#psych fanfic

[pineapplepluto]

Iris's Butterfly

“Bu-fly!” Iris reaching for it with her tiny hand Pointing then grabbing Karen gently tells her look don’t touch Remembers butterfly collecting in high school She keeps her collection locked away in a drawer She knows Iris would love the pretty colours and patterns But she’s not ready to answer the question of why the butterflies at home don’t move When the ones at the park do So she keeps her collection locked away In a drawer in the closet where she keeps her gun safe Another thing she’s not ready to explain

(Based on the prompt of Karen taking Iris to the park from @arrowheadedbitch)

[crazyk-imagine]

Stealing is Not the Answer, but It Could Be

Pairing: Shawn Spencer x Detective!reader

Characters: Shawn Spencer, Detective!reader, Burton "Gus" Guster, Chief Vicks, Carlton Lassiter, Buzz McNab

Warnings: Fluff, humor, Shawn being Shawn, Gus and reade being besties, Shawn trying to use his Shawn psych, Shawn trying to steal something, reader putting Shawn in his place, Shawn and Gus doing shenanigans

Word Count: 615

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

You walk into the department, aiming for chief Vicks office when you hear an alarming statement from your favorite chaotic duo.

“Sometimes I think it would be easier to steal something than ask for it,” Shawn blurts out.

You owlishly blink, wondering if you heard that correctly.

“That is both frightening and alarming, Shawn.”

He turns to face you, putting on an innocent face. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree.”

You look over his head to see what his buddy’s expression is. “Gus?”

He nods, gesturing to you. “I’m with her.”

“What? Gus? Aw, come on.”

He shakes his head, “I am not agreeing with you on stealing. Last time I agreed with you, we wound up in jail.”

“That was here though!”

He turns towards Shawn, “Lassie kept us there for five hours.”

“Yes, but then Buzz let us out.”

Gus shakes his head, “no, I’m not going back in there.” He stands up, whispering in your ear, “I almost had to pee in front of the other people locked up. You know how I feel about that.”

You nod, patting his shoulder to comfort him. “I know, Gus. I know.”

“Well, this has been nice.” Shawn tries to slip past you, “I’ll be off now.”

You shake your head. “Not so fast.” You hook your arm in his and pull him back. “Where do you think you’re going with the chief's favorite figurine?”

He yanks his arm from you, “how dare you! How could you even- okay, that was a little dramatic even for me but look at it.” He presses his face against the fish figurine. “It’s so cute.”

You shake your head, “put it back.”

“Fine,” he sighs. “It was just a harmless little prank."

“Harmless or not, you tried to steal in a police station, how smart is that?”

“You tell him.”

“Can it, Gus.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Shawn snorts, “ma’am? What are in the 1950’s and you're the little harmless housewife?”

“No, it’s called I have respect for those who are in a higher power than me.”

You smile at him, “thank you, Gus.”

The doors open.

“Anything I can help you three with?”

“Actually-”

You cut the psychic off and grab his arm. “Nope, thanks, chief. Keep being awesome.”

You sit him down at his dad’s desk and stand in front of him, holding a pen and a piece of paper. “Now make with your chicken scratch and write, stealing is not the answer fifty times.”

He opens his mouth to whine.

“Whine and I’ll add twenty-five.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

You smile, patting his shoulders, “attaboy.”

Gus covers his mouth to hide his amusement.

“Come on, Gus. Let’s go make like Shawn’s humor and scram.”

-

“Hey! Where are you two going?”

“To get some jerk chicken and a pineapple smoothie.”

“I want to come!”

“No!”

“That sounds amazing,” the pharmaceutical rep adds.

“I know right.” You close the door only to be hit with a breeze before the car shakes.

“Here. Now let’s go.”

You grab the paper. “Wow, you already, did it?”

You look in the left corner, “wait- nineteen- this is from when we were fourteen.”

“You never specified when I had to write it.”

“Shawn that’s not- that’s actually really good, you got me.”

He lets out a victory chuckle. “See, Gus. I told you; it would work.”

You gasp, “how dare you. Gus, I thought we were besties.”

“Uh- you see the thing is-”

You shake your head, “no. I’ve been betrayed enough.”

You lean against your arm, watching the world go by as he drives, unable to hide your smile as Shawn tries to bug you and tell you it was all him.  

-

Tag list

@kmc1989

[juliets-roller-derby-awesomeness]

fix ideas (feel free to steal)

- santabarbara 1 where shawn stays over for "72 whole hours" which turns into a week to 2 weeks to he's just there now :)

- alternatively henry still gets shot and juliet locks him in the apartment/ gives him some kind of ultimatum to get him to stay for his own safety

^^^any of the above + whump. im too tired to figure out how exactly but there's something whumpy there i promise

- shules "im gonna kiss you on the mouth now" but it's not on her mouth

- better written ikea scene where juliet actually tells shawn she wants him to move in

- lassie debriefing a teddy bear (it's not a teddy bear. he's my stenographer. in case this comes up in court and i need alibi or something (it's a teddy bear)) about how shawn grabbed his ass

- shawn flirts relentlessly with juliet as she patches up his gunshot wound while waiting for ems to arrive

- shawn tries to braid juliet's hair

- some reason please for why jules cur her hair. was it undercover? did she and shawn get really drunk one night? she did it after the ikea furniture scene so was she just mad at shawn for being an ass?

- she calls him mr. spencer

- them going back to his hotel after despereaux in season 5

- shawn getting drunk as shit and telling gus he loves him, gus wildly misunderstands and tells shawn he loves him too, and shawn goes in for a kiss

- juliet goes on a blind date and it turns out to be a girl. ""worse"" yet it's her old partner from miami and their chemistry is still there

- lassie asks if dating shawn means he's dating gus as well and gus decides now is the perfect time to practice his patented three-way kiss (slight crack ik this isn't how polyamory works but it also sounds like gus so-)

- usually lassiter can get anything out of a suspect with just a little time in the interrogation room, but this time not only will the thief not admit to shoplifting, he also doesn't pick up on how desperately carlton wants his number. for uh- police .. work. yeah. i need to know his phone for. official interrogation business. shawn watches from the one-way mirror

- juliet tries very hard to wing man for lassie but unless he stops. talking. about the goddamn federal reserve he's on his own

- juliet has cats. i fear we keep forgetting this but it's referenced in 1x02

okay i really truly need to go to bed now but i have so many of these im so normal about this show

(shules things: "im going to kiss you on the mouth now"; "big fat kisses"; shawn calls her sweetheart; juliet's voice getting higher when he's being sweet/sexy)

[thespiritssaidso]

some people do it by the book (but i prefer to go by feel)

Summary: Shawn and Lassiter are undercover at a high-end resort where all visitors get their own private cabin. All the two need to do now is settle in — and chop up some wood to make a fire, of course. 

Notes: okay, so I’m basing this place off of the Big Cedar Lodge (I went there one year with my family on a road trip). I’m not sure if there’s a resort like it in California, but oh well. Currently as I’m writing this, it is 3 in the afternoon and the internet at my job is crappy and won’t let me look at maps without taking forever and a half to load it up. And if anyone knows me then they know that my patience is extremely limited (part of the reason why I’m only good at writing one shots lmao) and I don’t really feel like taking longer than necessary to make sure the made-up place I am writing for the made-up people to stay at actually exists. 

TL;DR this place exists in Branson, Missouri, but I’m too lazy to make sure a place like it also exists in California. 

Anyways, enjoy!! I know we all love a good Shassie at a cabin au.

Flufftober day 8: Chopping and Piling Wood

—————

Lassiter grunted as he swung his ax into the block of wood, chopping it neatly in two. He leaned over and tossed the half still sitting on the block and tossed it onto a small pile that was slowly building up. After throwing the other half onto the pile right after the first, he reached up and wiped a line of sweat beading on his forehead. 

Currently, he and Shawn were undercover as a married couple to investigate a few disappearances that were happening at the Great Pine Lodge. 

The place was as fancy as a cabin in the woods could get. Full plumbing, air conditioning for when it got hot, heaters for when it got cold, a large king size plush mattress complete with expensive feeling sheets and covers. And that was just the cabin. 

About a stone’s throw from where they were staying was a large beautiful lake, with water so clear Lassiter could almost see the bottom. 

The other cabins people were staying at were a decent distance from their own, close enough to see but not close enough to hear the inhabitants if they were inside. 

