Fanfic: As Time Goes By
I picked up a Psych fanfic prompt for demonqueen666
mollivanders - Juliet/Gus - as time goes by
Title: As Time Goes By
Author: October_Sky815
Summary: He and Shawn had been friends since as long as he could remember. Tonight, all of that was almost lost. Gus finds comfort from Juliet as he admits how terrified he was the night Shawn was shot.
Spoilers: "Shawn Takes A Shot In the Dark"
They sat in the waiting room in an awkward silence, the kind where no one had any clue what to say but yet they still felt like something should be said. After all, the person they were all waiting for was the person who connected them as a group. Gus never would have met Juliet O'Hara had it not been for Shawn's crazy, insane idea of starting a fake psychic detective agency and worse yet, naming it Psych. And worse yet, getting involved with the police and becoming on first name basis with the chief of police.
And had it not been for Shawn's crazy, insane idea of starting a fake psychic detective agency and worse yet, naming it Psych, he wouldn't be standing outside his hospital room, waiting for the okay to see him after the nurses fixed up his bullet wound. It wasn't the worst wound ever, but still, his best friend had gotten shot.
"How're you holding up, Gus?"
He looked up, surprised at Juliet's voice. She was resting in the chair next to him; her voice sounded so tired. After all, it was 8 AM and they had been up all night running around town trying to find Shawn.
Gus shrugged.
"I'm okay," he lied.
He wasn't. He was still shaken from the rush of adrenaline that had kept him going all night, from the fear of having no idea what was going on. Everything was okay now, of course. They knew Shawn would be okay. He would just have to suffer through wearing a cast for a few weeks, which would probably be more of a suffering for the rest of them.
"Gus..." Juliet sat up and walked over to him, sitting down next to his seat, "I know you and Shawn are close. This night had to be hard for you."
Gus hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.
He wasn't stupid, having someone to talk to was most helpful in times like this.
"We've been friends for as long as I can remember," Gus said solemnly, "but it feels like we've been through more in the past couple of years then ever before. And that's saying a lot. I guess I just feel like this wasn't what I signed up for."
"You know you work for the police department, right?" Juliet said. "Crime. Murder. Things happen. It's horrible, but it's true."
"I know," Gus said, "I think Shawn just thought we'd run around and solve mysteries, like the Olsen Twins."
"Wow, you just made that reference."
"I haven't slept in 24 hours!" Gus snapped. "And I'm supposed to be at work at 9!"
"Are you going?" Juliet asked.
"Of course not." He sighed. "Sorry, I'm not mad at you. I mean, look at us! I went to college and then went into pharmaceutical sales. I went with the first company that would give me a full time job. Do you have any idea how all of this would have sounded to me ten years ago?"
Juliet laughed a little.
"I see your point," she agreed.
"I've put up with a lot with Shawn," Gus said, "trust me, you have no idea. But this is just...the worst case scenario. It's crazy. It's almost the point where I want to draw the line."
"Gus-"
"In the past few years I've been held up in a hostage situation, chased down a creepy ass serial killer who turned out to be a crazy woman, saw my best friend's mother almost be killed, and searched for my best friend after he was kidnapped and shot!" Gus exclaimed. "It's just a little too close too home."
Juliet sat in silence, looking like she had no clue how she was supposed to react to that. And Gus couldn't blame her. This wasn't like him at all. He never even had these kinds of deep conversations with Shawn- if he could help it.
"We've been friends for almost thirty years," Gus went on, a little more calm, "I just hate to lose that because of some stupid mistake, or some crazy bad guy we could not be chasing."
"You can't give everything up just for a close call."
"It's been one too many close calls."
He leaned back against the wall, hands stuffed in his pockets as he closed his eyes. Juliet appeared next to him, her hand rested on her shoulder.
"I've seen him get into a lot of stupid situations," Gus spoke up quietly, "never ceases to amaze me."
Juliet laughed.
"Tell me about it."
Opening his eyes, Gus looked at her and managed a small smile.
And for the first time he felt really, really bad about lying to her about Shawn being psychic.
"We all go through so much in life," Juliet said, "it's crazy, and even crazier in this line of business. But as time goes by you realize the most important thing is to just be able to pick yourself up and move on. You can't just go through life being afraid of what might happen. You and Shawn have had nearly thirty years of crazy experiences. It's too late to turn back now."
"You're right," Gus nodded, "I mean, just this year I've done more than I ever thought I would. I'm completely different from the little boy who used to avoid the McDougal's house like the plague every Halloween."
"What?" Juliet inquired, grinning.
"I'm talking about Shawn," he lied, quickly.
"Sure."
"I am!" He insisted, and then hesitated before continuing: "How about we just not tell Shawn about this heart to heart? I don't know how he'll react to this whole experience, but I don't want to scare him away or anything."
"Of course," Juliet promised.
With a sympathetic smile Juliet pulled him into a quick hug.
"We should have talks like this more often," Juliet said, "there's a lot I don't know about you, Gus."
"Yeah, and I have to admit that it does feel good to get these issues off my chest sometimes," he said, "you know, without Shawn making me feel guilty, or stupid, or trying to steal my thunder with some other problem."
"Steal your thunder?"
"It happens."
