At long last, a rec set showing the awesomeness that is Shawn/Gus (Psych) [9 fics, 1 meta]
For my policy on things such as spoilers, warning, and ratings, please see [ my policy post].
At long last, here is my Shawn/Gus rec post! Sorry it took so long, on top of everything else, my bookmarks were even more nonexistent that normal, so it took some time to track things down. I'm also sure I missed some, being as how I am a forgetful Fish. But at the end of my nine fic recs there's a link to a nice meta which itself contains recs, so you have hope for even more fic. :)
I can't remember what's next on my to do list for reccing, I think it might be "Wincest I read despite being bothered by incest". Which, honestly, is a lot more fic than I had expected (I've already mentally broken it down into two sets) (what does this mean, boys and girls? It means I suck at abiding by my own boundaries when I hear the call of an interesting story. It also means I'm learning to use the back button.). But that one may or may not get interrupted by a Yuletide rec set. So I guess stay tuned for your standard upcoming random rec set?
Story: The Pilot of My Roflcopter, or, How to Get Into Burton Guster's Pants in 10 Days.
Author: trascendenza //
trascendenza
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus, PG-13, 2700 words
Author's Summary: (The one where Shawn talks like a lolcat to seduce Gus. Written for the [ commentathon] prompts "lolcat" and "go on a date with me.") “But, Guuuuuus,” Shawn whined. “I have this great idea I need to run by you, and we both know that you’re so much more receptive after the first wave of habanero endorphins kick in.”
My Notes: A newly written story, which is a bit rare in this pairing in this fandom (you'll notice a lot of these stories are from past Yuletides). This is funny and loving in that 'I'll pester you because I care' sort of way. And Shawn speaking in lolcat annoys Gus just as much as you thought it would, but the author also manages to sneak some good character/relationship exploration work by using that device, so good on her.
Story: Pretty Much A Humperdinck (at AOOO)
Author:
shrift // [shrift (on AOOO)]
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus, PG, 2600 words
Author's Summary: According to the rulebook of Shawn Spencer, once dibs are called there are no take backs. (Written for lgbtfest. LGBT Fest. Prompt: 1071. Psych, Burton Guster/Shawn Spencer, Gus and Shawn have been friends for life. When do they figure out they are more and how do their families react?)
My Notes: Shawn called dibs at age 5, it just took everyone else a bit longer to realise he meant it, including Gus. I love this idea and I love how the people's reactions change as the boys grow older while still being a lighthearted fic. I'm less of a fan of Shawn constantly making up lies to make Gus's dates dump him, but you have to admit that it's very in-character. It takes Gus quite a while to realise what's going on (i.e., really, just admit it and go with Shawn!) and I love that Shawn is patient with him through it (Shawn! Being patient! It must be love!)
Alternate links: [Pretty Much a Humperdinck (at DW)]
Story: Understudy (at AOOO)
Author: [kisahawklin]
Fandom, etc.: Psych, gen (with Shawn crushing on Gus a bit), G, 1049 words
First line: "Is this really necessary?" Gus asks, looking Shawn up and down dubiously. "I just wanted to practice my lines." // "You need it to get into character, Gus!" Shawn says, flipping the long brown hair of the wig over his shoulder and climbing the ladder into Gus's treehouse. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: A sweet story set in 1991 of the time when Gus was Romeo and Shawn had to be Juliet at the last minute. Feels in-character for the young boys (which mostly means I can see how they will become the men we know in the show and at the same time they feel younger).
Alternate links: [Understudy (at the old Yuletide severs)]
Story: Head Wounds Are Only Part of the Package (at AOOO)
Author: [everysecondtuesday (tuesday)]
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus, teen, 11K
Author's Summary: Shawn has problems with Gus's girlfriend. Namely, that it's serious and it's not with him. (The first time was an accident.)
My Notes: One of my favourite S/G stories. I find this one intensely believable. Gus's OFC girlfriend is a well-realised character. Gus is dating someone, Shawn realises (when he accidentally walks in on them having a romantic massage-- btw, did not trigger my embarrassment squick) that he is very jealous. Shawn and the girlfriend sort of work out a peace. And eventually it stops working and she tells him, 'look, just go for it, it'll make you both happier'. Shawn's characterisation is excellent here and his memory is used (and described!) well. The story is long enough that there is good, slow development.
