A/N: For arashi-wolf-princess for her birthday, from vampygurl402. Happy birthday. I do not own Scooby-Doo, or any other copy-righted stuff in this. Heck, I don't even own the story, I was prompted.
Daphne
Fred and I don't usually go out. And usually when we do its usually something that he wants to do, but I'm not too excited about. Like seeing "Pacific Rim." He was all excited and told me for several weeks in advance that we were going. He pre-ordered our tickets and even bought a shirt with a giant jaeger on it. Through the whole movie he was giggling and squealing like a teenage girl. I guess this was payback for my shopping trips, but at least when the two of us went shopping, I always gave him the option to not go.
The only reason I don't complain is that he has good intentions. He gets really excited about something, and he so he wants to enjoy it with me. That's not such a bad thing, in fact, its really sweet. He can be very sweet, just often times he's too busy to show it.
So when he took me to a fancy restaurant, (even picked me up in his dad's car and not his beat up convertible) I was a little suspicious. He was nervous as well, he must have asked me where I got my dress about fifteen times. College has been well for the both of us. Well, it does help that our parents help a lot (his parents as well as mine, well, they may be a little well off). I'm proud of Freddy though, he's always telling me that once he becomes a lawyer he'll pay his dad back. That's one of the reasons he has that beat up old car, he bought it entirely with his own money.
It was over the main course that he broke the big news.
"I was accepted," he breathed quickly.
"Where?" I asked.
"Into my dad's alma matter."
"Oh? Pencley Law?"
"Yeah." He nervously moved around his pasta.
"Hey, what's wrong? You've been nervous all night."
"I just-" He looked over at the table to the right, then right into my eyes. Such nice blue eyes. "It's almost three hours away by car."
"Well, Velma and Shaggy are going to schools in different states, if they can make it work, we can."
"No, no, it's more than that."
"Come on Freddy, tell me, what's going on?"
I could tell he'd prepared a speech, but not well. He kept correcting himself and stammering. Yup, this was my man. The lawyer. The jist was that he loved me and that he was really happy with how things were going. He was proud of me for doing what I love and paving my own way, making my life. He said that he was also making his own life. He put his hands in his pockets.
"I'm just- the one thing I want in my life besides a career, is someone to share my success with."
"Well, I'm glad I'm here to celebrate your acceptance, its start of your new life Fred."
His ears started to turn red like they do when he's stressed or nervous. Or both.
"I didn't invite you here to talk about Pencey."
"Then what did you-" My heart was beating fast when his phone ring. He was obviously distressed when he looked at the number.
"I'm so sorry Daph, I have to take this. It's my professor."
"I understand."
He stepped away from the table and took the phone call by the bathroom. I picked at my fish. I wasn't much for seafood, but I had originally felt adventurous at the beginning of the night. Now I had lost my appetite. I began to be even more stressed when I saw that I had spilled some of the sauce from the fish on the front of my dress. It was new, and I'd bought it just for tonight. Fred came back over while I was wiping it off.
"What does he want?" I asked, genuinely interested.
"He wants me to come over to his office right away. All of the kids in my group are going."
"I understand."
"I don't want to go, but- he's my mentor."
"I understand Fred, it's fine."
He put his head in his hands as he sat down.
"This wasn't how tonight was supposed to go."
"I understand, we'll just have to do it again."
His phone rang again and he was jolted from his self-pity.
"It's my buddy, he's probably asking for a ride there. I love you Daph,' He said as he kissed my cheek. "I'll get the check and then I'll drive you home."
The maitre-d asked if we wanted doggy bags, but neither of us were hungry. Fred drove me home and gave me a long kiss goodnight, saying he'd text me when he was done. I wouldn't count on it being until maybe midnight, this crowd could go all night if the human body didn't demand rest. When he left he was grumbling about having to take the car back to his dad's and then be driven to his apartment complex to get his car and change. Then go get his buddy, then get to his professor's office and he'd be late and grumble, grumble, grumble.
I lived alone, I'd had a roommate, but she'd moved into her boyfriend's place and now I was still in the process of looking for someone to room with again. I won't lie, since I was graduating in a few months, and Freddy was finishing up his pre-law degree, I was hoping maybe we could move our relationship to the next level. That is, I was hoping he would ask me to move in with him, maybe even propose to me.
But what did he want me to go tonight about? Was it to ask me to move in? To propose? Or, what if- No, no that couldn't be it. He wouldn't break up with me. Would he? He was really upset about how he was going to be almost half a state away. I was getting distressed.
There was really only one thing to do when I got distressed: consult the most level-headed person I know.
