Death in Paradise
Hi everyone, this is my first Death in Paradise fanfic. I totally love Richard and Camille, but also find it difficult to write in character. I hope I managed to do that a bit with this story... I also have two other stories. I don't know if anyone is still active, but I wanted to post it anyway. Hope you'll like it. It has two chapters and is finished. I would love to hear your feedback. I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes, English is not my mother's tongue...
I just love putting Richard an Camille in "awkward" situations...
Death in Paradise isn't mine!
I think this plays out after season 2, so they are close, but still not close enough...
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Manditory Self-defense
Chapter 1
"I don't think that I need this." Richard muttered annoyed as he stepped onto the mat.
Camille sighed as she looked at his clothes. "Really?" She asked as she eyed him.
"Yes, really. The commissioner-"
"-Yes, so you explained in detail this morning. Several times." She cut him off quickly. She didn't feel the need to hear for the tenth time why he found the idea of him learning self defense totally unnecessary. The commissioner had to order him to take lessons from Camille after he had been attacked by a murderer and wasn't able to defend himself quite that well...And to be honest, she had been worried about him too. The moment the murderer had stepped towards him and punched him in his face... Worry had spread through her whole body and it was as if she herself had been hurt. If only Richard learned some techniques he could have easily evaded the murderers fist and wouldn't be in pain for days.
"I'm not that much into contact with murderers." Richard began his plea again.
"I meant the suit. Did you never even go to the gym in London?" Camille asked, ignoring the other subject. She wasn't going to start a discussion with him again.
"Well.. No..."
"What did you do to keep fit then?" Camille asked surprised.
"Well I..." He swallowed. Nothing? Somehow he felt ashamed. He felt the need to prove himself to her. And he felt like he was failing miserably at that.
"Yo Camille, how's it going?" A tall athletic man asked as he gave her a high five and walked past them smiling widely.
Richard swallowed, he was feeling even more insecure now. With all these very muscular and tall men around him. They were more her type. And he... Well, he just felt.. Insufficient.
"Loose the suit." Camille ordered when her old schoolmate had left the small gym room they were in.
"I don't have anything else to wear."
"You could have shopped." Camille blamed him somewhat annoyed. "How long are you on the Island now? Months already."
Richard sighed hard. "I really didn't feel the need to go shopping for a pair of sweat pants." As if he didn't have better things to do! Like read... And talk to Harry... And... Well, anything... Anything was better then this...
"You should, they can be very comfy." She explained as she took a piece of her pants in her hand to prove her point somehow. "It soaks your sweat up just like that." She explained. "And it's really soft. It fits like a glove too."
Yes, it did. He thought as he swallowed and didn't try to ogle. He was just looking at her. Not ogling. Just looking at the fabric that soaked up her sweat so easily, as she implied herself. Nothing more. He looked at the light purple shirt she was wearing over a black tank top. He couldn't even imagine that she would sweat, and if she would, it would probably not smell bad. She'd still look amazing.
"You don't like the heat, but still you insist on wearing these thick suits." Camille complained. "I thought after all these months you trusted us enough to at least let go of your tie."
"It has got nothing to do with trust." Richard defended himself quickly, he almost felt insulted by her words.
Camille stared at him knowingly from under her eyes lids. She suspected that he used his suits as armor. To feel safe. To feel at home. "Just loose the jacket at least. And the tie. It's dangerous."
"If a murderer would attack me again, he wouldn't first wait until I'd taken of my jacket would he?" Richard stated in a belligerent tone.
She sighed out loud. "You can be so... Difficult!" She groaned. 'Fine! Keep the suit on, even when you are working out." She muttered as she shook her head. "If we are going to fight, a tie can be dangerous."
'Fight?" He repeated somewhat afraid. He hoped she hadn't picked up on the fear he was feeling. He had learned to rely on her intuition. She noticed things, felt them. How? He had no clue. She just did. And he had started to trust in that more and more, because usually, she was right. Wel..., Almost all the time.
"It's rather hot today. Maybe we can do this another time." Richard began as he turned around. Maybe he could still get away from all of this...
"Non!" She snapped in a bossy tone. "You must learn things like this as soon as possible. I can't believe you haven't already." She shook her head.
"Well, in the past." A long while ago. "Yes, but it was never needed. I work with this." He said as he pointed at his head. "Not with..." He didn't know where to point for a moment and then finally decided on his bicep. He felt awful. He wanted to dissapear.
'Great, well, what did you learn in the past? Maybe we can start there?" Camille asked interested.
"Er... No... I've quite forgotten about that." He said as he put his clammy palms against his pants and looked around him. They were in a separate room at the gym but still he didn't feel at ease. Although no one was watching. But the two large dark eyes directed at him that belonged to his DS were enough to make him squirm.
"Okay." Camille said as she walked towards him.
'What are you doing?!" He asked alarmed as he put up his hands toward her to stop her.
She looked at his green wide eyes. "I'm coming closer to explain something?" She answered as she studied his face. He was so tense!
"Okay." He said as he nodded. "Okay.." He said again. "I want you to know that I will fully cooperate with this. Even though this is not on my priority list." He said as he swallowed. Would it hurt?
"I'm happy to know that."
"Also, because I know you could have been doing lots of other things right now. And this is your free time and all..." He ranted. He didn't know why he was ranting, maybe it gave him the illusion of control, or the illusion of this whole lesson not happening... The more he ranted.. The more she would get annoyed and maybe walk away? That sounded like a good plan...
"Grab me." Camille said as she straightened herself.
'Wh-... What?" Richard asked as he looked incredulous at her. He couldn't grab her! He didn't even know where to start. She looked so fragile. Everywhere.. He knew she wasn't ofcourse. But her skin... It looked so good and glowing, he didn't want to bruise her. And she was so thin. He just didn't want to-
'Grab me.' Camille repeated. The patience she had to have with this man...
Richard felt a wave of irritation flowing of her so he moved his hands and then hovered in front of her body as he pondered where to put them. At the arms? No, at the shoulders? No too close, maybe the...
Camille sighed. "You didn't have much trouble grabbing me at the pool." She reminded him. "Let me make it easy for you if that helps." She said as she turned around and gave him a very nice view of her backside.
He swallowed as he tried not to ogle how her tight pants showed her muscular legs and butt. He wondered how her butt would feel underneath his hands... He chastised himself immediately.
"It's just... What you did then... You almost twisted my arm out of my body that afternoon." He wrinkled his nose at the pain she had inflicted upon him. Not to mention the girly squeal that had errupted from his throat when she did so, he didn't want to repeat that!
"So?" She asked as she turned towards him again.
'Well, might it be an idea to be a little less... How shall I put it... Aggressive this time?" He suggested carefully.
"Aggressive?" She asked heatedly as she put her hands on her hips.
Uh Ooo... He had said the wrong thing. "No I didn't mean that you are aggressive." He tried to calm her down. "I just meant that with all of your strength... You could really hurt a man." Better to catch bees with honey, after all... He could always try to manipulate her...
'That's the point." She said curtly as she turned her back towards him again. "Hurry up, I don't have all day."
"Maybe we should first set some ground rules." Richard offered.
She turned around angrily now. "Just touch me!" She ordered in an angry, impatient Camille-voice.
Richard swallowed hard and almost took a step back at this outburst. In all of his dreams at night, in all the ways he had wanted her to say these words, he had never imagined them to come out of her mouth like this, in a situation like this.
Camillle stepped towards him, grabbed his wrist and put his hand on her shoulder. Then took his other wrist and put it on her other shoulder. "There you go. Is that so difficult?" She asked as she groaned tiredly.
"Well er... No..." He mumbled, more to himself as he felt his heart flutter when his skin connected with the warmth of her skin. He swallowed. The upside of all this was definitely that he got to touch her.
"Look, I can tell that you're not feeling at ease. Okay?" Camille asked as she looked at him. "I'll be careful with you. Okay sir?" She tried soflty as she eyed him all sweet now.
Richard was always amazed at how she could switch from sweet and caring, to some sort of aggressive tiger. He loved her sweet, caring sight, even though it didn't make him feel at ease either. Her sweet sight meant she was coming close. Sometimes too close. Before he himself had even noticed, she'd already made a place for herself in his heart and had settled down there behind his walls instead of in front of his walls. And how the hell had she managed to do that? Every time! He had to be alert with her. So alert.
"I've got the feeling that you're not into the whole touching thing. But we'll just take it slow okay?" She asked as her dark eyes grew big and searched his face.
He cleared his throat and mumbled some sort of reply.
"I want to teach you the move I showed you at the spa then." Camille began as she rotated under his touch. He lifted his hands but got ordered not to.
"Okay, first you move a bit towards the attacker." She explained as she pushed her body into his.
Richard gulped instantly the moment her backside connected with his body. He flushed when he heard the sound erupting from his own throat and felt immediately ashamed. Could he not sound more manly whenever he was shocked or frightened?!
"Then you grab him by his wrist and you twist like this... Do you see what I mean?"
