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"You've reached Burton Guster, I can't answer my phone right now but please leave your name and number after the beep, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Shawn, I'm recording my voice mail message - stop giving me that look..." *beep*

[ooc: Please leave any IC or OOC messages as a comment to this post, thank you.]

Character Relationships
Shawn Spencer\| Psych What can I possibly say about Shawn that anyone who's known me a couple days doesn't know? He's been my best friend since Preschool and I don't know what my life would be like without him... even if I sometimes wonder. We're a package deal, he's the gooey grape jelly to my smooth peanut butter. Besides being totally BFFs, we also co-own our detective agency, Psych. No, really - that's the name. We solve crimes every week and sometimes one around Christmas. Currently played in milliways_bar. » psyched_you_out
Detective Juliet O'Hara\| Psych Juliet is an amazing detective, she manages to not only be the most badass chick since Ripley (okay, maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but she's still awesome) but also smart, funny, and beautiful. Nobody was surprised when Shawn fell head over heels for her, especially me. After years of tension, Shawn and Juliet finally hooked up and things have been pretty decent since - hopefully soon enough I'll get my best friend back and maybe get to hang out with her myself (as friends, of course everyone knows your best friend's girl is off limits). Currently played in milliways_bar. » craftylildoodlepumpkin

Code by: itsanooray

In permanent marker across the top:

FOR OFFICIAL PSYCH BUSINESS ONLY.
THAT MEANS YOU, SHAWN

[ooc: Just a silly place for Gus, Shawn, Juliet and anyone who wants to play along to leave irrelevant messages.]

Comments? Criticism? How am I doing?

Go ahead, be honest.

[ooc: Occurs after (and contains spoilers for) episode 6.08, "The Tao of Gus"]

Nichole. She could have been the one… so beautiful and funny and sweet… and kinda crazy in that ‘free love, change the world, move to a third-world country to find inner peace by having kinky zen sex’ kinda way. Still, she was real and treated him like no woman ever had before. She brought out his inner light.

The last place he wants to be is Shawn’s Dad’s house for dinner – but it happens the first standing dinner date Henry hasn’t canceled or rescheduled in a couple months and after what he’s just been through he knows it’s quite possibly the only dinner date he’s gonna have for a while. Of course, he’s not entirely surprised when Shawn texts him to say he’s going to be out late with Juliet.

Henry answers the door still wearing the suit he’d left the station in – looking more than a little disheveled – and Gus is quickly aware of two very distinct things. Number one, the house doesn’t smell like delicious meaty goodness. And number two, Henry looks (and smells) kinda like he’s been drinking… and it’s been a while since he’s seen Mr. Spencer looking he’s had more than a couple beers. “Gus! Right, right… it’s, uh… our thing.”

“Sorry Shawn can’t make it, he’s… uh… sort of indisposed at the moment.”

“Girlfriend?” Henry frowns, his voice deepening. Reluctantly, Gus half-shrugs and then nods, closing the door behind him when Henry lets him in. “Well, hell… at least one of is doing all right in that department.”

Gus tilts his head and follows Henry to the kitchen, confirming that in fact no dinner has been made. There’s some deep shit going on here…

“You having lady problems, Mr. Spencer? You got a girlfriend you’ve been hiding?”

Henry stops with his head in the fridge and for a long moment doesn’t say anything at all. With an unsure voice, he manages; “I meant in the broader sense, you know like with you drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid going after that girl in the cult.”

“Her name is Nicole, and for the record our love is innocent and pure. It can’t be described by words an untranscended man such as yourself can understand.”

“She turned you down?”

“No.” Gus pouts and slings himself into a familiar wooden dining chair, tracing his fingers over the surface before admitting; “She asked me to go away with her, but you and I both know my home is right here in Santa Barbra.”

Henry digs out a large casserole from when Karen had come over a few nights before, there was easily enough left for the two of them since dinner hadn’t exactly been the highlight of the evening. Besides, Henry never did get the hang of cooking for less than four. “She wanted to go do hippie stuff in Sedona or something and it freaked you out?”

He’s good. Too good. Gus shrugs noncommittally and looks toward the living room. “India.”

Henry scoffs and shakes his head again before turning on the oven to reheat. On the way back, he snatches up a heavy tumbler with a few sips of scotch still clinging to the bottom. “I’m sorry to hear that, Gus.”

Watching the glass as Henry pours in another heavy round, Gus mutters; “I loved her, you know?”

“Love?” He scoffs again, letting out an audible snort. “Gus, you knew her less than a week. I know things are getting pretty desperate…”

“I am not desperate! Why does everyone think I’m throwing myself at every pretty girl that shows the slightest hint of interest?” The frustration is lost, and Gus knows that it sounds like a weak argument even to him. The scent of perfume and lusty words whispered against his ear hits him like a ton of bricks… not Nicole, the temptress he let himself get hooked on – The Devil herself still taunting him from a universe away. Okay… maybe they might have a little bit of a point, but it’s not like he doesn’t have a good reason to be that way.

