AN:

I totally revised the lemon you're about to read. I just couldn't leave it like before. The end though? Yeah, I got a little lazy there but I still like it the way it is.

Part 4: Waiting for you

2:42 a.m.:

"The what?!"

"The male version of the Kama Sutra..."

"Like...are you serious?!"

"If you hadn't worn me out, I'd get up and show you," he murmured. All he got was a light stroke of his scalp and a scoff for even suggesting it. "I'm telling you...it was like porn central."

"I'm starting to wonder if the Blake's are closeted perverts...that would explain the upright front..."

"...did I knock the 'like'...out of you?"

"Like, no," he chuckled. "I'm too tired to notice...but I'm noticing something else."

He should have been. By the law of nature and general habits of man, they should have been sleeping this off. This tired sensation of bone deep satisfaction that had them grinning stupidly into the darkness. Fred rolled up onto his elbows, grimacing at the discomfort of sticky boxers clinging to places he had further plans for. Not really thinking about it, he crawled out of them, shucked them to the far corner of the room where they landed in a heap next to a pair of loose gym shorts. Those had gotten chucked about fifteen minutes ago, and for that much he now had a very nude man by the name of Shaggy Rodgers pinned beneath him.

That shaggy hair of his lie in a brunette mess scrawled against the pillow he lie upon. His own flaxen locks lie in disarray, covering his eyes a bit but not enough for him to miss the affectionate gaze Shaggy was giving to his pondering one. Never would he have thought before tonight that a moment like this was fathomable let alone achievable. He didn't dare think about what would have happened had he actually managed to shut his eyes and sleep like he was intended. It made this space in his chest hurt, a space he'd kept closed and close to his heart for longer than he would have dared admitted to.

Those types of admissions weren't here with them tonight. Fingers with a mind all their own reached to gently caress those still swollen lips, wondering at the silken feel of such things. Kissing Shaggy was much different than kissing any girl he'd been with. Girls wanted to cling to him; they dug their nails in to his skin to take purchase upon the muscle he built through his escapades and drive themselves into his lap to broadcast their intent. He understood the message better than any girl could have known, and understood his answer better as well. Their clinginess was for superficial reasons. They could care less about him or what he stood for, as long as they bedded him.

Shaggy didn't do those things. Not his best friend. He had wrapped his long arms around his shoulders, pulling Fred deeper and further into this strange coupling of he and Shaggy, pressed against one another desperately trying to fight off the temptation to give in too soon. The silent thoughts that had been hidden under the friendship they kept above all else within their lives had come screaming out loud so far and fast that giving in was inevitable and Fred dove in head first to drown blissfully. Shaggy had been too tempting, so sensitive...so vocal, that Fred only wanted to drive him off of that cliff a little further and faster than he'd fallen moments ago. He couldn't keep it together long enough to remove his boxers then, but the bright lights behind his eyes and exhausted laughs kept him from feeling too bad about it.

'...I want all of him...'

"...how far?" he asked quietly. Shaggy opened his eyes a little more, gasping at the feel of his hips spreading themselves further. Fred's new restraint was fading quickly, and he pressed himself closer; harder the longer Shaggy waited to answer him. "Please...how far...?"

Shaggy's head swam. He was still wrapped up in the arms of a man—a very fine specimen—that could have anyone he desired. For Fred to be pressed this close to him, to be pleading for him to answer a question that maybe shouldn't have existed in normalcy and to be so wanton for someone like him…it made touching that heated face a little more surreal as Fred shoved his face into that touch. Fred's passions were like fire…hot and scalding under the right duress, unable to be tamed if he was engulfed in it and directing it like it was the wind. Sometimes the flames died quickly for the new things he shoved himself upon, but this thing…this dance that was them right here and now…it wasn't new at all.

They'd been dancing for quite some time. A strange dance of tug and pull and gracelessness as well as eloquence. They stumbled, they fell, they got up and danced like they hadn't tripped…but this was the turn that change the essence of them as people apart and together. Shaggy had fallen….he'd fallen so hard. Fred hadn't left him to dance somewhere else. He'd held out his hand and dragged him back up into his arms and snared him the moment he wasn't looking, and the smug bastard was proud of it. Fred pressed a kiss into Shaggy's trembling hands, stilling the bit of disbelief that Fred had wanted this longer than Shaggy had.

Denying this...denying him...denying himself; it wasn't in the plan. It wasn't in the nerves that shot through his spine and dared him to look Fred in the eye.

It wasn't new...but this...was a new start.

Fred asked again, muffled against that hand. "How far?"

Shaggy felt his hand stop trembling as he found his sure answer. "As far as you'll take me."

