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. He 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 to see Shaggy's affectionate gaze pondering his own. Fingers with a mind all their own reached to gently caress those still swollen lips, wondering at the silken feel of such things. Kissing him was much different than kissing any girl he'd been with. They wanted to cling to him, dig their nails into his muscular skin and drive themselves onto his lap, hoping to get a taste of what he could offer. Not Shaggy. Not his best friend. He'd wrapped his long arms around his shoulders, pulling him deeper and further into the couple that was them wrestling the temptation to give in too soon. It didn't happen that way. He'd been too tempting, so sensitive...so vocal, he'd only wanted to drive him off of that cliff much further and faster. 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 restraint was fading quickly, and he pressed himself closer and harder the longer Shaggy waited to answer him. "Please...how far....?"

As much as he wanted to think strait, it was hard now. Someone like Fred wasn't able to keep his passions to himself, especially when he was wrapped up like this in something new. Yet, it wasn't so new. It was an old dance they'd grown familiar with and added their own steps to as it progressed. They fumbled here and there, forgot a step or two, but who didn't? Now their steps were fluid and meaningful, aware to them and ingrained in them as the sun was to the skies. 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 Freddy in the eye.

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

"As far as you'll take me," he said softly. 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. Again he was pulling him closer and he found himself buried in the warmth and acceptance that was and would always be Shaggy.

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. His 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 his neck was getting. It was going to have to wait. He 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, which 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. It had been a blur the first time, bodies moving in the rising heat, unable to truly relish the soft gasps floating in his ear. Another fell from his lips coupled by a low moan of his own as he shifted his hips. Heated flesh met and clung, the cool air of the room quickly succumbing to the silent heat quickly engulfing them and their personal space. His fingers moved lower and skirted over the firm inner thighs moving further apart to accommodate and invite. How skin could be this smooth...how any one could be this warm...

'Mine....all mine...'

Shaggy's fingers fell into the blonde tresses tickling his chest, sighing when those warm wet lips kissed the very center of his chest. His heart lurched and thundered a bit more, making it harder to concentrate on anything other than Fred taking his fill. These little hitching noises coming from his self were downright embarrassing, but he couldn't quite help it. As much as he would have liked them to believe, he really didn't have much experience in anything sexually related. Googie was the first and last to touch him before this, and even then, she never quite went where Fred's lips had traveled to. Soft deliberate heat made his skin crawl in anticipation, his eyes closing in disbelief and unbridled ecstasy at the first lick.

"Sweet..."

It was all he said, and all he was going to say as his devious mind came into play. Shaggy didn't know whether to kiss or kill Fred, leaving him up and unattended as he tended to the more sensitive parts of his hips. A kiss here, a lingering suckle of soft unbearably sensitive skin there; and he could have lost it when he saw that lewd face sensuously lick a strait line from the crevasse of his right leg to the center of his thigh. His eyes were positively set on fire; a thousand and one thoughts flickering obscenely through a smirk worthy of an incubus. The light trail of glistening saliva only had firm fingers to trail back down, spreading them selves out to rub an open palm up and over his weeping shaft.

"Oh jeez...Fred...."

"Hmm?"

The words died on his tongue with another maddeningly slow rub. Pressed between his hard hand and his quivering body, he should have known not to look. Those tresses were back tickling his skin lightly as his tongue lapped firmly at the weeping tip pooling near his navel. Soft suckling kisses kept him pinned and quivering, unable to move even when a searing heat engulfed him and swallowed him whole. The first instinctive swallow had him gasping, and the second forced him up several inches. Fred grabbed his hips and pulled, draping his legs over his shoulders and greedily devouring everything he was offered. Shaggy's fingers tightened themselves in Fred's hair, threatening to pull out clumps of it as he felt the pressure of it all building against his spine. Sparks were flying, the heat was rising, and if he didn't let go...

"F-fred....Freddie--!? Oh my god..."

Sounds like that only came out of lurid porn like no other. He let him go with a mind melting slurp, flicking the swollen glands in parting as he squeezed the base of his cock. Shaggy groaned deeply, breathing heavily to calm himself down. He was so freaking close it wasn't funny, despite that husky laughter rumbling against his skin. So focused on trying not to blow himself into a blackout, he never noticed the slick digit slipping past his defenses until it was too late and had become two. He squirmed at the discomfort, glad for something to bring him back, but regretting it when he curled his fingers and pressed deeply against something he'd never acknowledge aside a plaything for the doctor.

"AAHhh! Oh damn...."

"Oh me, oh my...Shaggy actually swore," Fred smirked. He meant no malice by it, but the red on his cheeks was well worth it. He softened his smirk a bit, chuckling deeply when he gently laved at the tightening sac resting on the edge of his working knuckles. This was probably the only time he might have considered Uncle Liam a closeted pervert and thanked him thoroughly for being one. He could also thank his lucky stars that Shaggy hadn't quite noticed his hands reaching into the nightstand a while back, otherwise he might have freaked. He didn't think he could wait another ten minutes for him to warm up to the idea that sprung to mind each time his fingers delved into that heat.

