10.

"You are so lucky you got shot, Shawn," Gus said, glaring straight ahead as he drove. Lassiter had stuck with them through the hospital visit and a brief goodbye after, but then he'd scrambled back to the station like his tail was on fire. Shawn and Gus hadn't yet had a moment to speak privately, though Gus managed to make his feelings very clear despite not saying anything.

"I know," Shawn said smugly. "I get kissed, I get awesome painkillers. If it weren't for the, you know, searing pain I would recommend it to everyone."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

"Tell you what? There wasn't anything to tell before last night."

"Then why didn't you tell me what happened last night?"

"Oh come on! Do you tell me about every time you get dumped? About every date that ends in humiliation? I was upset, I didn't want to talk about it."

"Okay… I guess that makes sense." He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "Why didn't you tell me you, you know, liked Lassiter?"

"I didn't think I had a chance with him. I was trying to ignore it." Shawn rolled his eyes. "Besides, you never like it when I talk about guys."

"Sorry," Gus muttered. "It's just weird."

"I know, I know. But you're going to have to get used to it now. I'm not going to let Lassie get away from me again." He laughed. "He thought he was going crazy, you know! That's why he requested that mental health leave. Because he started having feelings for me."

"That's not really surprising."

"I know, that's the great part. He's crazy for me. Crazy. For me, Gus."

"All right, I get it."

"Do you, though? Lassie's so… so intense. So serious. I always knew there was a lot of passion trapped in there, but to have it released…" He sighed. Gus shuddered.

"I do not want to know."

"That's fine. More for me."

"More… what?"

"You said you didn't want to know."

"I really don't understand you sometimes."

"I know."

And that was that. Gus forgave him, as he always did, and Shawn went home and passed out on his couch. Things were going to be different now, that much was certain, but they would be different in a good way. Hopefully.

***

"Wow," Dr. Marlow said, blinking. "I mean, wow. I did not see that coming."

"Neither did I," Lassiter said, voice muffled behind his hands.

"So are you going to try to have a relationship?"

"I guess so. I don't know. At least I know Spencer won't leave me for not paying attention to him. When he wants attention he'll just show up and sit in my lap. Again." He smiled at the memory, and when he glanced between his fingers at Liane he could see her smiling too.

"You sound happy."

"I… I think I might be."

"Good," she beamed. "I'm glad."

"I don't know if this is going to work. I don't know if I can make this work. He's a man. I don't even have any male friends, what do I know about having a relationship with one?"

"Do you care about him?"

"Yes…"

"Then you'll just have to cowboy up."

***

Gus drove Shawn to the station that evening, and watched as he grinned at Lassiter until he set aside his paperwork and left for the day, with less reluctance than probably anyone was expecting. Gus took a seat at Juliet's desk, sighing.

"It's not just me, right? I mean, this is weird."

"This is weird," Jules agreed. "It doesn't have to be bad-weird. Look how happy they are."

"This won't be good for Lassiter's career, will it?"

"Not if it's found out, no," she sighed. "We're in California and all, but… No."

"Too bad. I know that's the last thing Shawn would want."

"Yeah." She tucked the last of her files into a drawer and stretched in her chair. "You know what I need?"

"A Roy Rogers?"

She blinked, then grinned. "I was thinking whiskey sour. But that sounds good too."

"Want some company?"

"You bet."