Fred all but groaned towards the ceiling. Did he know what he was saying? What he was implying? He looked down at him, questioning his sanity and his own when those slender arms wrapped themselves around his broad shoulders. Fred was sucked back down into that warm abyss of acceptance that was and would always hold him captive. He could never leave these arms now…he was ruined for anyone else and that was fine.

Broad fingers callused with years of escaping lingered a breath away from the overly sensitive skin beneath it. Shaggy's visible shiver had his mouth playing with the underside of his chin again, laving and nipping at the sensitive area just below his ear. Fred's fingers fell and gently squeezed the plump dusky nipple rising in accordance. The hard flesh pebbled and puckered, begging for his lips to pay it the same mind Shaggy's neck was getting. It was going to have to wait. Fred grinned against the goose-bumps his breath had caused, teeth lightly but firmly worrying the skin that tasted like sunshine. Soft licks were all he would offer in apology, nuzzling the mark he'd made as his hand moved a little lower.

Those hips; those slender tantalizing hips that had been on display earlier that night twitched when his fingers pressed into them. Years of running themselves stupid and recovering from that stupidity had left Shaggy with a body he wasn't aware of. He was well toned, lean, and slender wrapped up in a natural tan anyone would have been envious of. Muscle could be seen under that lithe form stretched out in its cat like grace beneath him, flexing and contracting with every fleeting trace of his curious fingers. Shaggy's body was one to be adored and marveled under the layers of baggy clothing the man wore; a body that Fred would gladly smother with more clothes of the same likeness and himself if to keep that hidden treasure for his eyes alone.

The rush of rising admissions and fleeting dreams come to the pinnacle of realization in fruition had cause the first moments to be rushed and hurried with ravishing hunger that could rob the strongest man of his resolve. Fred had been unable to immerse himself in the soft gasps dancing to drum his ears in time with his heart, the heat too strong and his passion so long in coming. He could do it now; head clear enough to move with the next gasp rising from that pale throat and mingle with the moan tumbling from his own lips when he shifted his weight to press downwards and up. Heated flesh met and clung, the cool air of the room quickly succumbing to the silent overpowering drive of their collective passion mingling to become a veil that could very well suffocate them in this thing called bliss.

Fred's fingers moved lower and skirted over the firm inner thighs moving further apart to accommodate and invite him to do as he wished. How skin could be this smooth...how anyone could be this warm...

'Mine...all mine...'

Shaggy's fingers fell into the blonde tresses tickling his chest; a light sigh leaving him in a short stuttered burst when warm moist lips kissed the center of his chest. The heart that had been thundering skipped and quivered in time with his body as Fred took his fill. He was too far gone to be embarrassed by the little hitching noises coming from himself, but there was a comfort in the air that made it more than okay for him to tremble like a leaf each time Fred discovered another sensitive point on him.

Any man worth their salt kept with the illusion that they were more than experienced in the bedroom, but it was never like this for Shaggy. He'd only been with one before this, one who he knew like the back of his hand and it hurt all the more to remember her face and what she'd done. Googie was the first to touch him, but she didn't map her way around his body like the trained sailor of uncharted waters. She treaded the waters and skimmed the surface, but she never dove into the depths Fred went, savoring each discovery until his lips hovered above the rising treasure leaning into the soft kiss left on the underside. Shaggy's skin prickled in anticipation, and a solid vibrant heat curled around his spine as Fred licked deliberately upward with a lingering parting suck upon the tip of his straining cock.

"Sweet..."

Those were the only soft words he would utter in the coming moments, the heat of his breath teasing and devilish as the man that moved to place his lips on a higher point of Shaggy's thin hips. The hippie didn't know whether to kill or kiss Fred, his protests apparent but quelled into open gasps of question as Fred licked and laved at the tender skin where his hip and crotch were connected. He winced as Fred bit a particularly sensitive place in the center of his right thigh, the blood rushing to the spot where it was demanded to rise and mar the pale skin as a token of love and acceptance of the one who put it there. The fire burning in the pale blue irises was akin to a starving incubus savoring its first bites and unwilling to part with its dinner even in death. Shaggy couldn't tear his eyes from Fred's, rapt in the travel of that pink muscle leaving a wet trail back to the designated center of its journey and tease the heavy sac before it left a breathy heated path upward alongside an open palm.

"Fred…"

The words died on Shaggy's tongue with another maddeningly slow rub. Shaggy was pressed to let his head fly back and close his eyes but those eyes would not release his own. The clear pool of fluid on his belly was licked away, sucked to savor, and one part of a course that was sure to leave Shaggy breathless. Blonde tufts of hair softer than given credit for and much longer than thought to be tickled the goose pricked skin as Fred's head moved just enough to find its target and give Shaggy a hungry growl and devoured that heat in one swallow.

