandom was so invested in Nace and food?

Also just from a standpoint of “wow the fandom still exists” life experience - a Shawn x Topanga fanfic - that isn’t necessarily romantic but borderlines on it - basically a missing moment fic essentially that has received a lot of love I was not expecting.

8. What was your favorite fic you wrote from 2022?

Picking one singular favorite fic is impossible- so I’m listing several that have a special place in my heart from my past year -

It's a love story, baby, just say yes

Boy Meets World I Shawn x Angela

I knew you (I tried to change the ending)

Boy Meets World I Shawn x Angela

as your shadow crosses mine

Nancy Drew I Ace x Nancy

a dream is a wish your heart makes

Nancy Drew I Ace x Nancy

close your eyes (dream of me)

Nancy Drew I Ace x Nancy

9. What was your favorite fic that somebody else wrote in 2022?

Gosh so many I hate to leave anyone out but a couple shout outs to ones that come to mind:

the claw-fee shop by @binancydrew

Nancy Drew I Ace x Nancy Drew

summer wine by @mermaeids

Nancy Drew I Ace x Nancy

there’s a heart on your sleeve (I’ll take it when I leave) by @scarletslippers

Nancy Drew I Ace x Nancy

I'm with You by @scarletslippers

Nancy Drew I Ace x Nancy

It Rains, It Pours by @flythesail

Nancy Drew I Ace x Nancy

To and From by @flythesail

Nancy Drew I Ace x Nancy

when it's too heavy to carry, remember this moment with me (they say love is a journey) by @tryalittlejoytomorrow

Nancy Drew I Ace x Nancy

10. Tag your friends to have them do this year-end fic review as well!

It anyone feels like doing this feel free! ❤️ no pressure at all

#winter’s 2022 fanfic wrap up #nace #shawngela #andor fanfic

[obsidiancreates]

Thank You For Calling Psych, How May I Help You?

(Yeah this is just a self-insert fic. I'm just their receptionist. This is all based around my actual real-life work persona, including the part about people on the phone thinking I'm a robot answering machine. I-I cannot, express to y'all, how common that is.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gus had thought he'd been prepared for anything when it came to Unexpected Presences in the Psych office.

When he steps through the front door to find a young woman sitting at the always-empty "front desk", dressed in a full sweater and slacks despite the California weather, he realizes he hadn't been prepared for that at all.

She's definitely not there to be eye candy, her bright pink sweater completely obscures her body shape and she's got a light purple polo underneath, fully buttoned up and covering as much as possible. She's also way too young for either him or Shawn to be comfortable looking at in that way, early twenties at most. She looks up at him, her frizzy and flyaway plagued pixie cut pinned back with two plain black barrettes at her temples, and smiles. Her pink-and-green eyeshadowed eyes crinkle up, and her bright magenta lips form a genuine yet professional polite smile.

"Mr. Guster! Shawn wasn't expecting you to be in this early, he's still out grabbing some breakfast. It's nice to meet you!"

"Uh, nice to meet you too." Gus approaches cautiously. He gets a better looks at her up-close. She's wearing colorful eye and lip makeup, and clownish amounts of blush, but no actual cover-the-skin makeup, her acne breakouts fully on display. Her pants are a strange almost 80's-like plaid, mainly black or a shade near black with bright pink, teal, and purple thin lines making the pattern. She's got shin-length socks on with little Christmas themed cats all over them, and a pair of orthopedic dress-style black pleather shoes.

"Is Mr. Guster how you'd like me to address you?" she asks in a voice as bright as the shade of her lipstick. "Shawn said he preferred just Shawn, but thought you'd like the more professional route better."

"Um, Gus is fine. And you are?"

"Oh, Sid." She sticks her hand out to shake.

"Your parents named you Sid? Odd name for a girl."

"Chosen name! My partner came up with it, actually. But anyway, would you like me to read off the appointments for the day?"

"We have appointments?"

"Yes, you have a 10:45 coming in to get a reading about if her band will take off in the next few years, something about her parents giving her a deadline for it or else she'll have to go to college. Afterwards there's a 12:15 coming in for advice on his career path, he's concerned he's committing to the wrong company and has a few offers he's thinking about taking. After that there's only a 6:30 who just wants a general reading because she's curious about what it's like." She reads this all off of one of Shawn's old laptops, adjusting her pastel purple see-through glasses as she peers at the screen. "Shawn told me specifically not to book any 'Are they cheating' cases this week, so it's a little sparse at the moment."

"Oh. Well... good work." Gus nods to her, and she beams at him.

The phone next to her rings and picks it up, answering with a cheery "Thank you for calling Psych, the private psychic detective agency! How may we help you today, tomorrow, or last week?" She giggles at the cheesy line, but looks quite proud at the same time.