A paved road — not a gravel road — sat in front of the cabins, shuttle buses on speed dial on the rotary phone sitting on the bedside table inside, so that visitors wouldn’t have to waste their own cars’ gas to go to the dining hall, or the gift shop, or even the arcade (yes, this place had an arcade). 

Lassiter had always dreamed of going here one day. It was the perfect vacation spot for him and Shawn; fine dining, a beautiful view, activities the both of them would enjoy. 

But now was not the time for dreaming of a perfect vacation (although hopefully there’d be some time left for them to do so). Now was time for investigation. Or more aptly, chopping firewood, in Lassiter’s case. 

Before chopping another log, Lassiter stopped to reroll his sleeves that were slowly unraveling themselves. At the moment, all he was wearing was the button up he normally had on under his jacket, the pants to match said jacket, and his work shoes. He probably should’ve put a little more thought into his wardrobe. 

Too late. He’d committed and now he had to stick with it. Lassiter was just glad that Shawn was still unpacking inside. He was always self-conscious about his arms, how much of a stick he looked when he wasn’t wearing something loose — like his suit jacket. 

He looked at his biceps with disdain. It wasn’t like he was weak and couldn’t lift anything. His muscles just never showed unless he flexed them, hiding like some kind of sleeper agent, or whatever they were calling it nowadays. 

Whatever. So long as no one was here to see him make an idiot of himself trying to chop wood. Lassiter was eventually able to cut them into halves once he figured out a comfortable rhythm, but the start was just godawful. His first swing into the first log didn’t have enough weight behind it and was at an awkward angle, so it had bounced away from the wood and left only a small dent. His second swing was too strong and split right between the log and lodged itself into the chopping block. 

But he was better now, after cutting for what felt like hours, though realistically it had probably been thirty minutes. 

After placing another log down, Lassiter prepared to swing the ax once more when-

“That is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.” 

Lassiter nearly jumped out of his skin. There, leaning against the door was none other than his boyfriend. From what he could see, it looked like Shawn made himself a mug of something warm, judging by the faint steam emanating from it. Tea? Coffee? Hot cocoa? Probably the latter, knowing his boyfriend’s taste for sweet things. 

Lassiter felt the tips of his ears warm, and he knew they’d gone red. “How long were you standing there for?” 

“Ah, time is irrelevant-”

“Shawn.” 

“At least ten minutes.”

Ten minutes. Ten minutes of just watching him swing an ax at wood. Lassiter had no clue what he looked like when he was cutting wood, but he was probably ridiculous. Shawn had probably seen every mistake he’d made. 

Lassiter turned back around, doing his best to ignore the way Shawn was staring at him and lifted the ax once more. He swung with precision and split the log neatly. “Don’t lie, Shawn.” He said, referring to what Shawn had said that startled him. “You know I hate it-”

“What? No no no! Carly, I’m being serious! Look, this is my serious face.”

He didn’t look, not wanting to see his boyfriend who was most likely holding back laughter. He didn’t say anything either, simply returning to the task at hand. Although now he knew he had an audience, which somehow made swinging an ax ten times harder than it was originally. 

There was quiet, uncharacteristic for Shawn. Only the crunching of dead leaves and the swish of grass told Lassiter that he was walking over to him. 

“Back up. I don’t want to accidentally hit you with the-”

“Carlton, look at me. Lemme see those baby blues.” 

At the use of his name, Lassiter turned his head to Shawn. The lack of a nickname and his tone told the detective that he really was being serious. 

And he was right. Lassiter couldn’t remember the last time the otherwise childish man looked this serious about something. He said nothing as he looked into Shawn’s eyes, grass green grounding him. He dropped the ax, a dull thud breaking the quiet. 

“I love all of you, Carly. Doesn’t matter how much you hate it, I look and see you. I don’t see flaws, I see the sexiest body a man could ask for.”

Lassiter couldn’t help the grin, or the tiny laugh that bubbled out at the last thing Shawn said. “Alright, if you say so.” 

“I do say so, and my word is law. You should know this by now, Carlytown.” Shawn stated matter-of-factly. 

This time, Lassiter let out a snort at his boyfriend’s statement. “Is that right?”

“It is.” 

“Mhm. By the way, did you finish unpacking our stuff?” If his calculations were correct, Shawn had taken all of twenty minutes. And from past experience Lassiter knew that it took him at least an hour to get everything perfectly situated for the both of them. 

“We can do that later, I know you have a specific way you like to have your toothbrush set up. Right now there’s a suspect somewhere that’s begging to get caught.” 

“I’m not sure any criminal actually wants to get caught.”

“Really? Because I’m sensing they’re at the arcade right now, writing a secret message in morse code at the game where you have to shoot down those rubber ducks.” 

“Are they, or do you just want to go play games?” 

“That’s neither here nor there. Point is, I’ve already called a shuttle to pick us up and take us to the main building. They should be here in about… five minutes?” 

Lassiter stared at him incredulously. “Five- five minutes? And you’re only telling me this now because why?” That just barely left him with enough time to get out of his sweaty button up and into something clean. It was just the arcade, but he’d prefer to go out without smelling weird in public. 

“Well, I would have told you earlier, but I just couldn’t stop watching you chop that wood. Seriously, Carly, you have no idea how hot you looked swinging that ax.”

“I- alright, fine. Could’ve used more warning time, but it’s fine. Where’d you put my clothes?” 

“In the dresser on the left of the bed, everything’s in the top drawer.”

—————

Notes: yeah yeah yeah, the name of the place they’re staying at is just a rip from the place I based it off of. Sue me. 

oh and the title is a lyric in C'mon Girl by Red Hot Chili Peppers, i couldn't come up with an actual title by myself, sorry

ao3 link

[tineeericeee]

Midnight Snack

Summary: Shawn is hungry. Lassiter is tired.

note: was sad today. Made this to cheer myself up. 

—————

Lassiter was awoken by the familiar sensation of something — or more accurately: someone — climbing onto his cheek as he lay face-up. It tickled him as the barely-there presence shuffled across his skin and began pushing at his nose. 

Sunlight did not shine through his eyelids, so he knew it had to have been very early in the morning. Much earlier than even he would have liked. His suspicions were confirmed when an owl hooted somewhere outside. 

He groaned. “Shawn, it’s too early.” Fighting the urge to brush his hand at his cheek, he instead raised a hand to rub the sleep from his eyes. When he opened them, he immediately saw the small, blurry, very close up figure of Shawn. 

Shawn stopped shoving at Lassiter’s nose the moment he noticed he was awake. “Lassie! Glad you’re up. Just have a quick question for you.”

“And it couldn’t have waited until morning? You know I have to get up early–”

“I’m hungry.” Shawn quickly interrupted him.

Lassiter couldn’t resist the eyebrow raise. “That wasn’t a question.”

“No, but you know what is?”

“What?”

“‘Can you make pancakes?’”

Lassiter sighed. Of course. “You want pancakes. In the middle of the night.”

It was too dark to see his face, but Carlton knew that Shawn was grinning. “Is that a yes?”

Lassiter chose not to answer, instead reaching a hand up and pinching Shawn’s waist between forefinger and thumb. He could feel the little man go limp as he did, allowing himself to be lifted into the air. Shawn’s sides expanded and contracted under his fingertips as he breathed, the little heart beating against his chest apparent as well. 

Sitting up one handed was difficult, but he managed to do so. His left hand pushed against the mattress, helping him into a tailor position, as his right continued to hold Shawn up until eventually they were eye-level. 

Reaching over to his nightstand with the unoccupied hand, he flicked the lamp on. Warm light flooded the room, softly illuminating the minimal decorations, the mussed up bed sheets, and of course Shawn’s big grin as he dangled from between Lassiter’s fingertips.

They stared at each other, neither one showing signs breaking eye contact. 

Eventually, Lassiter gave in. He shut his eyes and allowed his head to fall back against the headboard of his bed. “The things I do for you…”

Amidst the sounds of Shawn cheering, Lassiter swung his legs over the side of his bed, standing up and making his way to the kitchen. As he did, he flattened his hand out to allow Shawn to sit in his palm. 

Of course, he didn’t, instead opting to kneel, grasping the tip of Lassiter’s middle finger — which was roughly the same height as him — with both hands to keep himself from falling. “Have I ever told you how amazing of a boyfriend you are?”