The curse that wanted to come wouldn't. Shaggy was too busy gulping in air, arching upward with the second swallow and moving with the urging hands that pulled at his hips, tugged and shoved his legs over the broad shoulders supported by arms that could do what they pleased tonight. Fred refused to let go, the slight musk of his lover addicting and mind numbing with the added ecstasy of those thin fingers grabbing hold of his hair and pulling as Shaggy fought not to do what Fred was willing to die from. Fred greedily and noisily worshiped his meal, letting his passion mount until it was nearly too much for the shocked but willing hippie struggling to keep the whine within him at bay.

Several porn worthy moments later, Shaggy tugged at his hair in a plea. "F-Fred….Let—Fred, oh my god!"

Fred let him go with a mind melting slurp, flicking the swollen glands in parting as he squeezed the base of Shaggy's cock. He only needed short breath. Shaggy groaned deeply, breathing heavily to calm himself down. Another second and he would have popped and he wasn't quite ready to let it end this way. He was so close it wasn't funny, despite that husky laughter rumbling against his skin. Fred had a right to be smug. That mouth of his could do a lot of damage to the one it targeted.

So focused on trying not to blow himself into a blackout, Shaggy never noticed the slick digit slipping past his defenses until it was too late and had become two. He squirmed at the discomfort, memories of tentative experiments leading to his belief that perhaps doctors needed to be trained for that kind of thing and girls who had only their friends for guidance should get new friends. He knew this was a part of the whole package, but he hadn't thought about this piece of it and the uncomfortable fullness that was tainted with memories of her and her invasive touch without experience. It managed to bring him back from the brink, and he was glad of it until Fred took what Shaggy knew of this and tore it into pieces with his fingers searching, finding, and pressing that little piece of him that was meant to be the doctor's plaything.

His back bowed and he shoved himself deeper onto those fingers with a wet garbled "fuck!" surging forth before he could stop it.

Fred sucked the side of his drooling mouth before he buried his face against Shaggy to lap and lave at the tightening furred sac resting on the edge of his working knuckles. He kept from the deeper carnal desires, reaching for the bottle he'd managed to snag out of the nightstand in the midst of his devouring. He knew Daphne well enough to know that her folks were characters on their own, and the fact that he had found something like the Gay Kama Sutra in his bedroom was room to believe that they would, and did much to his delight and relief, supply their guests with unopened bottles of lube. He was sure that dear old Uncle Liam was not expecting this coupling, but he had a feeling that a certain wedded bound couple had a hand in this.

He shoved thoughts of faces that had nothing to do with now out of his head. It didn't matter where he learned it from or how. He would thank those chuckling idiots tomorrow and further shove his unstable months without Shaggy with his belief of never having him into the past where it would be dead and buried. He let himself taste the edge of that sweetness and vowed never to let it leave him. His fingers were squeezed in response and Fred was sorely tempted to let the ravenous beast that was his lust, come out to play tonight.

"Like...Fred...if you don't do something soon—"

"Impatient aren't we?"

"Fr-Freddie~~~! AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Temptation proved to be a little too much. He kept a small smile to himself, uncurling his fingers from that bundle of nerves and watching as Shaggy's cock erupted without warning. The fountain of spurting white was wide on the first erupt, pearls of it landing on overheated skin. Fred let the first convulsion pass and the second tumble. On the third, he was moving fast than the blinding night to sink himself deep into that quivering milking heat that took hold of him and sucked him deeper without his askance.

The strange combination of pleasure mingled with the pain of being stretched further kept Shaggy on the edge of blacking out. He closed his eyes, tears pricking the ends of them as he fought to adjust to the over sensing combination. He felt Fred shift and he braced himself, but the surprising feel of his lips on his eyes and the murmured apologies against his lips relaxed him enough to realize that he hadn't softened in the least.

Fred's head fell against his own with a muttered string of heartfelt curses. "Never…" he swallowed, trying to think over his heart in his ears and he shuddered as he bottomed out and fought to sit in that heat, "I…nothing ever…felt this good…fuck…Shaggy…"

He was wrecked, and gone, and just a mess of his usual enthralling self and Shaggy could only press his lips to the warm skin of Fred's head. He was just as gone, harder than ever and still rearing to go despite having come a moment ago. He would have gladly begged Fred to move had he not been immersed in the feel of them connected in the most intimate of ways and breathing in time with one another. This carnal need within him was new and frightening, but something that Fred understood well enough for the both of them that Shaggy surrendered his body to Fred's and welcomed him deeper.

The jock of their little quintet was outgoing and ambitious, but he knew how to take care of Shaggy better than anyone else even before now. Everything scared Shaggy, and he let it…because it was easier to run and avoid than face the monsters and the what-ifs of life…but Fred never let him run long. Fred always shoved him into the deep end, usually flailing for purchase on something, but Fred was never too far behind looking to soothe the old wounds with the new and always keeping him afloat from what fears may come. So much would change, so much would be different…but Fred…Fred had buried himself under this new skin that was them as one and would be damned to relinquish it now.

Shaggy rolled his hips a little, the air hazy with want. Fred mouthed his neck, his control nearly gone. "Shaggy...this isn't going to last long," he breathed. "I can't..."

"Then don't..."

"Shags…."

Now wasn't the time for talking. The wet silken heat Fred was buried in told him such in subtle ripples that it was near impossible not to find some way to live in it. He growled, pulling back slowly, ripping a garbled moan from Shaggy which turned into a grunting moan accompanied with fingers pressed into his back and clawing soundly down his flexing shoulders as he gave into that incessant urge to find and bury himself home.

That massive thing rubbed Shaggy in all the right spots, and he caught himself moaning louder when Fred twisted his hips just so with a drop of his hips that had him seeing stars outside of the ones shimmering outside. Lips meshed together, tongues sliding and dueling for dominance which would come to neither man lost in the other, Shaggy let himself be swept away in this torrent that was much more than the moments where he thought love could be found in the arms of another blonde.

As if he could sense her, Fred shoved harder. She was not welcome in this bed. Googie had forsaken her claim, her right to occupy Shaggy's thoughts. He'd been gone so long…Fred could barely stand thinking about the way Shaggy vanished from his side without a trace back then and slid his arms under the slender man to keep him close as if he would be gone if he stopped. There was no way to know if he was fine or not; if Shaggy was happy, if he missed them….missed Fred as much as Fred could call screaming for someone in his sleep for nights on end. There was no way to know if she made him laugh when the bad would come knocking, if she kept him SAFE…kept him alive inside and not by physical means…and she hadn't because Shaggy had come back to him with tears under the bright smile as if nothing happened.

Nothing hurt more than to know that he'd allowed Shaggy to go. Nothing hurt more than knowing that he should have been doing this then…branding him, marking him up for all to know that this person…this remarkable loving man shaking in his arms…was worth that agonizing pain of realization hitting Fred in the center of his soul to leave him wheezing. No, she was not allowed here…he would erase her and her influence…she would never have hold of this soul again.

He groaned, snapping his hips impossibly harder and driving the younger man deeper into the mattress. His fingers dug themselves into his waist, surely bruising but unable to let up the pressure; the intent to hold and stay on, to keep him from leaving and becoming nothing more than a fleeting dream. His cock slid easily in and out of him, accepted with the marking kisses, the possession in his eyes, and the overflow of words screaming something along the lines of "MINE!" when he couldn't take it anymore. Shaggy took it all and more, wrapping himself around Fred and his heart without question. He sat back and roared; his cock coating the insides of the warm vice of his lover. It was enough to brand Shaggy, and enough for the shaft pressed between their heaving bellies to erupt for a third time and bind them with that slick warmth.

Fred felt the world spin, tumble, and leave his senses up in the air as he collapsed into the waiting arms curling around his head to keep him close. The tension fizzled and soon there was nothing more than the unsteady aftershocks before the abrupt sleepy calm that came with this type of exertion. They'd been looking for sleep beforehand, but finding it had taken a couple of confessions that made it much easier to drop off without a care right now. They had this, they had tomorrow…they had a future they could call their own because they chose to take hold of it.

Fred lifted his head enough to place his lips on the side of Shaggy's neck to mouth the slowing pulse of his lover as it settled down. "Love you so…fucking…much," he slurred meaningfully. "Shags…don't ever…"

Shaggy tightened his arms. Fred, if he was lucky, would swear for many years to come that he felt that heart stutter before it came back to life beating like a flustered humming bird in love.

"Love you too, Freddie...and…I won't. I promise."

Sleep came and claimed them, and they fell asleep within one another's arms unaware of the night inching by with the sounds of the house echoing in the silence tainted by the snickering of a knowing Great Dane.

9:49 a.m.:

It was going on ten. Daphne noted this for the fourth time in two minutes, anxiously tapping her heeled foot and looking between the clock and her watch. They both said the same thing but it didn't ease her any. The wedding was in an hour. In an hour her cousin would be wedding the man of his dreams, a first for their family considering the history of good old U.S.A.. It was one of the first commitment ceremonies that would be performed in their family household, and the very first time they adopted a male partner into the family as a bride. Amazing wasn't the word that came to mind when she thought about it. Her heart fluttered in excitement and she had to calm herself down. The very idea of weddings always had her giggling and mentally planning her own...if she could ever manage to snag her man.

