Shawn Mendes Imagines

Closer To You

"So it's A, then E," Shawn says softly into your ear from behind you, legs crossed in his own chair as he reads the chords from his phone. "Then back to the chorus."

You glance down at the neck of the guitar resting on your lap, playing an A with ease, but struggling to locate the E chord.

"E," he repeats, getting closer to you, nearly cheek to cheek. "A, then E."

"I know," you snap. "I can't find the damn E chord."

He chuckles lightly, clearly relaxed and untouched by the aggravation that circled you.

"Learning how to play guitar is easy if you keep an chilled out, open mind and positive attitude," he acknowledges. Suddenly, his round eyes widen and he adds, "I'm not hippie or anything, I swear."

"So.. " you avert your eyes back down to the guitar, placing your fingers atop the only strings that didn't seem completely wrong, and giving it a strum. "It's that an E?"

".. No," he grins slowly. "That was an F."

You groan, resisting the urge to throw the whole guitar across the room. You slide down out of your seat and set it out in front of you, releasing the small, triangular pick from a fist in lieu of the guitar and watching it hit the wall with a smack.

"It's useless," you roll your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest. "I'm unteachable. You're wasting your time."

"No I'm not," he shakes his head. "You know all the chords, you're just getting them mixed up. Come on, Y/N, pick the guitar back up-- it's one song."

"No," you refuse. "I'm done."

"Y/N," he begs. "I'm not being harsh or anything, am I?"

You stop to look at him, at his soft, warm brown eyes that glowed in the artificial light, dark hair sweeping across his forehead and shaping the sides of his face in short, messy strands. His blue plaid flannel was buttoned up to his neck, never missing one. It was strange seeing color on him, used to his unchanging black cladding.

"No," you say slowly, eyes trained on his shiny cheeks. "You're a really good teacher. I'm just not the best student."

"You're doing just fine," he steps toward you from behind, sliding his hands past your waist and grabbing the guitar from where it lay flat on your knees and propping it back up quickly.

"Play A again," he instructs.

You struggle to remember the way your hand goes, which strings and which fret to press down on. After about ten seconds, you strum an A. You knew you were correct by the way you turned to face him, seeing his eyes light up in triumph.

"Perfect," he says, relieved. "Now, remember how to transfer from A to E?"

You didn't, but you really wanted to, so you tried your hardest. It was hard to concentrate with his breath hot on the nape of your neck, giving you chills. You placed you fingers in three different places before finally landing on your last guess, and strumming with your thumb.

"... yes," Shawn smiles slightly. He chuckles, "that was it! Yes!"

"That was an E?"

"That was it!" He scoots back and holds out his hand for a high-five, which you gladly slap. You'd take whatever you could get from this boy.

"And then you remember the chorus, B and D then A, and you've got that down. So you've pretty much learned the whole song!" He seems overly excited, but you would be too if you made a breakthrough with such a hopeless case.

"Thanks for doing this," you say slowly. He must've had so many plans after school, being as popular as he was. You weren't sure when the right time would come to tell him about your crush-- never would do, you were sure.

"Anything for a friend as good as you," he blushes.

Sigh. It was like a knife to the throat.

"Uh, Y/N?" he stops suddenly, clearing his throat even though he was talking fine.

You look up from the floor. "Yes?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

You shift your body to face him, keeping the guitar close to your stomach as you sat criss-cross on his bedroom floor. "Shoot."

Please ask me out.

He pauses, digging his teeth into his bottom lip and fiddling with his fingers in his lap. He was so damn cute, it was hard to resist pouncing on him all the time.

"Y/N, do you.. do you like me?"

I'm in f.ucking love with you.

"No, what?"

He glances up at you shyly, his cheeks turning red. "I mean, do you like me? Like, as a boyfriend type of person?"

Did he just say boyfriend? This is too much. Someone hold me.

"Um.. " you stutter, wanting to say yes but fearing rejection-- wanting to admit your feelings finally, after two whole years, but worrying you will pass out first. "Do you like me?"

He smiles, still blushing wildly and avoiding your gaze. Slowly, he nods.

"The only reason I even agreed to teach you guitar for the past week and a half is because I wanted to get even closer to you," he says, "and I mean that emotionally and physically. And I'm about to go pathetically out on a teeny, tiny little limb and admit that I screenshot all of our conversations so I'll never forget the things you say to me."

He takes a deep, shaky breath, clearly waiting for a response.

"I've always liked you," you mumble. "Always have, always will."

That was honestly the short, edited version of I have pictures of you taped to my closet door that I kiss every night because I'm so pitifully in love with you and I don't plan to stop anytime soon.

"Y/N?" he grins. "One more question?"

My heart can't take anymore.

"Hmm?"

"Do you by any chance want to, like, be my girlfriend? Like, if you want to. You don't have to. I mean, it's totally cool if you just wan--"

"Yes," you interrupt him, and he freezes. This was like middle school. "Yes, please."

You were both smiling now. There was a moment where you both just started, and couldn't believe what just happened.

"Play the song for me," Shawn says finally, glancing at the guitar and placing his palm gently on your knee.

***

happy mother's day! i hope you're all thankful for ur lovely mums, & if you don't have one then selena gomez can be ur mum & I hope ur thankful for her

nah i shouldn't joke abt that this is seriously a huge holiday bc mother's give up so much that makes them who they are just to become a full-time super mum and that's a really big deal. so idk I really shouldve written a Mother's Day imagine but I kinda already did & idk ???

anyways. have a great day, i love you all, inboxes always open ((((: