The weather was awful, possibly the worst Zip had ever seen.

"Damn the England!" he muttered sitting in his cold office in Croft Manor. The wind was howling, trying to pull the trees from the ground. Coal black night was now and then ripped apart by devastating lightning. The sound of rain beating the roof was louder than gunfire.

Alistair was probably upstairs, sitting in the library reading some book, pretending he wasn't terrified and Winston was sleeping. The time was over midnight and the old man's health wasn't what it used to be.

Half an hour later Zip was ready to shut down all the electronics and go to sleep, when a sudden lighting shook the whole house and lights went out.

"What the hell!" Trying to find his way out in the utter darkness, he slowly turned around. Taking a cautious step forward, he walked straight into his desk, hitting his toe and pushing his PC off the table.

"Damn, damn, damn!" he cursed angrily. Finally after many wrong turns he found his way out. Exhausted and angry, he started to walk up the stairs, when he noticed a shadow standing quietly in the corner. Alistair.

"What the hell do you want?" he snapped angrily. Another lighting shot through the house, illuminating the figure. Zips mouth fell open.

"Is this the way to greet home comers?"

"L…Lara?"

"Well, who did you expect?"

Trying to gain some of his composure, he cleared his throat. "Well then, welcome home. You sure did choose the best weather."

Lara laughed and stepped out of the shadows, soaked and muddy.

"Whoa."

"Yes, the bike isn't the smartest thing to ride tonight."

Zip noticed how she wavered and quickly grabbed the staircase, trying to keep the cheerful smile on. He stepped closer, shaking his head, "You're hurt, aren't you."

"No, no, I'm fine!" She took a quick breath and started to slowly climb up the stairs.

"Don't be stupid. Here, let me help you."

He took hold of her right hand, placing it lightly around his neck and softly put his arm around her waist. She started to protest, but as another wave of pain shot through her body, she hissed and grabbed tightly his shirt, giving a quick nod.

Finally up, Zip helped Lara to her room. She crashed to her bed and sighed loudly. Zip chuckled and sat on the end of her bed, starting to undo her dirty combat boots.

"You don't have to, I can do it myself," she mumbled, her eyes closed.

"Yeah, sure." He threw her boots on the ground.

"Now, I want to see, where you're hurt."

After a second, she slowly pulled up her tank top, locking her gaze to ceiling.

"Good God Lara, you have been shot!"

She rolled her eyes. "Really?"

He looked up at her, like she was crazy.

She had to laugh. "Really, Zip. It has happened before, and probably will happen again. Just stitch it up and be done with it."

He grumbled an unintelligible answer, stood up and walked into her bathroom.

Lara closed her eyes and listened to the sounds Zip was making searching for her first aid kit, and sighed contentedly. However good it was to rob tombs, being home was still better.

Few minutes later, when Zip emerged from her bathroom with disinfected needle and other necessary items, he found Lara sleeping peacefully.

He sighed tiredly and went to wake her. The wound had to be taken care of.

He shook her shoulder gently.

"Lara, dear, wake up."

"Hmm…?" she mumbled, stretching her arms above her head, cringing in the process.

"I need to look at your wound again, stay still."

She nodded and he started to clean it, wincing every time she hissed with pain.

Lara looked Zip closely. How his eyebrows were knit together with concentration and how his eyes had turned red from not sleeping enough. She smiled gently. Every time she had needed help, it was Zip, who had helped her. Sure Alistair was great friend and all, but that was it. Zip was something… with a start, she noticed Zip had finished and now was studying her curiously.

"Yeah, sorry," she muttered, feeling slight blush extending over her cheeks.

He just shook his head and stood again. Wavering slightly he grabbed a hold of her bed post for a support.

"Hey, you're just as bad as I am."

He turned, with an incredulous look in his eyes. "Me? I haven't been shot once in my life!"

"What does it matter? You're sleeping while standing. You'll certainly fall down the stairs"

He frowned and she sighed.

"What I meant was that you could take a small nap here," she patted her bed. "I mean a whole army could fit here and I'm not that big."

He gave a small smile at her rushing.

Be damned the reasons, he decided. Unlacing his boots and throwing the on the floor, beside hers, he collapsed on her bed.

The whole mattress swayed and rocked, ready to jump out of the frame.

Lara gave a small shriek, when she felt herself bounce upwards.

"Why isn't mine so soft," Zip mumbled into the mattress, eyes closed.

"Your what?" she asked back, puzzled.

"My bed of course. Yours feels like I'm resting on a cloud, while mine is hard as a stone."

"Stop it, you're already talking in your sleep."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a pillow flying on her way.

"Hey stop it, I'm the injured one, remember!"

Instantly he stopped.

"Are you all right? I already forgot."

She laughed and threw the pillows back towards his head. Zip quickly moved out of the way, nearly falling out of bed doing so. This earned another giggling fit from Lara.

He smirked, "I'm glad you find it amusing."

As he lay back on his side of bed, he put his arms behind his head.

"Hey look, the sun is already rising."

She yawned.

"I'm exhausted."

"Yeah, me too," came her soft reply.

After a moment he sighed contently.

"You know what, I've always felt that…" as he turned to Lara, he found her already sound asleep, arms protectively wrapped around her injured belly.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered and closed his eyes, smiling.

The morning came far too quickly. Zip opened one eye and sneezed. Frowning, he looked down, only to find a mess of dark brown hair all over his chest.

"What the hell…?"

Just then, the owner of the messy hair, moved herself off of him and stretched, giving him a lopsided grin.

"Good morning."

"And good morning to you too, "Winston greeted them cheerfully, standing in the middle of the room. "Does your bag need refilling or unpacking? And your bike has been moved to the garage."

Lara shot up and looked at the old butler, shocked.

"Emptying, I think, and thank you."

Winston smiled again and left with a bow.

Now it was Zips turn to stretch and yawn.

"It feels like I haven't slept at all."

"Well, I'm not surprised. We slept, "she glanced at her bedside clock, "for three hours."

Zip groaned and pulled a pillow over his eyes.

"I don't care, I'm going back to sleep," came his muffled answer.

Lara smiled and pulled a blanket farther under her chin.

It seemed like five minutes later, when another cheerful voice rushed through the door.

"Lara, you're back!"

Both, Zip and Lara, groaned in unison.

Alistair froze in the middle of the room.

"You," he pointed his finger at Zip, "What are you doing here?"

"Damn you, I was trying to finally get some sleep."

Alistair looked baffled.
"What do you mean, finally?"

Zip looked ready to tear poor Alistair's head off, so Lara interrupted, before things got any worse.

"What Zip is trying to say here, is that yesterday, when I got back, he helped me and we must have dozed off. We only got few hours of sleep."

Alistair left shrugging, stopping only by the door to shout over his shoulder, "Breakfast is ready and served."

Neither wanted to move, but both knew it was indispensable.

Finally Lara turned and looked at Zip.

"You do know you snore?"

A/N: For now, it will stay as a onseshot. Maybe someday when I have new adventures for the lovely couple, I'll continue.

Your obedient servant,

NightQuest