Jarrod had nudged her in the ribs last night, winking respectively as she let loose. "You'll get him sooner than you think," he had laughed. "Lad won't know what hit him, ey?"

No he wouldn't. Not if the little number she currently wore had anything to do with it. Her lean elegant body was wrapped in a simple silk dress of pearl tones, reaching down to the length of her knees and further along the A-line cut of the hem. The center of it was wrapped kindly in a deep red sash, accenting the color and drawing attention to her slender frame. The dress was sleeveless and topless, the middle cinched in and structured to lift and accentuate her cleavage. 'That was done very well, thank you,' she thought as she fingered the pearl necklace upon her neck. It went nicely with the bracelet she'd bought on impulse a week ago, and looked better with her hair pinned up in a fashionable Cinderella like hair style. The red pumps were, of course, the make or break of her look. She gave herself the once over one more time and smiled in satisfaction.

"Daphne, have you seen the boys?"

She turned her head toward the voice inquiring what she wanted to know. She half expected to meet the glasses and that same flat brown hair falling into her charming eyes. The unexpected part of her gasped quietly and killed the other half, hands flying to her mouth in delight and shock at the girl standing before her nervously.

When she'd said that she had their outfits picked out for them, she meant she'd narrowed it down to seven. Velma had been left to pick and choose the one she liked best, with a little help from her of course. Velma wasn't easy to shop for, or easy to dress...but damn it if that girl didn't hide that body effectively! They'd seen a bit of it last night on a dare, and now...

"Daphne?"

"Velma, you're gorgeous!" Daphne said.

Now Velma was making her debut. She'd placed on a modern fit dress that slenderized her form and elongated her more than thought to be. The color was a sheer fun orange that darkened into a luscious red. It reminded her of Velma's old get up, only this was much more flattering and pleasing as far as her body went. The girl hid it well enough. The dress was sleeveless, opting to hold itself up with a choker like collar. It hugged her until the very edge of her hips, were it flared out and stopped in the middle of her thigh. She only had a pair of white shoes to offset the color scheme; classic Mary Jane's with a little height and a shine all their own. She wore a simple set of gold earrings and a beaded necklace that fell to the center of her chest. It didn't deter from her face, which shone brightly without the added distraction of those thick frames.

"I suppose getting those designer frames wasn't such a bad idea," Daphne smirked. "Cute!"

The awaited blush came and furthered the light rose blush that had been applied to her slender cheeks. She ducked her head down, but smiled despite her obvious embarrassment. "Thanks...but, have you seen Shaggy or Fred?"

No, Daphne hadn't and that bothered her. She shook her and said, "This isn't like them...Fred should have been up at least. He would have woken up Shaggy..."

"Darrel said Fred wasn't in his room this morning."

"He couldn't have gotten lost..."

"No, for once this place isn't so big you need a map to navigate."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"Nope. Maybe Shaggy's seen him?"

"Or Scooby...hey, where's Scooby anyhow?"

Scooby walked up behind them, having been groomed and preened to the tastes of Daphne when she was in one of her moods. He smelt like a GQ model or that time he'd rolled in something on Shaggy's floor that had spilled everywhere. The Great Dane didn't mind it as much as they thought, though he did get a snack in apology for being woken up much too early for two hours of preparation. It paid off though, in a way that had the lady dogs swooning and the male dogs growling at his presence. A look backward had them shutting up. At the age of eight, he was too old and too seasoned to give a crap about those males and now was not the time to show that rare intolerant side of himself.

So he secretly promised a good mauling to the Jack Russell coming after his tail once he was too close. The little thing took a hint and hung back, shamed into peeing himself and having the girls snickering while one of the maids groaned in disgust.

He nosed Daphne's thigh and brought her wondering mind on him. She scratched his ears in greeting. "Well, Scooby's ready. Hey Scoob, have you seen Shaggy or Fred?"

"RO." He hadn't, but that didn't mean he didn't know where they were. The girls blinked and looked to each other for answers they didn't quite have. Scooby was glad humans didn't have dog noses. It was entertaining watching them trying to figure out what he'd sniffed out a long time ago.

Velma tapped her chin in thought. "Maybe...we should see if Shaggy's in his room. If he is, he's probably still sleeping."

"And risk the unsightly form that is Shaggy before breakfast?"

That set off alarm bells. "He did miss breakfast, didn't he?"

Now that wasn't like Shaggy in the least. They shared another look and took off before they could think about it even further. Scooby followed, resisting the laughter wanting to bubble up. He just could not get enough of these humans and their wild assumptions. What Shaggy did in his own time was Shaggy's business, and soon to be every else's at this rate.

He wished he had popcorn.

