A/N: Hello! My Scooby-Doo muse has been very, very quiet for about eight months now. I am very sorry for the people who are reading "Black Means Safe"- it may not be updated for a while :L But for now, bask in this (lol) and I will try and get back into SD at some point! This is a challenge from Hayles45, as I set one for her (Ashes, check it out, it's absolutely great), and the challenge word was "velvet". I hope I did you justice, Hayles! Jazzola :)
Velvet.
Daphne stared at it, her eyes taking in the gentle patterns, smooth sheen, the way the light caught on the curves, rippling it with different shades and looks, a ballgown here, faux fur there. Lilac fought gently with deep purple, caressing it as they melted into one another in the cool light from the window it surrounded, its gently tinted light bathing her in stately elegance.
The baby slowly growing inside her kicked gently. Her hand travelled to the bump, rubbing it carefully, her eyes on the gate at the bottom of the garden, a smile curving her bright red lips. His mark left on her, and she loved him all the more for it. Some days she wondered if she would cope without him. Her mind had often created scenarios in which he had to leave- he got hurt, one of the mysteries became too dangerous, or simply that he got fed up and left. Some days she'd seen him leaning against the doorframe, staring out at the garden with an inscrutable expression on his face; she could only hope that it wasn't the sign of him becoming bored of her.
The door downstairs banged; Daphne jumped, starting out of her lilac daze, leaping from the chair. She knew it was just the pregnancy hormones making her nervy and making her start at everything happening around her- even Fred's sports games set her off sometimes- but this was something, she knew it. Doors don't bang on their own.
"Who's there?" she called softly, her eyes darting from side to side as she crept towards the door, her hands on her belly. Freddy, where are you when I need you? She scolded herself for the thought, edging closer to the door, hearing a clunk from the foyer, the door sliding open. Oh, help...
And then the footsteps were pounding up the stairs instead, slow, steady, their thick rhythm bouncing through the air. Daphne gritted her teeth, putting her hand on the doorknob; she would have to defend herself, for the baby and for Fred...
"GOTCHA!"
Yanking the door open with all her might, she flew out from the bedroom, colliding full-on with the intruder, who was only centimetres away. He yelped, staggering backwards, grabbing Daphne before she did herself any damage.
"Oh..."
Daphne's cheeks turned as red as her lips as she realised that she'd just all but attacked her own husband.
"Daph, are you OK?" Fred asked, concerned, his hands smoothing themselves down her arms carefully. He bent his head to capture her lips in his, one hand smoothing back her curls, and she gave a little whimper, pulling him closer to her, putting her toes on top of his like a little girl doing the penguin dance with her daddy. Fred scooped her up and carried her through into the bedroom again, setting her down on the bed and plumping down next to her, discarding his coat in the direction of the curtains.
BANG.
Daphne grabbed her husband's arm as the right curtain fell off, discarding its rings as it went, landing on the floor a thick sheet of purple velvet. Fred groaned.
"That took me two hours to put up."
He reached over to grab the velvet, rubbing his fingers over it gently, looking up to apologise to Daphne. Her eyes were glittering as he met them, whether from amusement or sadness he didn't know, and he dropped the velvet onto the duvet, reaching out to grasp her hand.
"Daph, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
Daphne shook her head, picking up a corner of the velvet in one hand and cupping Fred's cheek with the other, distracting him as she pulled the velvet round him, swathing him in its luxury before sliding in herself and resting her whole body against his, pressing her lips to his cheek as his own eyes gleamed.
"There we go, Freddy."
He smiled, a big, broad smile, showing every inch of the love he felt for his wife. His hands slid down to her belly and stroked it, pressing a kiss to the little dent of the belly button and looking up again at Daphne with a smile on his face.
"You are the best thing that ever happened to me, you know that?"
Daphne laughed out loud with love, pulling his body against hers, a beam bright enough to rival the Sun decorating her delicate face.
"I love you too."
And they stayed like that until darkness fell, wrapped in each other's love under the purple velvet as the world went on around them.
I hope you like it, Hayles!