Hiya Folks!

I own NOTHING. I lay CLAIM to NOTHING.

Due to the untimely damage of my data on my flashdrive...I currently have nothing to do. No projects to work on, no drawings to color...and nothing more than free time.

Soooo....this sparked me to create a sequel to "So Close, So Far". You can read that on its own, or this one, but the kinda go hand in hand. "So Close, So Far" is how they wound up getting together, and this little story here...further explores their new relationship.

Oh, I do mean to tell you, if you haven't quite gotten it yet, that this is a Slash story between the rare coupling of Shaggy/Fred.

Sooo....if ya wanna read it, by all means go ahead! I'm not stopping you!

But, please do me a biiiiig BIG favor.

No comments if you don't like it. Please?? I beg you...

Other than that, we're good. ^-^

Enjoy!

(Oh...there will be references to several Scooby-Doo movies and made up linkage and time ranges since the movies are vastly out of sync with one another. Characters from those movies will be taken and put into this story, modified, and used accordingly. At the moment the only movie we're dealing with is Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School and the appearance of Sibella, Winny, and Elsa. References to Scooby Doo and Zombie Island and Scooby Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf are made as well. None of them belong to me...and if you remember a character named Googie, well...it's not gonna be pretty I assure you.)

:)

What I didn't know about you:

Whether they wanted to believe it or not, there were a lot of things that they didn't know about their resident hippie, Norville Rodgers, a.k.a. Shaggy. In all their time together, and in all their time apart, the only one who actually knew Shaggy was Scooby, and the Great Dane wasn't talking much about Shaggy. Shaggy was simply his best friend, his camaraderie, the one who would pig out with him in food and Scooby snacks alike. He was the one who fell asleep on him in the back of the Mystery Machine, and he was the one who was the first to run away with him when things were getting to creepy. That was how they all knew Shaggy.

But…things were a bit different now.

Fred turned his head to bury his nose in the soft brunette locks that had yet to be cut in the coming weeks. The bowl cut chestnut that had defined their hippie for so long was longer, softer, and somewhat manageable without being touched. Every now and again there was a clip in it somewhere. Shaggy's excuse was always because Daphne left them lying around and they were quick and efficient when he was in a hurry. There was nothing in it now, save the stray fingers from Fred's hands brushing the soft locks out of sleeping eyes. Shaggy mumbled something in his sleep and turned deeper into Fred's shoulder. Fred smiled a bit to himself, used to the sleepy babble before and after things had changed. He'd come to expect it, and he'd gotten so used to it that not hearing it made him a little anxious. It was an excuse to be near Shaggy, not that he really needed one now.

It had been three blissful months of getting to know one another better in all forms. Ever since they'd confessed to one another about their feelings during a trip to one of Daphne's many relatives, they'd been nearly inseparable. Work was the only thing that kept them apart, for unlike their years as teens with nothing else to do, now there were bills to pay and not many conspiracies to live off of.

Fred, being the journalist that he was when he wasn't chasing down some freak in a costume with a vendetta, was often sitting at home typing away the day. He usually was alone with his thoughts and his ramblings to himself, often forgetting to find food in the middle of his thought/type/run process. It was exhausting and left him little sleep, clinging to the lifeline that was caffeine into the wee hours of the night, only to get up again bright and early and shuffle through the stacks of paper just to get back to his computer. It was a tiresome cycle that was once only broken by his friends stopping by to yank him into the depths of some freaky mishap. Now…now that whole cycle seemed like a dream he'd woken up from, landing in a paradise of milk and honey in the shape of Shaggy nestled comfortably against him.

After getting back from their trip, Shaggy had gone back to his house and Fred had gone back to his. Well, not without kissing him into a babbling mess, but he had every right considering that Shaggy was his now. Fred had stepped into his house, spied the mess that he'd left…and promptly set about cleaning it all up. He didn't shove a stack of papers over just to restack them, or rinse out the coffee pot just to refill it. He didn't shove the broom to the side against a pile of dirt, or hesitate to take out the trash that was piling up. He rolled up his sleeves, tossed a bandana on his head, and scrubbed his house from top to bottom within a period of five hours. Once he'd gotten to the point of doing his actual laundry, he realized that he was hungry and that there wasn't a proper stitch of food in his house.

Fred had gathered up himself, the van, and what money he had lying around (a lot surprisingly) and went food shopping. He stacked the fridge, stacked the cabinets, and the pantry, and when he'd finished stuffing the freezer, he found that he was actually tired at a normal hour. He'd gone to sleep on clean sheets, and woke up the next morning feeling like a new man. He had every reason to, for when he'd gotten out of the bed and tended to business, his doorbell rang. Fred had wondered who it could have been so early, but the enticing smell at the door told on itself and on the one who was calling. Shaggy was on the other side of it, breakfast in one hand, and a half eaten doughnut in the other, a sugared smile on his face, and his honest attempt to be normal about this. If they were to really think about it, they had jumped the gun big time…but in a way, it was a long time coming. So Fred, being who he was, smiled like an idiot and kissed those sugared lips good morning.

Things from there had been pretty normal, although there were some significant changes. For one, Shaggy tended to come over when Fred hadn't surfaced for two days, bringing him food and fresh coffee and a change of clothes for himself. It was the only way Fred would find some sleep, and a perfect excuse to bury himself in clean sheets with the scent of Gain and Shaggy lingering on them. Shaggy didn't have to do much to drag him into the bed either. All he had to do was kiss the top of his messy blonde head and urge him up the moment he was yawning. Fred was usually asleep when his head hit the back of Shaggy's back in the bed, knocked out and not letting his hippie go. The next morning was always brighter, and despite the two day growth of beard, the aftertaste of coffee on his breath, and feeling stiff from sitting in one position for so long, he got a passionate wake up kiss and the promise of a good breakfast if he moved fast enough for the shower.

It was their routine, and it didn't always pan out that way. Sometimes the odd jobs Shaggy worked kept him from staying over, but he'd always find time to stop by somehow. Sometimes Scooby would come over with little notes Shaggy had written, or he'd get a phone call with a small "Hey" on the other end of it. But they made it work, and soon Fred was getting his assignments done quicker just so he could turn the tables on Shaggy. The one time he actually managed to catch Shaggy unawares at his house, Shaggy was knee deep in washing Scooby and drenched from head to toe. Thankfully he'd brought money over instead of food, so getting a little wet wasn't the end of the world. They'd washed Scooby, ordered in, and sat on the couch watching television and kissing in the middle of boring monologues.

Before they knew it, summer had passed them by and autumn had settled into Coolsville. While it felt like nothing had really changed between them, Fred knew that it had…and it was still changing. How, he really wasn't sure, but he found it was probably because of the phone call Shaggy had gotten an hour ago.

Who in the hell was Sibella…and why was she coming here?!

Thinking about it brought about questions he hadn't thought of before, like what had Shaggy done in his four year absence from Coolsville? Why had he left? Where did he go, and why...did he decide to leave Googie? So many questions to answer, but he didn't have the nerve to ask them. Not when they were here on his couch, sitting in the middle of their sleepy bliss with the television blaring softly in the background, Scooby curled up and snoring the evening away by the end of the couch, and Shaggy dozing against him with a belly full of food and warm cider to top it off.

So how was he going to broach the subject of this unknown female without sounding like a jealous lover?

Shaggy's cell phone decided to chirp then with a familiar tune. Shaggy woke and flipped it open, answering it without really thinking about it. Fred kissed the top of his head, trying not to listen but unable to help himself.

"Sibella? Say wha now??....oh…oh, okay. No…sure you can bring the girls with you….uh-huh…no, you can't do that. Why? Because you're going to be around humans who scream…a lot. Yeaaah. No…okay. See ya in few days. Bye!"

"Sibella again?" Fred asked quietly. "Everything okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah…just Sibella wants to visit me with the girls…It's been a little while since I've seen them, but we keep in touch through the internet. Last I heard they were graduating…and those Cadets up the road have finally grown up."

If ever there was an opening, Fred dove through it quickly. "Oh? So…Sibella is….who again?"

"Count Dracula's daughter….believe it or not," Shaggy chuckled. "I didn't believe it at first…until she changed into a bat the first time. I think she's outgrown the purple hair…but she was always a cute kid."

Fred didn't quite believe his ears. "Did you say…Count Dracula? As in THE Count Dracula?"

"One can only assume…but I believe so. Imagine my shock when not even a few months later…he turned me into a werewolf! Sibella was pissed after she found out, and Dracula was embarrassed because he didn't remember just who I was. Like, how red is your face when you turn your daughter's former gym teacher into a werewolf? That was interesting…"

"What? Being a werewolf?"

"No…having fleas. Like, why do you think Scooby gets bathed as often as he does?"

Scooby twitched a little at this, but he went back to sleep as if nothing had been said. Fred was all ears then, staring down at Shaggy looking up at him as if it were perfectly normal to be having such a conversation. Nothing was normal about this conversation, least of all knowing that the daughter of a count DRACULA was coming to visit Shaggy! This should have had Fred leaping up and screaming about whatever came to his head then and there, but all he could do was silently gawk at the young man in his arms, smiling a bit sheepishly as the situation finally dawned on him.

"Like…I've never really told you…what happened in my away time, have I?"

Fred shook his head. "Nope…and I've never asked. Although, now I'm curious," he said quietly. "I mean…I can't say anything after that debacle on Moon Island…who knew Zombies and Cat Gods…and all that. Did you leaving me here provoke you to go out on an adventure or are you just a trouble magnet?"

"The last one…times ten! It seems like every time I got a break, Scooby and I were slipping into something else just as weird as what you, Velma, Daphne, and I do…although there was that whole 13 ghost thing with Daphne for that short time."

Daphne had mentioned something about that, although she wasn't one to talk about horrifying experiences so freely. Everyone had been doing their own thing at that time, so keeping in touch was rare if anything. Daphne had called and mentioned something about freakish ghosts, a weird man and some kid that was just as weird as them, but Fred had been half asleep and a little strung out from lack of sleep. Now he was really curious, and he made it known with a soft nudge of his nose against Shaggy's head for him to continue.

"Like…it was weird man," Shaggy sighed. "It was like I would find myself in these freakish situations…and then all hell would break loose with me and Scoob barely getting out by the skin of our teeth! Let's see…like…I was a gym teacher for a ghoul school…and school for girls who's parents happened to be the monsters we read about and watch in every flipping horror movie..."

"You mean like the Werewolf? Or Frankenstein??" Fred questioned.

Shaggy nodded. "Mmm…Elsa, Frankenstien's daughter, is quite independent. Oh…it was fun for a moment, but after the new enrollment came about, I couldn't take it anymore. Nice girls, but the thought of what their fathers would do to me if their girls were hurt…oh boy! Not pretty!"

Fred certainly didn't think it would be. "But you made it out of that one…"

"Only to be turned into a werewolf a few months later! I had gotten into racing then…nothing serious, but enough to help bring in a paycheck…I won a lot…I sent you pictures."

"I still have them…and you still owe me a race."

Shaggy smiled goofily up at him and kissed the underside of his chin. "Like…later. Okay? Anyway...I…oh. Um…can we talk about that a little later?" Shaggy asked, a little quieter and somewhat more subdued than he had been. It raised alarms, and brought to mind the blonde that had started all of this. During that time he was away, she was in the picture more often than not, dictating what was good and what was bad for Shaggy, believing that she was doing no harm in trying to shield him from his friends. She must have been with him then, and while it brought joy to Fred to know that, it didn't make him any happier to see Shaggy shut down because of his fear of Fred's reaction.

They hadn't really discussed Googie at all…just acknowledged that she was gone, and that was that. Fred's curiosity piqued a bit, killing some of the discomfort of thinking about Shaggy with anyone aside him. He didn't really know her as well as Shaggy, nor did he know the logistics behind their relationship while it was in motion. He did know, however, that she was important to him once, and that he could not fuck this up with his unfounded opinions.

"Shaggy…it's okay," Fred said once a moment had washed over them in silence. Shaggy wasn't so sure about the implications of such a line, burying himself a little deeper into Fred's side and saying nothing in response. Fred held him a little closer, kissed the top of his head again, and rubbed the half naked shoulder peeking out of the oversized-shirt Shaggy wore. "I promise…"

"But…"

"You talked about us when you were with her…right?"

Shaggy squirmed a little, shifting to tuck his bare feet under himself much like he would when he was a kid. Fred hated that vulnerable look on his face. It made him want to jump in the way of anything and everything that was going to harm Shaggy and take it on full force. "Y-yeah…but not that often," he said softly. "She frowned a lot when I told her how much trouble we got into back then."

"…um….we still get into that kind of trouble…and we're GROWN now."

"Like…point taken. But I didn't want to upset her…Like I don't want to upset you…"

"I'm not going to get upset. I'm kind of hard to upset unless I don't know something…"

"…Freddie…"

"I'm not pushing you to tell me…but it would help if I know who's going to be monopolizing you for a while. I mean, I have to have someone to track down…and a cross in case she tries to bite me."

Shaggy finally lightened up enough to laugh. Fred leaned down to kiss his laughing lips, swallowing that small amount of joy and giving it back in spades. He liked it when Shaggy laughed. He liked it better when Shaggy was comfortable, safe, and happy. He kissed the side of his nose next, holding Shaggy firmly to him.

"Sibella doesn't bite…at least not someone I happen to love," Shaggy said, whispering the last part as he slid himself over and seated himself firmly in Fred's lap. Fred's hands drifted down towards the thin waist, marveling at the slender build once again, reminded of earlier moments in the day. Though Shaggy was smiling down at him in that awkward seductive nature that made it hard not to lose his mind, Fred could see the pink cheeks, feel the hitching breaths against his lips and the heated skin burning through the tips of his fingers. While settling into adulthood had brought out their more adult natures…Shaggy was very much like the kid he used to be; naïve to a point, caring, loving…and quite loud when he was enthralled. Even now Fred could see the silhouette of Scooby lifting himself and carrying his long lean body into another room away from what was surely moments away.

Fred slipped his hands into the loose fitting jogging pants, cupping the firm ass in them and pressing their groins together. Yeah, there was still much he didn't know, but those questions and the answers that came with them could wait a bit. For now he was content to kiss those flavorful lips, slipping his way into the warm cavern that was his mouth, and rediscover the hidden flavor of shaggy under the food he inhaled on a constant basis.

Two days later:

The doorbell rang. Fred looked up from the movement of his fingers flying on the keyboard, almost alarmed at the sound of the doorbell. No one ever rang that thing, at least not anyone that he knew personally. Sure he locked the door at night, but who visited anyone then anyhow? He quickly saved his file and closed it down, the music on his computer still playing a bit loud despite his heavy footsteps leaping over the recent pile of papers he'd started this week. He all but leapt out of the door, turning quickly but cautiously down the hall and traveling down the stairs, peering at the door side window and the faces in front of it.

He could hear Scooby, and he could hear the laughter of his lover on the otherside of it. There was also the strange high pitched laughter of another…a girl…and someone's deep rumbling to go with the loud hooting howl he heard next. Fred quickly opened the door…and found himself face to face with the daughters of legends.

"Like…Hi Fred!" Shaggy greeted. "I thought I'd give you a moment to brace yourself."

Fred nodded dumbly, still looking at the three girls standing before his door. "Uh…huh…."

"I told you they were coming…I just didn't say when…because I like…didn't quite know myself!"

"Reah!" Scooby agreed. "Re Ridn't Rnow!"

"Um…are you gonna invite us in, or just…like…stare about five more minutes??"

Fred snapped himself out of it, having gotten enough of a shock to keep his brain alive without the addictive narcotic known as coffee tonight. He smiled as much as he could as someone who was standing in his doorway in nothing more than a low riding pair of lounging pants and an old t-shirt. Thank goodness he'd showered this morning, and shaved…

"Did you eat today?"

Damn. He knew he forgot something. Shaggy simply shook his head, gave him a small kiss on the corner of his mouth and walked straight for the kitchen. "Don't worry…I've got you covered."

"Du…oh. Um, I don't have that much in the kitchen," Fred called after him. "I have to shop tomorrow!"

"I'll make due!" Shaggy called back. "Girls, mind him while I fix him something!"

The girls. Fred had forgotten about them for a moment, but they came back in full view when they entered. Well…when two of them entered. The other remained in the doorway, brow arched and waiting patiently for him to do something. He would have stood there thinking about what if he hadn't remembered that one of them, probably the one in front of him, was a vampire which explained why someone was coming over here close to nine at night.

"Won't you come in?" Fred asked, bowing slightly and giving her a smile of apology. "Sorry…I'm not used to getting too many visitors outside of my social circle."

The girl, who surely had to be seventeen by looks alone, gave him a slightly fanged smile and stepped inside. Definitely Dracula's kid Fred mused. He shut the door behind them and directed everyone into the living room where Scooby was already waiting in his usual spot on the floor. Tail wagging and tongue sticking out, he certainly didn't resist Fred's hands rubbing his head affectionately. One of the other girls got in on the action, and he kindly rubbed her head alongside Scooby.

"So...My name is Fredrick Jones," Fred said. "And as you've guessed…this is my place. What I would like to know…is who is who, and which one of you is going to be kidnapping Shaggy?"

The girls laughed at his frank open ended honestly. Fred wasn't too keen on sharing his lover, though he would for the sake of Shaggy being his own man and needing his own independence. At least, that what he would tell himself later on. The girl he'd figured to be Dracula's daughter came forward and bowed lightly in response.

"That would be me," she giggled. She was a beautiful young girl, hair long and thick silk tumbling in black and purple waves down her slender back. She was dressed in a black t-shirt with the name Edward on it, and had on a flared out pair of dark washed jeans with bat shapes going down either side of her legs. Her violet eyes were most unusual in color, changing every now and again from an amber to a deep color of red that swam with emotion. Right now she was elated, smiling like the teenage girl she was as she leaned forward and giggled again. "I'm Sibella! Nice to make your acquaintance!"

One of the other girls, the one who seemed to like being scratched as much as Scooby did, straightened herself out and stuck out her chest proudly. Not that she should. The girl wasn't lacking in that area. Regardless, her forward nature showed in her face and stance, somewhat muscular but athletic, about medium height with a certain spunk to her step. Her gold eyes shone happily under waves of red unruly locks that were somewhat pulled back. She wore a simple pair of capris and a red shirt with the word "Hoooowl!" on it, her sneakers digging into the floor when she leapt up a bit and introduced herself.

"My name is Winifred!" she exclaimed. "Nice to meet ya!"

The last girl, the one who couldn't be mistaken for anyone else but Frankenstein's kid, smiled goofily at Fred. She was a true patch work mess, but sewn together or not she was pretty. She definitely had her mom's hair, but it was pulled back into a black and white puffed up ponytail. Green eyes closed in pleasure as she was given a kind wave from Fred, the bolts in her neck sparking a bit to show just how welcomed she felt. She wore an oversized yellow t-shirt with a lightning bolt down the center of it, and a pair of patchwork denim jeans over the boots she wore. Now those…were tell tale signs of who her father was. She didn't walk like him, but she sure needed boots like him.

"I'm Elsa Frankentien," She said somewhat shyly. Her voice was deeper, but not unpleasant. "I'm happy to meet you."

"Oooh, we've heard loads about you!" Sibella gushed. "Shaggy goes on and on about you!"

"R-really??" Fred asked. He hadn't known Shaggy talked about him to that extent. "Oh…Well, I've only heard about you two days ago…"

"Well, we can't exactly have everyone of the living know about our existence…or that people like us can reproduce," Winnie chuckled. "The monster world is much different from the human realm…and we kinda like living peacefully."

"Besides," Elsa said, "Not many human boys go for girls like us…just the freaky ones who worship the dark arts. Like we don't have enough of those."

Fred laughed and gestured for them to make themselves comfortable. Sibella and Winnie hopped on the couch, and Elsa took the recliner, plopping down in relief. It was a good thing that the frame was reinforced…and that she wasn't as heavy as her father. Winnie turned in circle once and then sat down, aimlessly scratching at her ear. Sibella tucked her feet underneath her, buried in the corner with her arms cuddling the throw pillow. Fred chose to sit on the coffee table. It was a bit odd, but he could see everyone better this way, including Shaggy running around in his kitchen.

