Senor Pantalones de Fuego (#052, Fire / Shawn/Lassiter)
Title: Pantalones de Fuego
Fandom: Psych
Characters: Carlton Lassiter and Shawn Spencer
Prompt: #052 - Fire
Word Count: 765
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: None
LJ Cut: Click Here
When the call came in that the Psych office had caught fire, Lassiter was sure he went through nearly five different shades of pale before he and O'Hara had managed to run out of the precinct. His heart raced and he didn't have a damn clue as to why. Maybe he was afraid that someone was hurt. A civilian was hurt. Shawn was hurt. The detective scrunched up his face at the thought, willing it away. Shawn was always getting in to dangerous situations, no matter how many times O'Hara or McNabb or even himself had warned him. Catching the Psych office on fire was certainly not listening to him.
The pair of them arrived in record time, Lassiter blaring the siren the entire way to speed things along. Someone was hauling a clearly semi-limp, semi-conscience psychic out of the office. He was placed on the ground close to an ambulance, and the fireman proceeded to return to the burning building. Lassiter was at Shawn's side in a matter of seconds while O'Hara went to speak with the fire chief.
Shawn coughed and took in a few shaky breaths, patting his chest and working his face in a tight knot while the detective dropped to his haunches.
"Does it hurt?" Lassiter asked quickly and quietly, attempting to not show signs of caring.
The psychic shook his head. "Not as much as my pride does."
Lassiter cracked a small grin, giving Shawn a once over. His shirt and pants were clearly burnt in the fire. He must have ran through the flames, or he was there when they started. Or possibly both. He reached down and patted out a still smoking section of Shawn's pants on his lower thigh. Shawn held his breath for a second, then sat himself up, holding a hand on his chest. He was going to need a breathing mask soon. Only Shawn seemed more interested in his appearance. He inspected some of the holes in his pants for a moment while Lassiter watched.
"God, your pants are ruined."
"The good thing about this is that now I can officially relate to the phrase, 'liar, liar, pants on fire'."
Lassiter snorted, standing back up and grabbing Shawn's arm to hoist him to his feet. Shawn stumbled a little, holding on to the detective's wrist for support for a moment. Once he was sure the psychic was steady, he began leading him to the ambulance and sat him down before asking for an air mask. He put it over Shawn's mouth and nose and held it there while he breathed steadily.
"Any reason you were still in the Psych office? Most animals know that when a fire hits, you hoof it out of there."
"Well," Shawn began, "I had a cake in my Easy Bake oven. Pineapple upside-down cake, to be exact. Something told me I needed to return to get it because, man, it smelled amazing."
"You're serious, aren't you?"
"Entirely so."
Lassiter wanted so bad to smack Shawn right then and there, but as he rose his hand up, another detective stopped in front of them. Lassiter nonchalantly ran his hand through his hair, glaring at Shawn.
"Okay, so how did the office catch on fire in the first place?"
Shawn smiled widely. "I'm pretty sure that was the Easy Bake oven's fault, too. It caught on fire, then spread." To make emphasis, he spread his fingers and waved them around.
The detective that stopped earlier was now staring at Shawn in disbelief. "You must be the stupidest man I've ever heard of."
"But at least you've heard of me," Shawn said happily. He paused, as if waiting for something. "If Gus were here, he'd understand my reference."
It was as if Gus and Shawn had a psychic connection because right at that moment, Gus appeared from his little blue car, running over to Shawn, the look of a worried mother plastered over his face. Lassiter stepped back from him, crossing his arms and settling in to just watch.
That was when Lassiter realized something. Something that scared him and excited him at the same time.
He cared about Shawn. A lot.
Grunting, he turned around and began walking away. The last thing he heard from the pair of them was Shawn happily announcing, "I will forever be known as Senor Pantalones de Fuego!"
Lassiter smiled.