FIC: Quarter Life Crisis (16/24) - Carlton/Shawn - PG-13 - Psych
Title: Quarter Life Crisis (16/24)
author: PookaSeraph
pairing: Carlton/Shawn
rating: PG-13
disclaimer: Not mine, Never will be
summary: Carlton can't quite shake that uneasy feeling from the evening's double date.
Previous Parts:
[One] | [Two] | [Three] | [Four] | [Five] | [Six] | [Seven] | [Eight]
[Nine] | [Ten] | [Eleven] | [Twelve] | [Thirteen] | [Fourteen] | [Fifteen]
Current Part:
Chapter 16:
Carlton was surprised by how horribly needy he was feeling after the near miss and freeze up at the bar today. Shawn wasn't even hurt but he found himself dwelling on might have beens. They had called it a night early and Carlton had headed home since he had to get to work early tomorrow. Carlton called Shawn, just to check, he told himself, but Shawn didn't answer.
Carlton was beginning to have just a little panic well up in his chest. The residual fear for Shawn's safety had Carlton going out of his mind. He was ten minutes into whatever movie was starting on Sleuth channel when he finally gave up on relaxation and went to seek Shawn out.
He was surprised when a calm, yet adorably shoeless, Shawn answered the door to his apartment after a single round of knocking.
"Carlton?" Shawn's voice was soft and confused. Stopping over uninvited and unannounced was hardly like him.
"You -- uh -- didn't answer your phone." And now Carlton felt ridiculous. Running over just because of a missed phone call.
Shawn patted his pockets, slightly confused look on his face. After a moment his face cleared. "Oh yeah! I forgot my cell in Gus's car."
"I have no idea how you can have such a bad memory sometimes," he joked in reponse. Carlton let out a sigh of relief but was still trying to figure out how to salvage some manly dignity from running over to his boyfriend's house in a panic.
Shawn didn't seem to mind, not even teasing him. Instead wrapped a hand around Carlton's wrist and pulled him inside. Carlton pushed the door closed and drew Shawn into his arms. Shawn began to run a trail of soft, dry kisses along Carlton's jaw line and then lightly kneading his back and shoulders.
Shawn maneuvered Carlton to the couch and they both sat down. Carlton pulled him forward until Shawn got the message and curled up on his lap. Neither of them spoke for minutes, something of a record for Shawn, and Carlton just ran hands over Shawn, arms, shoulders, face, back, legs, just checking that everything was still there. Shawn seemed to pick up on Carlton's mood and began to gently massage his scalp, trying to relax the detective.
"You know, I never thought this would be a problem," Carlton mumbled into Shawn's hair. Shawn's back straightened and Carlton had to wrap his arms around Shawn's waist to keep him from bolting. "I'm not even done a complete thought!" Carlton complained.
Shawn didn't answer, but he did relax a little slightly.
"As I'm sure you are aware, I've dated a partner before. It's never made me flinch, never hesitate, never think twice. I wasn't even on the job, but my first instincts weren't in the right place." Shawn tensed again, Carlton cursed the poor choice of words. "I'm not supposed to worry about you. I could get O'Hara hurt."
"I can take care of myself, Carlton," Shawn groused. The irritation was slightly undermined by the fact that Shawn was now nibbling his way across Carlton's ear.
"You'll always be a civilian," Carlton protested, brushing off Shawn's ministrations so he could continue to actually concentrate.
"Yes, Carlton, a civilian whose father thought that hand gun training, police academy obstacle courses, sit-ups, pushups, and running were substitutes for summer camp." Carlton's hands paused from there running over Shawn, realizing that Shawn had a point. Shawn was in excellent shape, he just had to trust that Shawn actually knew what he was doing under that flakey exterior.
"I'll still worry," Carlton felt the need to explain.
"As you would with all your cute, blonde, female junior partners, regardless of whether or not you are sleeping with them." Shawn got up and began to drag Carlton towards the bedroom. "Spend the night." Carlton was going to protest. "I'll set the alarm for early, you can get out of here with enough time to get home and change for work."
Shawn didn't even have to pout. Carlton caved and followed him to the bedroom. He was too tired to do much more than strip and crawl into bed, and was glad when Shawn seemed to be on the same page. That didn't stop Shawn from using him as a human pillow as was often the case when they shared a bed.