Lassiter couldn’t help the soft smile when he heard those words. “Aren’t you supposed to say that before you ask me to do you a favor?”

Shawn gasped dramatically. “I’m appalled you would insinuate I’d do such a thing! Me? Weaponizing my love for you? I never.”

It wasn’t long until they were in the kitchen. Lassiter flicked the light switch, bright white light illuminating the cooking supplies. 

“Okay, I’m going to need both hands if you want me to do any cooking.” 

“Yeah, I can chill on the counter, no problemo– woah!”

In one swift motion, Lassiter tilted his hand and dumped Shawn into the breast pocket of his flannel pajamas. Now that his hands were free, he could actually cook without being hindered. 

Lassiter could feel Shawn flailing around inside the fabric as he procured the supplies he’d need to make the pancakes. 

Soon, the sound of sizzling and the smell of cooking pancakes filled the kitchen. 

Shawn had managed to push himself up and over the lip of the pocket, upper half hanging as far as he could go without tumbling out.

Carlton gently pushed him back in with a finger. “Stop that. Remember what happened last time?” 

Voice muffled from the wall of fabric that suddenly surrounded him, Shawn noted, “Last time you had on your silk-y pajamas, it made it easier to slip.” A moment later and his head was once again peeking out of the breast pocket. 

“Mh. You’re lucky I’d already had my eye on you when you fell out.” 

“Again, might I add: unreasonably slick pajamas!”

Lassiter just shook his head. Using a butter knife, he flipped over a minute dot of batter that was meant to become one of Shawn’s pancakes. There were at least ten of them dotting the griddle, along with one normal-sized pancake meant for Lassiter. 

Not even a minute passed before Shawn began bouncing up and down impatiently. “Are they done yet?”

“No, just be patient.” With that, he flipped over his own pancake with the spatula.

“Awww, come on big guy! Can’t you like, turn the little knob and make it cook faster?” 

“That’s not how the griddle works. If I made it any hotter the pancakes would cook too fast and leave the outside burnt and the inside raw.” 

Shawn huffed. “Yeah, but mine should cook faster since they’re smaller.” 

Normally, yes, they would have. Lassiter had just turned the heat on the griddle much lower than it should have been. It meant his own pancake was struggling, but it also meant that Shawn’s were cooking at a normal speed.

The moment the tiny dots of pancake were done cooking, Lassiter set them aside on a small piece of napkin. Then, as discreetly as possible, he turned the heat on the griddle up so as to let his finish faster. 

It went off without a hitch. Shawn had been so distracted by the prospect of getting closer to eating his own pancakes — the very thing he’d woken up Lassiter for — he hadn’t noticed the larger pancake suddenly cooking much faster. 

“Come on! They’re done! Let me at ‘em!” 

“Calm down! You’ll get your pancakes in a second.” Lassiter slid the spatula under his regular pancake and set it onto a plate. 

Again, Lassiter pinched Shawn between finger and thumb, lifting him out of his pocket and onto the table in front of his small stack of pancakes. “There you go. You better enjoy them, because I’m not making more.” 

“Doubt it.” Shawn commented. He picked up one of the little pancake dots and took a large bite, tearing off a chunk. 

Lassiter rolled his eyes, cutting into his own pancake with a fork instead of using his hands like Shawn had. 

And so they sat in comfortable silence, savoring the flavor of the pancakes so graciously made by Carlton. 

—————

ao3 link

[insertisopodthemedusernamehere]

k I’m mainly making this for myself but,,,,

here are my ABSOLUTE TOP TWO FAVOURITE PSYCH/SHASSIE FICS IVE EVER REWD MY GOD

the first one “is the fabric of the universe is a little coarse (1 out of 5 stars)” it literally made me shake, my heart was pounding and my head was spinning and I could not look away it sounds like an over exaggerated explanation but honestly this description was just so avid and well written I couldn’t handle it. obviously I’m fine now but for the rest of the night I felt that weird out-of-body experience that you get right before you fall asleep, like your there but not really there, like ur drifting (which aligns well with the fic might I add) lol. summary:

a witness is brought it who reacts badly to Shawn claiming to be psychic. When she begins to explain why, Shawn experiences something…..otherworldly.

Link:

okay and the next one is a shassie fic called “from stakeout to takeout” and didn’t make me have a out of body experience, but I still LOVED READING IT.

an absolute 6 chapter banger, love it so much it made me squeal the fluff was to much lol. tbh I don’t have to much to say about it, but that’s bc I want you to read it for yourself to discover HOW AMAZING IT IS! summary:

Lassiter turned back to his sandwich.

He looked at it. It looked back at him. The cold, sad, sandwich he made from leftovers in his fridge. He glanced back at Spencer’s burrito, it’s steamy goodness calling to him. Spencer took notice. “Well, well, well, you really are jealous aren’t you?”

“No I’m not.” He said quickly. To quickly.

******

in which Spencer and Lassiter make a deal.

link:

[gallifreyanwriter]

In which Henry and Shawn are BOTH transgender.

Summary:

Retired Detective Henry Spencer has been living as a man for the past thirty five years, and he has worked like hell to make sure nobody knew him as anything different. Outside of a very, very precious few, no one in his life knows his secret--not even his own daughter, Sarah. And he wants to keep it that way. Shawn Spencer has returned to his home town of Santa Barbara, almost two years after he finally began his transition. He has the SBPD convinced that he's a psychic, he's investigating a kidnapping, and he's about to ask his dad for some advice. The only problem is, he hasn't seen his dad in two years. His dad has no idea that he's not Sarah Spencer anymore. A tale of two trans men.

[itookashotinthedark]

Psych Fanfic: Immersion Therapy

Juliet is still reeling from Shawn’s betrayal. It’s been weeks since their breakup, and just as she’s trying to pick up the pieces, a dangerous criminal from Shawn’s past escapes prison. Juliet is suddenly forced to confront old wounds and work with the man who broke her heart.

As Shawn grapples with resurfacing trauma from the case that had him shot and kidnapped, he’s determined to prove himself to Juliet once more—even if it means reliving the worst moments of his life.

Shawn whump and Shules! Post Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark (STASITD) and Deez Nups.

Read on Ao3 or FFic.

Juliet picked up her mug with both hands, taking a moment to let the warmth seep through her palms. She sat down in her office chair and breathed in deep, the pleasant scent of coffee relaxing her instantly as she tuned out the hustle and bustle of the station around her. Not that the relaxation would last long. Since Lassiter’s wedding two weeks ago, she hadn’t felt calm—just anger and a chest-aching sadness.

Shawn had finally stopped calling. He wasn’t popping by her apartment anymore or showing up at the station. Still, every time someone walked into the station, she found herself scanning for tousled brown hair and familiar hazel eyes, unsure if the knot in her stomach came from dreading his presence—or hoping for it.

She scowled and took a sip of her coffee. It certainly wasn’t because she wanted to see him. He was a liar. More than that, Shawn Spencer, ‘psychic’ detective, had completely, irrevocably shattered her heart. The only decent thing he’d done was stop reaching out when she’d demanded space. If he’d ever cared, he’d give her that much.

Juliet grimaced, recalling the despair on his face when she’d screamed at him, cutting off his attempts at an explanation.

“I don’t want to know!” she’d screamed, even putting her hands over her ears like a child. “I don’t want to know how you lied and tricked and manipulated everyone into thinking you're psychic. I don’t care!” He’d shrunk back as she’d stepped forward, her entire body trembling. “I want you to leave me the hell alone and give me some damn space!”

“Okay, Jules,” had been his whispered response and he’d walked out of her apartment, the backpack he’d stuffed his clothes and toothbrush into slung over his shoulder. 

At least he’d kept his word on that. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since.

The clearing of a throat behind her made Juliet jump and nearly spill her coffee. Juliet swiveled in her chair.

“Detective O’Hara.”

“Chief.” Juliet felt her cheeks burn, realizing that she’d been at the station an hour and hadn’t so much as logged into her computer.

Chief Vick’s lips pressed into a thin line as she scanned Juliet up and down. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

Juliet’s heart pounded. Shawn.

...

Continue reading on Ao3 or FFic!

