Y/N finds out that Shawn calls her princess because of his inability to get over his ex, whom he also called princess.
Very angsty
Word Count: 4K
-
“Hello princess.”
A pair of warm lips presses against Y/N’s forehead. The second she feels the light from the window glare through onto her tired eyes, she rushes to lift the sheets onto her face to hide herself from the painful rays.
Shawn laughs at her actions, swiftly lifting them before climbing in under the sheets right next to her. He grabs at her waist, and just as she thinks he’s about to pull her into him like he always does, he instead squeezes at her sides, making her laugh and jump up out of the sheets.
“Shawn!” She squeals, grabbing the nearest pillow to hit at him with the fluffy material. He flinches at the crisp material thudding against his bare chest, grabbing the pillow under his head and sitting up. He’s wearing nothing but his boxers, allowing Y/N to admire the tattoos along his arms.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He raises the pillow in his grasp. Y/N widens her eyes, slowly backing away from the bed and then quickly sprinting into the restroom before Shawn can catch up to her.
“I’ll get you back princess!”
-
Y/N is flipping pancakes on the stove, spatula in one hand and the handle of the pan in the other as she focuses on turning the pancakes golden brown. The smell of buttery goodness fills the air and her stomach grumbles.
“Something smells fucking amazing.” Shawn declares as he jogs out of his bedroom, finally wearing some shorts but still lacking a shirt. Y/N didn’t mind, though.
“Morning princess.” He lays a kiss to her lips, their lips making a small smacking sound as they both pull apart. Y/N smells the scent of coconut body wash on him, the same kind she’s just recently purchased and placed in his bathroom.
“Shawn, did you use my body wash?” She humors. Looking behind her, she realizes he stands frozen, the water bottle he was going to drink out of frozen in mid air as he searches for words to speak.
“…no?” He tries to reason, even though they both already know the answer to her question.
“You’re adorable.” She presses on, poking at his toned stomach before turning back around to flip at her pancakes.
When she pours the last of the batter into the pan, she throws the dirty bowl into the sink to be washed later. Shawn leans onto the counter, eyes switching from admiring her to flicking onto his phone.
“Do you have any plans today?” He asks, breaking the comfortable silence. Y/N watched bubbles form on the uncooked side of the pancakes and begins lifting the edges of the floppy disk up.
“No, I think I finished all of my homework yesterday. Why?”
Shawn leans forward, wrapping one arm around her waist as he elaborates, “My friends are hosting a little get together, and Brian can’t have it at his place because his brother is coming into town. I thought maybe I could host it here? Unless you’d be uncomfortable with that. In which case I definitely won’t.”
Y/N is quick to respond, “No, Shawn, it’s your place. Of course you can host it here, you shouldn’t even have to ask.” She smiles, tilting her head up to stare at him. He nudges their noses together softly and Y/N almost feels like awwing at his cuteness.
“I can’t wait for you to meet my friends.” He tells her, his lips brushing against hers at their proximity. She lets out a hum of approval, tilting her head forwards to flip the final pancake. She figures the remaining heat from the pan will cook it, and reaches forward to switch the heat off.
After she flops the final pancake onto the stack, she walks over to place it in the center of the table. She grabs the pitcher of syrup from the counter, and sits in the heavy chair that she’s sure probably costed an unreasonable amount.
“So what are they like?” She asks. Shawn raises an eyebrow, looking at her in confusion before she elaborates.
“Your friends, tell me about them.”
Shawn’s face quickly switches in realization as he smiles and begins speaking.
“Well they’re the best. I mean, i’ve been friends with them since I was practically a baby. Brian, Matt, and Ian all go to Trent. And they can be just a tad bit stupid, but so can all college guys, so just forgive them if they act a little off.”
“They may bring some of their own college friends who I don’t even know, but if they’re anything like the boys they’ll be cool with whatever.”
Y/N giggles, cutting into her stack of syrup soaked pancakes before replying, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a bit nervous.”
“You’re amazing baby, I know they’ll love you.” He reaches across the table, one hand lifting a forkful of pancakes up to his lips as the other grips her slim fingers in his own. She reaches for the can of whipped cream, spraying some all over her pancakes and then pressing the nozzle onto her lips and spraying some into her mouth.
He leans across the table, long legs making him able to press his lips to here that are lined with whipped cream.
“You missed a spot, princess.”
-
People start crowding in at around 7. A few boys show up with two six packs of beer and some glass bottles of different colored liquids. Y/N stands near the kitchen counter, lingering as everyone converses. They all know each other, and Shawn’s disappeared into the crowd of people, so Y/N shyly sips at the glass of bitter liquid in front of her.
Most of his friends, including Shawn, seem to be seated on the couch, laughing away at their old high school memories. Just as they’re done discussing a particular high school hockey game, she notices Shawn motioning towards her.
Not knowing what else to do, she walks over to where he’s seated on the couch, resting her hands on his relaxed shoulders.
“We met a few months ago and I didn’t grow the balls to ask her out until a month ago, she’s kind so don’t try to corrupt her like I know you all will do.” He shoots a playful glare at his friends and they let out friendly insults towards him.
“Nice to meet you.” She pathetically and awkwardly waves, immediately cursing herself after. Shawn grabs at her hands on his shoulders, pulling them forwards to kiss one of her knuckles before intertwining his fingers with hers around his neck.
The two of them stay like that for a while. Shawn’s friends talk about a number of subjects, Starting from Ian’s first kiss in 6th grade, to the time Brian got drunk for the first time and threw up the next day in one of the biology beakers from his hangover. Y/N laughs along with them, not conversing but absorbing the moment. She hears a small buzzing sound and her eyes shoot down to where Shawn’s phone is buzzing from a phone call.
“Excuse me gentlemen.” Shawn says, lifting himself from the center of the leather couch while using Ian and Matt’s knees for support.
“I’ll be right back, princess.” He tells Y/N, leaning forward to give her a peck on the lips. She lingers on the way how lips are soft, and slightly tainted with the taste of cheap beer.
When he walks away, she notices two girls at the corner of the room shooting her a confused look while talking amongst each other. She notices that the look doesn’t look disgusted, or angry, just simply confused.
She walks to the kitchen area, trying to wash the regrettable taste of whiskey off of her lips. Just as she’s poured herself a glass of water, one of the girls from before walks into the kitchen.
“Would you mind pouring me a glass as well?” She asks politely. She’s beautiful, short brown locks framing her small face perfectly. Her baggy button up shirt is fashionably tucked into her baggy jeans.
“No problem.” Y/N smiles, she could use a friend, especially one who was close to Shawn as well. She knew she’d be going to more of these ‘get togethers’ (excuses for friends to get drunk and talk about the dumb things they did in high school), and it would be good if she had people aside from her own thoughts to interact with.
She quickly fills a clear glass with water, handing it over to the girl who towers over her by a few inches.
“Y/N? I think your name was?” She asks, making small talk.
Y/N takes a sip of her drink, “Yeah, I don’t think I caught your name though.”
“Oh, it’s fine.” She laughs, “I’m Leah. And I was going to say I love your name, it’s beautiful.” She compliments sweetly. Y/N smiles, thanking her before asking her how she’s doing.
“Oh, m’alright. Finals week is really kicking everyone’s ass but I finished last week so i’m just a little less stressed than everyone else.” Y/N nods, her having studies for upwards of five hours the day before. Luckily Shawn had made her dinner, and reminded her to eat between study breaks.
They continue talking to each other about simple things. Y/N learns Leah was one of Shawn’s close friends from back home, and Leah dishes on all of the embarrassing things Shawn did as a child. She talks about the time he fell off of the tree that was in the playground of the elementary school, and how all the other kids praised him for his bravery. About how they all called him curly for a year in high school from the change in his hair, something he hates remembering.
“Shawn’s the sweetest. Did I tell you about the time he accidentally dropped an entire cake on Belle? It was their anniversary too, poor thing.” She laughs, “Probably why she dumped him.”
Y/N laughs initially, the realization not hitting her yet. But then she backtracks on Leah’s words and she can’t help but question, “Belle?”
Leah, who’s clearly just a bit tipsy as she’s been sipping on gin all night, answer quickly “Yeah, the model girl Shawn dated. Really kind, brunette, models in LA.”
Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, her thoughts jumbling up. As far as she was concerned, she’d never heard of Shawn dating a girl named Belle before. She was familiar with Lauren, his first real girlfriend, and she was familiar with his publicity relationships and his flings, but not with this girl.
“You know, I assumed he had a type. She was so incredibly nice and he’d always be wrapping his arms around her and PDA-ing at all of our get togethers. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t adorable, really reminds me of you two actually.” Y/N knows Leah doesn’t mean to deepen her confusion, as she continues to senselessly ramble without knowing what she’s saying.
