Title: The Nature of the Relationship
Author: keg369
Summary: Gus muses on he and Shawn's relationship. Not a slash or yoai no gayness what so ever not that I have a problem with that I just don't see them together. Shawn and Lassiter however... lets face it Lassiter touches Shawn way too much for that to be well you know.
Gus glared at Shawn as he ran beside him. This always happened! It was times like this he wondered just why he let Shawn blow into his life both of them knowing in the end Gus would fallow him into whatever hair brained situation he came up with. They jumped into a large crate to hide from the large man with a gun that was chasing them.
There they sat huddled together like they had when they where children hiding from Shawn's dad when they played hide an seek or had them run after rockets and they couldn't find it or… Shawn shifted closer as the heavy footsteps came too close to the crate. Gus stopped breathing as Shawn stifled a giggle. Why did he always giggle when they where hiding? He started breathing again as the large greasy man with big muscles walked away.
Shawn leaned back in the almost darkness his, "I'm so right and you know it" smirk placed firmly on his face. He seen that smirk so many times in his life he didn't need Shawn's "powers" to draw on paper. He leaned back observing his best friend. He did this every once in awhile just studied Shawn trying to figure the other man out. But at the sametime knowing he never would. Shawn looked serious then Shawn had recognized the look on Gus's face, as he never missed anything.
"Gus?" the wispier was just barely audible. Gus had only heard Shawn this quiet a few times in his life.
He tried to think back to the first time… they where hiding at the top of the stairs at Shawn's house as Shawn's dad 'talked' to Gus's mother. He remembered staring up at Henry's calculating blue eyes as his mother dropped him off at Shawn's house at three o'clock in the morning.
"Gus go on up stairs Shawn's asleep don't wake him up just go to sleep you both still have school tomorrow." Gus had nodded clutching his bag he heard the beginning of the 'talk' as he made his way up the stairs to Shawn's room. He glanced back at his beautiful young mother. How old was she then twenty-five? She waved at him cheerily her brown eyes light as if she weren't about to leave her eight year old in the middle of the night and not come back for a year in a half.
"Jasmine…" he'd never forget the sound of Henry's voice that night and he would never be able to describe it.
Henry the man he thought of as a father even then. It was Shawn's idea to spy on their parents after Gus had went up to his room. Even as Henry bellowed Gus's mother into a corner about how irresponsible she was and what kind of example she was setting for Gus. He had wished they would fall in love, get married, and then they could all be a family. Then everything would be perfect.
He remembered thinking that Shawn and he where two halves as they both had things the other didn't. He didn't have a dad Shawn didn't have mom, Gus tried hard to fit in and never succeeded Shawn never tried and was the kid everyone wanted to be friends with. At lest until he became Gus's best friend he could still remember the shocked look on that evil bully, Amanda Oilstone's, face when the scrawny Shawn had kicked her in the shin then punched her in the face.
Henry had shown up looking angry with both of them. His police uniform looking impeccable his hands on his hips. As he yelled at them he'd grabbed them both by the backs of the neck pulling them out to his police car. Amanda was out side with her dad who was an equally large grown up version of his daughter.
He had tried to start in on Henry about beating up girls when Shawn had piped up, "She's like ten times bigger than me! She doesn't count as a girl!" Amanda had started to cry then the Man took a wild swing at Henry. Henry beat the crap out of Mr. Oilstone Henry once again took Gus And Shawn by the necks threw them in the car and drove them home.
Henry had sent Gus to get the First Aid Kit on his way back he stopped listening to their conversation. "Why did you do that Shawn you and Gus could have gotten hurt."
"She was picking on Gus. It's like your friends at the office Dad. You don't let anyone mess with the brotherhood."
Henry was really quiet for a moment, "That's right Shawn don't let anyone mess with your brother."
Gus remembered being so happy when he'd entered the room Shawn and he had bumped fists for the first time. Why Shawn had held his fist out he would never know. In truth he never cared. He had a brother what else mattered. Their parents never fell in love and got married not for lack of Shawn and he trying of course. His mother came back and he moved back in with her even when he 'lived' with his mother he spent most of his time at Shawn's house but they where still brothers in Gus's mind they would always be. Shawn and Gus took care of each other always. Just in different ways.
So here he sat years later in a crate with the man he called brother but never out loud.
"You ready to go Bro." He smiled at Shawn as he clamored ungraceful over the edge of the crate. He almost laughed at his brothers fake ungraceful ness he knew the man could put a dancer to shame. Shawn was far to controlled to be anything less. Shawn never missed any detail what so ever every thing about him was carefully constructed to look bumbling and foolish. He was accurate to a fault and Gus let him be that because that's what Shawn wanted to be. Every once in a while his brother let the real him out he'd always seen it when it was just the two of them. The cold almost scary man he could become he could rip anyone to shreds telling you your every fault he had made grown men cry before. But the moment someone walked in he was the fool once more. Shawn had never done that to Gus. Make him feel worthless. But the fact he could was never far from Gus's mind. Come to think of it Amanda had transferred from their school shortly after. Gus had always wondered if Shawn had 'talked' to the girl alone.
"Gus." Shawn was looking down at him holding his hand out for Gus to take his serious look on and everything.
"Hey Shawn. Do remember the day you beat up Amanda?" looked as if he would bust a gut to keep from laughing big brother pride clear in his eyes. Because that's what he was the cooler older bother.
"The day you spied on Dad and I?"
Gus looked at Shawn in shock, "I didn't know you knew?"
Shawn smirked at him, "The toe of your shoe was sticking out." Gus shook his head of course. He wondered if there was anything his brother didn't remember. That terrified him sometimes to have someone who knew everything no secrets. If he didn't trust Shawn completely he would have been gone long ago. No he wouldn't have because Shawn was his brother.
AN: I'm not sure about the ending but I hoped you liked it all the same.