Gus sits at his desk and watches her until Shawn comes back. She just sits there, answering the phone and writing things down and working on some kind of visual projects- is Shawn ordering merchandise? - and not-so-subtly sneaking glances at her cellphone every once and a while. When Shawn walks in she greets him with that endless professional-yet-childlike cheeriness, and he greets her back with a grin and a pineapple smoothie.

He plops down on the armchair by the window. "Well, Gus? What do you think?"

"I think you went and hired a receptionist without talking to me about it." Gus snatches his smoothie away with a 'tsk'. "What're you doing, Shawn? We can't afford to pay someone a salary on just one case a week!"

"We aren't! You told me to start taking more private cases, remember?! Even the lame ones." Shawn gestures towards Sid. "I got tired of doing all the other stuff myself, so I put out an ad while you were busy with the pharmaceuticals convention all week. Dude, check out her resume."

Shawn hands over the papers, and Gus takes them with a huff. His frustration smooths out into impress as he reads it. "Wow. Experience in retail, service booking, customer service, office management, and marketing? How old is she?"

"Nineteen, Gus! And look, she had references and everything! Check out that article she wrote for her last job."

Gus skims it. It's a clear marketing ploy article, but it's well-written and comprehensive. The tone is conversational without being casual, and clear without being pushy. It reads like something the actual trained marketing department at Central Coast would come up with, not some kid with a hobby and a couple years of on-the-job experience. "No way a nineteen year old wrote this."

"Dude, she's a writing expert. Check this out, SID!"

She perks up, getting out of her chair and walking over to them with her hands clasped in front of her. "Yes?"

"Gus here, doubts your writing proficiency."

"I didn't-"

"YES, you did. So, how about showing off for him a little? It's fun, trust me, he's great to show off too."

"Oh, um, did you have anything specific in mind?"

"Yes, actually, if you could write up a little ad for the paper that could convince non-believers to give us a try." Shawn smiles at her all lopsided and false sweetness, eyeing Gus smugly. "And uh, if you could sit right here so Gus can see your screen and know you aren't cheating."

"Okay, I guess." Sid grabs the laptop and sits where they can both see her screen. She opens up a document, and her fingers go flying across the keyboard.

Psychics may not be everyone's cup of tea when it comes to personal beliefs, but here at Psych, the Private Detective Agency, our track record speaks for itself. With dozens of cases under our belts, including such high-profile solves as The Shabby Murder and The Jackson Hale Murder Trial, there's no doubt that Shawn Spencer and Burton Guster get results. Whether it's through true psychic ability to commune with a world beyond our own, or just by some great luck and intuition, we get things done. Just ask our 100% solving rate.

"What?" Gus reads it over again. "How'd you write that in less than five minutes?!"

Sid shrugs, grinning pridefully and bashfully at the same time somehow. "I've been writing my whole life. I analyze everything I read. Plus, marketing fascinates me, even if I don't always agree with the ethics used by some."

Shawn smirks at Gus. "Now do you see why I hired her? Plus, she's ordering us awesome t-shirts to sell to people!"

"Alright." Gus nods. "But why's a nineteen year old wanting to work for us anyway? Shouldn't you be out, you know, partying and stuff?"

"Ah." Sid waves he idea away, or maybe swats it away. "I don't do that kind of thing. Even if I did, I'm allergic to alcohol, so it'd be pretty stressful."

"See? She's perfect."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Thank you for calling Psych, the private psychic detective agency! How may we help you today, tomorrow, or last week? ... Ah, I see. So you're concerned your partner is cheating... may I ask what leads you to believe that, if it's not too personal? ... Mm-hmm, I see. Well, just a moment, I need to confer with the spirits about- no, no I'm not psychic myself, but I've been given some tools to make contact."

Shawn gives Sid a thumbs up as she pretends to consult a Ouija board.

"I'm so sorry, the spirits are saying they can't help you with this one. No, no your partner's energy is blocking them from viewing his activities. If you'd like we can try again..."

"Two weeks," Shawn mouths.

"Two weeks from now, they're saying. Well, that's when they think there might be an energetic shift to allow them to observe him. I'm sorry, I don't understand the spirits process, I just relay their messages. If you have anything unrelated to your partner that you'd like us to look into- oh, you have a missing package?"

She glances at Shawn again. He shakes his head. "Never packages," he mouths.

"I'm sorry, the spirits don't deal with packages and parcel shipping. They don't like cardboard boxes. You know how cats can see ghosts? And how they love cardboard boxes? Those facts are more entwined than you may think. Alright, thank you for calling. I hope things work out for you! Have a wonderful rest of your day!"

Sid hangs up, and Shawn gives one single grand clap. "Perfect. I couldn't have done it better myself."