Carpeted thundering footsteps soon cluttered the silence of the house, trailing up the stairs past the maids tending to their morning routine. Daphne was the first to reach the top of the second level, Velma seconds behind and darting down the hallway Daphne sprinted for. Times like these she was glad she hadn't opted for the tighter dress or those stilettos. How anyone could run in those pin-heels was beyond her. It took less than a minute for the girls to find themselves in front of Shaggy's closed door, and even less time for Daphne to pull a pin from her hair. Like the lock-picker she was, she tested the door and made short work of the lock once she'd confirmed it was locked. Velma silently pondered where she learned how to do all that, or who she learned it from.

"It's a hobby."

"No, hobbies are collecting stamps or postcards. YOU," she said poking her in her bare backside, "Are a thief in the making!"

She couldn't say much to that when the lock clicked and the door knob turned in her hand. She smiled triumphantly. Thief? No. Excellent lock picker? Yes!

Willing to wait for movement before she opened the door? That would be a big NO.

She swung open the door with the intent to shout that lazy man awake, have him leap out the bed and eventually tumble to the ground. From there, it was supposed to be a series of questions, running, and hopefully finding Fred somewhere obscure. It was their thing, sure, true, and not to be interrupted.

Well, that died with the loud RISE AND SHINE in her throat. A choked noise came out, and Velma's shriek of "Jinkies!" didn't ring loud enough to stir them from their exhaustion. It wasn't just Shaggy in that bed. That was enough to have them stumble in the first place. Had it been a girl they would have stumbled out of the room gasping hysterically and trying to figure out when that happened and when Shaggy would even think about it after the Googie incident. No, it was a guy, a distinct male figure with a notable tattoo on his arm Velma would know even if she were BLIND and THAT is why they were standing there trying to remember how to breathe.

From behind, Scooby nosed his way in and snickered. The nose knows for a reason.

Soft snoring came from the depths of those disheveled sheets with the sound rise and fall of the thin chest beneath it. Shaggy's head was lolled to the side, buried comfortably in the white pillows that hid half of his face. They could see the result of bed head sticking up on the visible side, and the presence of a bruise just beneath the juncture of his ear. That would have raised several eyebrows if the cause of it wasn't right next to it.

Their missing party member was nuzzled in the nape of Shaggy's neck, arms twined around his lean torso possessively. His blonde hair lie in a disheveled mess mingled with the brown locks he gently blew from his lips with every snore. Eyes closed to the world, they could see that he wasn't exactly wearing a shirt either, nor any pants the further they stepped in. That sheet wasn't even on him and the girls averted their eyes because that was just too much to handle. Fred moved a bit, but no more than to allow himself a bit more comfort as he dropped off again. A small smile of utter satisfaction graced his face. Legs twined with the shapely ones belonging to his human pillow, he dreamt on highly unaware of shock snapping the minds of their unheard audience.

Another body crept into their silence and whistled low in appreciation. The girls spun and spied Jarrod standing in the doorway, grinning to the point of ear splitting. "I see someone got that clue!" he crowed softly. "Got to the honeymoon before me!"

Daphne's cheeks were as crimson as the sash on her dress. "Oh my...Did you—"

"Oh, come on," Jarrod teased, "Like you didn't know! That orange ascot thingy he used to wear was a dead giveaway."

"I don't think he's that way in general," Velma mused under her own bright cheeks. "I think he's that way for Shaggy...and just Shaggy."

"Ro DUH," Scooby sniffed. He nosed his way past them again and gently shoved them in the direction of the door. "Ret's ro!"

"Scooby's got the right idea lass," Jarrod said. "Let's go. We can grill 'em later."

Velma quickly took her leave. She'd had enough surprises for one morning. Daphne was a little slower to leave. She turned a bit to see Shaggy turn over, falling into the protective embrace of Freddy still in the throes of sleep. Somehow it looked familiar...and at the same time, she couldn't quite keep the twinge from her heart. Jarrod quickly took her by the hand and yanked her out of there. Scooby followed, closing the door gently behind him.

Fred chuckled tiredly and kissed the bare shoulder closest to him. "Good thing they didn't come in here ten minutes ago."

Shaggy agreed; licking the side of his mouth and falling as Fred devoured him all over again. At this rate they were going to miss the festivities and neither man cared too much about it.

12:15 p.m.:

"WHAT?!"

"What do you mean you have laryngitis?!" she cried. "How the hell did that happen?!"

"Well, he is a renowned wedding singer," Uncle Liam offered. The older gentleman shrugged and tapped his brow. He'd managed to perform several different weddings in the span of four days, and his voice finally gave out on him. It wasn't like he'd planned it, but getting older tended to do things like that. Daphne almost raked her hands through her hair and pulled. She settled for turning around and screaming inwardly. Something always had to mess up a wedding, even if it wasn't her own.

