Fanfiction: Two By Two
Title: Two By Two
Prompt: Harry/Murphy and Shawn/Gus double date.
Characters: Shawn Spencer, Burton "Gus" Guster, Lt. Connie Murphy and Harry Dresden.
Rating: G
Author’s Notes: You people keep giving me really fun prompts to write. I had so much fun playing with these four characters together. It was so tempting to just go with massive chaos, because you're having a wizard and a "psychic". So much fun there, but I went with humorous and hopefully touching as well. For magicians_son.
---
“He’s not psychic.”
“Harry…” Murphy drew out his name, looking over at him practically sulking in the passenger seat of their rental car.
“He’s not, Murphy.” He looked over at her, a mulish expression on his face. “I know real psychics and he’s not one of them.”
“Then what’s your explanation for what he can do?”
For a moment the only sound in the car was the wind rushing through the sunroof. Santa Barbara even in the middle of January was a sunny, seventy degrees. Murphy had never enjoyed traveling for a case more. Except for having to get in the middle of everyone, that put a damper on the amazing weather. First, she had to put herself between Lassiter and Harry. The other detective hadn’t really handled being shown up by both a wizard and a psychic very well. Of course, once Harry got close to Spencer, he hadn’t handled being shown up by a “fake” psychic very well.
Spencer hadn’t seemed bothered by any of this, of course. The man had way too much optimism and caffeine. After closing the case, he’d bounded over to Harry and her then demanded they join him and Gus for dinner. That’s where she was driving now with a sulking wizard in her passenger seat. If he was still sulking when they got back to Chicago she wasn’t going to tolerate it. Not with that much bad weather.
“He doesn’t have the right aura for psychic powers,” Harry said. “He’s just human. He’s conning people.”
“And most people who hire you think you’re conning them. He helps people, closes cases, just like you. Okay, so maybe he’s not psychic…”
“He isn’t.”
She glared at him and he shrugged, looking slightly apologetic. “As long as he closes cases and is actually getting results for his clients what’s to complain about?”
Murphy pulled into a parking space outside the restaurant and shut off the car before turning in her seat and touching his cheek, “I know this guy bothers you, but they’re my friends and they like you. Give them half a chance will you?”
He caught her hand with his and kissed her palm, “For you. But if he tries that psychic stuff on me, I’m going to wizard him.”
---
“The wizard thing. Do you have a broom? Or an arch nemesis? Do they have a snake?”
“Shawn.” Gus whacked Spencer in the shoulder. “Enough stupid questions, you’re annoying him.”
“These are important questions. When are we going to meet another wizard? I want to know before he goes back to Chicago.” Spencer rubbed his shoulder with a hand.
Murphy propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand. The dinner wasn’t going terribly, but it wasn’t going well either. The Mexican restaurant had a nice atmosphere and the food was good, but Shawn was fascinated with Harry and she could tell Harry was getting tired of it. He hated stupid questions about being a wizard. The only reason he hadn’t gone off on Shawn was because he wasn’t make fun of Harry with these questions. He was being genuinely curious.
“It’s no different than being psychic really,” Harry said.
She had to work very hard not to sit up straighter. Harry’s tone was relaxed, but she knew that tone and he was definitely interrogating Spencer. Her eyes darted over to Gus, the only other sane person at the table with her, and he smiled nervously. What made her think this was a good idea?
“So, you get visions and talk to spirits too?”
“One spirit mostly. His name’s Bob. Have you talked to Bob, he never really stops talking.”
Gus leaned towards her, his voice low. “I’m sorry. He’s not normally like this, but Harry’s got him fascinated.”
“He has that effect on people.” Murphy whispered back, her tone slightly affectionate. “I made him leave the drumstick in the car, Shawn’s safe.”
Gus looked mildly confused at that, but she kept her smile reassuring. Nothing to worry about, Harry wouldn’t make a scene. She wasn’t sure about Spencer though. The guy had done some serious arm failing and yelling when they’d apprehended their suspect.
“No, I haven’t met Bob, what’s he like?”
“You should chat him up sometime. You’ll like him.”
“Is Bob real?” Gus asked. “He’s not right? Harry’s just making a joke?”
“You think ghosts are real?”