"Uh, Shawn?" Gus waves his friend over as Sid beams and does a little happy wiggle in her chair. Gus eyes her warily. "Doesn't that kind of give away to her that you're, you know? Fake?"

"Not at all." Shawn slaps Gus on the back. "Look, buddy, I told her the truth about it, sort of. There's some cases I just don't want to spend my valuable time and energy on, and people tend to be more accepting of that when they think it's on the spirits end instead of mine. None of that says I don't actually communicate with spirits."

"And what about when we bring evidence back? Make your boards? Talk about cases in a way that makes it obvious how we actually solve things?"

"Gus, she's only on the clock until we need her to be! She knows it's part time, she liked it that way! Her employment contract only promises a minimum of four hours a day that she works, and more than that we just pay five bucks extra."

"We what?! Shawn, show me that employment contract right now!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hello, welcome to Psych, the private psychic detective agency! Do you have an appointment with us today?"

Gus looks up from his research and sees two familiar figures standing at the entrance in shock. He tosses a ball of paper at Shawn and nods at the door so Shawn can watch too.

Lassiter flounders for a second under the onslaught of pitched-up cheerfulness as Jules quickly recovers from the shock of an actually professional greeting.

"Hi, nice to meet you," Jules says, almost matching the near inhuman tone Sid has. Gus keeps hearing Sid clarify to callers that she is not, in fact, an answering machine or robot, and he can't blame them for the confusion. Jules nudges Lassiter. "I'm Detective O'Hara, this is Head Detective Lassiter. We're here to see Shawn about a case."

"Oh, yes, the detectives! Shawn told me to expect you sometime today, would you like any coffee while you meet with him? He wrote your preferences down on the wall."

"We'd love some." Jules nudges Lassiter again, keeping her smile plastered on, and Lassiter finally seems to recover.

"You work here? Willingly?" he comes out with.

"And happily," Sid says with a tilt of her head and a giggle. "Right this way, and I'll grab that coffee for you both."

As she passes by Shawn and Gus's desks, Gus sees her smile fall right off into a near scowl as soon as her back is to the detectives. But a minute later when she's returning with the coffee, it's back.

"-a little swamped in lame cases right now, so please tell me you have something good for us," Shawn says as Sid silently sets down the mugs and then heads back to her desk. Gus eyes her warily, looking for another drop in the facade. None occur.

"We do, actually, and we tried calling but-"

"Ah! I turn off my phone now when I'm in the office." Shawn kicks his feet up onto his desk and smirks a little. "Really helps clear my sense to have someone else handling my worldly heedings, when I need to be handling my otherworldly heedings."

Gus hears Sid stifle a snort of laughter behind him.

"Yeah, well, the only thing you're heeding now is the Chief's request." Lassiter tosses down a case file with a bitter expression. "I can't believe we have to visit you jackasses in this slobhole now just to give you a case."

"Now now Lassie." Shawn begins flipping through the file. "You can just call Sid and I promise, we'll hop right into the Blueberry. Does the Chief actually need our help on this one? Seems a little obvious."

"We thought so too, until we got a confession note signed with only a last name, and it's completely unconnected to the case. We have no leads on who it came from." Jules glances at the desk as the phone rings and Sid launches into her greeting. "How old is that girl, by the way?"

"I'm nineteen," Sid says, covering the phone mic, half-turning in her seat and smiling again.

"Oh." Jules takes in Sid's outfit, which today is a paisley-patterned button-up shirt, completely boxy and unflattering in cut, paired with plain black jeans and a thick gray cardigan Gus has seen almost every day since her first shift. When she doesn't have that cardigan she has long-sleeves and/or sweater vests to go with them. He should really suggest some medications for better blood circulation to the poor girl.

"You dress like an old lady," Lassiter so eloquently voices. Gus thinks about the affinity for cardigans and sweaters and finds himself nodding in agreement.

"Thank you." Sid seems to genuinely take it as a compliment.

Lassiter doesn't seem to know how to respond to that, so he turns back to Shawn and scowls at him. "Are you taking the case or not?"

"Oh, I definitely am. Sid, block off my schedule for the next... two days? Two days, Gus? Yeah, two days."

"Am I to call the clients with appointments and tell them to reschedule?"

"Am I to call?" Jules mouths, looking at Gus with her nose wrinkled in confusion.

"She just talks like that," Gus whispers. "We didn't ask her to."

"Depends," Shawn says over Gus and Jules's little conversation. "What've we got coming up?"

"Well, later today you have a meeting with the CEO of a small startup company, he wants to know if he should sell the business to an offer he got or if he should stick with it. Tomorrow you have two appointments in the late morning regarding stolen garden items, they're neighbors though so I bet it's each other or someone living next to both of them, so it shouldn't take too long... and then the last day is actually clear right now."