The wedding had gone off without a hitch. Everything and anything that was meant to be was there, in place, and unable to break the spell of allure that had cast itself over the audience. One would swear that the heavens had opened up to light their little ceremony; the sun gleaming in all its glory in perfect weather and the sweet scent of the outdoor garden there to lighten their hearts. The guests were alive with spirit and life, and love when Darrel was announced and led down the aisle adorned in white. She couldn't quite keep herself from tearing up a bit then. Waterproof makeup and a handy handkerchief kept her tears under control, until the two men had joined hands at the altar. Their vows were heartfelt and laced with the solemn promise of the truest of loves, causing not only her, but several other guests and the groom himself to start bawling. Despite the water works, the doves flew, the lovers kissed, and the ceremony had descended into one big celebration. The promise of dance, food, and liveliness had everyone cheering and headed further into the garden. The canopy tent that held their party the prior night had been decked out for the reception, which included the services of their deejay and a well-known wedding singer.

Said wedding singer was currently smiling apologetically at the loving couple. Velma stood nearby, unsure of what all this meant. Daphne bit her lip, and Uncle Liam stiffened a long suffering sigh. Scooby regarded the lot of them, and shook his head. It wasn't like he could sing.

But he knew someone who could.

"REY! Rhat arout Raggy?! Or Red!?"

Daphne neatly tripped over her own feet. "Say what?!"

"Well, they can sing," Velma said slowly. The more she thought about it, it was the only solution at the moment. She smiled in confidence. "Yeah, we can ask them to do it!"

"Like, do what?"

The pondering group turned to spy Shaggy and Fred approaching them. Daphne bit her lip again, unable to figure out if she was going to drool or gape. Shaggy had taken on a whole new light to him, no longer that scrawny gangly teenager she'd known through childhood. While he was still lanky and tall, he reminded her of a slightly out of reach model, bent on the cool nostalgia of beatnik and alternative living. His hair naturally fell in waves, curled at the ends and stopping at the nape of his neck. It did nothing to hide the love mark there, and he made no efforts to disguise it. His tuxedo had been opted out for a more casual look; a simple olive shirt with rolled up sleeves to the center of his bicep and a tie loosely done under the open collar of his shirt. His shirt was tucked into a dark pant that fell flawlessly over a pair of vintage converse sneakers. He looked half baked, which only threw off pheromones she hadn't noticed before.

Fred wore something similar, only his shirt was crimson and his shoes were actually dress shoes. The vest he wore was a soft pattern of red and black diamonds that hugged and accentuated his broad chest while sophisticating him. That slicked back do of blonde wasn't there now. It hung in a natural way, parted on the right to fall in scattered neatly cut flails of blonde. The rest was tucked behind his ear, unveiling a mark they hadn't seen this morning. His looked a little fresher...and that only kept Daphne from speaking a little longer. They weren't at the wedding, assumed to be sleeping the day away for obvious reasons. She'd forgotten about it, until he snuck up and gently nudged Shaggy on his shoulder. That affection she'd seen as brotherly love was now something more...and her own perverse thoughts kept her from thinking straight.

Velma was quick to grab Fred giving her the once over. "Yeah, I know. I'm freaking hot!" she smirked. He smirked in kind, but allowed himself to be pulled by her insisting hands. "Fred, we need you to do something for us."

"What?"

"He," she said pointing to the waving older gentleman, "Is supposed to sing. He can't. YOU have been volunteered."

"Wait, WHAT?!"

"It's either you or Shaggy, and we know Shaggy can sing," she leered. Shaggy abruptly stiffened and shook his head. "Shaggy..."

"LIKE, NO WAY!" he cried. "Nuh-UH. Like, there's a limit to everything I do...and that is ONE thing I will NOT do. Not even for a Scooby Snack."

"Rooby Rack?!"

"Like, later Scoob. Promise."

"So that only leaves you," Velma said. Fred gaped, protesting with a rigidity of his body but unable to deter the unnaturally strong shoves of Velma Dinkely. "Sing on, oh mighty leader!"

"Wait, what am I supposed to sing?!" Fred cried as he was unmercifully shoved on the waiting stage. The deejay sent him an apologetic smile as he handed him the list, left and let the band warm themselves up. Fred scanned the page quickly and blinked. "Excuse me?! I'm supposed to sing these?!"

"You don't know the words?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Then you should have no problem. Good luck!"

"Wait a minute!"

Like most bands, they started automatically. He looked wildly from the right and left, at a loss but stuck with the task. Part of him was appalled, but the more logical piece of him decided this was Velma's way at getting back at him. She and he both knew he was a light sleeper, and that this morning's revelations weren't privy to anyone aside them. He grinned forcefully at her knowing look, vowing to get her back the moment wedding bells rung in her future.

