An encounter in the van between Fred and Daphne during their Daphne Blake: Coast to Coast days (before the gang reunites in zombie island). Not sure yet if it'll be a one shot or more.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just adding a bit of zest between some characters. Please r/r! It's been years since I've written fanfiction, but happy to come out of retirement!
Warning: Rated MA. Contains graphic sexual content. Do NOT read if under the age of 18 or if such material offends you.
Tension had always been there between her and Fred for as long as she could remember. She was brave enough to admit it, but not enough to act on it. Daphne never hesitated to make the first move with potential beaus. She was never put off by the fear of rejection or embarrassment…except when it came to Fred.
She just knew that if he didn't feel the same way her heart would break. And what if they did date and then broke up? Would the gang forever be altered? Would she be able to solve mysteries with him like nothing had ever happened? The thought made her throat tighten. No. It was much safer for her to acknowledge the chemistry, but keep it distant and platonic. For everyone's sake.
Daphne had confided her feelings in Velma over the years. She had always gently encouraged her to take a chance, and make a move with him. She all but physically shoved Daphne and Fred together when the gang announced their future plans after seperating.
Even though they produced her show together and on some days were the only company each other had, the time had never felt right. He was usually dating someone else or she was, and with the added stresses of mysteries, adulthood, and now her cable tv show sometimes romance just took a back seat.
And here she was eleven months later; driving down the gorgeous Vermont countryside with Fred, taking in the rolling hills and swaying trees with their changing autumn colors. Despite the brisk air, Daphne rolled down the passengerside window and let her hand hang loosely outside.
She chanced a quick glance at Fred, who was smiling wide as he talked eagerly about the upcoming UFO convention they were heading to. The wind had tousseled his blonde hair in the most handsomest way, and his blue eyes all but sparkled when he spoke about subjects he was passionate about...fishing, traps, baseball. Maybe me? Daphne smirked to herself at the thought.
Fred's jolly voice pulled her from her reverie, "I'm so pumped for this, Daph. Thank you so much for letting us veer off schedule for a few days. I know ufos aren't normally our gig, but I've been waiting ages for this!"
Daphne swatted his arm, "Oh Freddie, you do the work of five men. All I do is look pretty for the camera and babble. I feel like I don't do enough for you."
"You do plenty", he said with a wink.
Daphne blushed and looked out again at the orange and yellow trees when the mystery machine made a dreaded and unnatural noise. The van became jerky, like it couldn't get to the next gear.
Fred worked the struggling gear shift and pulled the van off the road onto a gravel shoulder. The vehicle gave a great shudder before the engine quit, followed by hissing steam seeping out from under the hood.
Daphne groaned and threw her head back dramatically, "Well, everything's been running so smooth lately I suppose something had to go wrong."
Fred sighed, "Calm down, I'm sure it's nothing that can't be fixed. Wait here, I'm going to call roadside service."
Daphne watched through the window as Fred paced while talking to the representative. It must not be going according to plan, as Daphne noticed him scowling. Although, she had to give him credit, he was always calm. Even in emergency situations. His voice never raised an octave and he remained polite throughout the phone call.
Fred sauntered back inside the van and ran his hand through his hair. "I've got good news and bad news. Good news is that they'll definitely be sending assistance, bad news is it won't be for another seven hours."
Daphne looked out at the quickly fading sunlight. "Is there somewhere we can wait? A bar or a diner? Something?"
Fred fiddled with his GPS. "Looks like the nearest place is a cute little bed and breakfast."
Daphne clapped her hands together, "Perfect! We can get a shower, rest, and maybe get some footage. The best paranormal stuff we get is from those hole-in-the-wall places!"
Fred shook his head, "That would be a groovy plan, but the B and B is about ten miles from here." He glanced down at Daphne's skirt and high heels. "And I don't know how much roughing it you'll be able to do in those."
Daphne held her chin up proudly, "I'll have you know Fred Jones, that I've ran the fastest I've ever had to from guys in masks while wearing these heels."
Fred chuckled, "You're right. I also remember you falling a lot, and getting snatched more than once."
Daphne crossed her arms defensively, "Sometimes sacrifices have to be made in the name of fashion, Freddie. Or have you forgotten your ascot?" Fred winced at her comment but didn't respond.
The two looked at each other across the front bench seat. Each slightly offended, but not wanting to concede defeat. Fred, always the leader, broke the tension first by smiling and poking her shoulder, "I actually do remember one time when you took your heel off and lobbed it at a ghosts head. The dude's eye was turning black and blue when the police got there."
Daphne turned her gaze out to the window, determined not to let him see that his memory of her left a giddy feeling.
She glanced back at him and he smiled and charmingly wiggled his eyebrows. He was too damn cute and they broke down in laughter together.
After they'd laughed their stress away, Fred looked behind them at the mostly empty van. "We can try to sleep here tonight. It'll be early morning when the roadside help gets here."
Daphne felt a nervous pang in her stomach. Here in the van? Alone? With Fred? She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "Um...are you sure? I mean…is there enough room?"
Fred yawned and stretched his back, "Yeah. I think it'll be alright. We used to do this all the time with four people and a dog. Hotels were a luxury."