Just when Gus thinks the subject is dropped, Henry sets the glass down in front of him. “I know it’s not easy, Gus… believe me, I know what it’s like to be lonely. You’ll get there. You’ll meet the right girl… or whatever.”

“Girl.” Gus looks back up at him, his frown softening a little. He can’t help it, though… he knows what Henry’s been through, and deep down he knows he’s right. “I know… it’s just hard, you know? I was voted most likely to succeed back in high school! I’m a good guy and I’m smart and I know I’m not bad looking…”

“You look fine, Gus.” Henry sits down beside him, and sighs, clasping his hand over Gus’ in a rare sign of affection. “Look, I’ve had a couple drinks and I know I don’t say this enough, but you need to understand the difference between you and Shawn is that he never knows when he’s got a good thing and he does these stupid things without even thinking about what he’s really doing…” His face goes blank for a moment, and then he looks down with another sigh; “It’s genetic. But you, you always think you’ve got a good thing when what you’ve really got is just gonna hurt you. You deserve the best and you know… sometimes the best takes a little time to come your way, but when it does? Don’t fuck it up.”

Gus is silent as Henry pushes up out of his chair and heads back toward the oven. “I won’t, Mister Spencer. I just hope it happens.” He pushes back the drink and asks; “You don’t happen to have any of your famous chocolate walnut brownies, do you?”

In the Psych office, Gus permanently affixes a picture to the top left corner of the dry erase board.

It was a holiday he'll never forget. Even if he never did get down that whole tail wagging thing.

After a little bit of time to think at Milliways, Gus slips back through the locker door and instead of going home he boots up the computer and gets to work on the expense report from the rare coin theft they'd wrapped on. Try as he might, he couldn't forget about what he'd told Demeter when he got to visit her again - how half of what was on his mind wasn't about the Devil and it wasn't about being alone... it was about missing Shawn. And their office of all places is probably the worst place to get that sort of revelation when every time he opens his eyes there's a little piece of what they've built over the years.

Not that his apartment is much better.

On a whim, he takes a break from Excel and sends Shawn a text:

Busy tonight?

This time, Gus at least has the benefit of knowing what he's going into a day ahead of time after confronting Shawn about his previous blind date. He's also got the benefit of added nervousness and the absolute certainty it's going to go badly because his dates usually do. After an hour of preening and making sure everything is perfect and as it should be, he settles on a dark blue shirt open at the collar with khakis - casual, comfortable and drives to the Psych office. On his desk is a small, square box with a sticky note on the front bearing Shawn's handwritten: "NOT FOR YOU" and beside it a Hershey bar with another note reading: "FOR YOU".

Sometimes, Shawn could be a pretty cool guy. Or, you know, he felt bad about tricking Gus into going on the first blind date and setting him up like a piece of meat to begin with. But, he had to admit he was a tiny bit grateful that at least someone was looking out for him while he had himself all wrapped up in a bit of madness he never should have touched to begin with.

Steeling himself, he picks up the candy - leaving behind said sticky notes - and steps through the locker to Milliways. This time the meeting is to be indoors and he picks a quiet booth in a corner hoping that Shawn had at least had the sense to show her a picture so they could find each other. No less, he sits facing the doors and opens his candy bar, forcing himself to break off each chocolaty square to eat slowly and not assuage his nerves by downing the whole thing.

After his heart to heart with Demeter, as they were always heart to heart with her, and all the confusion he's felt between his body, mind, and most of all his heart, Gus is more at ease than before but without any answers. He's already told The Devil once and for all it's off, he doesn't want to be that guy that keeps an open option - especially not an open option that could destroy him... and maybe still would. He's not that guy at all. Instead, he's been going through the motions; closing the case and helping get everything ready for the impending party.

The day after Juliet's birthday party, he gets a text message from Shawn telling him to be at Milliways as soon as possible at a bench by the lake. Later, it would occur to him that Shawn was clearly up to something - but as he walks a slow circle around the bench in the pink silk shirt and black slacks he'd worn to work for the day and waits for his friend to show it's more annoying than anything.

The church is quiet when Gus arrives, he's still got easily an hour before he's supposed to meet Shawn for lunch so it's a good time to get some things off his chest.

Quiet, he takes a long moment of silence to collect himself before stepping into the confessional; "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned... really... really bad."

"Come now, child... there are no sins so bad as to prevent salvation." Father Wesley's soothing voice crosses over the threshold, and he adds; "You haven't killed anyone, have you?"

"No, no... nothing like that." He sighs and closes his eyes, pressing his knuckles against his head as he leans far forward in the enclosed space. "Father, it's been a while since my last confession but things haven't been too bad. I've been working on not taking the Lord's name in vain and I even stopped being quite as wrathful toward my best friend even when he totally deserves it."

"That's very good to hear..."

"In the last two weeks I've sort of... fallen off the wagon."

"Your anger has gotten the best of you?"

"No! No, just... some other sin that... well, okay - it's like this, Father. I'm a thirty-five year old man and the only relationship in my life right now is with my best friend - and he finally got a girl that's good for him and they're in love." He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes even tighter; "And I'm kind of alone now."

"You're never alone, child..."