[biancastoaster]

A Lily By Any Other Name (Is Still a Lily)

Category: Gen

Fandom: Psych (TV 2006)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Author Decided Not to Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Carlton Lassiter & OC

Characters: Lily M. Lassiter (OC), Carlton Lassiter, Carlton Lassiter's father, Shawn Spencer

Additional Tags: character death, misgendering, deadnaming, all that fun stuff, OC insert, sad Lassiter, flashbacks, homophobia, transphobia, little brother Lassiter, no beta we die like yin

Summary: Carlton visits his older sister. 

Author’s Notes: Lassiter needed an older sibling, I think it would’ve been good for him. 

I hope you guys like this, it took me a month to write. 

~~~~~~

At his desk, Carlton checked the time. Not yet. 

5 minutes went by before he checked again, and slumped back in his chair in disappointment when he saw it hadn’t been long since he last looked. 

This repeated until it finally was time. He quickly got ready to go. But just before he stood up to leave, Carlton grabbed a small file and put it inside his briefcase. He snapped the clasps shut and briskly began his way from his new office to his car. 

Halfway through the corridor, he’s stopped by an all too familiar voice. 

“Lassie! Where you going?” 

Carlton heaved a deep, exasperated sigh. Without even looking to see who it was, he kept walking away. “Not that it’s any of your business Spencer, but I’m visiting a family member.” 

Shawn caught up, ambling alongside Carlton. “Ooo, who? Is it Lauren? No wait, I got it: it’s your mother…s.”

He rolled his eyes. “None of them. I’m visiting my older sister, Lily.”

Shawn gave a look of surprise. “I didn’t know you had an older sister! Hold on, does she know you named your kid after her?”

Lassiter briskly walked out the door, Shawn still on his tail. “No, that’s why I’m visiting her today.”

“Doooes Marlowe know?”

“Yes, in fact she was the one who encouraged the name.”

“No no no, not that. Well, actually, yeah that too. But, does she know you’re visiting your sister without her?”

“Yes, she’s well aware I’m- you know what, I’m not entertaining this anymore. I need to leave now, I don’t want to be late.”

~~~

1974

It was dark out, the pitch black of night covering the neighborhood in a blanket, the sky dotted with little pinpricks of stars.  

Carlton Lassiter was in his bed, and he was tossing and turning in his sleep, mumbling nonsensical words to himself. 

He eventually woke up with a gasp. He was shaking, and he reached up to feel tear tracks on his face. He could’ve sworn that… 

But no. He was here, at home, safe in his bed. 

He wiped the remaining tears from his face, and tried to go back to sleep. But the adrenaline still lingered, keeping him awake and scared. Shadows seemed to loom from the corners, taking the form of monsters and blank figures. 

Eventually, he couldn’t take being alone in his room anymore. Grabbing his blanket, he gently hopped off his bed and onto the floor, and began making his way to his parents room. 

But right before Carlton even touched the doorknob, he hesitated. He didn’t want to bother them with something like this. His dad would probably just send him back to his room. And besides, their light was turned off, meaning his parents were fast asleep. 

So he kept going down the hall, and up the stairs. 

Carlton crept past the dining room and kitchen, and made his way to his brother Liam’s room. There was a tiny bit of light shining from under the door, nearly invisible to the untrained eye. 

He grabbed the doorknob, and as it made a small jiggling sound the light quickly turned off.

Carlton gently opened the door. “Liam?”

From the bed in the corner of the room, a head belonging to his 12 year old brother popped up from underneath the covers. “CJ? What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

He found himself unable to answer, his face screwing up and tears falling once more. 

Liam sat up, immediately concerned for his little brother. “Hey, hey, it’s alright, it’s alright. Come here.”

Carlton complied, clambering onto the bed and sinking into his older brother’s arms.

“It’s okay, just let it out.”

And he did, slowly hiccuping his way through telling Liam about the whole bad dream. 

The whole time, Liam sat there, rubbing Carlton’s back periodically to try and soothe him, like he had seen people on tv do. 

After sitting for a minute, Carlton sniffled, looking up at Liam. “What were you doing before I came in?”

“Ohh, just rereading The Hobbit.” 

“Can you- can you read it to me?” 

Liam smiled. “Of course. Did you want me to start at the beginning, or where I’m at?”

“Where you left off.”

“Alright then. Get comfy, come on, CJ.”

As Carlton snuggled under the covers, Liam reached under the first pillow and grabbed the book and pen light he had hidden just before Carlton came in. 

He cleared his throat, reading out loud, “As they sang the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things made by hands and by cunning and by magic moving through him, a fierce and a jealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves…”

Carlton slowly began to become more and more drowsy as the gentle timbre of his brother’s voice lulled him to sleep. 

“He looked out of the window. The stars were out in a dark sky above the trees. He thought of the jewels of the dwarves shining in dark caverns…”

Right when he was about succumb completely to sleep, he felt Liam gently put away the book and turn out the light once more. 

~~~

present

Carlton carefully pulled into a small strip mall, right in front of a store called ‘The Flower Corner’. 

He walked in, and stood at the desk, clearing his throat to catch the attention of the lady behind the desk. 

She looked up and saw him, and quickly stood up. “Oh hello, sir! How can I help you today?”

“I’m here to pickup a bouquet. It should be under Lassiter.”

“Of course, just one second.” She tapped a few keys on her keyboard, clicking a bit with her mouse as well. “Alright then, I’ll go ahead and grab it from the back.”

Carlton began awkwardly drumming his fingers on the counter as he waited for the employee to get back. 

“Alright, here they are!” 

He looked up and saw a beautiful bunch of flowers, a mix of pink lilies and carnations, all expertly wrapped in decorative plastic to hold it all together. 

As he paid, the cashier asked, “Who are the flowers for?” 

“My sister, Lily.” 

“Awww! Well, I can definitely see why you chose the lilies, then. I’m sure she’ll love them.”

Carlton nodded stiffly. The whole interaction felt awkward to him, and he hated awkward situations. So once he had gotten the bouquet paid for, he tried his best not to run out the door. 

~~~

1976

Carlton was riding in the back of his father’s car, on the way to pick up Liam from his friend’s house. 

He couldn’t remember his name, but he was pretty sure Liam’s friend was on the football team along with Liam himself. 

Looking out the window as they pulled up to the curb next to the house, he saw figures moving around behind the windows, presumably his brother and his friend saying goodbye.  

To his surprise, Carlton watched as his older brother walked out with a girl he didn’t recognize, instead of another guy. Maybe it was Liam’s friend’s sister? 

They had stopped at the entryway to continue a conversation, talking very animatedly, using dramatic hand gestures and exaggerated expressions. 

The two — along with Carlton — were startled when his dad honked the horn. 

Liam gave an apologetic look to the girl, and she burst into laughter. They exchanged a few more words before she gave him an energetic hug, which he equally returned. 

In the rearview mirror, Carlton saw a grin forming on his father. It was very clear what he thought the hug between the two had meant. But Carlton could just tell it wasn’t that kind of hug. He’d seen his parents hug, and girls and boys — couples — hug each other public. However, he had also seen girls hugging girls — their best friends — as well. That’s what kind of hug his brother and the girl had reminded him of.

As Liam climbed into the car, his dad gave him a look. “So, who was that?” 

Liam buckled in. “Just Chuck’s sister, she’s really nice.”

“Really nice, huh?” 

Carlton caught the suggestive look on his dad at the same time Liam did. “No, dad, it’s not- she’s just nice, I barely even know her.” 

His dad laughed. “That’s how it always starts. Soon enough you’ll be all over each other.”

It was then that Carlton noticed his brother’s face. It was red. The same shade of red his mother had at the end of the day when she finally took off her makeup. 

Not red in embarrassment from his father’s comments. He looked as if he’d been rubbing it continuously to get something off.

‘Was that what Liam had been doing? Wearing makeup?’

Later that day, Carlton confronted him, demanding to know the truth. Eventually, Liam caved. 

“Okay, okay, fine. Chuck wasn’t actually there, he had something come up. But Linda was, and… she uh… needed someone to model some of her makeup for her, and she asked me since we have really close skin tones.” Liam twisted his hands. “Her words, not mine.”

