A/N: As promised, I bring the second chapter to the short and sweet Shassie fic More Than My Word, A Very Shassie Christmas. Put down you presents and cookies and read away! :D

Lassiter sat in the lodge glaring at Shawn. He sipped at his cup of warm apple cider occasionally but his eyes never abandoned Shawn. Lassiter wanted Shawn to feel the hatred he felt for him at that moment. He wanted Shawn to squirm under that icy and never ending gaze.

Shawn looked back at Lassiter seemingly half nervous and half amused but squirming nonetheless.

"Oh, come on, Lassie. Enough already," Shawn said attempting to sound playful but sounding uncomfortable anyway.

"You just had to struggled," Lassiter finally stated, breaking his silence.

It wasn't just the fact that they both had ran all the way back to lodge. It wasn't just that Shawn struggled so much that Lassiter had to to full body tackle and attempt to pin him. No, it was the fact that Shawn had begun to scream 'rape' and the lodge security had to forcibly remove the two men, embarrassing Lassiter in front of every guest and staff member in the lodge.

"Y'know," Shawn said slyly as he changed the subject, "I did win the bet."

"You honestly think I took that seriously?" Lassiter scoffed.

"Oh, Lassie," Shawn said disapprovingly before taking his know-it-all tone, "I know you took it seriously. Besides, you have too much of that dignity and honor stuff in your system to break our bet."

"Spencer, I'm not doing anything you say especially anything to do with a monkey suit and a stick of butter," Lassiter grunted.

Shawn dropped his gaze casually and shrugged.

"All right, Lassy face, whatever you say."

Lassiter rolled his eyes.

Spencer, as if I'd ever take commands from you. I'd sooner-

"I just always thought of you as a man of your word," Shawn said with a disappointed sigh.

Lassiter's gaze snapped up to look at Shawn. No one questioned the strength of Lassiter's word, that was like questioning Lassiter's very manhood.

Shawn continued to fake his over dramatic disappointment, leaning towards a full blown depression. Lassiter knew not to take the reaction seriously but it nagged at his ego. They had made a bet and Lassiter did lose.

It was just Shawn though and when it came down to it if Shawn had lost he wouldn't have willingly given in to Lassiter's demand.

But I would have made him. Because real men come through with their bets...

"Fine," Lassiter sighed as he set down his cider a bit too harshly, "but before I take any of your ridiculous requests, tell me what you're doing here."

Shawn leaned back, pleased with himself. He threw one leg over the other and sat there, cross legged and smirking.

"Ol' Gus thought the lodge out here might be a good place to meet women since I've kind of run through all the singles in Santa Barbra. He's a sweet man that Gus. Always concerned for me...even if that does mean stopping me from para-sailing off of Everest in a Batman costume."

There it was, one of Shawn's ridiculous daydreams just as intricately stupid as Lassiter imagined it.

Nothing simple in his head.

"Nonetheless, I am here to scout out women preferably ones not native to Santa Barbara as they'll already know me and my charms. "

"Oh sure they will." Lassiter mocked, "You really expect me to believe that you gone through every woman in town?"

"Your disbelief aside, I've decided to find some new hunting grounds and I thought to myself; what better place to search for someone on Christmas Eve than in a ski lodge?"

Shawn had been single for over a year. Juliet had been transferred to a different department and promoted. She took it of course as she should have but the distance proved to be too big a difficulty for Shawn and her. They split up in a matter of months. The last Lassiter heard, Jules was thinking about settling down with a marine. She ended up pretty okay which was much more than anyone could say for Shawn.

He was left heart broken.

"I thought you said Gus sent you."

"Well, he didn't so much send me as unknowingly paid for it," Shawn pointed, "I like to think I informed him via psychic bond but poor old Gus was never very good at receiving my messages."

Lassiter couldn't believe what he was hearing. So Shawn had stolen Gus's money again. Lassiter knew he could get him in trouble for it but knowing Guster, Shawn wouldn't be charged with anything more than a mild mannered scolding.

"So you're here for women then?" Lassiter said still in some disbelief.

"Sadly, not anymore. As you can see, Lassie, there aren't any women here worth going after. They're all old or have families or are taken."

It was true. Lassiter had kept an eye out for women himself since he too was single. Marlowe was out of the picture for quite some time now. She'd been let out of prison early only to decide to leave Lassiter, being unable to disassociate him with the arrest and the trauma she'd suffered in jail. She sent a post card to him for the Holidays. She was living in Canada, starting anew and trying to create a life for her brother to come home to. She was doing really well. Lassiter was too...sort of.