'Ouch yesss... Yes.." Richard muttered miserably as he bended in front of her while she held his wrist easily and smirked at him.
"Okay, now it's your turn." Camille said as she turned him around. "Step back." She instructed him as she grabbed him by his waist and pulled him flush against her. "Grab my hand then twist... Yes that's good. Okay, make sure that you keep my elbow straight. Because if you don't, it won't work." She let go of him.
"The pain comes from keeping the elbow straight, then you can do anything you want with your assailant." She eyed him. "Are you even listening to me?" She asked as she studied his face. Because she had the idea that he wasn't listening at all. What was going on in the complicated head of his?
"Yes... I was... I am." Richard said as he swallowed. He was still trying to recover from her being so close to him. To his body. Feeling her being pressed up to him. So warm, so soft. He shouldn't think this way about her. It was wrong. She was his DS. He shouldn't think thoughts like that. She wasn't interested in him anyway. Thinking like this, fantasizing would only hurt him more. He should just give up and stop thinking about her like this.
"Okay grab me now." Camille ordered again.
'Richard! Grab me!" She ordered when he didn't comply immediately. 'Merde! This makes me so tired! What's wrong with you?!" She snapped out of patience as she grabbed his collar and pulled him towards her with a lot of force. She made a move with her legs and he was on the ground in less then a second. The air got pushed out of him when his back hit the gym mat.
"Ouch." He blurted out.
Maybe that would wake him up, She thought.
"Move! We'll get no where like this." Camille spat. "You're moving like some sort of mechanical robot." She accused him. She sighed as he stood up.
She felt guilty instantly at her angry outburst. She just wasn't the most patient type. Well she could be, but most of the time not with him. Sometimes she could just grab him and shake him, shake some sense into him! He wasn't paying attention at all! While she was working her ass off for him! Her temper just got the best of her a lot when she was around him. He could push her buttons like an expert.
"Look I'm sorry. It's just... I'm trying to help you. And you don't even seem interested. I'm trying my best here and you're just working against me. That is very hard work for me! Work with me please." She explained and almost pleaded.
"It wasn't my meaning to. I'm sorry. You're right." Richard said as he looked at the floor, feeling slightly quilty. She was right. He hadn't been totally focused, not on what she wanted anyway...
"I know that this is the last place you want to be, but just eat it up. You are here, and I am going to learn you these moves. So make the best of it."
He nodded slowly.
'What is your problem? Why do you have so much trouble with touching me?" Camille asked in a caring, soft voice as she walked closer to him. She wanted to understand him. He was such a puzzle for her sometimes...
"I'm …. I'm just afraid that I will hurt you."
Camille huffed. "I don't think you will. I won't give you the chance. Don't be afraid of that." She said as she pushed him in his chest and he lost his balance. "We've got to loosen you up a bit."
"What are you doing?" Richard asked alarmed as she began to walk in on him.
'Show me what you can do. Show me some muscle. I know you have it in you." Camille said as she was still walking into him.
"Explain to me how I can help you." She said as he walked into the wall and couldn't get away from her anymore.
"I don't know." He answered honestly.
"Okay, we'll find a way. Let's take Connor attacking you as an example. We'll start with that. Nick!" She shouted. "Could you come and help?" She asked.
Connor had been the murderer that had attacked him only three days ago. He was still sporting a blue bruise on his cheek.
A tall, very muscular, dark guy came walking in and nodded at Camille with a smile. "Just watch okay."
Richard nodded as he loosened himself from the wall.
"You had him pinned to the wall?" Nick asked as he grinned at Camille. "Come on Camille, you should really give guys a break."
She rolled her eyes. "Richard was attacked from the front like this. Could you mimic that in slow motion please?" She asked the tall guy.
"First option you have is step to the right, step into his arm..." She began as she twisted and Richard fluttered with his eye lids to see the tall guy falling on the ground in less then half a second probably...
"Also, when someone is standing in front of you you can-"
Richard just didn't hear her anymore. Well... He heard her voice, but his brain didn't recognize the words anymore. All he could do was stare at her. At how beautiful she was, at how she moved, how her legs moved, how her arms moved, he felt like he was hypnotized.
"Okay, now you. I'm coming over to attack you. And what do you do?" Camille asked as she walked towards him. "You grab my arm and..." She suddenly lost balance and fell on top of him. The air got pushed out of her lungs.
"I just remembered a few moves from the old days..." Richard explained weakly. They didn't fully go as planned though... It had been his meaning to have her on the ground, not him on the ground too with her on top of him. He didn't even know how he had managed that... This move surely wouldn't impress her. He had just managed to have his attacker in an even more dangerous position then before...