Carlton was young, only 8, but he knew when his brother was lying. However, he also knew when he should and shouldn’t pressure Liam with more questions, and decided to leave it alone. 

~~~

present

Carlton pulled out of the flower shop, and onto the road once more. 

He’d been driving for at least another 5 minutes when he hit a pothole that he heard a particularly loud bump from the back. He thought it was his briefcase for a minute, but a quick glance at the passenger seat told him that wasn’t true. There was something — or someone — in the trunk. 

Carlton pulled over to the side of the road, and grabbed his gun from his holster and cocked it. 

He pointed it at the trunk door, and quickly opened it. “Freeze!”

Light flossed the trunk, and a very familiar high pitched girlish scream emerged from inside. “Nonono don’t shoot!” 

“Spencer? What the hell are you doing here?”

Shawn clumsily clambered out of the trunk, tripping momentarily before regaining his balance. “I just wanted to meet your mystery sister, man. I’ve known you for what, 8 years? And I’ve never heard you talk about you ‘big sister Lily’.”

Carlton took a deep breath. “Spencer…” he briefly thought about ditching him on the side of the road. But a quick look told him that would be inhumane. And probably illegal. He ran a hand down his face exhaustedly. “Fine. You can come.” Shawn pumped a fist. “But you’re sitting in the back.”

“Tch.” Shawn made a dissapointed face, but got in the backseat anyway. 

~~~

1978

Carlton was hiding in his room, trying his best to drown out Liam and his father’s argument they were having just down the hall. 

Liam had been caught underneath the bleachers at the track, locking lips with the captain of the football team. Chuck, Liam’s so-called best friend, was the one to catch them, snitching on the couple to Carlton’s father. 

Which was what the current argument between the two was about.  

Everything was mostly muffled, thanks to Carlton shoving a pillow over his head to drown out the noise, but he definitely heard his father say something along the lines of ‘not raising his son to be a faggot’. 

At this, Liam raised his voice even more, becoming sou loud it permeated through the pillow. “I’m not gay, Dad!”

“Oh really? And how’s that, huh?”

“Because I’m a girl!”

There was a tense silence, shortly broken by the sound of a sharp slap, followed by quick footsteps running down the hall and up the stairs. Carlton could practically feel the slam of his brother’s- no, not brother, his sister’s bedroom door reverberating through the house. 

He waited for the sound of his father following after, but there was nothing.

Quietly, he opened his door. Carlton silently tiptoed upstairs, making sure he didn’t make too much sound. After a short trip, he made it upstairs, gently knocking on the door to his sister’s bedroom.   

“Are you alright-” he opens the door, and stops. So does Liam, who’s in the middle of shoving a t-shirt into a slowly overflowing backpack. “Liam? What are you doing?” 

Carlton sees her wince at the name. “I just… need some space from dad. I’m gonna stay at a friend’s house for a bit, wait for him to cool down a bit.”

“But, why is he mad at you for being a girl?”

She sighed. “I don’t know, buddy. Some people just, I can’t- they’re not really-” Her face started to scrunch up, eyes filling with tears. “But don’t worry, I won’t be gone for long, okay?”

He didn’t understand, but he nodded anyway. “Okay…”

She slung her backpack over her shoulder, and slid the window leading outside open. Just before slipping out, she paused and turned around. “Hey Carlton, can I ask you a favor?”

He perked up a little. “What is it?”

She scooted to the edge of the window, prepping to jump down. “Remember how you asked all of us to stop calling you CJ?” 

At least Carlton was able to understand this. “Yeah. It felt like a girly name to me.”

She smiled. “That’s kind of what I’m doing. ‘Liam’ doesn’t feel right.”

“Well, what do you want me to call you?”

“Lily. Just call me Lily instead.”

“Lily.” He tested it out “Okay. Bye Lily.”

“Bye Carlton. I’ll see you soon.” And with that, she jumped from the windowsill and landed nimbly on the soft grass far below. Lily wasted no time in booking it down the road, her figure quickly fading from sight as the night swallowed her. 

~~~

Present

Carlton’s hands subconsciously gripped the steering wheel as he remembered that night. He did get to see her again after that. Very soon, in fact. Just not in the way he had hoped. 

It had been a hit and run. There was only one bystander, and they hadn’t been close enough to see the car’s details in the pitch black of night. 

Carlton remembered sitting in the hospital waiting room with his parents and Lauren, the latter of whom was napping in her baby carrier, anxiously anticipating any news of Lily’s condition. 

He remembered someone coming out and whispering to his parents solemnly, something about Liam’sconditions, and how he wasn’t going to make it. 

He remembered going to her room and being told to say his goodbyes to Liam, seeing her broken and damaged body lying limply on the hospital bed. 

He remembered begging her still unmoving body to come back, to not leave him alone. 

He remembered being dragged away, tears flowing like a river as her heart monitor flatlined. 

He remembered his father reprimanding him, telling him he was tarnishing Liam’s memory by calling her Lily. 

He remembered that was the night that the last shred of respect he had for his dad crumbled away. 

It was as though he had just gotten to know his big sister, and then she was yanked away from him. 

As much as he hated it, it was the final push he needed in finalizing his decision of pursuing a career as a police officer, then head detective, then his current position as Chief of police. 

“Wait, Lassie this is-” Shawn cut himself off, immediately realized where they were going. “Oh man. I- I’m sorry, I had-”

“It’s fine, Spencer. You didn’t know.” Carlton said, his tone uncharacteristically soft.  

He pulled his car onto a gravelly path, bumping slightly along as he searched for-

There. He could see it from here. It wasn’t like it could be moved, but he almost always lost it in the sea of granite and marble, and would have to go on a search. 

He parked, and reached into the passenger seat where his briefcase and the bouquet still sat. 

“I’ll just- just wait here, Lassie. Me and dead people… it’s really depressing.”

“I wasn’t going to ask you to come anyway, Spencer.” Just before he closed the door, he pointed a threatening finger at Shawn. “You touch anything in here and I will not hesitate to shoot you. Copy?” 

Shawn said nothing, simply giving him a mock salute. Carlton rolled his eyes and shut the door. 

He walked up to a gray marble tombstone. The area had been mowed recently, so there was still some grass clippings scattered on the base of it. 

Liam Lily Mark Lassiter 

1962-1978

son daughter, brother sister, friend

Carlton smiled a bit to himself. Normally, he was opposed to defacement of property, but this was an exception in his eyes. Lily deserved to have her true name on the stone that marked her final resting place. 

He kneeled down and, after brushing away the grass clippings, gently set the bouquet in front of the tombstone, making sure none of the words were obscured. He’d already taken the plastic wrapping off. The world didn’t need more trash littered everywhere. 

“Hey Lily. I know it’s been a while. A few months, actually.” 

Carlton shifted a bit, trying to get comfortable. “I got promoted. I’m Chief of police now, like I’ve always worked for.” 

The tombstone sat silently.

“Uhmm, Marlowe gave birth, too. In the back of a food truck, of all places. Of course, it was all Spencer’s and Guster’s fault. I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you, huh?” 

Silence.

He continued. “It’s a girl, and god she is so beautiful. She has your eyes. We named her after you.” 

Still silence. 

“I have something else.” He reached beside him for his briefcase, and pulled out the file from earlier. “I managed to get your name legally changed. It was one hell of a legal battle, but Mom and Althea and I managed it. You’ll be getting a new tombstone soon, one with your real name.”

Taking a deep breath, he went on. “I miss you, Lily. But, not as much as I used to. I hope you don’t mind.”

A gentle breeze brushed by him, ruffling his hair. 

Carlton cleared his throat. “I’m… not good at saying goodbye. Even after all these visits. You’d think I’d get the hang of it by now.” 

Somewhere in a nearby tree, a bird tittered. 

“Okay, I’ll try to come back sooner next time. I know you don’t like waiting.” He packed up his briefcase once more, and turned away, heading back to his car. 

~~~

Bonus: 

Lily watched as he left, swinging her feet from the tombstone, a soft smile playing on her lips. She looked exactly how she had when she died, but somehow emulated an air of femininity she would never have been able to achieve while alive. 

She waved, even though she knew her little brother wouldn’t see it. “Bye, Carlton.”

[paperxcrowns]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Psych (TV 2006) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Juliet O'Hara & Shawn Spencer Characters: Shawn Spencer, Juliet O'Hara Additional Tags: Whump, Car Accidents, Blood and Injury, Broken Bones, Concussions, Don't worry about it :), Attempted Murder, Explosions, Hurt/Comfort, Season/Series 03, Juliet O'Hara Whump, Shawn Spencer Whump, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Head Injury, no beta we die like my sanity Summary:

It trickles back slowly. He’s sitting in the passenger seat of Juliet’s car. They’re listening to music on the drive back from a suspect’s house. She rolls her eyes at a joke he cracked, but she’s smiling. There’s nothing else after that except for the sound of a horn, bright headlights, and an explosion of pain.