Velma
Daphne really could not have called at a more inconvenient time. I was visiting Coolsville for the weekend. I was at Shaggy's. I really hope I don't need to explain more about why it was an issue that Daphne called.
Shaggy placed kissed on my skin as I tried to talk to Daphne.
"Stop it," I said, covering the receiver as I talked.
"Sorry, you're just so beautiful, it's too tempting," he said as he nestled his face into my hair and wrapped his arms tighter around my waist.
"Is that Shaggy?" asked Daphne.
I blushed, pure red. I wasn't ashamed of what I was doing, nor was I ashamed of Shaggy. It was more that I'm a very private person, and this, what Shaggy and I had, was private. "Yes," I breathed. "Say Hi to Daphne, Shaggy."
"Hey Daph," he called.
"So, what are you crazy kids up to?" She asked, in a knowing voice.
"We're playing board games and braiding each other's hair," I said sarcastically. "Oh, and reading poetry to each other."
"Can't forget the poetry," said Shaggy.
"You're overreacting Daph, why would Freddy break up with you?" I asked. She had explain her and Fred's romantic evening in less than relevant detail.
"Freddy's breaking up with Daphne?" asked Shaggy. I shushed him.
"Well, he got accepted to Pencey Law," she said.
"That's great!" I said.
"What's great?" Asked Shaggy. I shushed him.
"Yeah, but it's three hours away."
"Well if he breaks up with you because he's going to school three hours away he's either stupid or there's an even bigger reason that he's hiding from you. Considering that it's Freddy, I'm opting for the former," I said. "And you don't even know if he is breaking up with you. He could've been asking any number of things."
"So what should I do?"
"Well, its up to you, but I suggest you calm down and go to bed. Fred will tell you when he's ready, and if it's really important, he'll tell you as soon as possible."
"Should I ask him what he wanted to tell me?"
"Yeah, but the next time you meet up with him and don't right away."
"Alright, then Vel, you're the best." I hated that nickname, "Vel", it made me feel like a prep. Daphne knew this, she didn't care.
We hung up and Shaggy distracted me again.
"What's going on with Daph and Fred?" He asked
"Oh nothing, Fred got accepted into the Law school he's been drooling over since junior year of high school. Daphne's worried he'll break up with her because it's a ways away," I said and Shaggy kissed my bare skin.
"Oh, well, I'm glad Fred got into Pencey."
"He's moving three hours away, can you imagine?" I asked, sardonically. I was going to Lawndale College almost six hours away in light traffic. Shaggy had just graduated several months ago from Coolsville University. We were in the process of deciding whether or not he should move to Lawndale with me, and if he did, what would he do for work.
"Yes I can," he said and held me close, his face buried into my bare shoulder. "Velma I missed you so much." I could feel my eyes go misty and I could tell he was a little teary eyed as well.
"I missed you too Norville," I said, running my fingers through the hair that he got his name for.
He laughed through the tender moment. "Don't call me Norville, it's Shaggy."
Several hours later, we'd slept (as well as a few other things) and the sun was already up.
"I'm so glad my dad could take Scooby for tonight," he dad.
I smiled. "Indeed," I said.
We sat in silence. A big baloon that begged to be filled.
"Do you have to go back?" he asked.
"Well, I have the ability not to," I said. "But I'm almost done with my bachelors, then onto my masters and I'll get my teaching degree in the process. And my PhD won't take that long if I fast-track. I'm already looking into scholarships and- well- you don't want to hear about it."
He kissed my forehead. "No I do, it's interesting."
"You're just saying that."
"I just like hearing you talk. I've missed your voice."
"We call almost everyday."
"Ahh, its not the same."
"I know."
He laughed. "You know, its funny."
"What's funny?"
"When I got off drugs, I swore I would never get addicted again."
I go really worried. "Are you back in drugs?!" I meant to say "on drugs" but "in drugs" works just as well.
"No, no, no," he said quickly. "I mean you, I'm addicted to this. Cuddling with you in the morning, spending the night with you."
"You wanna move in with me in Lawndale?"
"Sure."
"We'll have to get a new apartment. My roommates are on their own now."
"That's fine. I'll come up next week and we can start looking."
"You can come up with me on Monday."
"That's what I meant by next week."
"Ok then, sounds good."
"There has to be a dog park close by so I can walk Scoob."
"That shouldn't be a problem."
"I love you Vel."
"I love you too Norville."
A/N: Happy birthday once more. I did my best, vampygurl402, but I don't do well with specific prompts. I tried my best to show the two different relationships and their dynamics.