Somehow this should have been strange…uncomfortable even. He should have been freaking out and wondering what the hell is wrong with him to be letting girls with legendary monsters for fathers into his house. Yet, there wasn't a bone within him telling him such a thing. He'd seen so much and dealt with more than his fair share of insanity, not to mention he was sort of into the monster realm and its dealings when they came knocking at his door. These girls were just girls to Shaggy…different girls, but girls nonetheless. Special ones if he allowed them over here of all places. Shaggy was very self conscious about the reactions of the people he interacted with, and he would never bring anyone that his friends wouldn't approve of.

It made the effort to get to know these girls much easier and somewhat painless when they looked him up and down in that knowing fashion. The only thing he could say about females as a gender was their secondary nature to guessing someone's sexuality. Hell, the orange Ascot should have clued them in when he had been wearing it.

"So what brings you to Coolsville?" Fred asked.

"We're passing through," Sibella explained. "We've been invited to a gathering of youth legends…and then there's a big screening for the movie New MOON!"

And that would explain the "Edward" on her shirt. "I see…Twilight fans?"

"No. Rob Fans! He's one of the few vampires in this world that has made it onto the screen without human knowledge! His father and my father are friends, although my father's fame tends to make it hard for them to visit one another…"

"A name like Dracula will catch attention anywhere," Fred chuckled. "Rob is actually a vamp?"

"More like a Daywalker, like myself. Human meets Vampire…Vampire falls for Human…BABY comes…only in my case, Mom bailed. Dad wasn't too upset...he's quite happy now."

"Oh? He found someone new?"

"A hot little vamp about three hundred years his junior…the guy's name is Lastat. That book Ann Rice wrote about him is so wrong. He's much more handsome…and more of a gentleman."

"Not according to what I HEARD LAST NIGHT!" Winnie said slyly. "I didn't know anyone could talk like that outside of a porn!"

"Winnie!"

"What? It's not my fault I have such good hearing…"

Elsa laughed at the two of them. "He was pretty loud…but not as loud as other parents."

Winnie and Sibella froze and shuddered. Fred was curious as to why, until Elsa sat forward and whispered, "My parents need stronger sound proofing." That was a little more than he needed to know about Frankenstein and the image that came to mind had him shuddering as well. The girls laughed again, more than comfortable in his presence.

"So…um, getting away from what comes with that subject," Fred said, "I heard Shaggy was a gym teacher for you guys?"

"Oh…he was so much fun!" Winnie exclaimed. "He was fast too! I had to work to keep up with him sometimes…put this female wolf to shame sometimes."

"He took really good care of us when Miss Grimwood wasn't around," Elsa said. "He always stayed nearby, even though I think we scared him quite a bit at first."

"That would be the understatement of the century," Shaggy said as he came into the living room. In one hand there was a plate with a bunch of sandwiches on it. It wasn't what the girls were used to eating, but it came close enough. He placed that down and watched them devour what they wanted, turning to Fred with his other hand and the heated up deluxe sandwich made especially for him. Fred's stomach growled in appreciation, and his hands were quick to pluck that delicious item off the plate for him to bite into.

"Thank…YOU!" Fred groaned around a mouthful of food. He chewed quickly, swallowing as he kissed Shaggy and licked the bit of mayo from his upper lip. "You have NO idea…how good food tastes right now…to me anyhow…"

"Oooh…He's adorable!" Sibella cooed. "Shaggy, he's everything you said he was…but cuter!"

"I know," Shaggy chuckled. "It's like…it all fell into place. I'm pretty happy…"

"You should be!" Winnie exclaimed. "A nice guy like you is hard to come by. By the way, my pop said that you would have made a hell of a werewolf had you stayed one."

"Yeah well…it wasn't for me. I think I like being human a little too much."

"It's certainly a benefit for me!" Fred laughed. "How long are you girls in town for?"

"Just for tonight," Sibella said. "We travel a lot, and graduation is coming up. We're on a break, and then it's back to our studies and the Calloway Cadets still trying to make an impression. That blonde one though…he's okay. A bit of a masochist to want to date Phanny, but to each his own."

