requested by shawnNOTmendes !! i can't believe i delayed publishing this one for so long. im super sorry boo :(( hope you enjoy it though! xx
***
The tinted car slows to a halt on the far side of the large, two-story house at the very end of the suburban cul-de-sac. There was a towering basketball hoop right off the driveway, along with dried popsicle sticks scattered across the sidewalk, which gave off a family-friendly textured vibe.
You turn to face your boyfriend in the driver's seat, who pulls the keys out of the ignition swiftly-- stopping the radio music that was softly humming-- and slips them into his pocket.
You clear your throat, bringing your hands together on your lap and twiddling with your clammy fingers.
"Shawn?" you pipe up.
He immediately averts his eyes to meet yours, their chocolate brown reflecting off the afternoon sunlight leaking through the cracked window. "Yes, pumpkin?"
"Are you.. um, are you sure we're ready for this?"
He raises his eyebrows, then furrows them back down, scrutinizing you from head to toe. "Ready for what, exactly?"
"Me," you respond bluntly, "you know, meeting your family. I just feel like it's a big step."
He shrugs, tugging at the hem of his inky charcoal tee to even it out over his toned, muscular body. "If you interpret it that way, sure. But Y/N, to be completely honest with you, they've always really liked the tons and tons of girlfriends that I bring home. In fact, just last week I was h--"
"Shawn," you place two fingers on his shoulders, resisting the sudden urge to smack his rosy koko cheek. "I hate you, you know? I just mean, like, we haven't even been going out for that long-- it's only been about a month. Like, what if they start asking questions that I don't know the answer to?"
"Honey," he scoffs, "it's not a gameshow. There's no prize money at stake. It's just lunch, Y/N. You'll be fine."
"What if it doesn't go well?"
He reaches across the console and grips your knuckle tightly in his palm, before raising it steadily to his delicate, coral lips and planting a single kiss there.
His eyes locked on yours, he lushly whispers, "then you still have me and you'll win them over later."
Suddenly, you were aware of your desire to not leave the car.
He glimpses at your sweater-and-jeans clad body hurriedly then returns to your eyes, grinning. "You look like a million bucks, by the way. Absolutely stunning, my darling. What's not to love?"
You meant what you said about the two of you not being together for very long. In fact, this was the first time you'd even been to his house. There was so much you didn't know about each other, but everything you learned, you knew you really liked. It was all a matter of time.
You walked through the tall, cherrywood front door into an entry way with carpeted stairs. There was a modern-looking chandelier hanging over you a few feet up, and a thin rug to cover the dark, hard wood floor. It smelt as maple syrup-- a scent you knew your nose had to be stereotyping on its own, but it was true. Maple syrup. A scent that anyone in this country could easily pick out like a hound dog.
"We're here!" Shawn calls out, placing a hand on the small of your back as he guides you down the hallway into the kitchen.
A middle aged blonde woman was standing at the sink, slicing cucumbers with a silver kitchen knife into a bowl. There was another girl, much younger-- you assumed it was Shawn's little sister-- sitting at one of the barstools plopping grapes into her mouth.
The blonde woman turns her head over her shoulder, giving Shawn a warm, welcoming smile before averting to you.
"Oh hey," she greets kindly, turning off the sink and ringing her wet hands over the drain before completely drying them with a dish towel. She spins around, stepping towards you and outstretching her arm to shake hands, "you must be--"
Suddenly, she stops cold, her hand dropping to her side. Her gaze was fixed solely on you, eyes unwavering. She squints, then her round eyes go wide.
"Y/N," she finishes.
Shawn clears his throat, trying to make a stand in the awkwardness, as he reaches out to touch his mum's shoulder. "Is everything okay? Do you two know each other?"
She faces Shawn then, biting her lip. You could easily see the resemblance between the two of them.
"Everything's fine," she forces a small smile, already pulling Shawn into the living room as she mumbles something about needing to speak to him in private.
Soon enough, you were alone. You glance at Shawn's sister, Aaliyah, whom he talks about nonstop. She shrugs and eats another grape, then drums on the countertop and says, "mum's not usually so weird."
You laugh lightly and walk around the counter, pulling out another one of the barstools and easing into it. You rest your chin in the palm of your hands and sigh.
"I knew I was so not ready for this. She probably already hates me."
"Shut up," Aaliyah scoffs, flicking her dark hair over her shoulder. "She doesn't hate anyone. She probably just thought you.. looked familiar."
You speak in a low, exhausted monotone, glancing up at her again in hopes to change the subject, "so do you live with your dad?"
She grabs another red grape, shaking her head quickly. "Nah, our parents separated when Shawn was like, a baby, so I've never actually met him. Mum says he lives somewhere around town though."
"Has Shawn talked to him since the divorce?" you question.
"I don't think so," she shrugs again. "I do know that he remarried, though. Apparently him and his new wife had a kid. I wouldn't even be surprised if he didn't even know that I was born."
"That's awful," you make a face. "I'm sorry for getting in on a touchy subject or whatever. Just curious."
"You're fine," she smiles, moving from grapes to cubed cheese on the plastic tray sitting in front of her. "What about you? What's your family like?"
Just as you opened your mouth to speak, Shawn and his mum reenter the kitchen, and you shift uncomfortably in your seat at his unsettling gaze.
"Hey," he bites his lip, straightening his shoulders. "Your last name is Y/L/N, right?"
You nod slowly. "...Right?"
He turns back to his mum, who was also looking strange and uncanny, standing still by the sink.
He looks up at you again, stepping closer as he mumbles softly, "She's right, then."
"Who's right?" You press your lips together, looking back and forth between the two of them. "About what? What's going on?"
Shawn looks anxious and uneasy as he runs his eyes with his fingers, sighing softly. You couldn't deny the strange look in his eyes as he digs his teeth into his quivering lip.
"You're my half-sister, Y/N."
***
ok so basically like Shawn's mum & dad get together and she takes his name (Y/L/N), they have shawn but then get divorced, so his mum and shawn go back to her maiden name (Mendes).
his dad gets remarried & they have you, which is why you go by a different last name.
aaliyah, I suppose, was an accident or something (use your imagination. I don't want to set the story here, but I wanted her to be apart of it).
ANYWAYS OMG I AM SO STOKED FOR TREAT YOU BETTER WBY