Alternate links: [Head Wounds Are Only Part of the Package (at the old Yuletide severs)]
Story: Signs Point To
Author: Basingstoke
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus, adult, 1300 words
First line: Somehow, the argument started with Shawn admiring a fine female. He'd thought that was the kind of thing fathers and sons could do together, look at women, without it getting weird. But his dad was all... hurt or something. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: The one where it's Henry who yells at Shawn until he figures out what's up. Well, actually, he doesn't even figure it out, he brings his cell phone (with its perplexing text messages) to Gus who figures it out readily (oh a story where Gus has a clue before Shawn!) and Shawn figures it out somewhere around the kissing. There's really good Henry voice here and Shawn's done decently. In my opinion, the Gus here is a bit schmoopier than I think he is, but it's only a bit so it's tolerable.
Story: Unnamed comment ficlet (Shawn proposing through the years)
Author: chash (formerly chash) (writing journal: longsufferingly)
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus (or gen, if you read it that way), G, 1 comment long
Prompt: Psych, Shawn and Gus as an old married couple. Bickering. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: It starts in 2009 and continues through 2020 and it's just adorable snippets of dialogue (arguments, if you will) that are in-character. I love that this can be read either as slash or as gen (I have a preferred reading, certainly. But there've been times when I've read this after reading a bunch of gen and thus am used to seeing gen and have found it a delightfully banter-rich gen story.). I really love the strong affection between these two guys that runs through this story, without ever being sappy or schmoopy.
Story: Infatueighties
Author: skipmcgee
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus, rating, 2600 words
Author's Summary: “I can’t find Gus, he’s not anywhere and no one knows where he is and I can’t find him”.
My Notes: Gus gets kidnapped, Shawn freaks out. (This is not the story that has Shawn assuming Gus was kidnapped when he was just at a retreat or something.) Very well-written. This is not the standard light-hearted fanfic and you feel the tension of it, but there's sufficient time spent at the end (in the happy-ending place) that it isn't a depressing fic. The characterisations are believable.
Sequel: [ Down Like Four Flat Tires] is the sequel to Infatueighties, which I only just discovered existed right now! According to the author notes, this is really more like the prologue to a new story which is in the works, so I'm excited :) [ tag for Infatueighties 'verse]
Story: Just in Case
Author: epicycles
Fandom, etc.: Psych, gen, G, 500 words
First line: Shawn made a play for Gus once. [no author summary given, written for the cliche-bingo square of yearning or oblivousness.]
My Notes: This is different from your standard S/G fare, but it's lovely and believable all the same. I can completely believe this reaction from Shawn. Shawn and Gus are both very much in character in this. And if you'd like to let the story reveal itself, go and read. Or, if you want more clues as to what I'm blathering about, highlight the hidy-text: [ skip] Shawn in fine 14yo fashion, asks Gus out. Gus, with fine 14yo logic, turns him down. And Shawn remembers that (because he's Shawn) and tells himself that Gus is not interested. And yet in that small part of him he can't quite control, he still hopes, just a bit (even into the time of the show).
Story: Growing Pains
Author:
thingswithwings
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus, rated S for dork best friends having sex, 7300 words
Contains: [ skip] hoo boy. this is kind of complicated. contains parents spanking their children, and contains pre-pubescent children who have sexual desires and erotic/kinky thoughts. all sex occurs between consenting characters who are of age, and does include some light painplay/punishment.
Author's Summary: "It's a perfectly valid erotic identity, Shawn!"
My Notes: Sort of a Gus coming of age story. I like that the focus is on Gus here. There are also insights into Shawn, as is only fitting for two people who are in each others's lives as much as these two are. There are a couple of elements which are repeated through the story and seeing them and seeing how Gus changes (or doesn't) each time is a great way to see character development quickly.
livrelibre wrote up a meta titled [ Psych - Burton 'Gus' Guster - Essay, Links and Recs] at choc_fic. It has, as it says on the tin, lots of recs, some of which are Shawn/Gus. I only noticed this after I first promised to do this list, and I haven't had time to read through the fic titles which I don't recognise. But judging from the fic titles I do recognise, we have overlapping (but not identical) taste. So if you want more, may as well give a look through what's there :)
As always, if I have any inaccuracies, broken links, or missing info (especially podfics, DVD commentaries, and sequels/prequels), please let me know.
