Hide and Seek [A Shartney Fanfic]

III: It's Our Turn As Seekers!

The special forces had lead them out of the back room. Out of the hallway they've spent their time running around. Past the play place area. And back down towards the stairs.
Courtney and Shayne were just laughing. They both could only sigh in their relief. None of them felt too bummed about it. They did amazing. Even more than they thought they would. They found themselves back at the grass field. Courtney fighting the urge to cartwheel again. And both of them agreeing not to run around the entire field like hyper children.
It was now their time to search. Excited for another fun challenge, they went in again and did it. They were scanning every room with careful eyes.

"I think back parts are the go-to hiding places," Courtney says, tilting her to wards a room.
"Yeah, so much, that we ourselves hid in those places," Shayne laughs, and Courtney does too. And they carried on.

Later, when it came to them searching the entire place and had not found anyone, sadly, they've reached the point of giving up. They sucked at being seekers. 
"We seem like no help at all," Courtney sighs,
"If it's that so, we should just go and eat somewhere. Yeah?" Shayne suggests, "And, I'm really hungry, so..."
"Yeah, I'm hungry, too. Let's go find a place." 
•••
It wasn't quite the place they thought, but it had food, so they went in. They ate quietly. Exchanging only glances, and smiles. And they were still laughing of the same recalled memory of what happened earlier.
Shayne finds himself fighting the thought of this whole thing being somewhat of a date.
It's not, Shayne. Don't be stupid. He wish it was. But it doesn't matter. At least he was here with her.
Courtney, too, was feeling the date-vibe, and was trying to fight it.
It's not like you hadn't had a late lunch together before. Right? You do this all the time. You're just two hungry players from the YouTube version of Hunger Games. You're just eating. It's no big deal. This is no big deal.

"I guess we should tell Ian that the game's over," Shayne said, though it came out sounding like a question.
"Maybe we'd just call him when we get home?" Courtney said.
"Yeah, maybe we should surprise him in LA." He says with a sly smirk on his lips. And Courtney matches the energy. But in the back of her head, that smirk was a heart-stopper. And the dimple on the corner of his cheek was a masterpiece. Happy to be close enough to assess his face. And she recalls the car ride to the hotel, how the sun had planted a pretty kiss on his face. It was gorgeous. Plus, she had caught it on 4k. 

Courtney was blushing. Shayne knew better than to call it off. She didn't need to know her cheeks were turning red and he sees it. And as if she was blushing because of him, she probably wasn't. It must've been the sun. She'd always turn crimson under the sun. She doesn't know how beautiful she could be with tinted cheeks. Just like yesterday when they were riding in the car and was shooting the intro for the video. Bare face and red. So red. Pretty.
"I think we should head back to the hotel. We still have a flight to catch." Courtney shots a small smile at him. Her voice sent him out of his trance.
"Yeah. We need to hurry." He replies. Both of them walked back to the field hoping to find Preston  for a proper goodbye. And just their right timing, confetti exploded in scenes. The winner was announced. So, they decided to stick around and hang out for a bit. Josh Mattingly was securing the money and they threw a couple of jokes at him. They joined in different picture-takings of different groups. They even chatted around with a few YouTubers. But when they glimpsed at the time, they knew that they really had to go.
Josh Mattingly had drove them on the way back to the hotel. And then when they got there, and the only thing they did was make sure everything was already packed up, since they already did the packing in morning, just another round of final checking to be sure. Finally, they booked out of the room. Josh awaited for them by the car and sends them off to the airport, as he had picked them up.

•••

The entire fly back had past in a huge blur. The whole time Courtney was sleeping. But she did find herself laying her head on Shayne, who, too, was sleeping soundly with his arm around her and his hand secured on the top of her head. She was startled by this. Taken aback by it being the first thing she saw upon waking up. And the flight was nearing to Los Angeles.
Shayne awoke to Courtney moving.
"We there yet?" He mumbles as if he were sleep-talking,
"Nearly." she replies yawning.
He grunts and opens his eyes slowly. Only to realize that he was basically hugging Courtney. He was petrified. Not knowing if it was awkward to take his hand off, or more awkward if it stayed as it was.
"I'm not going back to sleep." Courtney declares sitting up straight. It was a chance that Shayne took to remove his arm. Courtney felt as if the moment was ruined. If only she didn't wake him, he'd still have his arm around her. Though she knows it was not worth being too attached to him in any way. It's sad and it just hurts.

