Just a Call

[musicalluna]

Title: Just a Call
Fandom: Psych
Author: MusicalLuna
Rating: T
Characters/Pairings: Shawn/Juliet
Genre: Romance
Warnings: None
Complete: Yes
Summary: Shawn gets a call that changes everything.
A/N: Wheeee random idea I got and wrote. :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Psych or the characters.

 

Shawn's left pocket beeped loudly and vibrated and he glanced down in surprise, wondering why he hadn't heard it ring. Rolling the Jolly Rancher in his mouth around with his tongue, he reached down and pulled it out, tilting it so that he could read the screen in the low light of the barroom. An eyebrow rose when he managed to decipher the writing on the screen: 1 Missed Call, Jules.

Navigating to the next screen, his other eyebrow joined the first upon seeing that the lovely junior detective had left him a message. He immediately brought the phone to his ear, curiosity effectively piqued.

"You have, one, message," his phone reported and he let his eyes slowly scan the room as he waited for the message to begin. The next voice he heard was Juliet's.

"Hey, um, Shawn, it's me—Juliet," she started, sounding a little breathless and a lot uncertain. "I was just—you know, at the office, but obviously you're not here and...I can't believe I'm...I don't even know why I'm calling you. Sorry. Just—just forget about it. I'm sorry, I'll talk you later, okay? Okay. Bye." And just before the message ended he heard her mutter, "That didn't sound weird or stupid at all, Juliet."

Now that was interesting. Dropping a few bills on the bar, he headed for the door, checking the message's receipt time. Less than ten minutes ago. Pulling out his keys, he pushed out the door and into the parking lot.

~ * * * ~

In a matter of minutes he was pulling up in front of the Psych office. The blinds were drawn and the lights turned off, the soft glow from the solitary streetlight providing little more to see by than the moon. A few spaces down he could see a familiar lime green bug in front of another shop and he smiled. She was still here, somewhere. He swung a leg over his bike, tugging off his helmet and slipping the strap over the handlebar before turning toward the beach.

Spaced evenly down the length of the beach were a number of benches and as he crossed the parking lot, he spotted the head of blonde hair he was hoping to. The sand gave a little as he stepped off of the asphalt, the sound of the waves carrying up from the waterline.

"Jules?" he called and his hands rose placatingly when she whirled around, her body stiffening. "Hey," he said, "it's just me."

"Shawn!" she exclaimed and her voice made it clear that she hadn't expected him. He held up his phone in response to the unspoken question.

"I got your message. Sorry I didn't answer, every once in a while my phone gets a little vindictive. Probably because I abandon it in Gus' car so often." When she continued to look anxious, he gestured at the beach. "Do you wanna take a walk?"

Juliet glanced out at the beach as though surprised to see it there and said, "It's kind of dark, isn't it?"

He smiled a little. "There's a quarter moon. It's enough to find our way back."

For a split second, Juliet hesitated. Then she nodded and said, "Okay."

The pair of them moved down onto the beach, keeping a few feet apart and neither making eye contact. It was rapidly getting chilly on the sand and Shawn slid off his jacket without thinking, draping it over Juliet's hunched shoulders. She looked up at him in surprise. "Shawn, I'm fine. You don't have to—"

"No, I don't," he agreed, meeting her gaze. "But I want to." He smothered a smile when she mumbled a thank you and pulled the jacket closer around her body. For several long minutes they were quiet, sharing only the sounds of the waves lapping at the shore and the sound of their footsteps, soft, in the sand. Finally he prompted her with a soft, "Why did you call me, Jules? Is everything...all right?"

Juliet pressed a hand to her forehead and muttered, "I don't know why I even called you. It was a stupid idea."

Shawn couldn't help feeling a slight pang of hurt at those words. "Wrong speed dial?" he joked weakly.

She didn't reply for a moment but then suddenly, her head turned, eyes widening. "Oh gosh, Shawn no! That's not what I meant. I didn't mean that it was stupid to call you exactly, I just meant I was a stupid idea to call and, oh god. I'm just making this worse." She stopped, turning toward him and he slowed to a stop as well. "Shawn, you're one of the first people I would call if I really needed something. I just meant that the reason I was calling was stupid."

A small, wry smile curved his lips. "Somehow I doubt that, Jules."

She turned away from him again and stooped, picking up a small piece of driftwood and then tossing it out at the dark waves, glistening dimly in the moonlight. Shawn waited, watching her and trying not to think that she looked cuter than she had any right to be with his big jacket wrapped around her tiny shoulders. Now was really not the time for that. Finally she said, "I was on a date tonight."

Shawn's eyebrows rose, jealousy twisting his stomach in knots. "Oh?"

"I liked him. He was funny. Good-looking. A business man," she said and Shawn shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, his shoulders hunching.

"Sounds pretty much perfect," he agreed, a bitter edge to the words.

"Yeah," Juliet said, and her voice was a little wistful. She paused and then: "I'm not going to see him again."

That brought a frown to Shawn's face. "You're not?"

Juliet sighed and threw another piece of driftwood out at the water. "No."

"I don't get it," Shawn confessed. "If you liked him, and he was that perfect, why aren't you going to see him again?"

Without turning she said quietly, "Because Shawn. The whole time I was with him, I couldn't stop thinking about you."

Shawn's mouth worked open and closed silently, the fake psychic suddenly finding himself speechless. Juliet's head turned slightly and she looked back at him over her shoulder. That seemed to help loosen his vocal cords again. "Wow. I mean, Jules. I...you—"

"I've tried Shawn. I've tried and tried and tried not to like you this way. Clearly it hasn't worked if I'm sitting in dates thinking, 'Why doesn't he eat the pineapple? Shawn would eat the pineapple.'" She shook her head. "I just...I don't know Shawn. Guys like you don't fall for the girl."

"You're wrong," he said softly and she tensed at his sudden proximity.

"How's that?" she asked.

"I haven't even been able to look at another girl in months without comparing her to you, Jules. And I've gotta tell you, they never even come close."

Juliet looked up, bringing their faces alarmingly close together. "Then maybe it's time we give this a chance."