OR,

Shawn and Juliet get into a car crash (ambiguously set sometime during season 3)

[aspiring-creative-person]

Oh my god. I just planned out an amazing Shassy fic. It’s going to be 8 chapters (longest fic I’ve planned so far), and it will be called “From Stakeout to Takeout”. That is all I will reveal in the present moment.

Get hype.

[crazyk-imagine]

The Ocean plus Shawn equals Chaos

Pairing: Carlton Lassiter x Female!reader

Characters: Carlton Lassiter, Female!reader, Shawn Spencer, Burton "Gus" Guster, Henry Spencer, Juliet O'Hara, Buzz McNab

Warnings: Fluff, classic Shawn screams, psych vibes, Lassie is a simp for his baby girl, Henry is a wise man, we listen to him at all times, reader lowkey lightly trying to kill Shawn, McNab makes an appearance

Word Count: 655

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

You don’t know how it started but, you pull the blanket tighter around you to get warm.

You huff as you feel like you’re getting colder and colder by the minute.

You look up and notice the movement beside Carlton’s shoulder. You narrow your eyes and notice the one person you're thankful to see but also want to punch.

He gets closer with each step he takes. He feels bad about what happened and wants to apologize, he’s close to doing so until he sees the expression on your face.

You push yourself off the step on the back of the ambulance to chase after your idiot friend.

Shawn immediately starts running backwards and starts screaming like a little girl, which would have amused you more had the case not happened.

He runs around a car and tries his best to evade you but continues to fail with each turn he takes.

If he knew you couldn’t seriously fight him, he would have been able to use more common sense instead of running on “fumes”.

He runs past the crowd aka your other best friend, Shawn's dad, his crush, and Carlton, he continues to make poor excuses to hide from you even if they’ve already said no.

“Shouldn’t we help him?” Juliette asks, cringing every time he screams.

“No. He’s got what’s coming to him,” Henry says.

“Isn’t that a little harsh?” Gus chimes in.

“Do you want her to be the one chasing you?”

He sucks in air through his teeth, thinking it over and decides he’d rather live than be in the same predicament as his best friend. “He’ll be fine.”

“Well, I’m not fine. She should be on her way to the hospital by now,” Carlton says before standing in front of Shawn, who then screams in horror.

“Is this how I go? How am I supposed to live on when I never got to pass on my legacy to the children?!” Gus furrows his brows, “you don’t have any.” Shawn gasps, clutching his chest.

“And I don’t have any children!” You stop in front of him, but Carlton shoves him out of the way and grabs, pushing you back towards an ambulance. “Back to the ambulance.”

“Carlton, I’m fine.”

“Well, I’m not. Now you better get your butt back in the ambulance or you’re gonna have me to deal with.”

You avoid his gaze and listen to his advice, slowly trailing back to the ambulance where Buzz is, worriedly searching for you. “Oh, thank God. I mean- I knew where you were.”

You narrow your eyes at him, “you’re lying.”

He opens his mouth, looking like a fish out of water, scared to admit that he did temporarily lose you because Carlton will have his head.

“Lassie, I want to go home.”

“You can go home after you’ve been checked out,” he says with a soothing voice.

“Stop treating me like I’m five.”

“Okay, once you're done with the doctor, then you can go home.”

“That’s slightly better but thank you nonetheless.”

The corner of his lip’s curves upward, “it’s my job to make sure you're safe.”

You curl back into the blanket, reaching for his hand. “Thank you,” you tell him, understanding the hidden meaning behind his comment.

“Hey, Lassie! Are you two dating?” You stare at Carlton and smile, “I’m going to kill him. Please visit me in prison.”

He opens his mouth to ask what you mean but you’re gone before he could even make a sound.

Shawn squeals and takes off, passing Henry, who shakes his head. “Stop running!”

“No, you want to hurt me!”

“Maybe I wouldn’t if you’re crazy girlfriend didn’t try to drown me!”

“We were never together! I only like those who are reasonably crazy!”

“Well, then reasonably take my foot up your-”

“Okay, Gus, go stop them,” Henry tells him. “What? Why me?”

“You’re their best friend.”

“Not right now I’m not.” 

[juliets-roller-derby-awesomeness]

what kind of music would the gang listen to?

(specifically shawn cause i need it for a fic but also anyone else)

[thespiritssaidso]

All In?

Summary: Gus and Juliet have a bet going on between the two of them. When are Shawn and Lassiter going to admit that they’re dating?

Notes: I saw the word ‘Bet’ on the prompt for today and just blacked out, and suddenly this was written in my head. So obviously I had to make it for today’s oneshot.

Also, i’m trying out third person omniscient this time instead of limited. Hope it turned out alright <3

Flufftober day 10: Bet, Game, Contest

—————

Juliet looked up from her computer at the sound of commotion. She stood up halfway from her chair, ready to take action, until she saw what it was. Lassiter was speed walking past her desk, holding Shawn by the collar like an unruly kitten, dragging him to the conference room. The moment they were both inside, she watched as the detective hurriedly closed every single blind. 

With a slight huff, she sat back down, the wheels of her chair rolling backwards from the force. She scooted back towards her desk and returned to going over the various reports scattered around the desktop. 

She vaguely heard someone walking up behind her from the exact same direction Shawn and Lassiter had come from. Not bothering to turn around to see who it was, she said, “Hi Gus!”

“Hey Jules. How’s the case going?”

“Well, we caught the guy and he confessed on the spot. I’m just going over the different reports to make sure they all match up with the other statements. Oh, and if you’re looking for Shawn-”

“Nope. I know exactly where he went. Him and Lassie.”

“Then you should also know that they’re not coming out for a while?”  

Gus just nodded, looking resigned. “How long were they last time?” 

Juliet sat a moment, thinking it over. “Eight minutes?” 

“Nah, it felt longer than that. Maybe ten, at the least.” 

A beat of silence passed before Gus broke it again. “I can’t believe him. This is the fifth time this week, and it’s only Thursday!” 

“I dunno, I think it’s kind of sweet.”

“I’m not saying it isn’t. I’m just saying it’s a little excessive.”

“I don’t mind, just as long as they confess sometime in the next couple of days.” 

Gus laughed. “Good luck with that. I know my boy Shawn, he’s going to drag this out for at least another month before he finally admits he and Lassie are dating.” 

A few weeks ago, Juliet and Gus had set up a bet with each other, trying to guess how long it would be until Shawn and Lassiter metaphorically came out of the closet. Along with another bet for how long their next makeout session would last before literally coming out of the closet – or in this case, the conference room. 

They had originally started the bet with a mere five bucks, but as the time went on and the two became more and more cocky the amount became higher and higher until they were both looking at a fifty dollar cash prize for whoever was right. 

Gus had his fingers crossed extra tight that the odds would come out in his favor. He couldn’t afford to lose any money at the moment. It was partially why he and Shawn had come over to the station in the first place, to see if there were any cases they could take on. Of course, Gus knew there was a reason behind why his best friend was actually so eager to pay the Chief a visit. 

Juliet hummed. “I dunno, I’m pretty confident Carlton will get through to him.”

A separate voice, one that wasn’t Gus or Juliet, joined in the conversation. “I think I’m with Mr. Guster on this one.” Chief Vick bluntly stated. 

Neither of them seemed too startled at her appearance, Juliet simply carrying on the conversation without hesitating. “What makes you say that?” 

“Because I know that Detective Lassiter would rather shoot himself in the foot than admit anything about his personal life to the station.”

“Did he tell you that?” 

“Yes, in fact. He did.” 

Silence fell once more, save for the hustle and bustle that came with being in a police station. 

Once again, that silence did not last for very long.

“Well, I’m getting tired of this. I let them use my conference room for their little sessions for the last time. This ends now.” And before either of them could stop her, the Chief was marching from Juliet’s desk and to the room Lassiter and Shawn were hiding out in. As she walked over, she dug through her pockets and fished out the key to the door of the conference room. 