"We can keep those," Shawn says, handing the case file back over to Lassiter. "Good catch with the neighbors, that'll really help the psychic juices get flowing on that one."

"I also have their addresses here if you need to do a house call in this case."

"Perfect. Jules, Lassie, we'll see you at the station tomorrow at noon-ish sharp."

"You can't just-"

"Done with that coffee?" Sid asks, walking over and reaching for he mugs. "Yeah? Great, I'll just clear these away..."

Gus watches the subtle dismissal set in as Lassiter and Jules both pause, and then get up, and head out.

"Thank you for coming in!" Sid exclaims as they leave. "I hope you both have a wonderful rest of your day!"

"Are we sure she's not actually a robot?" Gus whispers to Shawn once the door shuts.

"Of course we are. ... Mostly."

#psych #psych 2006 #psychusa #psych usa #fanfic #my attempts at fanfic #self-insert fanfic

[oceangirl24]

15, 38 and 48 for the asks!

Hi! Thanks so much for the asks!

15. What’s your favorite AU that you’ve written?

Ooo, I haven't written an AU in ages. Years ago, when I was big into the seaQuest, I despised the direction the show took in the second season and came up an AU for it. The first attempt was... not good. lol I did start a rewrite a few years later but unfortunately, I never finished it (although I still have the handwritten notes for it). Do I remember a lot of details? Nope! But it's still up on FFN.

38. Did any of your fics get surprisingly popular (whatever that means to you)? Which ones? Why do you think they were so successful?

Warning: Long response, may veer off-topic slightly 😆

This is an interesting question. Honestly until I joined AO3 in 2021, I never thought about popularity or stats. I really didn't know it was thing. I was always on FFN so maybe that's why.

Based on stats across the board on the three sites I post on, it's easily Autumn in Philadelphia.

When I began AiP in 2002, it was one of a kind. No one else wrote Jonathan Turner as a central character and, to my knowledge, Audrey was the first published OC love interest for him. The popularity of the story back then surprised me as it was the era where OCs were heavily criticized and almost every one was labeled a dreaded Mary Sue. I still tear up over those OG comments wanting J and A together, some a decade plus after the last chapter was posted.

Coming back after 19 years away, the BMW fanfiction scene is very different. There are a ton of Jon & Shawn fics now, although I'm not sure how many are Jon-centric. Once I crossed over to AO3 and saw popularity was a thing I noticed that readers seemed to want extremely specific tropes handled in very certain ways for Jon and Shawn in order to bring in the kudos and comments, especially. Since I go in a very different direction with these tropes and have a very different story to tell, I knew I was fighting a losing battle but trying to get out of stats chasing mode was so hard.

Side note: When I started to write again on FFN I contacted everyone who supported me on the story back then, knowing they were likely out of the fandom and their accounts inactive. I just said thank you so much for commenting back then and it was rereading those comments that brought back me back to this story. The response was surprising because I didn't expect to hear anything. Some people responded right away with excitement. Some I heard from months later saying they never check FFN anymore but when they saw who the PM was from, they had to respond. Many said they would be reading. One person said AiP was the first fanfic they ever read and how much they loved it. Audrey was remembered fondly. Someone remembered the RPG I had forgotten about. How cool?

Now when I look at stats, I tend to focus more on FFN due to the detail of their stats and every month I have 5-10 people going through the whole story. Which floors me as it is not a short read. It is a complicated story.

Somehow, it's even closing in on 3K on WattPad which amazes me. BMW is largely Reader X or SI. (Are those the right terms? lol).

Maybe popular isn't the right word here. Longevity. I'm really surprised by AiP's longetivity.

Why? The level of detail maybe. Character development? How different it is? No clue.

48. What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

In a previous answer, the last read was Darlin' by @mrsmungus. Just before that, I read (am reading) Aftermath by  MantaI305ApollosChariot. I dropped off on the MCU movies a while ago, but I really love her Wanda-centric fix-it story. She's amazing at filling me in on canon and what her changes are and why. Very enjoyable to read.

#my asks #boy meets world fanfiction #seaquest

[allwaswell16]

This is a fic rec of One Direction fan fics where Harry's character has rugged qualities as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other recs here. Happy reading!

-Larry-

♣️ Let's Fall in Love in a Place You Want to Stay by embro / @harryventura

(NR, 134k, jungle man au, model Louis, Africa, crack, fashion, smut)

A George of the Jungle / Tarzan AU where Louis is a model who meets Wild Man Harry in the Congo. 

♣️ Wild And Unruly by @100percentsassy & gloria_andrews / @gloriaandrews

(E, 123k, farm/ranch au, cowboy Harry, paralegal Louis, Wyoming, small town, cows, angst with a happy ending, fluff, smut)

Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

♣️ electing strange perfections by @scrunchyharry

(E, 84k, gardner Harry, younger Louis, rich Louis, summer love, coming out, angst, fluff, first time, homophobia, coming of age, smut)

Back for the summer from university, 19-year-old Louis is faced with a massive problem: their new gardener is quite possibly the most gorgeous man he's ever met.