At long last, here is my Shawn/Gus rec post! Sorry it took so long, on top of everything else, my bookmarks were even more nonexistent that normal, so it took some time to track things down. I'm also sure I missed some, being as how I am a forgetful Fish. But at the end of my nine fic recs there's a link to a nice meta which itself contains recs, so you have hope for even more fic. :)
I can't remember what's next on my to do list for reccing, I think it might be "Wincest I read despite being bothered by incest". Which, honestly, is a lot more fic than I had expected (I've already mentally broken it down into two sets) (what does this mean, boys and girls? It means I suck at abiding by my own boundaries when I hear the call of an interesting story. It also means I'm learning to use the back button.). But that one may or may not get interrupted by a Yuletide rec set. So I guess stay tuned for your standard upcoming random rec set?
Story: The Pilot of My Roflcopter, or, How to Get Into Burton Guster's Pants in 10 Days.
Author: trascendenza //
trascendenza
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus, PG-13, 2700 words
Author's Summary: (The one where Shawn talks like a lolcat to seduce Gus. Written for the [ commentathon] prompts "lolcat" and "go on a date with me.") “But, Guuuuuus,” Shawn whined. “I have this great idea I need to run by you, and we both know that you’re so much more receptive after the first wave of habanero endorphins kick in.”
My Notes: A newly written story, which is a bit rare in this pairing in this fandom (you'll notice a lot of these stories are from past Yuletides). This is funny and loving in that 'I'll pester you because I care' sort of way. And Shawn speaking in lolcat annoys Gus just as much as you thought it would, but the author also manages to sneak some good character/relationship exploration work by using that device, so good on her.
Story: Pretty Much A Humperdinck (at AOOO)
Author:
shrift // [shrift (on AOOO)]
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus, PG, 2600 words
Author's Summary: According to the rulebook of Shawn Spencer, once dibs are called there are no take backs. (Written for lgbtfest. LGBT Fest. Prompt: 1071. Psych, Burton Guster/Shawn Spencer, Gus and Shawn have been friends for life. When do they figure out they are more and how do their families react?)
My Notes: Shawn called dibs at age 5, it just took everyone else a bit longer to realise he meant it, including Gus. I love this idea and I love how the people's reactions change as the boys grow older while still being a lighthearted fic. I'm less of a fan of Shawn constantly making up lies to make Gus's dates dump him, but you have to admit that it's very in-character. It takes Gus quite a while to realise what's going on (i.e., really, just admit it and go with Shawn!) and I love that Shawn is patient with him through it (Shawn! Being patient! It must be love!)
Alternate links: [Pretty Much a Humperdinck (at DW)]
Story: Understudy (at AOOO)
Author: [kisahawklin]
Fandom, etc.: Psych, gen (with Shawn crushing on Gus a bit), G, 1049 words
First line: "Is this really necessary?" Gus asks, looking Shawn up and down dubiously. "I just wanted to practice my lines." // "You need it to get into character, Gus!" Shawn says, flipping the long brown hair of the wig over his shoulder and climbing the ladder into Gus's treehouse. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: A sweet story set in 1991 of the time when Gus was Romeo and Shawn had to be Juliet at the last minute. Feels in-character for the young boys (which mostly means I can see how they will become the men we know in the show and at the same time they feel younger).
Alternate links: [Understudy (at the old Yuletide severs)]
Story: Head Wounds Are Only Part of the Package (at AOOO)
Author: [everysecondtuesday (tuesday)]
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus, teen, 11K
Author's Summary: Shawn has problems with Gus's girlfriend. Namely, that it's serious and it's not with him. (The first time was an accident.)
My Notes: One of my favourite S/G stories. I find this one intensely believable. Gus's OFC girlfriend is a well-realised character. Gus is dating someone, Shawn realises (when he accidentally walks in on them having a romantic massage-- btw, did not trigger my embarrassment squick) that he is very jealous. Shawn and the girlfriend sort of work out a peace. And eventually it stops working and she tells him, 'look, just go for it, it'll make you both happier'. Shawn's characterisation is excellent here and his memory is used (and described!) well. The story is long enough that there is good, slow development.