Carlton drifted off to sleep with Shawn's head pressed against his chest, an arm slung around Shawn's waist and the feel of Shawn teasing his chest hair with bored fingers.
He woke a few hours later. A glance at the clock said it was a little after one in the morning. Shawn was no longer draped over him. Instead he was stretched out next to him, hands linked together across his own chest. It was the way Shawn laid when he was trying not to move but too much energy or momentum made it almost impossible.
"Shawn?"
"Did I wake you up?" Shawn mumbled, obviously tired.
"I'm not sure." Carlton wasn't actually sure what had woken him, he usually was quite good about sleeping through the night. He pulled Shawn back into his arms and was glad to find it relaxed him some. "Don't you usually sleep like the dead?"
"I'm not very good with sleeping with people."
Carlton chuckled, lightly running his hands across Shawn's chest and then peppering a few kisses there for good measure. "Could have fooled me."
Shawn snorted. "I mean falling asleep with someone else in bed but without the aid of exhausting and truly fantastic sex."
"Oh, it's just something you get used to with practice, like anything else." Carlton had gotten out of practice, but after the last several months with Shawn, he was used to it.
Shawn nudged Carlton back to his side of the bed again and curled up again him. He tangled himself back up against Carlton and then relaxed.
Carlton had almost fallen back to sleep when Shawn whispered softly: "I haven't had any chances to practice before."
Carlton ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead. He dozed off, wondering how he'd managed to find someone so ... Carlton didn't even have the right words for Shawn.
The alarm blared, waking Carlton up at quarter 'til five. Carlton started to climb out of the bed when Shawn began his morning routine of 'human octopus' refusing to let Carlton leave. He was just about to protest when Shawn kissed him lightly on the temple and mumbled sleepily in his ear.
"Have a good day at work, dear."
He'd said it with such sarcasm and a sleepy half-smirk on his face, but Carlton knew he'd meant it. He also had a guess that Shawn had never said that to anyone else before.
The pleasant hum of that morning greeting kept Carlton with a half-smile on his face the whole day and everyone at work wondering what on Earth was wrong with him.
author: PookaSeraph
pairing: Carlton/Shawn
rating: PG-13
disclaimer: Not mine, Never will be
summary: Carlton can't quite shake that uneasy feeling from the evening's double date.
Previous Parts:
[One] | [Two] | [Three] | [Four] | [Five] | [Six] | [Seven] | [Eight]
[Nine] | [Ten] | [Eleven] | [Twelve] | [Thirteen] | [Fourteen] | [Fifteen]
Current Part:
Chapter 16:
Carlton was surprised by how horribly needy he was feeling after the near miss and freeze up at the bar today. Shawn wasn't even hurt but he found himself dwelling on might have beens. They had called it a night early and Carlton had headed home since he had to get to work early tomorrow. Carlton called Shawn, just to check, he told himself, but Shawn didn't answer.
Carlton was beginning to have just a little panic well up in his chest. The residual fear for Shawn's safety had Carlton going out of his mind. He was ten minutes into whatever movie was starting on Sleuth channel when he finally gave up on relaxation and went to seek Shawn out.
He was surprised when a calm, yet adorably shoeless, Shawn answered the door to his apartment after a single round of knocking.
"Carlton?" Shawn's voice was soft and confused. Stopping over uninvited and unannounced was hardly like him.
"You -- uh -- didn't answer your phone." And now Carlton felt ridiculous. Running over just because of a missed phone call.
Shawn patted his pockets, slightly confused look on his face. After a moment his face cleared. "Oh yeah! I forgot my cell in Gus's car."
"I have no idea how you can have such a bad memory sometimes," he joked in reponse. Carlton let out a sigh of relief but was still trying to figure out how to salvage some manly dignity from running over to his boyfriend's house in a panic.
Shawn didn't seem to mind, not even teasing him. Instead wrapped a hand around Carlton's wrist and pulled him inside. Carlton pushed the door closed and drew Shawn into his arms. Shawn began to run a trail of soft, dry kisses along Carlton's jaw line and then lightly kneading his back and shoulders.