"We figured we would drop by for once," Winnie said as she finished her sandwich. "It's not that often we get to see humans we know and trust. Besides, everyone in the monster realm knows about Mystery Inc. You're practically celebrities, and how you stumble across half of the stuff that is supposed to be hidden is just dumb luck or divine intervention."

Fred and Shaggy looked at one another. "We're calling it dumb luck."

Nearly two hours later:

Fred looked up from his resting place, taking in the quiet ambiance of the room. The noise had died a little while ago, and the girls had left with extracted promises from Fred to keep in touch. Emails had been exchanged, phone numbers as well, and invites on Facebook were made and accepted. The girls had gone to do what girls do best, and Shaggy and Fred were left with warm thoughts and the urge to laugh at the irony of Rob Patterson being an actual honest to god vampire playing what he was.

Shaggy cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen, and Fred went back up to his study. He didn't go back on the computer. Instead he cleaned up the latest pile of paperwork, turned off the computer, and headed for where he knew Shaggy would be waiting for him. Sure enough Shaggy was on his bed, laying out on his back comfortably and smiling stupidly. Scooby was still asleep downstairs, or probably avoiding them and the probable prospect of fornication. Either way, they were alone, and Fred took that precious time to wrap his arms around Shaggy's torso and use him for a human pillow. Those magic fingers in his scalp were mind numbingly blissful. Had he been a cat, he would have been full purr mode.

"I didn't know you saved them from Repulsa…" Fred murmured. "How noble of you…"

"I wasn't keen on dying…or them dying…or being evil. The whole thing was a bit dumb now that I think about it," Shaggy said softly. "Mmm…It was nice to see them…they've grown so much."

"It's been six years?"

"Just about. I met them when they were twelve…I was still on my own then…and I had Scrappy."

"Oh. Oh…Scoob is getting up there in age, isn't he?"

"We all are. I think he's almost ten now…he's definitely feeling the running away now."

"Maybe we should stop getting into trouble…"

"Maybe we should win the lottery. Oh, wait…fat chance."

Fred laughed a bit and looked up into the sparkling green irises half lidded with happiness and sleep. He'd seen that face so many times before. How could he have missed the blatant answer in front of him, or denied it for until that point it had come to three months ago. He wanted to see it every night…as often as possible. He wanted to fill those fingers in his hair when he was stressed, wanted to press himself close to this warm body every night…

He wanted to know more about Shaggy…just so he could fall deeper in that spell.

He wanted…

"Shags…"

"Mmm? Yeah Fred?"

"…would it be…to forward of me…to ask…if you would…consider…moving in with me? I mean…not now no, but…soon? Like…somewhere down the line…if you…want of course…"

There was no answer. Fred kept his head down and pressed into Shaggy's waist, arms locked tightly as if he were holding on to the last piece of happiness he would know. Seconds ticked by and the silence weighed heavily on him, crushing him until those magic hands smoothed back the lengthening locks of blonde on his head, forcing him to look up.

Again, Shaggy managed to shock him. Shaggy didn't cry often, and when he did it was never for anything less than monumental. He gave Fred a shaky nod, wiping his eyes and laughing through his sobs, never resisting Fred as he claimed his mouth to seal that silent but loud promise. He hadn't thought asking him such a thing would get this kind of reaction out of Shaggy, and maybe he should have felt guilty about the small coil of pleasure he felt when he mumbled, "Yes," into his shirt.

Should have…but didn't.

Maybe lying Shaggy down and kissing him senseless should have given him an omen of sorts…maybe peeling off his shirt and kissing those plump nipples into awareness should have given him a premonition. Losing himself in shaggy, he didn't think about what was to come. He thought about now, how much he loved him, and how he never wanted to be away from him for anything less than work. Even that wasn't all that important now.

But how could Fred know that vowing to keep Shaggy as his would bring up the past in a very harsh light?

Downstairs, Scooby propped up his head and stared at the door. He hadn't felt this way…since she left them. He didn't like this feeling, and he growled to will that on coming sense of doom away.

Yeah...I threw in Lestat...because I could. ^-^ And Edward, a.k.a. Rob Patterson. I still think he's a daywalker...

More soon! :)