The Real Squirrel Wives of Santa Barbara
Psych
G
Carlton Lassiter/Shawn Spencer
Day 24 of the 25 Days of Shassie
Prompt: Chestnuts
~320 words
Carlton doesn't like the neighbors that live in their backyard.
Nuts are one of the few things Shawn can't sneak in on a regular basis. "Squirrel bait," Carlton continually decrees with narrowed eyes before he has Shawn either throw them away or take them to the Psych office. But in the middle of December, Shawn walks into their home to find the coffee table lined with assorted bowls - peanuts, chestnuts, almonds, all assorted, relatively healthy goodies that Shawn normally doesn't even want except that Lassie's forbidden them.
He catches Carlton nearby, his eyes pointedly glaring towards the window, keeping an eye on the pests that have, against his wishes, made their home in the branches of the only tree.
It's not about the nuts - hell, Shawn probably won't eat most of them; he'll give them to Gus or Jules or his dad - but about the fact that Carlton was willing to sacrifice one of his many, many rules for the sake of Shawn's happiness even though they both knew Shawn just wanted to rebel. But, for once, one of the few people who never bends to him has proven himself flexible.
Shawn finds that even metaphorical flexibility is hot as hell.
He pops a de-shelled peanut into his mouth and saunters over to his boyfriend, looping his arms over his shoulder and peering out at their back yard. "There's Alphonse," he says, having named the squirrels for the sake of irritating Carlton. "But where's Becky?"
"Neighbors," Carlton responds gruffly, playing along in Shawn's game whether he wants to or not. "She'll be back." There's a pause, and then Carlton sighs, "Look what you've done to me."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
"It is."
"Love me anyway?"
Carlton glances at him out of the corner of his eye before returning his full attention to the squirrel outside. "Of course." Shawn beamed up at him, enjoying the small, almost-hidden twitch of a smile that was all, 100% for him.