“Like babysitting angsty teenagers…” Chief Vick muttered under her breath as she quickly stuck the key in the lock and opened it up to reveal Shawn and Lassiter sitting on the conference table. 

Well, Lassiter was sitting on it, while Shawn was sitting on him. They sprung apart like they were on fire, both attempting to straighten up their messed up clothes and act like they weren’t just sucking each other’s face off. 

Chief Vick didn’t waste a minute, despite being slightly embarrassed at the scene in front of her. “Mr. Spencer, Detective Lassiter, I don’t mind you two being together. In fact, I encourage it. You’re good for each other. But if I catch you using any of the rooms in this department for anything other than its intended purpose it will be a write-up. Do I make myself clear, gentlemen?” 

Both of them, still shocked, nodded numbly and mumbled sounds of agreement. 

“Good. Detective, I expect your report to be ready within the hour.” She turned and almost ran into Gus and Juliet, who’d followed her over to the conference room. “Excuse me.”  And with that, Chief Vick had left, most likely back to her own office. 

The four stood there awkwardly, no one making a move. 

Eventually, Shawn managed to say, “Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag?” 

Gus shrugged. “No, we knew the whole time. We were waiting for you to come out and say it yourselves.”

Amidst the sounds of indignation coming from the couple, Juliet turned to Gus. “Which reminds me. Gus, I’m pretty sure you owe me fifty dollars.” 

“Wait, you put a bet on us? What are we, racehorses?” Lassiter asked incredulously. 

“No, but if you were, it would be the worst race ever. Seriously, you guys had to have Chief forcibly out your gay asses because you wouldn’t stop using the conference room.” Then Gus turned to Juliet. “And I don’t owe you anything. Because technically, they weren’t the ones to come out.” 

“Well I guess that means we both lost, then.” 

“Fine by me.” 

Shawn took what was likely the end of their mini argument to cut in. “Ignoring the fact that you both knew and instead of telling either of us you decided to bet on us,” he faced Lassiter, a grin very apparent, “I think someone owes me some moolah.”

The confused expression on Lassiter’s face matched Juliet’s and Gus’, until it became one of realization, and then defeat. Everyone watched as he pulled out the wallet in his back pocket and counted out what looked like at least eighty dollars. “Here.” 

Shawn took it and kissed the small wad of bills dramatically. “Oh sweet, cold hard cash. I will not be using you responsibly.” 

“Wait, what did you guys bet on?” Gus asked. 

“Oh yeah! Me and Carly had a little bet on who would walk in on us whenever we were making out. Not just now, whenever we did it. He thought that Buzz would, and I bet on the Chief.” Shawn grinned as he pocketed the money. “You should know not to make bets with a psychic, Carlytown.” 

“You know I still don’t believe that.” 

“Ah, I’ll get to you. One day.” Shawn started fiddling with Lassiter’s shirt, and bit the corner of his lip. “Now, where were we?” 

“Mmm, I think we were somewhere… here…” Lassiter tilted Shawn’s head up with a finger and placed a tender kiss on his lips. 

“Oookay! I think that’s all we need to see.” Juliet grabbed Gus and shut the door on the lovey dovey couple.

—————

Notes: Okay, not as fluffy as the others, but there’s a little at the end. Anyways, I'm super excited for tomorrow's prompt, Ingredients and Spells! I couldn’t stop thinking about it since i first saw it at the beginning of october

ao3 link

[tineeericeee]

What Waits Off the Coast of Santa Barbara

Chapter 5: Give and Take, Ask and Answer

Notes: so uhm- eheheh, funny story…

I have added an indeterminable amount of new chapters — chapters I don’t know the amount of because I haven’t even drafted them :’) but if I had to guess, it’d be around upwards of ten extra chapters

*screaming and crying* SOMEBODY FUCKING SEDATE ME-

Sorry for the super late update 

—————

The car ride was silent. A bit awkward, if Shawn was being honest. He fiddled with the uncomfortable seat belt, then his hands, trying to ignore the side-eyes ‘Carlton Lassiter’ was giving him. He wasn’t sure what his deal was with him. Then again, he’d also be suspicious if he was with a weird guy that was previously a weird mermaid. Even so, there was quite a few quick glances.

Shawn hated silence. Even the ocean had the odd whale call every now and then. And besides, sound traveled a lot better through water than it did on land. Without the constant pressure of sea water pushing on his ears, everything felt so much more quiet. All that he could hear right now was the rumble of the car engine and wind whistling outside.

He’d be filling the empty void right now with flirting and witty banter (all of it aimed at the man behind the steering wheel, of course). But he was still working on getting his mouth and tongue to cooperate with him. He’d barely been able to say his name earlier, and the other quips he’d made before that had been just as much a struggle.

He reached out to fiddle with the radio fixed to the dash, the tarp wrapped around him making a swishing sound as he did so. Someone had to substitute the silence for noise, and if Shawn couldn’t fill it with speaking he might as well have something else do it for him.

“-I wanna see you out that door, baby bye bye bye (bye bye!)”

Not even two seconds had passed and it was immediately shut off once more by Carlton. His hand was a blur as it reached towards the dash and pressed the power button. 

Silence reigned once more. 

Shawn hummed a tune under his breath, parts of a whale song he’d heard a few days ago broken with the odd line from the chorus of ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ by Tears for Fears. It mixed horribly, but the only one that was there to judge his humming skills were him and Carlton. 

Fingers drummed against his thighs in tempo, plastic fabric rustling with every tap, head nodding along subconsciously. 

The air was tense, despite Shawn’s best efforts. 

Until Carlton cleared his throat. “So… you uh- you’re…”

“Real?” Shawn finished for him. He mentally patted himself on the back for not fucking up the pronunciation. Even though it was fairly simple. Still, small victories and all that. 

“No- I mean… you’re sitting in my car, I think that’s enough evidence that you’re real.” He took a deep breath. “I was going to say that- that you’re a siren.” 

Hold up, what? This guy thought he was a siren? He had to be joking, pulling his leg. But no, his face, whilst still staring at the road, was dead serious.

Shawn couldn’t help laughing, a sound that was a mix of human laughter along with dolphin chirps and whistles. “Siren? You- thought- those ugly half-vulture ladies? Hell no!” 

Saying it out loud made him laugh harder. At least that was one thing he could still do without struggle. Simply speaking that broken sentence was a battle. But it was one that was slowly getting more and more easy to overcome. 

The car slowed down as they came to a red-light, albeit a bit jerkily. Shawn barely noticed, too busy laughing his ass off, cheeks growing hot. Of all the things he could’ve been called, ‘siren’ wasn’t on the list of things he’d thought of. 

“It’s a valid conclusion, alright?” Carlton’s face went bright red in embarrassment. It was cute, Shawn found, the way his lips pursed as he practically became a tomato. 

He continued, and asked interrogatively, “How else did you make me help you?” 

Shawn’s laughs died down to a couple giggles. “Make you… what?” 

What did that mean? Then Shawn realized that Carlton thought he’d done some kind of voodoo seduction spell and forced him to help get out of the net. 

He let out an involuntary snort, and giggled more. “I can’t do that. That’d be really cool though.” 

But the sight of Carlton’s still serious expression made him come to a full stop. He wasn’t kidding. Oh man, he didn’t really think that, did he? That Shawn could just full-on take over someone and make them do his bidding? That that was why Carlton had helped him in the first place? 

Yeah, getting people to do stuff you wanted them to do could be cool. In theory. But… just the thought of it didn’t really sit right with him. Full control? Probably a little invasive. Definitely a little invasive. 

The light turned green again, and Carlton pressed the gas pedal a little too aggressively. The engine revved as they shot past the traffic light. There wasn’t really anyone around to notice, however. Except for a lone car sitting at the exit of a small parking lot, waiting for the Crown Vic to drive past so it could pull out. 

“Dude, even if I was a siren, I couldn’t make you do anything. They just… sing about what you want most. Draw you towards them, that stuff.” 

Shawn remembered his first — and last — encounter with the nasty creatures. He was grateful he’d paid some attention to the Greek mythology section of eighth grade history. Otherwise he’d have seen that rocky island full of bird women and not thought twice about swimming over and investigating. Of course, he knew what was up the moment he saw the big vultures with human heads surrounded by torn clothing and shredded steel beams. 

Eyes never leaving the road, Carlton drummed his fingers against the wheel. “So, you’re not… in my head? You’re not influencing my judgment?”

