A Long Month

AN: I own nothing in this story. First Tomb Raider story, so forgive me if I don't get the characters completely right. Please R&R.

Lara Croft let loose a relieved sigh as she entered her home. Shutting the door quietly, she slipped her shoes off and made her way to the bedroom. The red neon of the alarm clock attested to the early morning twilight outside, the lone occupant in the bed awake and beaming as she spied her wife.

Sam was snoring loudly, arms and legs draped across either side of the bed, flat on her stomach. Lara smirked at the image and swiftly snapped a picture with her phone, reminding herself to put it at the end of her soon-to-be-filled notebook. The pictures it would join were often the only thing between herself and relief when she was away raiding a tomb or consulting with colleagues.

They were snapshots of the contentment she'd won after Yamatai, after Australia and Atlantis and all the other tribulations she'd overcome. She knew there would be a time to leave the tombs behind, to save what mysteries remained to the next generation, and lull herself into this slice of paradise she'd crafted with Sam.

Swiftly divesting herself, Lara slid beside Sam, her wife groggily opening her eyes, a tired smile lighting up her face.

"Hello darli-" but Lara's cut off as Sam squeezes her like she was the largest teddy bear in the world.

"Missed you," Sam murmured.

"Ditto, love."

That earned her a snort and a giddy gaze as Sam moved back a bit. "My wife doesn't use words like ditto, so clearly you're a doppelganger."

Lara rolled her eyes at that, hands moving towards the middle of Sam's thighs, just a bit of the way into the black underwear she had on, pressing deeply in the special spot only she knew about. But she didn't even start to remove Sam's clothing, instead focusing entirely on her wife's face, brown eyes blazing as they took in the sight of the Japanese-American biting her lip.

/

Sam tried, she really, truly, did her best, but she couldn't hold it in forever. Unable to stand anymore, she let loose an enormous giggle, more soon escaping as Lara added a few more deep presses.

"S-stop, Lara! Gone for a m-month...ha-ha-ha, and this is what you do to me when I get back?!"

Lara stopped after one more press, Sam giving her best angry pout.

"Just proving that I'm the real Lara, love. A doppelganger wouldn't know that adorable weakness of yours."

Sam huffed and turned her head, breaking their gaze.

"Alright, I'm sorry," Lara said after a few kisses didn't budge Sam from not looking at her. Lara moved just a tad closer and Sam's lips went from a straight line to a smirk. Finding just the right leverage, she flipped Lara onto her back, straddling her in an instant. Sam had a moment to take in the adorably confused look on Lara's face before it shifted to something else entirely, Lara's face flushing, a moan already escaping her lips.

"It's been a long month," Lara explained, Sam nodding and not wasting any time, two fingers making Lara buck and gush. "Ooooooh...Sam..."

Sam smiled and began trailing kisses down Lara's body, extending the contact of her lips against Lara's flesh whenever she came across a scar. Luckily, as far as Sam could tell, there were no new ones. Sam removed her two fingers from Lara's center as she passed Lara's navel, the digits coated in pure Lara, Sam looking up to find her spouse looking down at her.

Not breaking eye contact, Sam kissed reverently along Lara's oldest scar, the first she received from Yamatai, seeing Lara's breath hitch and her eyes water.

"My Sweetie," Sam breathed out, tongue lightly tracing along the old wound.

"Sam," Lara replied, biting her lip a little as Sam lingered longer on the scar. Once Sam had finished, she took her two coated digits and placed them both in her mouth, Lara moaning at the sight, Sam still not breaking their gaze. "Let me take care of you now."

Sam nodded, Lara taking her in her arms for a deep kiss before touching their foreheads together.

/

Lara's whole body is numb by the time she snuggles up to Sam and it's even earlier in the morning but she can't be bothered to glance at the red neon now. She just takes in Sam's steady heartbeat and the way she drapes herself around her.

"Promise to take me with you on your next find," Sam's voice murmured against Lara's right breast.

"I promise," Lara whispered, gently lifting Sam's chin up to look her in the eyes. "I promise."

Sam gave a brief nod before snuggling closer to Lara, eyes soon closing.

Lara spent the remaining minutes of alertness just observing Sam, the steady rise and fall of her chest, the loud snores, and the look of complete serenity on her face. Placing one last kiss on her cheek, Lara hugs Sam close, her lifeline to normality, her home, and falls asleep with the woman she'll grow old with.