♣️ After Dark, After Light by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(E, 71k, historical au, Medieval, Scottish Highlander, Laird Harry, commander Louis, secret relationship, light angst, battle, kidnapping, slow burn, sexual tension, smut)

Harry Styles is the laird of Clan Edwards who is just trying to keep his clan afloat when they get word that the Mackenzies have been cutting a swath through the Midlands and beyond, and their sights are set on the northern Highlands next.

♣️ Until (series) by @allwaswell16

(E, 61k, farm/ranch au, cowboy Harry, former movie star Harry, songwriter Louis, second part Shiall, pop star Niall, cowboy Shawn, Colorado, horses, hate to love, songfic, famous/not famous, smut)

Rural Eagle County, Colorado wasn’t the type of place to find a famous musician or actor. At least not until songwriter Louis Tomlinson showed up with pop star Niall Horan to visit his uncle’s horse ranch, and they just happened to find themselves next door to a reclusive former movie star.

♣️ Now That This Old World Is Ending by daggerinrose / @thetommmoarchives

(E, 49k, Far Cry au, cult, kidnapping, archer Harry, camping, violence, guns, angst with a happy ending, adventure, survival, smut)

Louis soon discovers that the area has been taken over by a cult and teams up with a resentful archer with fire in his eyes and blood on his hands.

♣️ No Hold to Hold Onto by @kingsofeverything

(E, 48k, historical au, farm/ranch, cowboy Louis, cowboy Harry, character injury, horses, rodeo riders, smut)

When Harry goes looking for help learning a new way to rope and ride, the last thing he expects to find is love.

♣️ On the Edge by zanni_scaramouche / @zanniscaramouche

(E, 47k, Olympics au, hockey player Harry, figure skater Louis, Canada, athletes, fluff, angst, edging, masturbation, mentions of eating disorder, references to death, past injuries, smut)

Harry’s too old to be the wonder kid and too young to be taken seriously in the NHL. As an alternate thrown in at the last second, he fights to prove himself on the national team at the largest sporting event known to man. Or he will, once he gets off this flight and can focus on something other than the fussy figure skater and his stunningly blue eyes.

♣️ All That You Are by asphodelknox / @iamasphodelknox

(M, 40k, historical au, Dunkirk, soldier Harry, war, WWII, angst, PTSD, period typical homophobia, letters, character injuries, happy ending)

Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson meet on a civilian boat, taking them home after their rescue from Dunkirk.

♣️ The Pirate and The Piper by jacaranda_bloom / @jacaranda-bloom

(E, 38k, Peter Pan au, pirate Harry, Harry as Captain Hook, Louis as Peter Pan, enemies to friends to lovers, fantasy, magic, supernatural creatures, minor violence, minor character death, hurt/comfort, flirting, smut)

Or the one where Harry is Hook, Louis is Pan, and nothing is what it seems.

♣️ sunflowers, sunshine, and you by @soldouthaz

(E, 28k, small town, sheriff Harry, enemies to lovers, light angst, past abuse, smut)

Sunshine county is small but mighty and Harry takes pride in knowing nearly each and every person that lives inside of it. For nearly eleven years now he’s been sheriff, and not one of them he’s ever regretted settling down here.

♣️ (summer is over) and i wanna leave you satisfied by patdkitten / @babyarcanacasey

(M, 25k, uni au, roommates, one night stand, ballet dancer Louis, hockey player Harry, royalty, miscommunication)

On the very last night of his summer break in London, Louis Tomlinson hooks up with a hot guy. When he gets back home, his roommates tell him that they're going to be getting a new roommate. 

♣️ It's the Climb by @lululawrence

(NR, 25k, Hannah Montana au, famous/not famous, famous Louis, Tennessee, secret identity, songwriting, farm/ranch, horses, secrets, pining, fluff)

The Hannah Montana AU where Louis is a world famous punk rock singer with a stage name of William and Jay drags him back to Tennessee for the summer.

♣️ some evening in springtime by delsicle / @eeveelou

(M, 20k, farm/ranch au, rancher Harry, veterinarian Louis, older Harry, age difference, disabled character, hurt/comfort, sexuality crisis, coming out)

Fresh out of veterinary school, Louis moves to a sleepy small town in Texas to take over the local animal clinic. But his new life is quickly interrupted by a middle aged rancher with a bad leg and a mysterious past, who really needs Louis's yoga skills.