"Well, I sort of took care of that and I met a couple women and one of them was really great, Father - she was nice and kind and didn't even care that every other word out of my mouth made me look like a total idiot."

"That's a good thing..."

Gus cut him off again; "Yeah, we sort of got into the fornication... and it gets worse..."

"Worse?"

He's not going to mention the whole Devil part - that's too much to even think about in a place of God - but he manages to admit; "Last night there was another woman... a really, really bad girl but I just couldn't resist her - she needed me, Father... and I needed her like you would not believe."

"And you and she..."

"Did it twice before bed and again before I left the apartment." His face burns hot and he bites down hard into his lower lip; "And I don't know if I'll see either of them again."

"Oh dear..."

"I can't help it... they just... they really liked me, Father - and I like them and I am a weak man..."

There's silence for a long moment and Gus can almost imagine Father Wesley coming up with some scathing punishment for his transgression - some scarlet letter or flaying of flesh. When he responds, it's almost anti-climatic; "The Lord understands, Gus... and you are forgiven for your trespasses."

"That's it? No big lecture?"

"What'd you expect? I know what it's like out there... with everything you've been through the worst you have is a little bit of fornication for the first time in... God knows how long..."

Seriously? Even Father Wesley's okay with it? "This isn't right... you don't understand..."

The priest groans loudly; "Fine, fine... penance shall be four Our Fathers and a donation to the poor box."

"Thank you, Father..."

When he steps out, Gus takes out his wallet and makes his donation before heading back out to the Blueberry where Shawn's already found him and is leaning against the hood.

"I thought we were meeting at the pizza place?"

Current Mood: refreshed

He's pretty sure it's a really, really bad idea. No less, Burton Guster has put on his favorite purple silk shirt and black slacks, oiled his head with the perfect mixture of lavender and cocoa butter, and made it to the restaurant twenty minutes early.

Nervous (as always) and almost hoping that she'll stand him up, he takes a seat at a table in the back with a freshly lit candle and orders a bottle of Corvina with two glasses.

Well, happy hour just got really interesting.

Excited, confused, and more than a little bit freaking out, Gus manages to contain himself long enough to put on a dose of smooth!Gus in the form of a knowing wink and nod before beating a hasty retreat outside.

Once safely outside the bar, following the path toward the lake, he lets out a quiet but shrill squeal and digs out his cellphone with his good hand. He's not exactly sure if it'll get through, but he gets three bars reception at the end of the universe (apparently Verizon has service *everywhere*) and manages off a quick text to Shawn as he very gently does a little bit of a solo-Snoopy dance.

OMG Shawn! I think I have a date with a really pretty GODDESS that smells like wildflowers!

It's worthy of an OMG. Really, it is. The last time he managed so much as a date with a girl, she was trying to sell him life insurance.

After a short walk down the path, his mind begins to clear and he calms to a much more sensible mentality. Of course he has a date, he's smooth... charming... confident... (okay, maybe not... but he *can* be). A little sore across the ribs, they still haven't healed all the way though they're close, he finds a wooden bench and settles down, humming a random tune under his breath. It's gonna be a good night.

Maybe not a great night, and he's cool with that. But probably a good one.

The end of the universe is ending and Burton Guster is curled up in a ball in a corner, wracked with soft sobs as his brain tries to figure out what's going to happen to not only himself, but to everything. He closes his eyes tightly, shifting from where he sat with his back to the wall until he's on his side in the fetal position.

It seems to last forever, the shaking and screams - muttered prayers and reassurances that somehow everything is going to be just fine. And then... nothing. A chill wraps around him like jumping in a swimming pool in January; he can't breathe - can't open his eyes or move a muscle.

And then pain, shooting up his left arm from his elbow to his wrist. The rest of his body is numb until he feels the arm warm enough that he can gasp for breath and open his eyes. He's alone, and he sure as hell aint in Milliways anymore. It's dark, after a moment he realizes he's outside but the moon is obscured behind heavy clouds. He can see a street light in the distance and hear the ocean.

Gus closes his eyes again and rolls onto his back - the arm that had been trapped under him letting out another fresh jolt of pain. Broken; definitely at the wrist and probably up higher too if the tingly numbness and shooting pain is telling the whole story. Desperate, he digs into his pocket and manages out his cellphone and phones the last number he called.

"Shawn, pick up pick up pick up..." he whispers in a barely audible whimper.

Gus is still in Santa Barbra, and hasn't exactly been quick to go hang out at that weird bar that he found himself at with Shawn and Juliet, but then again he hasn't been quick to hang out much of anywhere. Since his best friend finally hooked his dream girl, things have been feeling... well, a little bit lonely in the Tap Cave.

So it is, that Gus has resolved himself to start getting out there more, making new friends... and who knows, maybe even finding a nice girl to spend a little Q-T with.

After his show is over.

Okay, maybe tomorrow... definitely by Saturday.

[ooc: Just setting it up, Gus is going to be a bit more active in Milliways post-move. Getting all revved up to meet people outside of his little social circle. Not sure if he'll be doing an EP yet, but he will definitely be active again.]