Alternate links: [Head Wounds Are Only Part of the Package (at the old Yuletide severs)]
Story: Signs Point To
Author: Basingstoke
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus, adult, 1300 words
First line: Somehow, the argument started with Shawn admiring a fine female. He'd thought that was the kind of thing fathers and sons could do together, look at women, without it getting weird. But his dad was all... hurt or something. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: The one where it's Henry who yells at Shawn until he figures out what's up. Well, actually, he doesn't even figure it out, he brings his cell phone (with its perplexing text messages) to Gus who figures it out readily (oh a story where Gus has a clue before Shawn!) and Shawn figures it out somewhere around the kissing. There's really good Henry voice here and Shawn's done decently. In my opinion, the Gus here is a bit schmoopier than I think he is, but it's only a bit so it's tolerable.
Story: Unnamed comment ficlet (Shawn proposing through the years)
Author: chash (formerly chash) (writing journal: longsufferingly)
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus (or gen, if you read it that way), G, 1 comment long
Prompt: Psych, Shawn and Gus as an old married couple. Bickering. [no author summary given.]
My Notes: It starts in 2009 and continues through 2020 and it's just adorable snippets of dialogue (arguments, if you will) that are in-character. I love that this can be read either as slash or as gen (I have a preferred reading, certainly. But there've been times when I've read this after reading a bunch of gen and thus am used to seeing gen and have found it a delightfully banter-rich gen story.). I really love the strong affection between these two guys that runs through this story, without ever being sappy or schmoopy.
Story: Infatueighties
Author: skipmcgee
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus, rating, 2600 words
Author's Summary: “I can’t find Gus, he’s not anywhere and no one knows where he is and I can’t find him”.
My Notes: Gus gets kidnapped, Shawn freaks out. (This is not the story that has Shawn assuming Gus was kidnapped when he was just at a retreat or something.) Very well-written. This is not the standard light-hearted fanfic and you feel the tension of it, but there's sufficient time spent at the end (in the happy-ending place) that it isn't a depressing fic. The characterisations are believable.
Sequel: [ Down Like Four Flat Tires] is the sequel to Infatueighties, which I only just discovered existed right now! According to the author notes, this is really more like the prologue to a new story which is in the works, so I'm excited :) [ tag for Infatueighties 'verse]
Story: Just in Case
Author: epicycles
Fandom, etc.: Psych, gen, G, 500 words
First line: Shawn made a play for Gus once. [no author summary given, written for the cliche-bingo square of yearning or oblivousness.]
My Notes: This is different from your standard S/G fare, but it's lovely and believable all the same. I can completely believe this reaction from Shawn. Shawn and Gus are both very much in character in this. And if you'd like to let the story reveal itself, go and read. Or, if you want more clues as to what I'm blathering about, highlight the hidy-text: [ skip] Shawn in fine 14yo fashion, asks Gus out. Gus, with fine 14yo logic, turns him down. And Shawn remembers that (because he's Shawn) and tells himself that Gus is not interested. And yet in that small part of him he can't quite control, he still hopes, just a bit (even into the time of the show).
Story: Growing Pains
Author:
thingswithwings
Fandom, etc.: Psych, Shawn/Gus, rated S for dork best friends having sex, 7300 words
Contains: [ skip] hoo boy. this is kind of complicated. contains parents spanking their children, and contains pre-pubescent children who have sexual desires and erotic/kinky thoughts. all sex occurs between consenting characters who are of age, and does include some light painplay/punishment.
Author's Summary: "It's a perfectly valid erotic identity, Shawn!"
My Notes: Sort of a Gus coming of age story. I like that the focus is on Gus here. There are also insights into Shawn, as is only fitting for two people who are in each others's lives as much as these two are. There are a couple of elements which are repeated through the story and seeing them and seeing how Gus changes (or doesn't) each time is a great way to see character development quickly.
livrelibre wrote up a meta titled [ Psych - Burton 'Gus' Guster - Essay, Links and Recs] at choc_fic. It has, as it says on the tin, lots of recs, some of which are Shawn/Gus. I only noticed this after I first promised to do this list, and I haven't had time to read through the fic titles which I don't recognise. But judging from the fic titles I do recognise, we have overlapping (but not identical) taste. So if you want more, may as well give a look through what's there :)
As always, if I have any inaccuracies, broken links, or missing info (especially podfics, DVD commentaries, and sequels/prequels), please let me know.