Camille gasped as she felt his body press hard against hers. She was dizzy momentarily and surprised by these unexpected moves of him.
"I also seem to remember..." Richard muttered as he made a few moves and had her pinned onto the gym mat now underneath him. He put his hands on her wrists, keeping them locked above her. She panted hard, and he tried so hard not to look at her heaving chest. He was glad, and a bit proud that he could at least do something to impress her instead of being a total nerd.
'And now?" Camille asked as she was still panting heavily.
"Now?" Richard asked baffled as he enjoyed the press of her upper body against his, becoming harder every time she breathed in raggedly.
"You're going to stay here with your attacker?" She asked as she twisted her hips.
"What are you-" Richard mumbled as he felt her cross her legs and wrap one leg around his waist as the other leg pushed and he fell next to her on his back with her on top again.
"You were saying?" Camille asked smugly as she grabbed his wrists and leaned into him with her light weight.
" You weigh nothing." Richard said as he panted hard for breath. "I could just scoop you up easily."
"Could you?" She asked as she was still sitting on top of him.
She watched as he pulled his arms up even though she was pushing them down. He was strong after all.... She thought.
"And that's why we have these great moves." Camile said as she slipped off of him leanly and leaned on his upper body with one arm around his other arm and neck to keep him in a lock he couldn't come out of. "To keep stronger attackers in your control anyway." She whispered out of breath.
"But you are out of breath." Richard noted to save at least some of his dignity. "So it did cost you some exertion to control me." He said triumphantly.
"Not really." Camille mumbled. "Maybe I'm just panting for air because I liked being on top of you that much." She said.
Richard looked at her with alarm in his eyes and she smiled slyly. "You're doing it again aren't you?" He mumbled. He felt dissapointment flood his system. If only she was telling him the truth. But she was just playing him, or teasing him. Or whatever she did that for...He didn't quite understand it. Maybe it was a French thing?
"What?" She asked innocently with a teasing tone in her voice.
"You just love pushing me. Making me feel uncomfortable."
"I do." Camille admitted fully, showing a big grin with white teeth.
"Maybe one of these days it'll cost you." He said as he studied her face.
'Cost me?" She asked in surprise.
"Yes. I might take your teasing notes for reality." He said as he looked at her lips.
Camille's eyes grew bigger and he saw her swallow.
"What if I would misread your behavior? And make a fool out of myself? If I wouldn't pick up on your teasing note?"
"I'd warn you about that." She explained easily as she let go of the lock she'd had on him. She jumped up easily.
'But what if I wouldn't notice?" He pushed on.
"You will." She said cheekily.
Camille turned her back towards him to go get some water as he put his hand on her shoulder. She took it and wanted to twist it like she had just tried to learn him but he kneed the inside of her knees and made her fall to the ground again.
"You want to see my more human side?" Richard asked softly as he looked down at her. He gave her his hand and she jumped up with his help. 'What if you don't like what you see underneath it all?" He asked as he looked in her dark eyes.
'What if I do?" She countered.
"I wouldn't be worried about that." Richard answered slickly. "But you just don't stop pushing me and I don't understand.. It's as if you want me naked."
Her eyebrows rose high.
"Figuratively, not literally." He stammered quickly. He marveled at the glint in her eyes, he couldn't quite read what that meant...
"What if I'd turn the tables?" He questioned her as he studied her every feature.
"What do you mean?"
"If I'd be the one pushing you, teasing you, pranking you."
"I wouldn't be worried." Camille said as she laughed.
"Why not?"
'Because it's not in your character. You're too..."
'What?"
"Stiff... For that. Too English. Look at the suit for example." She said as she gestured towards him.
Richard took off his jacket and let it drop on the floor. He took of his tie also. And dropped it. He felt something turn inside of him. They had been through so many moments like these. So many close moments. He was tired of it. Especially after the week he'd been in London and had missed her every day. Every damn day. Whether he wanted to or not. Maybe rejection would be better then anything else.
"Here you have me. What do you want to see? What do you want to know?" Richard asked as he put his hands up at her, in a defeated way.
Camille's eyes grew big and her mouth fell open. "What is this?" She asked as she looked him up and down.
"You have me the way you want me. Don't you?" He asked as she eyed her.
Camille was confused now. "Richard... What are you getting at?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes, still confused.
"Well... This is me. I'm a boring, stiff, mechanical, robot-like man, standing between all these big tall, very muscular, big men. This is all I am. Here you have it. So you don't have to look any further, try to pry at my walls any further, because there isn't more to it. There isn't more to me." He said as his green eyes looked earnestly at hers.