"All work and no play,
That's the way it is ain't it?"

He quickly took the mike in hand, spying the crowd moving in to dance to the sultry upbeat of this song. He grinned a little, hating the fact that he knew this song and how many girls were going to make a grab at Shaggy standing in the midst of it all.

"There's a rhythm deep inside of you,
And you must get reacquainted...

Ooh..."

Like he expected, Shaggy was approached. He could feel himself fumbling not to spoil the song, but found no reason to. Shaggy calmly shook his head and headed for the stage. Daphne and Velma were behind him, and Scooby stayed put at the snack table. Free eats, were free eats!

"When was the last time you danced?
When was the last time you danced?"

"Like last night man!" Shaggy called. Fred held out a hand and quickly pulled him up. He didn't let him freeze, opting to fry his nerved and all senses with the subtle move of his hips.

"Well come rock with baby...
Dance with me darling...
Step with me sweet heart...
The world is watching..."

And he didn't quite care. The whole world had seen the best of them, the worst of them, and the strangeness that was life. This was just another part of them, another chapter to add to their weird collection of adventures. He absently looked at his watch and noticed that it was just after 12:20 p.m.. It took him eight years to get this close, and twenty-four hours to skip past that barrier being best friends had caused. A new record in being ignorant, he supposed. However it played, he knew one thing.

"Under an endless sky,
Wish I could fly away forever...

And ever...

And the poetry so pure
When we are on the floor together..."

He was going to dance with him until the sun faded from their lives. He was going to hold him through the nightmares. He was going to love him through his insecurities. He was going to help heal him when he was hurt. When he was down, he'd pick him up. When he was up, he'd take him higher. When life had left him desolate, he'd be the one to renew the lands that were him. He'd always done this as a friend...but never as a lover.

Shaggy was either going to love him for his devotion or leave him, but it would never waver from this man pressed against him now.

"It's been a long time..."

He realized just how much he meant it when the thought of her coming back threatened that happiness.

He was going to beat down the first clawed hand even thinking about touching what had been his unknowingly for the past eight years.

"When was the last time you danced?
When was the last time you danced?

Well come rock with me baby...
dance with me darling...
Step with me sweetheart...
The world is watching..."

Yeah, they'd danced last night. Danced past their knowledge of one another and saw things they hadn't allowed each other to see prior to that moment. After last night, there was no going back. Shaggy knew it, and Fred demanded it. No past relationships were going to ruin this spark, not even the promise of her coming back. Not even the hope of their close friend being shattered in the efforts to regain a chance they knew wasn't there. They had to brave this thing together, not alone and wondering or missing someone who was always there. Shaggy nodded gently, promising that he wouldn't back pedal. Fred silently promised not to shove him into anything. They both promised not to let the world and its views kill what little normalcy they had in their lives.

"Don't deny me any further...

Let me have my way...

Oooh, come closer

Let's dance the night awaaaaay~~

Come Rock with me baby

DANCE with me Darling...

STEP with me Sweetheart...

The world is Watching...

Ohhhhhh!"

"You going to kiss him or what?!" Jarrod called.

Maybe. He toyed with the idea until Shaggy stole his breath away. The cat calls coming from their audience spurred the impulsiveness and Shaggy found himself being dipped. Velma's loud "WHOO!" snapped them out of their little daze, but it had the boys smiling at her with the young man who'd attached himself to her hip. Daphne clapped from nearby, squished between her laughing cousin and his blushing and lovable husband. Scooby climbed on the stage and handed Shaggy a piece of the cake he'd managed to snatch, which was promptly half eaten by Fred. He didn't mind it. He simply ate the other half and pretended not to lick his fingers clean.

Fred suppressed the urge to tackle him then and there. "You little..."

"Hmm? You say something Fred?"

He kept a light loving smile to himself as the tempo of the next song hit them. Everyone had grown in their own ways. They both realized this and made one more silent vow: Not to let their new changes disturb the relationship that was them as a whole. Whether it was Mystery Inc. Or "those meddlesome kids", they would always be friends. No matter what.

"Anyone up for a trip to Vegas?"

"Freddie!"

"Just a thought."

And some things would just never change.

Epilogue? YEAH. It's here: s/5517837/1/In-and-Out-of-Reach

Songs are as follows:

Moving Mountains by: "Usher"
Simple things pt. 2 by: "Dirty Vegas"
Right here waiting by: "Stain'd"
All Nite (Don't Stop) by: "Janet Jackson"
Come Over by: "Aaliyah"
The Last Time by: "Gnarles Barkley"

Again, done in mind with the owner of the Grew Law Database. Girl I owe you a lot.