“Nope. Not a little bit.” 

He nodded, donning a thoughtful expression. 

And then it was quiet. 

Two minutes passed before Shawn became antsy. 

What to do, what to do, what to do… 

He thought back to when Carlton had opened up his glove compartment earlier to grab the bottle of ibuprofen. Along with the medicine, he’d seen the standard car manual, with a gun sitting comfortably on top. 

Shawn took another quick scan of the car and found a radio in the cup-holder. A closer look at the man behind the wheel told him there was a badge and a pair of handcuffs stuffed in his pockets. 

It was easy enough to piece together that this guy worked with the police. Child’s play, really. He was probably a detective, the setup reminding Shawn of when his own father had made the transition from officer to detective. 

“It’s been a while, but I’m pretty sure that even if you’re a detective it’s still illegal to drive when you’re drunk.” 

The last part was also easy to deduce, the faint scent of alcohol permeating Carlton’s breath. Faint, most likely faded enough to leave him sober. But still there. 

A beat passed. 

“What gave it away?” 

“Well, the radio was a big hint.” He gestured to the aforementioned object still sitting in the cupholder. “Handcuffs sticking out of the back pocket were a dead give away. But I almost missed it. That ass is so distracting. And third: your badge? There’s a perfect outline of it in your other pocket.” 

Shawn could see the look of impression that Carlton was trying to tamp down. “How did you figure I’m a detective, not just a cop?” 

“Let’s just say I… knew someone. Yeah.” He wasn’t ready to really open up about his dad. Not yet. Not to a stranger. Maybe Gus, when he saw him. Besides, he’d rather not have someone who most likely knew Henry professionally be privy to the fact that Shawn was his son. “The setup was a lot like yours.”

It was quiet again, save for the humming engine and the small taps Shawn’s fingernails made against the hard plastic door handle. 

Carlton flicked on his turn signal, pulling into the left turn lane. “What’s with the… just a while ago, on the beach, why were you so…”

So big. The unspoken words reverberated through the car. 

Truth be told, Shawn never really wondered why his human form and his mer form had such a large difference in size. Evolution, maybe? The ‘why’ never bothered him, just grateful for the advantage over all other ocean life. Nothing bothered him when he was that size. 

The only thing bigger than Shawn were whales, who simply allowed him to travel alongside as he pleased, not sensing any danger from him. 

“Not sure. But it’s useful. Easy to hunt, get food.” Shawn stated matter-of-factly.  

Again, Carlton nodded in agreement. “I would assume so.”

Buildings flew by as the car trundled on. The sky had significantly lightened up by now, a small sliver of the sun peeking over the horizon. Outside, Shawn could hear seagulls cawing and birds chirping. It had been a while since he’d heard those. 

“How long?” 

This time, it was Shawn’s turn to look confused. He turned away from the window to look at Carlton, who still had not taken his eyes away from the road. “What?” 

“How long were you underwater, away from land?” 

Shawn’s mouth opened and closed, not unlike a fish out of water (which was technically what he was). 

Noticing his silence, he began to elaborate. “The way you talk, like you used to but haven’t in a long time. That’s how I know.” Carlton pulled onto a smaller road, houses lining both sides of the street. “You figured out I’m a detective, I’m a little surprised you thought I was incompetent. There’s a reason I have this job, and it’s not because I sat on my ass and asked for it.” 

Shawn sighed. He was right about that. Still, it was kind of embarrassing to have it pointed out to him. “What year is it?” 

“2006.” 

“About a decade, then. Give or take a few months.” An idea struck Shawn. “Speaking of which, what’d I miss while I was gone? Did they renew the Breakfast Club? Any new movies with Val Kilmer? Any world changing events like that?” 

Shawn hadn’t expected the flurry of emotions coming from Carlton. When he did speak, his voice was just barely raised a pitch. “Uhm, well, there sure were- but that’s a conversation for later.” 

It was perfect timing. Carlton pulled the Crown Vic in the driveway of an immaculate house. The lawn was neatly trimmed, the home a clean shade of green and void of any dirt or grime. If Shawn didn’t know any better, he would’ve assumed whoever lived there was someone who was boring and worked a nine to five office job. 

But a quick glance inside told him the opposite, as Shawn exited the car, tarp still swishing around him. Sharper than average eyes let him see that there was some kind of corkboard with mugshots pinned in some kind of order, with what were most likely descriptions of the people printed underneath. 

Lassiter dug through his pockets and fished out a set of keys, unlocking the door. “Go on ahead to the bathroom, it’s down the hall second door on the left. I need to find the first aid kit.” 

Inside, Shawn got a better look at the board he’d seen from outside. Now that he was closer, he could actually read the descriptions. It was a wall full of convicted criminals, each one more rough than the last. Save for the one in the top left corner, who appeared to be a dapper gentleman. 

He walked down the hallway, and noticed a room, door wide open so there was no need to do it himself, right across from where he’d been instructed the bathroom was. A desk sat beside the bed, covered in papers and a singular empty file. 

Shawn knew he didn’t have time to really examine them, so from the door he quickly scanned the closest papers to the best of his ability. 

Something something dead astronomer something planetarium…

“Wow, he really puts the ‘home’ in homework.” Shawn muttered under his breath before retreating into the bathroom where he’d been told to go. 

—————

ao3 link

[cosette141]

Before and After: a Rewrite of a 9-Year Old Fic :)

Comparing my 2015 writing (from a Psych fic called "Space") to my 2024 writing as I revise this old fanfic!

When I found a 9-year-old fanfic of mine again and couldn't stop cringing, I decided to give it a makeover, and here's a before and after of a section :D

ORIGINAL (2015):

"Get him up."

Shawn woke with a start. He winced as his head erupted in pain and his eyes cracked open. Someone had just dropped him onto solid concrete. Shawn shut his eyes, cringing from the throbbing headache. What happened? Everything was a painful blur.

"Get up."

Shawn felt a sharp kick to his back and he opened his eyes again. He was lying in the middle of an empty parking lot, the cold concrete almost soothing his pain. Everything hurt. The world was spinning.

NEWLY REVISED (2024):

Shawn’s eyes shot open, sharp agony thrusting him gracelessly into a world of pain.

A groan caught somewhere in his throat as he blinked, but his vision was a blurred kaleidoscope of gray and black— concrete? —yet the daylight only made the his pounding head more excruciating. He screwed his eyes shut, barely holding in another groan. Even with his eyes shut, the world was spinning, and Shawn desperately tried not to be sick.

“Wake up.”

The sudden voice from above him, male and unfamiliar, made Shawn’s eyes snap back open. And suddenly he realized what caused the fresh pain and the abrupt wakefulness—he’d been dropped or thrown to the ground. Yes—this cold, hard, unforgiving thing was, in fact, the ground.

That didn’t yet explain why the world was still spinning. (Other than the scientific fact that the world was spinning constantly that Gus would remind him of if he were here.) Was Gus here? Was this the Mexican border? Is this payback?

Better question: where was here?

Shawn shut his eyes again, cringing from the vicious headache. Upgrade that mild concussion from the Elin case to… whatever came after severe.

-.-.-.

AO3 link (but I'm not done revising it yet so if you read it, I'd suggest marking for later until about July 2024 to get a better reading experience haha)

My thoughts about the revision:

Back in 2015, this was my 2nd fanfic I'd ever written, my first for Psych, and I definitely can see now how much more I leaned toward "telling" than showing. Also, how little descriptiveness I used when it came to emotions.

Ultimately the biggest change I think in my writing is how nowadays I try my best to write "through a character", as if the narrative is through their eyes, feeling what they're feeling through all five senses, telling the story through their filter of what the character is currently going through. So these days if I have a concussed or confused character, I'd want to lean more toward having the narrative describe the situation in more of a roundabout way, so that the reader themselves are struggling to understand what's going on along with the character. I love stories where the reader feels like they're literally the character, or feeling exactly what they're feeling, and that I feel was really missing from the original version.

Instead of just saying "his head erupted in pain", describing the visceral experience of it was missing. A head injury is more than just pain--it's confusion, dizziness, lack of focus and memory, and a lot of that description was missing too. Rambling narratives are great for showing a confused or panicked character, and this character in particular is already known for yammering on a lot so I definitely had to add some of that in, haha.

This has been such a fun thing to do to revisit, haha. :D