♣️ The Wilds by @jaerie

(E, 13k, a/b/o, alpha Harry, omega Louis, animal instincts, non con, mating, forced bonding, scenting, exhibitionism, knotting, soul bond, public sex)

The creatures that Louis observed every day weren't exactly human, but yet they were. Researchers had plucked some of them from their secluded island and transplanted them into an enclosure against their will like a bunch of zoo animals. 

♣️ Chased the High by crimsontheory / @ireallysawanangel

(E, 12k, firefighter au, firefighter Louis, firefighter Harry, car accident, friends to lovers, pining, smut)

Or the one where Louis and Harry are both fireman and Louis doesn't know how much longer he can go on harboring his feelings for Harry.

♣️ say forever, you'll be mine by dilfrry / @silverfoxrry

(E, 12k, trucker Harry, masseuse Louis, strangers to lovers, first date, older Harry, flirting, smut)

the trucker harry fic i wrote for my own guilty pleasure

♣️ Wild at Heart Ain't Hard to Find by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(E, 11k, girl direction, Western, tourists, blacksmith Harry, porn with plot, strangers to lovers, smut)

The town boasts tours, excursions, activities, and the hottest woman Louis has ever seen in the form of the local blacksmith.

♣️ sensitive to pressure by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry

(E, 4k, established relationship, secret relationship, closeted characters, hockey player Harry, hockey player Louis, famous/famous, dirty talk, light angst, body worship, pwp, smut)

Harry’s breath stutters on its way up his throat, his cheeks heating more with each step as Louis gets closer and Harry can’t move.

-Rare Pairs-

♣️ I pledge my hands to larger service by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright

(M, 4k, Harry/Tim Riggins, former football player Harry, Texas, wrestling, friends to lovers, kissing, Friday Night Lights fusion, implied smut)

Harry hasn't seen his high school crush since he graduated over ten years ago. 

#1dficvillage #trackinghome #tracksintheam #1dsource #ficrec #uhoh-but-yeah-alright #gaycousinlarry #becomeawendybird #ireallysawanangel #jaerie #kingsofeverything #lululawrence #eeveelou #jacaranda-bloom #babyarcanacasey #soldouthaz #iamasphodelknox #zanniscaramouche #thetommmoarchives #harryventura #gloriaandrews #100percentsassy #scrunchyharry #allwaswell16

[birdkeeperklink]

✨2022 Writing Year In Review✨

I was tagged by @lassiesspanishaccent! Thanks, Swattie! 💖

1. Number of stories posted to AO3: 11

2. Word count posted for the year: 76,818

3. Fandoms I wrote for: Psych and Gods of Egypt

4. Pairings: Shawn Spencer/Carlton Lassiter, Horus/Bek

5. Story with the most:

- Kudos: Complementary Souls (382)

- Bookmarks: Complementary Souls (107)

- Comments: DoMaystic Shassie (79)

6. Work I’m most proud of (and why):

“DoMaystic Shassie” because it was the first time I’d ever tackled one of those month-long challenges and actually followed through on it.

7. Work I’m least proud of (and why):

“Never Be the Same.” It just didn’t come out the way I hoped it would.

8. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

Oh, dear, I have so many favorites - so many people say so many lovely things 😭💖 But I guess, for recent ones, I’ll have to go with this one -

“This was super sweet, I loved when the dwarves realized WHY Bilbo complains so much, and their reactions when he started complaining again were adorable.  I loved this, loved how they all came together to make sure their Hobbit was all right!  Thanks for sharing!”

It was left on a story I’ll always have a soft spot for, and it always makes my day on the occasions when a comment is left on it. It reminds me that people are still reading those older works and enjoying them, which is a reminder I really need quite often.

9. A time when writing was really, really hard:

Mmm, September through December? 😂 This past semester really kicked my ass, mostly because one of my classes wasn’t offered online, so I ended up driving a ton and it sapped my time and energy.

10. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

It’s not a scene, but a whole story 😂 “5 Times Shawn Called Carlton ‘Babygirl’ + 1 Time Carlton Didn’t Freak Out About It” surprised me because I don’t usually liked 5+1 stories, with very, very rare exceptions, so I really never expected to have an idea to write one of my own.

11. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

<<The teens bolted, slipping and sliding in the snow. Carlton watched them go with satisfaction, partly just for the joy of it and partly to see that they really did stick to the trail, heading back towards the lodge, and didn’t turn off into the trees.

It was a mistake, though, because he’d forgotten that there were more than just two hooligans out here.

He yelled, flailing, and stamped around, wriggling to try to get the cold out of the back of his shirt! Specifically, his neck, and oh, God, it was going down his back now, and —

Carlton went still, whirling to glare at Spencer, who was laughing. He’d just stuffed snow down the back of Carlton’s shirt and he was laughing.