She shook her head still confused. "Richard, I don't understand what this is."
"It's nothing." He shrugged as he bended and took his jacket again. "It's just me showing you who I really am."
"Are you making some kind of point? Because I'm totally oblivious to whatever you are trying to say. I don't understand.."
'The point is Camille.' Richard said as he straightened his blouse. "That you can just stop your flirting and teasing because it has no effect on me."
'It doesn't?"
"I mean... I know you don't mean it. So just stop doing it. You don't have to pretend that you like me or are attracted to me..." He said. "You know with you saying the whole panting thing as if you would pant because you were lying on top of me... Please... " But it hurt. It hurt when she joked about these things. Because secretly, he wished, he dreamed that it was true. And to her, it was all a joke.
"Do you think I"m just playing you? Or being mean to you?"
Richard shrugged as he tightened his tie.
"No. I know you don't mean it like that. And maybe that's your way around men. I'm just saying that... Well... I'm... It can be... Hurtful you know."
'I don't want to hurt you Richard." Camillesaid softly as she walked towards him. "I never meant to hurt you or laugh at you."
'Then why do you?" He asked as his green eyes stared intensely at her.
She almost took a step back when she saw his expression. So hurt, so vulnerable. "Because... " She shrugged. "I like pushing your buttons."
'Why? Why not just leave me be. Is my insecurity so funny to you?"
'Well yes.' Camille admitted. "It is in a way."
Richard gave her an angry hurt look.
"In a sweet way. I mean it in a caring way." She explained quickly. "Don't you know this? People tease each other when they care. They mean it because it is out of love. Not out of hate or with the reason to hurt you."
"Yes, that's okay. Just not the flirting thing okay? It just makes me feel less then I already am." He said as he took up his towel and dried his face.
"Less then you already are?" Camille asked softly. She felt for him.
"You know I could never have a woman like you. I don't mean you." He quickly muttered. "But someone in your range, in your league. I'm way out of your league. It makes me feel even less."
"You're not out of my league. Why would you think that?"
Richard huffed. "Give me a break. Just look around you." He said as he gestured towards the gym. "You've got the most beautiful top model men lining up for you. Because you're... You... Well.. You know." He turned his back towards her and sat down to put on his shoes.
"What?"
"You're beautiful." He admitted quickly. "You know that." He told her angrily.
Camille closed her eyes confused and then shook her head. "I still don't understand what your trying to say."
"Never mind." He sighed. "It might be the heat that is getting to me." OR you lying on top of me or under me, or wriggling over me. Feeling what he would never have.
"Are you saying that it hurts you when I flirt with you because you feel out of my league?" She asked as she bended in front of him and searched his eyes.
'Yes, that's a good conclusion yes. You've got it all worked out fine." He avoided making eye contact.
"Okay, so didn't you forget something?" She had put her hands on his knees.
Richard looked at her questioningly. "No?" He questioned as he went over all the information in his head.
"Me? Do I have a say in this?"
"O you... Well it seems clear to me that-" He began but got stopped suddenly as his lips touched with something soft and warm. He felt her hands on both of his cheeks and his fogged up mind could only conclude that she was kissing him. He couldn't believe it. His eyebrows rose and he wasn't able to react because he froze and his heart almost stopped.
Camille let go of him slowly and studied his face. He just stared at her. Totally frozen.
'What were you saying? O wait, I wasn't listening.' She said as she closed the gab again and kissed him passionately.
Richard froze again, not being able to respond. Camille let go and stayed close to him, her fingers on his lips as she panted hard. He felt her warm breath on his face. "You forgot about me. You forgot to ask me." She whispered hoarsely. As she licked her lips.
And still he couldn't move. He didn't understand.
"Is you not moving something English? Because I'm beginning to feel a bit insecure here..." She said softly as she chuckled slightly. Her cheeks began to flush in embarrassment. "I'm usually used to the men reacting in some way when I kiss them..." She explained as her eyes went to his lips. She could feel his warm breath on her mouth.
'Any way?" She asked lamely in a high pitched voice as she started to straighten herself and stepped away from him.
"I'm sorry...That was totally uncalled for... I thought you... I thought you... " She stuttered as she swallowed and felt her heart breaking. "I thought you liked me... In some way. I must have misread it all...I thought that that was what you meant just now... "
Richard straightened himself now too.
"Wait! Camille!" He uttered as she turned around and left.
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Well, ofcourse they have to fight again... Haha. Hope you liked it!