“Weird. Shawn’s never mentioned her to me.” Y/N quietly says, staring at the floor tiles and shuffling with her sock clad feet. Shawn hadn’t ever even mentioned the name before.
“I think we were all a bit surprised when he mentioned he’d been dating a girl for a whole month. Belle dumped him, what was it? 2 months ago I think?” She sips at her glass again, “He was devastated, Brian told me he even thought he loved her.”
Leah reaches for a different glass, one with a caramel colored liquid and she pours it into what was initially her water glass, “Want a pour?” She asks hazily. Y/N shakes her head, her mind hurting from processing all of the new information.
“I’ve never heard of her before.” Y/N doesn’t want to face the facts but it seems as if they’re laid out right in front of her. She can’t help it when her stomach twists up into knots, soaking up the information.
He’d started talking to her around two months ago. They’d become official in just a month, Y/N knew that there was no way he would’ve completely gotten over a girl in that time, especially one who seemed that serious.
“And he calls you princess too, that was so…” Leah stumbles on her words, slurring a bit, “…confusing”
“Why’s that?” Shawn had called her that for as long as she remembered. She could recall him opening the door to his jeep for her on the first date and calling her by the name, could remember him sneaking up behind her on dates and calling her that name.
“Well, you see Belle is the name of a Disney princess. Belle loved those movies, that’s why he called her that.” Leah explains, and Y/N can feel her heart practically break. She doesn’t want to believe it, really doesn’t, but she can’t help herself.
“He even took her to Disney world for her birthday. He’d call her that so much that people would think her name was actually princess.” Leah laughs to herself, “And it’s like…like..you two are so similar and now he calls you that too?” Her eyebrows raise, “Awkward.”
Y/N doesn’t listen to any more before shuffling quickly out of the kitchen into the living room where his friends are all drunkenly singing along to some song on his couch. Her fingers are shaking with fear, and she tries not to showcase it by tucking her hands into her pockets.
“Have any of you seen Shawn?” She asks, and all of them are too inebriated to give her an answer. They continue either talking, laughing a bit too loudly, or singing along to the out of date song.
“Haven’t seen him since he picked up that phone call.” Geoff tells her, his arm around a skinny blonde woman. They seem to be sober enough to keep their minds intact, and Y/N walks towards the door to Shawn’s bedroom, hearing his voice speak.
She stops, pressing her ear onto the crack of the door softly.
“I thought you would be here”
Y/N isn’t sure who he’s talking to, but she mentally battles inside her head whether she should barge in or not. On one hand, her mind is practically exploding with thought, but on the other, she wants to talk with her boyfriend to discuss things with him.
“You’re in Toronto right? When do you go back to LA?”
She snaps out of her thoughts, listening in more intently on his conversation. She knows she shouldn’t be doing this, eavesdropping on her boyfriend’s conversation, but she catches herself looking for answers.
“Princess, everyone wants you here.” She hears him say and her heart breaks just a little bit. She unwillingly feels tears well up in her eyes, hand shooting up to her head as she feels herself getting worked up.
“Belle I miss you.” She hears through the doorway and she knows there’s no way what Leah said was wrong. She hopes she misheard what she said, wnts to wish for the best. She thinks any tragic event would be better than what she feels right now, but instead she scrunches her hands up in her hair, tangling it up as she lets a tear fall.
Leaning her body against the door to his room, she slides down it. Her back presses against the cool wood and she doesn’t want to cry, really doesn’t want to let her tears fall, especially on the night when she’s meeting his friends for the first time but it all hits her at once.
She was a rebound.
It was clearly there to see, and now Y/N understands. She notices why, of all the times he’d walked into the bookstore she studied at, he chose that one to ask her out. She understood why he was so incredibly kind to her, so understanding and caring. She knew now why he’d chosen her of all the girls he could possibly have. Because she was easy.
She cries as she remembers every moment they shared. It all makes sense, that time he asked if she wanted to have a Disney movie marathon. She thought he was being sweet, but instead he was selfishly bathing in his own fantasy of what he used to have.
“Princess, you’re the only girl who’s made me feel this way.”
She can’t help but think he closed his eyes, not to bask in the moment, but to pretend the girl he was saying those words to wasn’t her.
“Princess, you’re my favorite person.”
Right after they’d been intimate for the first time, she remembered him gently caressing where her back met her neck, cradling her in his arms. She imagines that’s what he must’ve done with someone else, someone he probably really loved.