Okay, now he had to silently thank his cousin for being freakish enough to send him the wrong links on the computer a while back. Otherwise...this would have been interesting.

"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 his cock erupted in an fountain of arching white. He waited for the first convulsion, the first uncontrollable shudder and quickly moved upward to sink himself into that milking heat.

The strange combination of pleasure mingled with the pain of being stretched further kept him 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 him 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. If anything, he was harder, and near the point of begging. He didn't quite understand this carnal need, this uncontrollable urge to lift his hips and silently ask him to move, but he knew Fred understood. Fred understood more about them than they knew about themselves, and he knew how to take care of him. He was too easy to spook, too easy to wind up, and it was better this way. Keeping him past the point of thinking too clearly was a good way to make him a further victim of his own needs, legs curling upward and winding themselves around his waistline.

"Shaggy...this isn't going to last long," Fred breathed. "I can't..."

"Then don't..." He carefully moved himself away, letting Fred sink back into him when he regained some sense of himself. That massive thing rubbed him in all the right spots, and he caught himself moaning louder when Fred angled his hips just so. Lips meshed together, tongues sliding and dueling for a dominance that wasn't there, and for once he let himself be swept away in a pleasure he hadn't felt since she'd told him she loved him.

Fred growled, sensing something but not knowing what it was. The off feeling of her swept over him, and he thrust a little deeper and harder. Shaggy had been gone so long...left without a trace and no way to know if he was fine or not. No way to make sure he was sleeping, eating, and getting his daily amount of laughter in with the bad things that tended to happen. No way of knowing if he was smiling through his concern, or knowing if he was crying under his smiles. He hadn't felt that hollow since...ever. Not once did he ever think before then that he couldn't see, hear, or be with his best friend. When it happened...it took every fiber of his being not to strangle that girl, steal Shaggy back, and brand him for life.

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 thanks to that book. 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. He took it all and more, wrapping himself around him and his heart without question. He sat back and roared; the seed of his loins spilling deep into that warmth and triggering the shaft between them to erupt for a third time that night.

He felt the world spin, tumble, and leave his senses up in the air as he collapsed into the waiting arms curling around him. The tension fizzled, and soon there was nothing more than the quaking aftershocks of the moment and the sleepy content they'd been searching for in the first place. Fred shifted his head a bit to gently kiss Shaggy's lightly heaving chest, reveling the feel of his heart thundering loudly against his lips.

"Love you, Shaggy...love you so much...."

If possible, he would swear for many years to come that Shaggy's heart skipped a beat. Shaggy relaxed and hugged him tighter, eyes fluttering closed as he said, "Love you too, Freddie...like...really....love...you."

They dropped off like that, unable to fight sleep any longer. The soft snores of contented people drifted into the melody of a sleeping household, and one slightly awake Great Dane snickering to his self. 

9:49 a.m.:

It was going on ten. She 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 she 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 she hadn't, and that bothered her. She shook her head to answer 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 into the main room at the mention of his name, yawning but dressed and groom according to task. He smelt of some sweet and spicy mixture that made the lady dogs swoon and the male dogs growl at his presence. At the age of eight, he was too old and too seasoned to give a crap about those males. He walked by them with his nose in the air, snickering to himself when one of the females yipped after him.

Daphne shook her head at the sight. "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. It was a good thing that they didn't have dog noses. They would have gotten that question solved long 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?"

"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 snorted lightly and walked after them. What Shaggy did in his own time was Shaggy's business.

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. So when she swung open the door, she was quite surprised to find that retort of "RISE AND SHINE" dying on her lips. A choked noise came out, and Velma's shriek of "Jinkies!" didn't ring loud enough to stir them from their exhaustion. From behind, Scooby nosed his way in and snickered. The nose knows.

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. He 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 the 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...."

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

"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 throws 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.

A sleep ridden sapphire eye opened and spied the door. "........nah."

"....Nah, what?"

"I'm not getting up," he murmured. "Not for all the money in China."

"We have to..."

"Says?"

".........oh, whatever. Like, I'm too tired to care."

That settled, he closed his eyes and fell back into oblivion. Another four hours wouldn't kill them. 

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 their selves 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~~!! ACK~!"

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 logically 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 24 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. Now that they were, he'd place his all into it and more just to make sure Shaggy should never want for anything.

And then he realized just how much he meant it when the thought of her coming back hit him hard.

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

"It's been a long time...

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; 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-peddle. Fred silently promised not to shove him into anything he couldn’t take. 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 gonna 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 "WHOOP!" snapped them out of their little daze, but it had the boys smiling at her, and the young man who'd attached himself to her hip. Daphne clapped from nearby, squished between her laughing cousin and his blushing but 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 them as 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.