“Oh, you son of a —”

Ordinarily, he’d try to strangle Spencer, but today, he had a snowball in his hand.>>

From “Coffee on the Snow,” which I suppose was technically 2021, but I’m counting it in 2022 because AO3 does and I’m lazy, lol

12. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I don’t feel like I did, really. Sounds like a bummer downer answer, but what can you do 🤷‍♀️

13. How do you hope to grow next year:

I hope to learn to let go of what other people think and just write what I want. I’ve always known that intellectually, but I have a really hard time taking it to heart, so I’d like that if I could develop that skill more permanently next year, rather than just having waves of not caring followed by long periods of insecurity.

14. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

Oh, without a doubt Swattie and my bestie - those two are beacons of light.  I know Swattie is always there for everyone and always has an encouraging word, and it’s amazing.  My bestie, of course, is my bff and even has kind words for me when I write about shows or characters she doesn’t like. 💖

15. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

Not that I recall. If it did, it was a tiny throwaway bit, like something I was eating at that moment, lol

16. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

You don’t have to take every bit of criticism into consideration.  If someone offers you “advice” and you didn’t ask for it, it’s okay to ignore it.  If someone offers you advice and you did ask for it, it’s still okay to ignore it.  Sometimes it’s personal preferences clashing and sometimes the other person doesn’t understand what you’re trying to do - that’s okay, and you don’t have to pay it any mind if you don’t want to.

17. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

I have a short Elementary fic I’m working on that I’d love to finish very soon, I’m collaborating with my bff on a Bagginshield fic that will remain between the two of us and I’m excited for that, and I went back to a really old Buffy fic that I’m really excited to rework into a second draft, even though absolutely no one else will ever want to read it but me.  Other than that, who knows?  I’m giving myself a break from deadlines and expectations this year, since college has plenty of those, and am just writing whatever I feel excited about in the moment, without guilt.

18. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read.

Oh, let’s see.... @stevviefox @asublimehimbo @lenievi and...I feel bad, but I can’t remember who’s already been tagged for one of these and who hasn’t among the writers in my mutuals, so...if you haven’t already been tagged and you see this and want to do it, then I’m tagging you. Although no pressure even to the three people I did tag 😅

#tag game #year in review #writing #ao3 #archive of our own

[louandhazaf]

ANNUAL WRITING SELF EVALUATION

List of works published this year:

I Like Different Places (Nobody Calls It a Sin) // Louis' hands shot up in front of him, like it would prove his innocence. “Gem, I swear, it’s not what you think.” He knew what that sounded like, but it was true, even if he couldn’t follow it up with the whole truth of the situation. Gemma was like family to him, but she was Harry’s actual family, and the rage in her eyes broke Louis’ heart. That after everything they’d been through, Gemma thought he was capable of going behind Harry’s back.  Or   The one where Harry comes out to his family.

Vesper // “No.” Louis shook her head, lips tucked into her teeth. “Not like a…” she waved her hands around, “woowoo vibe. Like, a, you know, a vibrator.” She said the last word so quietly Harry struggled to hear, then coughed on her own wine when she realized. “And… And you shipped it here?”

song for no one // “I want to see what I was competing against,” Shawn murmured, moving in for a kiss he wasn’t sure Harry would reciprocate.Harry closed his eyes, welcomed Shawn into his space. “Want to feel what he left me for.” His breath hitched as Shawn leaned in the rest of the way.

Counteract // Louis comes up with a plan to get Harry's attention.

Close Enough to Touch // There had been chart topping singles and sold out arenas when Louis Tomlinson was one fifth of the world's most successful boyband.Embarking on his first solo tour was stressful enough without his closest friends encouraging him to push even further outside of his comfort zone. Louis definitely did not need a masseuse on tour. Not even if that masseuse turned out to be gorgeous, kind, and lovely. It was the last thing Louis thought he needed.   He was wrong.

Pancakes for Two // Louis goes to a key party. He didn't expect to see Harry.

Falling for You // Five times Harry orders very particular drinks, and one time Louis finds out why. Featuring Starbucks’ fall menu.

Work you are most proud of (and why): The funny thing is, that before I did this recap, I was so [sigh/ho-hum/frowny face emoji] about my writing this year, BUT looking back, I realized that I wanted to write Counteract for years, and also a key party fic, and also another girl direction... so look at me crossing a few things off my to-write list!! 

Work you are least proud of (and why): literally none of them, because they’re all done. Maybe not done soon enough to get betaed and be in excellent condition, but done, and some years, that is enough! I would’ve loved to actually finish @wordplayfics this year, but at least I got two fics out of it!

A favorite excerpt of your writing: I actually really loved this moment of my poly fic, because the dynamics!! Sometimes the stuff has very little to do with you, but you’re involved! oof. 

