Fanfic Short Stories

Psych: Happy Hour

Story description: On vacation with Shawn in Hawaii, all Gus wants is to wear a lei on the beach while drinking a Mai Tai from a coconut cup with a little umbrella in it. What he gets is Detective Carlton Lassiter deciding to tail them.

A/N: Chocolate Box gift for kaliruch on AO3, who offered bonus points for humor, detective work, and pineapples!

Happy Hour

"You ordered room service?" Shawn looked at the tray in dismayed surprise. "You realize we're a block from the beach and open-air restaurants, right? We could be eating with a view of the ocean." The curtains of the hotel room were open, but their room had views of Honolulu rather than the beach, and the room itself wasn't anything exciting.

"I am on vacation, Shawn," Gus explained with a note of impatience in his voice. "That means treating myself, and that means room service." He sat down with a flourish as if to make his point, and removed the cloches over the plates.

"Fine." Not wanting to go hungry, Shawn sat down across from him and studied the choices. He reached for the sticky bun, and Gus slapped his hand.

"The sticky bun is mine. My prize, my vacation, my sticky bun. You can have the croissant or the cinnamon roll."

"Croissants are too crumbly," Shawn complained, taking the cinnamon roll. He glanced at the newspaper that was on the table, and saw that it was open to the horoscopes. "Get this, you're supposed to be open to new things today. 'You'll be amazed at today's experiences. Go with the flow, because things won't be what you expect. They'll be even better!' Could these horoscopes be more vague?"

Gus turned the paper around. "It really says amazed? There's a maze on our tour today."

"Really? You booked a tour?"

"It's like those corn mazes, but it's pineapple plants on the pineapple farm."

"They grow pineapples on a farm?"

"Where did you think they grow?"

"I dunno. I never thought about it." Shawn picked up a chunk of pineapple and popped it into his mouth. His eyes closed. "Oh my god. This is the best pineapple I've ever eaten."

"Because it's grown here. That's why we're going on a tour to the pineapple farm." Gus ate one of the pineapple slices. "At the farm's gift shop they have pineapple ice cream."

"Maybe this won't be the lamest vacation after all."

"Why aren't you excited about being here?" Gus asked. "I win a free trip to Oahu and pick you as my plus one, and you act like you're the one doing me a favor."

Shawn shrugged. "Other than going to the pineapple farm, which, I admit, is kind of awesome, what else are we supposed to do? Hang out on the beach, watch the waves, swim? We live in Santa Barbara, man. That's our life every day."

Gus sniffed. "I am going to sit on the beach, wearing a lei, and drink a Mai Tai out of a coconut cup with a little umbrella in it."

"That's very specific."

"It's in the hotel brochure, Shawn. Which I left on your desk and told you to read. Happy hour on the beach every day. Complimentary leis and Mai Tais."

"In a coconut cup with a little umbrella."

"That's right. That's what I expect from my vacation."

"Well, your horoscope said things won't be what you expect," Shawn reminded him.

Gus returned his attention to the horoscopes. "Did you read yours? 'You have a strong imagination, but for now you need to get your head out of the clouds. Be true to your real self. There will be plenty of time for flights of fancy later."