These chapters just keeps getting longer as I get increasingly into this story: it is written now and there's even some action at the end! That's right, not only fluff this time!
The Hillary idea in this chapter is inspired by Princess PrettyPants' review of this story. Thank you Princess for the awesome idea! Actually, thank you Princess for being awesome!
Still don't own Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. But I do own my lovely fluff!
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Alex stepped down into the garden after breakfast, purposefully giving Lara some space. He'd promised to come riding with her later, but he knew better than to get in her personal space now. She could doubtlessly find him if she wanted him for any reason, and to crowd Lady Lara Croft could only end with disaster.
Walking on the terrace Alex took in the beautiful outside and grand architecture of this place. The house was wonderful, outside and in, but unlike other such places he had visited, it did not feel oppressive in the least. Grand, yes, but there was none of that dead, mausoleum feeling which so many old houses like this one held.
He had to pass down several sets of stone staircases and through an arch to reach the lawn, but he had to admit that the house and grounds fitted Lara. She seemed to fit in here seamlessly, but then she was born in this house, to the family with had occupied it for generations, so perhaps that was natural.
Continuing downwards, he came to rose bushes and old trees. He knew Bryce lived in a caravan down here somewhere, so he was surprised to see Hillary instead. The butler was between as set of yellow and pink rose bushes and a small gazebo, with a spade. It was a strange place to dig a hole, Alex figured, unless, of course, the man was about to plant even more roses in the relative shadow of those large maples nearby.
"Ah, good morning again, Sir. I trust breakfast was adequate?" Hillary greeted him. Alex smiled. "It was perfect, thank you Hillary. What are you doing?" "Digging, Sir" was the measured response. Alec held back an impulse to roll his eyes. "I can see that. Do you need help?"
Alex could see the butler hesitate. "I hardly think that is appropriate, Sir" was the measured, slightly guarded answer. Alex frowned slightly. Something was off about the other man's behaviour. "Why? I am sure you have other duties to attend to, and I do not".
"Ah, yes" Hillary agreed. "And was I planting more roses, I would be happy for the help. As it is, it would not be appropriate Sir". "Why? What are you digging the hole for?" Come to think of it, it was both too large and too deep for roses, not that Alex knew much about gardening.
"I am digging your grave, Sir, should it be required" was the reserved reply, and the man went back to his task. Ah, that explained it. That sort of hole, Alex was more accustomed to. After a few seconds of stunned silence, Alex laughed, removing his jacket and laying it over one of the banisters of the folly. Surprised by the sound, the butler looked up, just in time to see the other man reach out for the shovel.
"Even more fair that I should dig it myself, then" Alex reasoned, smiling at the taken aback expression of the other man. "I take it Lara have not yet planned to kill me?" The other man shook his head in a minute movement. "I shall have to endeavour not to annoy her enough for her to change her mind, then" Alex decided, taking over the digging of his own last resting spot with ease. A minute or so later, he heard Hillary depart.
It was three hours later that Alex, now dressed for riding, stepped into the stables. At it happened, he was just in time to hear a conversation between Lara and Bryce. ""You dug a hole for me to bury him in, just in case?" Lara sounded vaguely disbelieving.
Normally, Alex took it that Lara would be more unmoved, but there had been rumours around their trade of what she'd last been up to. Between what he'd heard, what Bryce had been willing to tell over lunch, and what Lara had said herself, he took it that on their last adventure, Terry had knowingly done something so outrageous that Lara had had no choice but to kill him herself.
"Actually, Alex did it himself, and yes, Hillary told him what it was for". Bryce told her in a slightly disbelieving voice of his own. "I think you might have got a good one there, Lara". Choosing that moment to enter, as he thought he'd eavesdropped enough, Alex entered the stable, making their conversation stop. Alex noted Lara's eyes on him, figuring something out which did not just have to do with that Bryce had just told her.
It wasn't until they were racing across one of Lara's many tracks that Alex realised that she'd known he was there, and that he had surprised her with purposefully stepping out before he could eavesdrop on something which might involve her opinion on him, not to say feelings.
Later in the evening, Alex stretched out on the sheets in Lara's frankly ridiculously large bed. He was used to cold tents at archeological digs, usually with far too much sand everywhere. Here, he was newly showered, waiting for his girlfriend to come to bed.
He was not sure what it was that had occured during Lara's last expedition, but he already knew it had actually disturbed her. Even by itself, that was rare enough to cause him pause. If Hillary and Bryce's behaviour was any clue, whatever the man had done for her to react so violently had been utterly unforgivable.
It had left Lara injured, even though she was always more than capable of looking after herself, and indeed, already healing.
He had heard about her ex before, that man Terry, and even though he was yet to ask her of whatever had made Lara shoot him, he could tell that it was bad. Between that event - whatever had made it occur - and the fact that she hardly had all that much reason to rely on him either, Alex understood that it would be some time before she trusted him. He and Lara had always gotten along well in the past, that much was true, but he had given her little serious reason to trust him. Besides, he was late in coming here, making her believe that he had broken his promise, which couldn't have inspired great faith, either.
He was content to wait here with her, as she got over what had to be a grievous betrayal, promising himself that he would not add to the injury. When she was ready, though, he was looking forward to going out on a hunt as one of Lara's "boys". He had a skillset to compliment hers, and she always managed to find the coolest things. Perhaps it was because she always managed to solve the hardest riddles and unearth the most complexly buried clues. All of those things were perks which came with being best.
Alex looked up when he could hear her approach. He had fallen in love with her that day in that old temple, and he could only hope that she wanted him as well. That she was even considering it - and he could tell that she had been, all those months back - must mean that she did feel something. She was letting him stay, too, and as she some minutes later ran her hand softly through his hair, he had hope.
