Valentine's Day - Sam(POV)/Lara - SFW

By Asynca, in 46 minutes (to be fair, I had to do research for this one!)

COLLAB WITH TRIX: ART COMING SOON ON TUMBLR;)

February 14 is a really important day for me, and not because it's free drink central off people crying alone at bars. It's not even because I finally had an actual real relationship that was going to survive through it this time.

It's because it was also Lara's birthday, and seriously? I was a total genius.

I had this whole thing planned for her. I spent weeks looking for this rare manuscript I think she mentioned in passing like a year ago. I finally found it, read it and discovered it was about bushido-samurai-ordered society in the Sengoku period in ancient Japan, and decided to go all out and dress up for her in all that stuff when I gave it to her. I had to scour London for a tailor that was prepared to even attempt to make a Samurai costume from that era for me, and whoa did they overcharge me. Anyway, it was worth it in the end, because it looked totally awesome and I totally missed my calling as a hot lady samurai.

On February 14 I snuck back from a shooting and – because I could hear she was in the bedroom – I crept into the spare room quietly and dragged a chair up against the door.

Okay, I'd never really understood that whole thing with having servants that dress you. It seemed like a false economy of creating jobs for people. Who can't dress themselves, you know? Well. Trying to put on that samurai costume? I finally got it. That thing weighed a tonne and there were so many knots and cords and folds of fabric that even though I had all the instructions it took me more than half an hour to get it all on.

After I was done, I inspected myself in the mirror. The result was pretty impressive, actually.

Hoo, yeah, I thought, turning around and inspecting myself from all sides. I am one hot samurai. Watch out, ladies. I swung the katana around a bit.

Anyway, eventually I was sick of checking myself out and took the wrapped manuscript out of the closet. I'd get my camera from bag the alcove and then surprise Lara. I cleared the doorway and walked out into the—

—corridor, where Lara was leaning against the wall in nothing but an army-print bikini, socks and boots. She was trying to be sexy – and fuck, she was – but she looked really uncomfortable, anyway. There was a sheen about her body that suggested she'd rubbed baby oil on it, and it made the light bounce off her so I could see a lot more muscle definition than I usually could. She looked like a sports model, especially with her glossy ponytail over one shoulder. That bikini gave her cleavage, and the oil made it look delicious.

Okay, I'm pretty sure I was salivating. I wanted to be on that.

Lara wasn't salivating, though. She looked really surprised and stood up off the wall. "Sam," she said, "What on earth are you wearing?"

"A replica fifteeth-century bushi—" I began to recite, but she interrupted me.

"Well, of course I know what it is," she said. "But why?"

There were a lot of whys. "Why are you wearing those enormous combat boots with a bikini?"

"It's February and the floor is cold," she said, looking down at the slate. "I also sort of thought they went together, what with the combat and the army print…" She trailed off and looked back at me. "Anyway, what on earth…?" She gestured at me.

"Oh, right," I said, and then held up the package. "My Noble Lady," I said in stupidly formal and old Japanese, "I present to you a gift for the anniversary of your birth."

She was already laughing as she walked forward and accepted the package from me. "Why the theatrics?" she asked me as she unwrapped it. I didn't answer, because I knew as soon as she saw what it was in the present, she'd get it.

She did. "Oh, my God!" she said as I watched her expression cycle from surprise to delight. "You found it! You really found it!" She looked at me, and that was the moment when I knew I'd be getting some tonight. "I could kiss you, but…" she looked down at her body. "I'm all oily."

I shrugged and my armor clinked. "How much mileage am I really going to get out of this stuff? I had it made just for this."

Her smile fell. "It's not rented? You had it made?" She looked me up at down. "But it's perfect. Every detail." She looked back up at me. "And, Sam, you actually look pretty good in it."

I grinned. "I know," I said, brandishing the blunt katana again. "Badass, right?"

She looked at me. "Right," she said in a funny voice, and then put the manuscript on the hall table.

"Happy birthday!" were pretty much the only words I managed to get out of my mouth before Lara had hers against it. When we parted for breath a minute or two later, she breathed next to my ear, "And Happy Valentine's Day, Sam."