Despite years of sharing a van with three other people and a talking dog, it had never seemed odd to Daphne back then. Fred would usually stretch out on the front bench seat, Velma and Daphne would share an air mattress, while Shaggy and Scooby would curl up on a bed made of comfy blankets by the back doors.
But now…the idea of sharing such a small space with Fred filled her with dread, or was it anticipation?
Fred climbed over the bench seat and started to push things out of the way, mostly suitcases and camera equipment, until he came to a built-in compartment in the van's floor.
"Ah, here we are. Shaggy took the air mattress when he left, but the blankets and pillows are still here." He made a cute gesture of fluffing the pillows.
Daphne took off her heels to avoid poking a hole in the bench seat's vinyl and playfully tossed one at Fred. He chuckled as he easily dodged it.
She hopped over the seat and helped Fred straighten out the blankets that had become stiff with disuse. Daphne patted Velma's blanket fondly, "Do you miss them being here?"
Fred nodded as he switched on a battery powered lanturn in the darkening van. "All the time." She watched as his smile grew wistful, "but I'm glad I have you to keep me company…and boss me around."
Daphne giggled as she stood up, careful not to bump her head on the roof of the van, "You just wait Fred Jones, when the ratings on our show take off I'll have loads of people who will want to produce with me."
Fred spread out on the blanket with his hands behind his head and kicked off his loafers. "I can see why you guys slept back here, its way more roomy then the bench seat."
Daphne reached over the bench seat to grab her cell phone and as she turned her foot caught the the high heel she had thrown. Unable to catch herself she came down hard right on top of Fred. Luckily, her knee had missed his groin by inches and she still held up the bulk of her own weight.
Fred didn't seem fazed and laughed out loudly, "Those heels are a trip, get it?"
Daphne grinned nervously, "Yeah, just when you think danger-prone Daphne couldn't get clumbsier, I prove everyone wrong."
At her words Fred stopped snickering and his eyes became softer, "I didn't mean it like that…", as his sentence trailed off he brought his hand up to brush some of her bright red hair behind her ear.
Daphne closed her eyes at the touch and suddenly became aware of just how intimately they were laying. She was almost flush along his body, and could feel his heat through his clothes. Had he always been this warm?
She gulped loudly and Fred seemed to snap out of his thoughts as he pulled his hand back. She knew she should get off of him, move, roll over, do something, but her brain did not seem connected to her body.
With a strange spark of courage, she closed the last few inches of space between Fred's face and hers. Daphne felt Fred tense underneath her and for a split second prepared for him to push her away and say that they shouldn't do this or that she must have been mistaken. But it never happened.
His eyes closed with hers and instead of moving her off him, he brought his arms closer around her. His kisses were chaste at first, but when she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss he followed her lead.
Time seemed irrelevant. Had she fallen on him five minutes ago or fifty? All she could think of was his lips being unbelievably soft for a man and his hands beginning to roam over her back.
Daphne broke the kiss and lifted her head up. She felt like something needed to be said, acknowledged out loud, but the words wouldn't come. Fred must have understood, as he gently cupped her chin and pulled her back down to him.
While he deepened the kiss, his hands were busy sliding her purple suit jacket down her shoulders, and he saw how she was straining to hold up her weight above him.
In one swift motion and without breaking the kiss, Fred rolled them both over, so that her back was to the blankets. He took off his white vest before sliding his hand under her green tank top and along the skin of her belly until his hand cupped her breast. Daphne broke the kiss and moaned softly in his ear.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and gasped when she could feel his hardness pushing into her groin. With a desperation she didn't know she had, she began unbottoning his jeans and working the zipper. Years of denying her attraction to Fred had made her almost frantic with need.
He ran his hands under her skirt and in his haste moved her panties to the side, instead of down her legs. Daphne smiled against his lips, he must feel the same way as I do, she thought. Although, any thoughts after that moment were hard to comprehend as Fred entered her.
They both groaned out loud at the initial penetration, an act that was years in the making. He held himself still for her to become adjusted to his size and placed small kisses along side her cheek, neck, jaw…and suddenly he began to move.
He knew exactly what he was doing and moved with deep, slow thrusts that made Daphne pant. She ran her nails up his back and delighted when he would break their kiss to softly moan her name.
The van began to rock as Fred's thrusts were getting quicker and sharper. He wouldn't last much longer and neither would she. She wanted to remember everything in this moment; his face, his eyes, his sounds, but she was losing the ability to focus on anything besides pleasure.
Daphne reached up and tangled her hands in his hair, "Oh please, Freddie, please," she whispered.
Her word was all he needed and in a growl he covered her mouth with his, silencing anything else she said. He pushed himself in to the hilt and the world around Daphne exploded and fell away. Nothing but waves of pleasure, and warmth, and Fred…
She slowly came back to herself and felt Fred's soft kisses alongside her cheek and forehead. He rolled off of her and brought the back of her hand to his lips.
She was overwhelmed by the need to say something, anything, but as Fred pulled her to lay along side him, words just didn't seem to matter. Daphne laid her head on his broad chest and slowly drifted to sleep, lulled by the deep beat of his heart.