Shawn maneuvered Carlton to the couch and they both sat down. Carlton pulled him forward until Shawn got the message and curled up on his lap. Neither of them spoke for minutes, something of a record for Shawn, and Carlton just ran hands over Shawn, arms, shoulders, face, back, legs, just checking that everything was still there. Shawn seemed to pick up on Carlton's mood and began to gently massage his scalp, trying to relax the detective.
"You know, I never thought this would be a problem," Carlton mumbled into Shawn's hair. Shawn's back straightened and Carlton had to wrap his arms around Shawn's waist to keep him from bolting. "I'm not even done a complete thought!" Carlton complained.
Shawn didn't answer, but he did relax a little slightly.
"As I'm sure you are aware, I've dated a partner before. It's never made me flinch, never hesitate, never think twice. I wasn't even on the job, but my first instincts weren't in the right place." Shawn tensed again, Carlton cursed the poor choice of words. "I'm not supposed to worry about you. I could get O'Hara hurt."
"I can take care of myself, Carlton," Shawn groused. The irritation was slightly undermined by the fact that Shawn was now nibbling his way across Carlton's ear.
"You'll always be a civilian," Carlton protested, brushing off Shawn's ministrations so he could continue to actually concentrate.
"Yes, Carlton, a civilian whose father thought that hand gun training, police academy obstacle courses, sit-ups, pushups, and running were substitutes for summer camp." Carlton's hands paused from there running over Shawn, realizing that Shawn had a point. Shawn was in excellent shape, he just had to trust that Shawn actually knew what he was doing under that flakey exterior.
"I'll still worry," Carlton felt the need to explain.
"As you would with all your cute, blonde, female junior partners, regardless of whether or not you are sleeping with them." Shawn got up and began to drag Carlton towards the bedroom. "Spend the night." Carlton was going to protest. "I'll set the alarm for early, you can get out of here with enough time to get home and change for work."
Shawn didn't even have to pout. Carlton caved and followed him to the bedroom. He was too tired to do much more than strip and crawl into bed, and was glad when Shawn seemed to be on the same page. That didn't stop Shawn from using him as a human pillow as was often the case when they shared a bed.
Carlton drifted off to sleep with Shawn's head pressed against his chest, an arm slung around Shawn's waist and the feel of Shawn teasing his chest hair with bored fingers.
He woke a few hours later. A glance at the clock said it was a little after one in the morning. Shawn was no longer draped over him. Instead he was stretched out next to him, hands linked together across his own chest. It was the way Shawn laid when he was trying not to move but too much energy or momentum made it almost impossible.
"Shawn?"
"Did I wake you up?" Shawn mumbled, obviously tired.
"I'm not sure." Carlton wasn't actually sure what had woken him, he usually was quite good about sleeping through the night. He pulled Shawn back into his arms and was glad to find it relaxed him some. "Don't you usually sleep like the dead?"
"I'm not very good with sleeping with people."
Carlton chuckled, lightly running his hands across Shawn's chest and then peppering a few kisses there for good measure. "Could have fooled me."
Shawn snorted. "I mean falling asleep with someone else in bed but without the aid of exhausting and truly fantastic sex."
"Oh, it's just something you get used to with practice, like anything else." Carlton had gotten out of practice, but after the last several months with Shawn, he was used to it.
Shawn nudged Carlton back to his side of the bed again and curled up again him. He tangled himself back up against Carlton and then relaxed.
Carlton had almost fallen back to sleep when Shawn whispered softly: "I haven't had any chances to practice before."
Carlton ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead. He dozed off, wondering how he'd managed to find someone so ... Carlton didn't even have the right words for Shawn.
The alarm blared, waking Carlton up at quarter 'til five. Carlton started to climb out of the bed when Shawn began his morning routine of 'human octopus' refusing to let Carlton leave. He was just about to protest when Shawn kissed him lightly on the temple and mumbled sleepily in his ear.
"Have a good day at work, dear."
He'd said it with such sarcasm and a sleepy half-smirk on his face, but Carlton knew he'd meant it. He also had a guess that Shawn had never said that to anyone else before.
The pleasant hum of that morning greeting kept Carlton with a half-smile on his face the whole day and everyone at work wondering what on Earth was wrong with him.