It had hurt Shayne to stop hugging her. But he knows Courtney wouldn't be comfortable if he remained trying to clutch her. For a while he wanted to stay there forever. It was better than his fantasies could ever be. But reality crept in so fast, it just wasn't right. She doesn't want a hug. He was never permitted to hug her in the first place, but somehow his hands found its way while he was asleep. And then he remembers his only mantra whenever these things happen: Maybe in a sketch.
Maybe in a sketch they could hug like couples. Only in those sketches.

Landing in LA made a few days ago feel like an entire year ago for them. They called Ian and he decided to pick them up from the airport.
"We didn't win, obviously, but it was fun. Right, Shayne?"Courtney reached out to the front seat where Shayne sat.
"Yeah. Courtney kept sleeping, but I guess it was helpful." Shayne lets out a chuckle as he replied.
"How was that helpful?" Courtney asks,
"Well, if you were quietly asleep, you'd never get caught, and we'd still be in the game," He replied.
"I thought you two would split up, and go hide in different places, but I guess you two are just inseparable. Aren't you?" Ian asked, raising a skeptical brow at them. Both of their bodies reacted the same way: blushing and facing away to conceal it.
"I mean, Courtney said she was scared to be on her own, so we decided to stick together!" Shayne rebutted.
"Hey, as if you weren't scared, too," Courtney argued,
"I wasn't. Like, seriously!" Shayne was almost yelling now. Ian chuckles, admiring how they did small fights like an old married couple.

Almost without realising it, they've reached Courtney's apartment complex.
"Have a good night, my guys!" She calls out, just as she closes the trunk of the car, after she had gotten her bags out, almost clumsily as she tripped just a bit. Shayne and Ian had volunteered to help with the carrying, but she politely declined, saying she could do it herself. "And Shayne get some sleep, okay? You need that."
"Yeah, I will. You too, I mean, do you even have to? You slept a lot during the game." He jokes.
"Well, crap on you, I still need sleep." Courtney sticks  her tongue out at me him, teasingly, and then  waves at them, finally, before turning away, pacing towards the building, backpack strapped on her back and carrying two more bags on hand.

Ian drives away by the time Courtney took the first step inside.
"It's as if Preston's hide and seek wasn't the only hide and seek you guys have been playing." Ian teasingly remarks.
"What are you talking about?" Shayne asks, though knowing full well where this conversation is leading to. "Okay. I know, Ian. I like her. I also know that you know that. That's why you sent us, specifically. And what good would it be liking her? My feelings are all for nothing." Shayne crosses his arm to his chest, and pouts like a pissed out five-year-old.
"You know it's love if everyone else sees it, but you who have fallen, doesn't." Ian sighs.
"But there's nothing to see there!" Shayne retorts.
"Welp, I don't know what to tell you. It's just that you guys should have won the hide-and-seek, because look at you--so good at  hiding feelings for each other--for fucks sake!" Ian throws an aggressive eye-roll.
"Whatever, man. Feelings are just feelings. We deny them, and get over them. Like how it's supposed to be. And you should really stop shipping us, y'know. It's only a waste of hope." Even as Shayne turned his attention to the window and the scenery outside as they ran along the road, he was thinking about what Ian had said, and the truth he felt behind it. Maybe all they needed was a good confrontation. What if from there, thing could work out? What if he just gave it a shot? Shit. Here goes the damn what ifs.
---
Heya, beautiful Smosh fans!
That was chapter three. Sorry if I didn't update sooner, I meant to post this last week, but something came up, so it took me now, but I really hope you liked it. And I hope you're having a very good day wherever you are in the world!
-Shakemespear