Zayn’s heart thumped. He wasn’t sure if him sticking around for this argument was a good idea; maybe it was something they needed to work out on their own. “Is this a… I don’t know, should I go?” Zayn asked.

“No,” they both said in unison, though their eyes stayed locked on each other.

Louis broke first. He turned in Zayn’s lap, to look at him properly. “If you’re… I mean, if you still want to give this a go, then this involves you too, even if we’ve gone back and forth a trillion times on this before you arrived.”

Share or describe a favorite review you received: literally every single one.

A time when writing was really, really hard: all year. SOBS. then prays to the writing gods for a better year after the past few years.

A scene or character you wrote that surprised you: THE MOMENT HARRY MENTIONS NIALL’S KNEE IN song for no one. OOF. The most painful!

How did you grow as a writer this year: shrug emoticon shrug emoticon shrug emoticon

How do you hope to grow next year: I hope to just be able to write again without feeling like an abject failure. 

Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc): @disgruntledkittenface writing Darling, so it goes. because I know it meant so much to her and knowing that there are fics out there living in other people that are sometimes hard to write, and then they come out SO DEEPLY WONDERFUL makes me feel like the same is true for me! And weekends of fic and fandom chatting IN PERSON just fills my heart like nothing else can. 

and of course @kingsofeverything because she’s the LOML and getting to beta for her keeps me on my toes!

Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year: hmmmm. vaguely. 

Any new wisdom you can share with other writers: i love you. please keep going!

Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year: finishing my @1dreversebang fic! and then figuring out what my heart really wants to write next!

Thank you to @lunarheslwt and @disgruntledkittenface for tagging me in yours! I’d love for anyone else to tag me too because I always find these so very interesting!!

(also, here’re my responses from 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

#whinging on about my writing

[tameodesza]

Last updated: April 14, 2024

💡Welcome to the hub of all of my fics!

💡Shawn Michaels-centric; BretShawn’s my OTP 🫶🏽

💡 I’ll occasionally write other Shawn pairings as well

💡 I only post on tumblr and ao3; anywhere else isn’t me

PS: I do not do requests, but only because I’m afraid of doing a bad job 😭 (writer’s block is the devil). But please feel free to ask questions or leave comments about any of my fics! Hope you enjoy! :)

* = lastest update

Bret Hart x Shawn Michaels

💍 Househusband AU

Shawn is a stay-at-home husband to one of the greatest wrestlers of all time - Bret Hart. This is a collection of short stories and headcanons showcasing their love for each other as they navigate the trials and tribulations of marriage.

🌷 Love’s Maze

Shawn suffers through a painful heartbreak after ending his 7-year toxic relationship with Marty Jannetty, but Bret is there to help pick up the pieces.

  🍼 Daddy’s Boy AU:

The Wrestling Promoter’s Kid: Shawn Michaels is Vince McMahon’s son, which impacts not only his career, but his relationship as well.

Daddy's Disapproval: Vince disapproves Shawn’s relationship with Bret

🧟‍♂️ Dead Ends (zombie au)*

As an unknown virus spreads rapidly amongst society, Bret and Shawn are forced to depend on each other for survival. This is the story of how this unlikely pair attempts to navigate through the post-apocalyptic world while growing to love each other along the way.

👑 Prince AU

Headcanon 1: Shawn, a 28-year-old prince, and Bret, a 35-year-old farmer, live completely opposite lives. But despite their difference in social status, their paths cross in ways they least expect.

Headcanon 2: Shawn's courting process has begun, and this focuses on Shawn’s courtship adventures with Mark and Ric.

Strawberry Prince: Prince Shawn begins his courtship with Bret, but all it takes is one day for them to fall for each other.

Bittersweet: Prince Shawn informs his parents of his decision to marry Bret, but when their disapproval threatens to tear the pair apart, a plan is concocted to unite the lovers once again.

🎯 One Shots

House of Horrors: Bret takes Shawn to a spooky attraction for spooky season.

🗒️ Other Headcanons

Harry Potter AU: Slytherin!Shawn x Gryffindor! Bret

Kevin Nash x Shawn Michaels

💔 The Affair AU

Infidelity: Shawn begins a tumultuous affair with Bret after Kevin leaves for WCW.

Confession: Shawn is pressured to come clean about his affair with Bret Hart.

🎯 One Shots

Envy: Kevin comforts an upset Shawn after Kevin wins the WWF Championship belt

Stripped: Shawn does a promo nearly naked and it leaves Kevin hot and bothered.

Other

To All the Men Shawn's Ever Loved: Shawn and his 5 boyfriends.

#masterlist #divider cr: @saradika #Bret Hart #Shawn Michaels #kevin nash #fic list #wwe fanfiction #wwf #alternate universe #hartbreak #bret hart x shawn michaels #kevin nash x shawn michaels #marty jannetty x shawn michaels