Juliet rolled her eyes, but the two fell silent. Again he took his seat in the waiting room, his eyes once again falling on the clock. As Juliet sat down next to him he felt a little better about the night, knowing that maybe it wouldn't be so hard for things to return to normal.
mollivanders - Juliet/Gus - as time goes by
Title: As Time Goes By
Author: October_Sky815
Summary: He and Shawn had been friends since as long as he could remember. Tonight, all of that was almost lost. Gus finds comfort from Juliet as he admits how terrified he was the night Shawn was shot.
Spoilers: "Shawn Takes A Shot In the Dark"
They sat in the waiting room in an awkward silence, the kind where no one had any clue what to say but yet they still felt like something should be said. After all, the person they were all waiting for was the person who connected them as a group. Gus never would have met Juliet O'Hara had it not been for Shawn's crazy, insane idea of starting a fake psychic detective agency and worse yet, naming it Psych. And worse yet, getting involved with the police and becoming on first name basis with the chief of police.
And had it not been for Shawn's crazy, insane idea of starting a fake psychic detective agency and worse yet, naming it Psych, he wouldn't be standing outside his hospital room, waiting for the okay to see him after the nurses fixed up his bullet wound. It wasn't the worst wound ever, but still, his best friend had gotten shot.
"How're you holding up, Gus?"
He looked up, surprised at Juliet's voice. She was resting in the chair next to him; her voice sounded so tired. After all, it was 8 AM and they had been up all night running around town trying to find Shawn.
Gus shrugged.
"I'm okay," he lied.
He wasn't. He was still shaken from the rush of adrenaline that had kept him going all night, from the fear of having no idea what was going on. Everything was okay now, of course. They knew Shawn would be okay. He would just have to suffer through wearing a cast for a few weeks, which would probably be more of a suffering for the rest of them.
"Gus..." Juliet sat up and walked over to him, sitting down next to his seat, "I know you and Shawn are close. This night had to be hard for you."
Gus hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.
He wasn't stupid, having someone to talk to was most helpful in times like this.
"We've been friends for as long as I can remember," Gus said solemnly, "but it feels like we've been through more in the past couple of years then ever before. And that's saying a lot. I guess I just feel like this wasn't what I signed up for."
"You know you work for the police department, right?" Juliet said. "Crime. Murder. Things happen. It's horrible, but it's true."
"I know," Gus said, "I think Shawn just thought we'd run around and solve mysteries, like the Olsen Twins."
"Wow, you just made that reference."
"I haven't slept in 24 hours!" Gus snapped. "And I'm supposed to be at work at 9!"
"Are you going?" Juliet asked.
"Of course not." He sighed. "Sorry, I'm not mad at you. I mean, look at us! I went to college and then went into pharmaceutical sales. I went with the first company that would give me a full time job. Do you have any idea how all of this would have sounded to me ten years ago?"
Juliet laughed a little.
"I see your point," she agreed.
"I've put up with a lot with Shawn," Gus said, "trust me, you have no idea. But this is just...the worst case scenario. It's crazy. It's almost the point where I want to draw the line."
"Gus-"
"In the past few years I've been held up in a hostage situation, chased down a creepy ass serial killer who turned out to be a crazy woman, saw my best friend's mother almost be killed, and searched for my best friend after he was kidnapped and shot!" Gus exclaimed. "It's just a little too close too home."
Juliet sat in silence, looking like she had no clue how she was supposed to react to that. And Gus couldn't blame her. This wasn't like him at all. He never even had these kinds of deep conversations with Shawn- if he could help it.
"We've been friends for almost thirty years," Gus went on, a little more calm, "I just hate to lose that because of some stupid mistake, or some crazy bad guy we could not be chasing."
"You can't give everything up just for a close call."
"It's been one too many close calls."
He leaned back against the wall, hands stuffed in his pockets as he closed his eyes. Juliet appeared next to him, her hand rested on her shoulder.
"I've seen him get into a lot of stupid situations," Gus spoke up quietly, "never ceases to amaze me."
Juliet laughed.
"Tell me about it."
Opening his eyes, Gus looked at her and managed a small smile.
And for the first time he felt really, really bad about lying to her about Shawn being psychic.
"We all go through so much in life," Juliet said, "it's crazy, and even crazier in this line of business. But as time goes by you realize the most important thing is to just be able to pick yourself up and move on. You can't just go through life being afraid of what might happen. You and Shawn have had nearly thirty years of crazy experiences. It's too late to turn back now."
"You're right," Gus nodded, "I mean, just this year I've done more than I ever thought I would. I'm completely different from the little boy who used to avoid the McDougal's house like the plague every Halloween."
"What?" Juliet inquired, grinning.
"I'm talking about Shawn," he lied, quickly.
"Sure."
"I am!" He insisted, and then hesitated before continuing: "How about we just not tell Shawn about this heart to heart? I don't know how he'll react to this whole experience, but I don't want to scare him away or anything."
"Of course," Juliet promised.
With a sympathetic smile Juliet pulled him into a quick hug.
"We should have talks like this more often," Juliet said, "there's a lot I don't know about you, Gus."
"Yeah, and I have to admit that it does feel good to get these issues off my chest sometimes," he said, "you know, without Shawn making me feel guilty, or stupid, or trying to steal my thunder with some other problem."
"Steal your thunder?"
"It happens."
Juliet rolled her eyes, but the two fell silent. Again he took his seat in the waiting room, his eyes once again falling on the clock. As Juliet sat down next to him he felt a little better about the night, knowing that maybe it wouldn't be so hard for things to return to normal.