As the next step in her project to help Neville in adapting to island life, Florence had convinced him to join her in a dip in the sea. After all, what’s life in the Caribbean without swimming in the sea once in a while?
Words: 685, One-shot
Fandoms: Death in Paradise
Rating: Teen and Up
Categories: M/F
Characters: Neville Parker, Florence Cassell
Relationships: Neville Parker/Florence Cassell
Additional Tags: Fluff, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers
As the next step in her project to help Neville in adapting to island life, Florence had convinced him to join her in a dip in the sea. After all, what’s life in the Caribbean without swimming in the sea once in a while?
They had agreed to meet on their day off on the veranda of DI Parker’s shack. Florence arrived already in her royal blue bikini and covered tastefully by a colourfully patterned sarong. She called out to him and waited patiently. After a bit of shuffling and some hesitation, Neville emerged in a pair of sky blue board shorts and a beige towel draped around his shoulders.
“Hello Sir, you look very fetching in your new shorts, if I may say so?”
“Oh. Er. Th-Thanks Florence… Shall we?” Asked Neville, as he gestured vaguely towards the sea across their isolated strip of beach. Florence nimbly untied her sarong to hang it over the railing next to where Neville placed his towel and toed off her sandals, before the pair made their way quietly to the shoreline. Neville kept his eyes locked straight ahead, determined not to embarrass himself again by stuttering and ogling like a schoolboy like he did at Catherine’s bar last week. However, he paused just shy of the lapping waves.
“Are you sure we can’t just go to the community pool? Less things that might bite, sting, or otherwise harm me in some way there…”
“No Sir, it’ll be fine, I’ll be right next to you the whole time, and we can get out whenever you want, ok?”
“Ok then, here goes nothing.”
Neville, reassured, waded into the water with Florence close at his side.
They continued until they were waist deep and stopped to drink in the view. All seemed to go placidly for a short while as Neville gradually acclimatised and they spent time enjoying the cool water. However, after not too long their serenity was interrupted by the unsavoury feeling of something slimy slinking up Neville’s left leg.
“AHH!”
“WHAT? What is it Sir?!”
“There was something, Florence, something touched my foot and-
AH it’s moving! Get it off me, get it off me!”
“Hang on Sir, stay still, I’ll take a look.”
Neville thrashed his leg around in the water, desperately trying to dislodge his slippery intruder and, after what felt entirely too long, he freed himself. In his panic, he looped his hand around Florence’s right arm and lunged for the shore.
“Right, we have to get out of here, move, come on!”
“Wai- What?”
The pair splashed their way back to the beach and emerged from the sea. But, amid his panic, Neville lost his footing on a smattering of pebbles, slipping and tumbling onto the sand. Unfortunately for Florence, her arm had still been entangled with Neville’s. As he fell, she was tugged down with him and toppled onto his side.
For a stunned moment they laid there, panting and chests heaving as they both caught their breath. Neville, trying to roll onto his back, only succeeded in tangling them further. As Florence’s arm got stuck, his movements accidentally pulled her closer to him. He lifted his head, an apology ready on his lips, when he noticed just how close his face was to hers, and all rational thought fled his mind. Florence met his eyes and the tension between the two became tangible. A wave of thoughts threatened to overwhelm her and for a heartbeat they paused. As the seconds ticked by, her memories and feelings began to shift into place one by one like puzzle pieces. As if awakening from a deep slumber, a realisation dawned on Florence and everything slotted into place. Urged on by the warm glow in her chest, she smiled sweetly, lent forwards, and placed a gentle kiss on Neville’s lips. Breaking his reverie, he responded eagerly, scooping her up in his arms. The pair deepened the kiss and remained locked in their embrace. After an indulgent few moments they broke apart, shy smiles gracing both their faces and feeling peacefully at ease in each other’s arms.