Gus looked between Shawn and Harry for a moment before leaning closer to her. “So Bob is real?”
Murphy tilted her head slightly, “You believe in ghosts.”
He shrugged and looked sheepish. Murphy shook her head slightly. Harry was a wizard, Spencer may or may not have been psychic, Gus believed in spirits and she was the only sane one at the table. Alright, so she knew ghosts were actually real but Gus didn’t know the things she knew. Why anyone believed in ghosts without having spoken to one was beyond her.
“Bob’s real,” she said. “Harry’s trying to figure out if Spencer really is psychic or not.”
“Of course he is!” Gus said immediately and loudly enough for Harry and Shawn to look at them funny.
“We’re discussing your wardrobe, Harry.” Murphy said, “Gus likes your shirt.”
“Thanks?”
“So, how long have you been a wizard? Your whole life right?” Spencer continued. “I bet you had a teacher too. Magic’s something you have to learn.”
“I don’t like his shirt,” Gus said, distracting her. “It’s gray and shapeless. I thought we got him some nice clothes.”
“He doesn’t wear them,” Murphy explained. “So, Spencer’s really psychic huh?”
“Yeah, he is.”
Gus had the same problem with lying Harry did. He wasn’t good at it. Murphy shook her head slightly. Harry was right about auras after all. Still, she didn’t think it was a con. Gus couldn’t pull of a con even with years of practice. They had to actually be helping people for Gus to be involved.
“They’re a lot alike.”
“Harry and Shawn?”
“Yeah,” Murphy sat back in her chair slightly and smiled at the two men, both trying to get more information out of the other than they gave away. “Both of them just want to help people. If they stopped competing, they could probably get along.”
“Shawn likes him. He only hounds people like this when he likes them.” Gus smiled, a look Murphy recognized as someone in love.
“So that’s how he got you to marry him.”
“Murphy…”
“Now, what are your intentions towards Murphy?” Spencer asked loudly enough to catch Murphy and Gus’s attention.
“Shawn!” Gus looked horrified and reached out to smack Spencer’s shoulder again.
“You’re psychic, you figure it out,” Harry countered.
“Harry!”
No, dinner wasn’t going terribly but it's own way it was going well.
Prompt: Harry/Murphy and Shawn/Gus double date.
Characters: Shawn Spencer, Burton "Gus" Guster, Lt. Connie Murphy and Harry Dresden.
Rating: G
Author’s Notes: You people keep giving me really fun prompts to write. I had so much fun playing with these four characters together. It was so tempting to just go with massive chaos, because you're having a wizard and a "psychic". So much fun there, but I went with humorous and hopefully touching as well. For magicians_son.
---
“He’s not psychic.”
“Harry…” Murphy drew out his name, looking over at him practically sulking in the passenger seat of their rental car.
“He’s not, Murphy.” He looked over at her, a mulish expression on his face. “I know real psychics and he’s not one of them.”
“Then what’s your explanation for what he can do?”
For a moment the only sound in the car was the wind rushing through the sunroof. Santa Barbara even in the middle of January was a sunny, seventy degrees. Murphy had never enjoyed traveling for a case more. Except for having to get in the middle of everyone, that put a damper on the amazing weather. First, she had to put herself between Lassiter and Harry. The other detective hadn’t really handled being shown up by both a wizard and a psychic very well. Of course, once Harry got close to Spencer, he hadn’t handled being shown up by a “fake” psychic very well.
Spencer hadn’t seemed bothered by any of this, of course. The man had way too much optimism and caffeine. After closing the case, he’d bounded over to Harry and her then demanded they join him and Gus for dinner. That’s where she was driving now with a sulking wizard in her passenger seat. If he was still sulking when they got back to Chicago she wasn’t going to tolerate it. Not with that much bad weather.
“He doesn’t have the right aura for psychic powers,” Harry said. “He’s just human. He’s conning people.”
“And most people who hire you think you’re conning them. He helps people, closes cases, just like you. Okay, so maybe he’s not psychic…”
“He isn’t.”
She glared at him and he shrugged, looking slightly apologetic. “As long as he closes cases and is actually getting results for his clients what’s to complain about?”
Murphy pulled into a parking space outside the restaurant and shut off the car before turning in her seat and touching his cheek, “I know this guy bothers you, but they’re my friends and they like you. Give them half a chance will you?”
