shelter_diner | Fic: Another Wonderful Day in Paradise (Reply)

Title: Another Wonderful Day in Paradise
Author:

fizzerbass
Pairing: Shaun/Zach
Rating: PG-13
Notes: I think I've dissected the end of the movie to death, so here's a blurb from the beginning. It's slightly AU because I introduced another character.
Disclaimer: The characters of Zach and Shaun belong to Jonah Markowitz and his movie Shelter. No harm is intended and no money is made. Believe me, no money is made.

Shaun wakes up to the same thing he fell asleep to last night: waves crashing on the beach. He can feel the sun beating through the windows, warming the bed to a point he’s grateful for the air conditioning. Opening his eyes slowly, he confirms what he already knows…it’s another fucking beautiful day in paradise.

Sighing, he pushes back the covers and swings his legs over the side of the bed. It’s been three days since he left Alec…three days since he packed up every single thing he owned and shoved it in the Volvo, stopping only long enough to put a forwarding order on his mail at the post office. No way in hell he wanted to go back to that apartment for anything…or anyone. He was through. Done. Finished. Alec was part of his past and was going to stay that way; no matter how many times the bastard didn’t call and apologize.

“Jesus, Shaun. When are you going to give up on that stupid writing fantasy and grow up for Christ’s sake?” Alec had never understood his need to write and never tried to, which was really ironic considering they meet at Shaun’s very first book signing. Alec freely admitted he wasn’t there to pick up Shaun’s book; rather, he was there to pick up Shaun after seeing his picture on the back cover of the book. He’d been so blindingly handsome and charming; Shaun had ignored the warning klaxons blaring in the back of his head and accepted his invitation for a drink. Drinks led to dinner, dinner led to a walk through the park, the walk through the park led to breakfast in bed the next morning and Shaun moved in two short weeks later.

‘Lazing another day away in bed, are we? Oh, that’s right. Writers don’t keep grown-up hours.’

Shaun winces as he stands and crosses to the bathroom, his ex-lover’s words rolling through his head and colliding head-on with the sick bottle of red he found in Larry’s wine cellar last night. Alec, at eight years older than Shaun, had often accused him of being young and immature and unable to hold his liquor…something he was willing to believe as he looked in the mirror over the sink. He was getting way too old to drink a whole bottle of wine by himself and not look like shit warmed over the next day…and feel like it, too.

Alec. Shaun runs a hand through his hair, grimacing at his reflection when he feels stubble tickling his palm. So he did really cut it all off last night, it wasn’t just a drunken dream. He’d had a crew-cut when he and Alec first got together and Alec had absolutely hated it, hated its lack of style. ‘Did you just get out of the military, Shaun? College? Well, then don’t you think the ‘high and tight’ is a little juvenile for someone of your age?’

Shaun turns his head side to side, surveying his barber skills and remembering how Alec had loved his hair longer, loved for Shaun to slick it back with gel to become his euro trash boyfriend, loved to grab a handful to rein him in from behind when they were fucking…and that right there had been reason enough to cut it all off. Granted, he probably should’ve waited until his blood was less than ninety-nine proof to yield the clippers, but all in all, he hadn’t done too terrible a job.

He hurries through his shower, trying to wash away the dregs of his hangover along with Alec’s condescending voice. Turning off the water, he grabs a towel and wraps it low on his hips before stepping out onto the cool tile. The gentle ocean breeze draws him to the open window and he stands there, brushing his teeth absently as the sun dries the drops of water glistening on his arms.

It really is a beautiful day outside. Families are staking out blanket-sized claims on the beach, happy children are throwing Frisbees and building sandcastles while their mothers trail behind them, zinc-oxide in hand. ‘Children, Shaun? No, thank you. They don’t fit into my lifestyle, and honestly, I really don’t believe they’ll fit into yours. How will you ever hole up in your writing cave if young Junior needs to be fed and bathed, hmm?’