The memory of Marlowe bothered him just as all the memories of his past significant others did but time had passed. Wounds had scarred. He'd be all right.

"No, now it is my mission to come up with some interesting demand for you." Shawn continued, interrupting Lassiter's thoughts, "The monkey suit and butter are no longer an option. I'm thinking something bigger."

Oh God, Lassiter thought as he braced himself, what equates to bigger in Shawn's mind?

Lassiter watched cautiously as Shawn's eyes darted around the room. They almost seemed to be scanning for something. The brown irises bounced left and right, up and down in search for ideas and Lassiter watched them cautiously.

"Got it!" Shawn announced as his eyes landed on their prize.

Lassiter jumped a little. He was so busy looking at Shawn's eyes that the sudden outburst had caught him off guard.

"All right," Lassiter cleared his throat, "let's get it over with."

"All right, Lassie," Shawn said as he stood triumphantly and held out his hand, "follow me!"

Lassie stood up and smacked down Shawn's hand. He didn't need assistance getting up and he sure as hell wasn't going to let Shawn lead him to their destination. Shawn frowned but ultimately began walking. Lassiter followed behind as he was told. There was a somber sense to his walk coupled with utter annoyance. Whatever Shawn was going to make him do would at least be done here and now as opposed to at a latter date and in front of a bigger audience. There was some saving grace in that.

I hope.

"I thought you'd be home, Spencer," Lassiter tried to delay his imminent mortification, "or celebrating with Guster and his family."

"Not important right now. Now, if you would be as so kind as to stand under that archway?"

Lassiter looked at Shawn skeptically before eyeing the archway Shawn was pointing to.

"You just want me to stand there?" Lassiter asked.

"That is part one of my ingenious plan, yes."

Lassiter walked over to the archway and stood under it as he was told. His arms dropped dramatically, stressing how ridiculous and stupid he found the whole ordeal to be.

"Now," Shawn said, "Here are the ground rules. Rule number one: you may not move from that spot."

"You're not seriously going to make me stand here all night, are you?"

"Of course not, Lassie, that wouldn't be amusing enough. Rule number two: You may leave that spot if you can get someone to stand next to you under the same archway."

"...you've lost me Spencer. What is this accomplishing?"

"I'm so glad you asked. Rule number three: you must abide by all holiday customs and traditions. I'll ask you now to look directly above you."

Lassiter was still suspicious and confused but looked up anyway. There, hanging down from the arch was mistletoe. It was a half a foot above Lassiter's head and the plant seemed to greet him as it slowly swayed from side to side.

"Shawn, what are you up to?"

"Rule number four! Or, as I would like to call it, an extension of rule number three. You must abide by all holiday customs regardless of manners, right and wrong, or social norms."

Lassiter tried to make sense of Shawn's madness.

I can't leave this spot unless someone stands here with me. I'm standing under mistletoe. I must abide all holiday traditions and customs regardless of social norms. I'm standing under mistletoe...what was mistletoe for again?

"Basically, Lassie," Shawn said, "You can't leave that spot until you kiss somebody."

Lassiter's mouth dropped a bit.

"What?"

"That's right. You've got to kiss somebody under that mistletoe. It can be anyone. It has to be anyone."

"What if she's married!" Lassiter protested.

"Regardless of social norms. She could be married and pregnant but you've got to kiss her anyway. Which brings me to rule number five, or four if you considered the previous four as an extension of three."

"No more rules!"

"Whoever you kiss," Shawn continued loudly, "You've really got to plant one one them. None of that shy peck stuff."

Lassiter was dumbstruck. He was at a loss for words. The utter stupidity and childishness of this nonsense had struck Lassiter with dumbfounded silence.

For all of five seconds.

"You want me to engage in a kissing dare, Spencer? What next? Are you going to have me ding dong ditch the lodge?"

"Tempting but no. One bet, one ridiculous request," Shawn concluded.

Lassiter began to take a step away from the archway.

"I am not going to-"

"Man of your word," Shawn coughed.

Lassiter glared at Shawn as he stepped back into place. He was trapped. As stupid as Shawn's game was Lassiter was compelled to prove himself.

"You're such a child, Spencer."

"I have been a little more myself lately, haven't I?" Shawn mused.

A/N: And now a brief intermission. Continue with your presents and cookies if you must and if not...well I like presents and cookies. I can steal- I mean hold them for you. :)