He caught her hand with his and kissed her palm, “For you. But if he tries that psychic stuff on me, I’m going to wizard him.”
---
“The wizard thing. Do you have a broom? Or an arch nemesis? Do they have a snake?”
“Shawn.” Gus whacked Spencer in the shoulder. “Enough stupid questions, you’re annoying him.”
“These are important questions. When are we going to meet another wizard? I want to know before he goes back to Chicago.” Spencer rubbed his shoulder with a hand.
Murphy propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand. The dinner wasn’t going terribly, but it wasn’t going well either. The Mexican restaurant had a nice atmosphere and the food was good, but Shawn was fascinated with Harry and she could tell Harry was getting tired of it. He hated stupid questions about being a wizard. The only reason he hadn’t gone off on Shawn was because he wasn’t make fun of Harry with these questions. He was being genuinely curious.
“It’s no different than being psychic really,” Harry said.
She had to work very hard not to sit up straighter. Harry’s tone was relaxed, but she knew that tone and he was definitely interrogating Spencer. Her eyes darted over to Gus, the only other sane person at the table with her, and he smiled nervously. What made her think this was a good idea?
“So, you get visions and talk to spirits too?”
“One spirit mostly. His name’s Bob. Have you talked to Bob, he never really stops talking.”
Gus leaned towards her, his voice low. “I’m sorry. He’s not normally like this, but Harry’s got him fascinated.”
“He has that effect on people.” Murphy whispered back, her tone slightly affectionate. “I made him leave the drumstick in the car, Shawn’s safe.”
Gus looked mildly confused at that, but she kept her smile reassuring. Nothing to worry about, Harry wouldn’t make a scene. She wasn’t sure about Spencer though. The guy had done some serious arm failing and yelling when they’d apprehended their suspect.
“No, I haven’t met Bob, what’s he like?”
“You should chat him up sometime. You’ll like him.”
“Is Bob real?” Gus asked. “He’s not right? Harry’s just making a joke?”
“You think ghosts are real?”
Gus looked between Shawn and Harry for a moment before leaning closer to her. “So Bob is real?”
Murphy tilted her head slightly, “You believe in ghosts.”
He shrugged and looked sheepish. Murphy shook her head slightly. Harry was a wizard, Spencer may or may not have been psychic, Gus believed in spirits and she was the only sane one at the table. Alright, so she knew ghosts were actually real but Gus didn’t know the things she knew. Why anyone believed in ghosts without having spoken to one was beyond her.
“Bob’s real,” she said. “Harry’s trying to figure out if Spencer really is psychic or not.”
“Of course he is!” Gus said immediately and loudly enough for Harry and Shawn to look at them funny.
“We’re discussing your wardrobe, Harry.” Murphy said, “Gus likes your shirt.”
“Thanks?”
“So, how long have you been a wizard? Your whole life right?” Spencer continued. “I bet you had a teacher too. Magic’s something you have to learn.”
“I don’t like his shirt,” Gus said, distracting her. “It’s gray and shapeless. I thought we got him some nice clothes.”
“He doesn’t wear them,” Murphy explained. “So, Spencer’s really psychic huh?”
“Yeah, he is.”
Gus had the same problem with lying Harry did. He wasn’t good at it. Murphy shook her head slightly. Harry was right about auras after all. Still, she didn’t think it was a con. Gus couldn’t pull of a con even with years of practice. They had to actually be helping people for Gus to be involved.
“They’re a lot alike.”
“Harry and Shawn?”
“Yeah,” Murphy sat back in her chair slightly and smiled at the two men, both trying to get more information out of the other than they gave away. “Both of them just want to help people. If they stopped competing, they could probably get along.”
“Shawn likes him. He only hounds people like this when he likes them.” Gus smiled, a look Murphy recognized as someone in love.
“So that’s how he got you to marry him.”
“Murphy…”
“Now, what are your intentions towards Murphy?” Spencer asked loudly enough to catch Murphy and Gus’s attention.
“Shawn!” Gus looked horrified and reached out to smack Spencer’s shoulder again.
“You’re psychic, you figure it out,” Harry countered.
“Harry!”
No, dinner wasn’t going terribly but it's own way it was going well.