She doesn’t have time to think, however, because the door abruptly opens from behind her and she last minute pushes herself up by her hands, sitting on the ground as Shawn towers over her, startled.
“Y/N, what are you doing here?” Hs eyes are wide as he studies her expression carefully, and his features turn to concern.
“Princess, are you crying? What happened?”
Princess.
Y/N almost scoffs. In fact, she would scoff if it weren’t for how dry her throat was from all of the sobbing.
“Belle, huh?” She croaks out, lifting herself off the ground to stand in front of him. She sees Shawn noticeably gulp and she lets herself dribble a few more tears. She knew his answer at that point.
“Was I just a rebound?” She asks quietly, her eyes looking anywhere but at him. They’re bloodshot, and there are tear stains on her navy shirt as she questions him.
“Of course not. Let me explain, you know I wouldn’t do that to you.” He grabs at her hands, trying to uncross them from her chest.
“Princess, pl-”
“Don’t fucking call me that!” Y/N snaps, flinging her arms forward to shake off his grasp. Shawn steps back startled, because he’d never seen his girlfriend act that way towards him before. She was always more quiet. She cared for other people, and seemingly never got angry, no matter how much she had the right to be.
“Don’t call me that when-” She gasps for air through her sobs, “Don’t c-call me that when you only do b-because of h-her.” She swipes at her tears with the back of her hand.
Shawn’s heart breaks in front of him. He’d gotten off the call with Belle, yes. And he’d said he missed her, yes. But he only invited her so he could tell her in person she didn’t hold a place in his heart anymore. For the past week, she’d been trying to contact him to get back together with him, but Shawn knew that what he had with Y/N was undeniably special. So he’d invited her, yes, and he’d told her he missed her, yes, because he did, but he didn’t miss her to get back together with her. He missed her because he needed to talk to her. To tell her that she shouldn’t call anymore, and to perhaps show her that he was happy with someone else.
He never meant for Y/N to find out this way, or at all. His palms can’t help but sweat a bit as he sees her crying in front of him because he doesn’t know how to fix it. He doesn’t know how to explain to her that, while at first, he did use her to get over someone else in a twisted, devious way, that he had fallen for her completely in the process.
“I feel horrible, Shawn.” She sniffles, fists uncurling and curling again at her sides, a tactic she uses to try not to cry.
“You used me, and when that wasn’t enough you tried to pretend like I was her to make yourself feel better.” She grips her teeth into her bottom lip, something Shawn would find attractive and adorable normally, but something that stresses him out now.
“Let me explain, please, you have to let me explain. Let me talk to you.” He reaches forward to hold her but she flinches and backs away.
“Please, I-”
She cuts him off, “And if that wasn’t enough, you proceeded to fucking - to just lie to me about the whole thing? As if I wouldn’t find out? As if I wouldn’t find out that you call me princess because of her and that you dated me because of her and watched Disney movies with me, because of her?” There’s venom in her words as she fires at him.
“What can I do? Tell me what I can do to fix this?” His voice quiets and he practically whimpers when he talks to her. He knows she’ll leave, and that’s the last thing he wants, especially after being dumped carelessly by Belle, he doesn’t want to lose someone else he genuinely cares about, especially from his own actions.
“I thought you liked me.” She pathetically squeaks out, almost laughing to herself, “I actually thought you were different.”
Turning around, she immediately struts back to the living room to grab her purse and leave. Shawn races right behind her, and when his friends notice the tears streaming across her face and the puffy red skin on her cheeks, they all quiet down their drunken chatter.
“Please don’t leave.” Shawn calls out behind her, tears matching her own. His friends noticeably widen their eyes. Even when him and Belle had broken up he never publicly cried in front of everyone else. In fact, he hadn’t publicly cried at all, really. It was more of him sulking for a bit before he looked for ways to get over her.
Meeting Y/N had made him realize that relationships weren’t supposed to be constant adventure, but were also supposed to be a certain level of comfort. Something she provided to him when she actually listened, and showcased her care for him.
“It was nice meeting you all. I don’t think i’ll be coming back here though.” She tries to smile past puffy cheeks and swollen eyes, slipping on her shoes and trying to open the door. When she swings it bac, she sees Shawn reach out to stop the door from opening fully.
“You’re not her, you’re better. Let me explain.” He asks her, and he receives an answer when she walks out of the condo and lets the door click right behind her.