Tossing his toothbrush on the counter, he throws his towel haphazardly on the bench by his bed and puts on his bathing suit, resisting the impulse to pair a t-shirt with it. Alec abhorred Shaun walking around shirtless, said it made him feel like he was living in a low-rent Turkish bath. ‘Shirt please, Shaun. This isn’t a locker room.’

“Fuck you, Alec” he mutters to himself as he pads down the stairs, hoping cereal and coffee will make this fucking beautiful day in paradise a little easier to face. He pours himself a bowl from the first box he grabs when he enters the kitchen, noises from the back patio drawing his attention as he adds the milk. Fucking beautiful. Now he has to deal with some bozo wandering up from the beach in search of a bathroom.

He steps outside to investigate, finding Gabe’s friend Zach putting down a serious layer of wax on his long board. Shaun breathes a sigh of relief as he watches the younger man’s shoulders bunch and dance, his hips swaying along with his upper body movements as he swirls the paraffin this way and that. Zach, he can handle. Zach, he knows how to deal with. “I thought your ghetto ass would be done breaking and entering by now.”

Zach whips his head around, guilty surprise quickly turning into a smartass grin. “Then change the code, bitch.”

Shaun snorts, both at Zach’s remark and the blinding smile he’s flashing. “What, are you gonna tag the garage next?”

“That may not go over.” Zach steps away from his board and closer to Shaun. “Ya’ know, with the Pacific Bluff Homeowners Agreement, wouldn’t want to set your Dad in trouble with the Board.”

“Stepdad.” Shaun responds, his knee-jerk reaction to the thought of Larry being his real father.

Zach hesitates, seemingly unsure of his welcome. “I…left…my long board here.”

Shaun extends his hand, doing a good job not to drop his bowl as Zach grabs it and holds on, sending a jolt of electricity straight up to his shoulder. “It’s cool. How ya’ doin’, man?”

“Good, good, ya’ know?”

Zach licks his lips nervously and Shaun finds himself staring. He’s taller than Shaun remembers, his shoulders broader, his voice deeper…his eyes definitely more blue. “So, I haven’t seen you since, like, your graduation. What’ve you been up to?”

“Nothing…working, ya’ know? How ‘bout you?”

“Oh, I’m just down for a few weeks. House is empty...I can enjoy it, clear my head a little bit.” Shaun’s pleasantly amazed at how casual he sounds…how carefree…as if he wasn’t down here drinking away his bruised and battered heart.

“I thought you hated it down here?”

Shaun’s stomach does a slow flip as Zach smirks in his direction and he quickly turns his head to look out at the beach, blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. “I miss the ocean.”

“Dude. You live in L.A.”

The mention of the place he lived with Alec tumbling so innocently out of Zach’s mouth gives him pause. “I don’t paddle out there.”

“You…wanna go?”

“Surfing?”

“Uh…yeah.”

Shaun laughs along with Zach, trying to hide his surprise. He hasn’t surfed in years because, of course, Alec hated surfing, hated the ocean in general unless it happened to be outside the window of a five-star restaurant. ‘You surf? Really? As in ‘hang ten’ and ‘gnarly, dude’? How…quaint.’

He can’t even remember the last time he’s been out on his board…feet dangling in the water as the sun warms his back, eyes scanning the horizon, looking for the next perfect wave to carry him away. With a start, he realizes he really does miss the ocean…really does miss surfing…and he most definitely wouldn’t mind spending an afternoon with Zach. “I suppose there’s still a few things I could teach you.”

“Ohhh…”

Shaun hears the skepticism in Zach’s voice and pulls out his best Kung Fu Master imitation. “You’ll soon learn, Butterfly.”

“Perhaps Master underestimates Student.” Zach answers in the same tone before laughing and challenging, “Bring it on, City Boy.”

Shaun chuckles as they fall into their familiar banter, feeling the first hint of happiness enter his heart and crowd out the Alec-aftershocks. Old emotions awaken within him and take hold, turning themselves into something new, something different…something exciting.

He smiles to himself as he squeezes past Zach with his board to get it ready to ride; thinking today just may very well turn out to be another fucking beautiful day in paradise.