Looking back on it, Shawn really wasn't sure when his life had taken this turn – when he'd gone from being barely able to look at her to falling in love with her – but he knew he was in love now. He'd always wanted to be an official part of the Matthews' family, but until a few years ago, it had never crossed his mind that it could happen this way. Honestly, he'd long ago started to believe that this – marriage to a good girl, the chance to start a family of his own – wasn't in the cards for him.

And then, so slowly, he'd started to realize how he felt about her – and, even more slowly, how she returned his feelings. Up until he realized that she loved him – really loved him – too, he'd never hated himself more for feeling something. How could he have fallen in love with her, of all people?! He'd thought then that it was so wrong. Until he'd realized that those feelings were mutual… and he'd started to believe that they were perfectly right.

Well, mostly she'd convinced him of the fact that what they felt was okay, but he'd gotten to that point, and wasn't that what counted in the end?

Still, he'd never been as nervous in his life as he was when he sat down with his best friends – "I know you want to be there, but try to understand, babe, this is something that I really feel needs to be between just Cory, Topanga, and me at first, okay?" "Isn't everything?" she joked wryly, nervous herself even as she tried to ease the tension in his shoulders, and it worked well enough, of course it did, because she could brighten anyone's day with that smile of hers. So he smiled back at her, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and went to meet Cory and Topanga.

Wonderful, irreplaceable Cory and Topanga, both of whom supported this unlikely marriage and were currently walking toward him with the light of Shawn's life between them.

"Well," Cory breathed as Shawn took the hand of his soon-to-be wife. There was something else he wanted to say, but his voice cracked when he looked between the duo he would leave behind at the altar.

It was Topanga who told them both, "Take care of each other, okay?" Then she winked at Shawn and looked toward the bride, tacking on, "And when he makes you nuts, call us."

Shawn chuckled as his fiancée answered "I will" as she gave Topanga a hug.

Finally Cory managed to say what was on his mind, a simple, "I love you, sweetheart."

That earned him a hug, too, and a kiss on the cheek as Riley answered, "I love you too, Daddy."

Then her parents returned to their seats, and Shawn and Riley turned towards the minister, hands clasped tightly in one another's as the man began, "Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Shawn Hunter and Riley Matthews in the holy state of matrimony…"

I had a sudden flash of curiosity concerning whether or not I could write this pairing, so I gave it a try, and ended up squicking myself out. Odd, considering that I ship other pairings in other fandoms that have bigger age gaps than this (particularly Once Upon A Time's Rumbelle, but that's neither here nor there), but hopefully you guys enjoyed this little experiment!