musicalluna

Shawn and Gus sat at one of the tables outside a Starbucks, shaded beneath a green canvas umbrella and sipping their coffee drinks contentedly. They sat in silence for several minutes before Shawn finally pulled the straw away from his mouth and said mildly, "I understand why you didn’t go for it, buddy, and I totally support you on that."

Gus frowned slightly, pulling his own straw free of his lips. "What? What are you talking about Shawn?"

Shawn’s eyebrows rose as though he were surprised that Gus didn’t immediately understand. "The girl. The one in Starbucks. I saw you looking at her, and I understand why you didn’t go for her." He patted Gus’ arm sympathetically. "It’s okay buddy. I feel you."

Gus’ frown only deepened. "I wasn’t looking at any girl in Starbucks, Shawn." Shaking his head he took another sip from his cappuccino.

"Oh, you weren’t? So I just totally imagined you holding up the line because you were busy staring at the woman in the corner with the snazzy gray power suit, dark chestnut hair, and an adorable little white foam pencil moustache on her upper lip?"

"You weren’t even looking at me!" Gus protested, totally dropping any pretenses he’d been trying to hold up. "You were busy flirting with the girl behind the counter making your drink!"

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Gus, by now you should know that I see everything. I’m totally omniscient."

"That’s all knowing, idiot," Gus retorted peevishly.

"Oh. Well, that too."

Gus smacked him. "Shut up."

"Look, I’m just saying that I think it was a smart move, not asking that girl out. I mean, the power suit, and the laptop, and the eight hundred dollar shoes…"

Gus frowned. "What the hell is that supposed to mean Shawn?"

Shawn’s shoulders shrugged and he said evasively, "Come on Gus. You and I both know what it means. It’s why you didn’t ask her out, isn’t it? I mean, she wasn’t married, so it wasn’t that."

"No, I don’t know what it means, Shawn. What the hell are you implying?"

Sighing heavily Shawn said in a low voice, "Gus, she was way out of your league. It was totally responsible of you not to ask her out."

"She was not out of my league Shawn! She was totally in my league. If anything, I’m out of her league!" Gus cried, incensed.

Shawn held his hands out placatingly. "Dude, it’s cool, I totally get it." He winked exaggeratedly and Gus smacked him again.

"Knock it off Shawn! Don’t wink at me. You know I hate that," he snapped. "And she is not out of my league. I just didn’t want to approach a total stranger."

Shawn clicked his tongue sympathetically. "No, of course not."

"She’s not out of my league. And I’m going to prove it to you."

Brown eyebrows shot upward, hazel eyes going wide. "What?"

"She’s not out of my league, Shawn, and I’m going to prove it to you," Gus said determinedly, getting to his feet. He buttoned up his jacket, all the while fixing Shawn with a look that clearly said his mind was made up and he couldn’t be stopped.

"Dude, that’s…totally admirable, but are you sure—"

"Shut up, Shawn. She’s not out of my league. You just sit there and watch me go to work." He checked his breath and then glanced at his friend who was still watching him with a dubious wide-eyed look on his face. "How do I look?"

"Awesome dude, but—"

"No, Shawn. I’m doing this. I don’t care what you think. It’s so on."

Shawn’s hands went up in surrender and Gus marched off toward the door of the Starbucks, head held high.

Turning back to his drink as Gus stepped inside, a slow smirk spread across Shawn’s face.

~ * * * ~

Gus stormed back outside ten minutes later, his expression dark. Shawn pretended he didn’t recognize the sound of his friend’s angry footsteps and continued to sip casually at the dregs of his drink.

"You did that on purpose, Shawn!" Gus snapped, crossing to face him, his arms folded tightly across his chest.

Shawn put on his most innocent face. "Did what?"

"You said all of that stuff just because you knew it would make me go back in there and talk to her! That’s not funny, Shawn! You’re not allowed to use reverse psychology on me to get me to do things!"

Maintaining the innocent look on his face Shawn said indignantly, "I would never do any such thing Gus."

"Whatever, Shawn. I know what you were doing and it’s not cool," he said, jabbing a finger at him. They were silent for a moment as Gus snatched up his drink, taking a long sip and Shawn twirled his straw casually around his cup, stirring the ice.

"Did you get a number?" he finally asked nonchalantly.

Gus’ hand slid out of his pocket, flashing a slip of paper at him. "Hell yes I did."

"Nice."

The pair bumped fists and Shawn got to his feet, a grin spreading across his face. "See, you just needed a little push. A challenge to get you into gear."

Gus shot him a sharp look. "Let’s get one thing straight Shawn. I do not need you to pick up girls."

"No, no, of course not," Shawn said as they headed for the car. "But it helps."