Cheers for the review and thanks to CosmicGunslinger for editing.
The road to Cardiff was great. Well, as great as living off the land could be.
They travelled through the fields and woods, not wanting to risk the roads again. It slowed down their journey dramatically, but it also granted them the opportunity to scavenge and hunt.
It rained less as winter faded and spring arrived with blossoms and new animals.
After fletching some new arrows from sticks, a deck of cards and duct tape Lara had hunted rabbits, deer and rabbits almost every day. With one shot, she would pierce the animals, though the deer took a few more arrows.
Sam, on the other hand, wasn't so good without a firearm. Lara tried showing her how to use her bow but after she scared a deer away with one arrow, and lost another to the trees, Lara took it off her quickly. "Okay, I think we should leave the hunting to me."
Although she sucked at hunting, she was decent at gathering berries and plants. She wasn't sure, but Lara seemed a bit wistful when she was teaching her. Sam wondered if it had something to do with Roth but she didn't really want to ask her.
Until they reached Bath, they ate what they caught and scavenged. Sometimes, they wouldn't find enough and would have to subsidise their meal with their rations, but they rarely had hunger pains.
Although the days seemed long and she was always tired, it wasn't so bad with Lara by her side.
Sam would often catch her staring at her when they were resting. Lara would immediately look away, blushing and pretending to be busy.
Sam chuckled and flickered her hair back, showing off just a little. "You know you can look all you want," she said. "It's not like you haven't done it before."
Lara looked back and smiled bashfully, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry," she smiled, her eyes glittering softly. "I just think you're really pretty."
Sam smiled and had to restrain herself from jumping Lara. When she looked at her like that, she would let her do anything to her. Lara wasn't going to do that though; she was too polite, and not ready for it.
Instead, Sam moved next to Lara and pecked her on the cheek. "Thanks, sweetie," she said, putting an arm around her shoulders.
They made it to Bath - the first city - in about two weeks. They still needed to head to Bristol so they could cross over to Newport, and from there they could walk to Cardiff. Thinking about that journey was depressing though, especially when Sam thought about how they would have to avoid biters and humans, and somehow find food and water in the cities.
Bath held more dangers especially. This was a common scavenging place for when they stayed at the resort and no doubt Mathias' men would be back. It made her nervous being here, and she was constantly looking around.
Once, they saw someone running between the houses. For a moment, Sam thought that was Will and her heart leapt into her throat. But after they saw him briefly again Sam realised that he was much too short to be him.
"God, I thought that was Will," she said to Lara. They emerged from the house they had been searching and continued down the street. "I'm so scared they'll show up and try to kill us."
"I don't think they'll try to kill us," Lara said, looking forward.
"You really think Mathias will let us go?" A thought occurred to her then and she bit her lower lip nervously. "Will knows that I'm immune as well. What if he told Mathias?"
Lara looked back at her and considered it seriously for a moment. "If Will does tell him, he might come after you," she said. "But otherwise I don't think he would risk it. He knows we wouldn't come back when we're so outnumbered.
"And if they do come after you…" She put an arm protectively around her shoulders and smiled. "I'll protect you."
Sam smiled and squeezed Lara's hand. "And I'll protect you," she said, leaning into her. "Teamwork, right?"
Lara chuckled and ruffled her hair playfully. Sam pushed away from her and glared at her, fixing her hair. Dork. She did do that to Lara often thought so she did deserve it.
Lara laughed and held out her hand. "Come on," she said. "We should get going."
They continued through Bath, hand in hand until it became too inconvenient to do so.
It was strange. If this was five years ago they would just be like any other couple, holding hands in public and walking to the cinema. It would have been nice, just being with Lara without any stress besides homework. Now, instead of walking to the movies, they were walking to their next safe house.
They had just turned the corner onto a road when they heard the cry for help. "Ahh! Help!"
In front of them, there was a man on the roof of a car, frantically kicking away at the biters around his feet. The car wasn't tall, and it was amazing that he hadn't been dragged down yet.
"Shit," Sam said, stepping forward and drawing her knife, "We need to help him."
"Don't." Lara caught her arm and pulled her back into cover. "We can't help him, Sam. It's too dangerous."
"Help! Anyone! Please!"
Sam stared at her and clenched her jaw. "We can't just leave him to die. He needs our help."
"What if he tries to kill us? What are you going to do then?"
Sam highly doubted he would do that after they saved him. "Well I guess we just have to take that risk." Without waiting for her response, she ran out to the biters.
All the biters were trying to claw the man, giving Sam the opportunity to kill two biters before they started turning to her.
Sam gritted her teeth and stabbed the biter in front of her. Behind her, she heard more biters go down as Lara sniped them from afar.
In a few more seconds, they were all dead.
"Thank you," the man said. Sam turned to him and watched him carefully as he slid off the roof of the car. He winced as he landed on his right foot but then steadied himself against the car. "I thought I was gone there."
"It's fine," Sam said. "Are you alright?"
The man looked down at his foot and sighed. "I sprained my ankle," he said. "But it was either this or stay in the building and get bitten. Although I'm not sure why the biters would want me; I'm all skin and bones." He chuckled to himself.
"Who are you?" Lara asked, stepping next to Sam.
"John," the man said. He had a ragged black beard which was flecked with blood. "And who should I be thanking for saving my life?"
"I'm Sam," Sam said, "And this is Lara."
"Well Sam and Lara, thank you again for helping me," he smiled wearily at Lara even though she was frowning at him. "I dropped my machete. Foolish right?" He started hobbling over to said machete by the base of the car.
Sam nodded. "Are you going to be alright on your own?"
The man winced and picked up his blade, his bad foot lifted out behind him as he leant down. His dark skin glinted with sweat. "I hate to ask you for another favour," he said, huffing and turning towards them. "But I don't think I'd be able to make it to safety by myself."
"No," Lara said immediately. "You'll find a way. Sam, let's go."
"Hey, now wait up Lara," Sam said, catching her arm. Lara looked irritated but didn't resist. "We should help him. He doesn't seem dangerous."
"It could be a trap, Sam." Lara said quietly.
"You don't know that it is."
"You don't know that it's not."
"I don't mean any harm to you two," John said. "I know it's hard to believe, but please, I need to get back to my family. We got separated by biters but we're going to meet at a pub nearby."
Sam studied the man in front of her. He didn't seem like a threat; in fact he was quite nice and possibly too gullible just trusting strangers so readily. If the pub was close, then it wouldn't hurt them to help him.
"Please," John pleaded, wincing again. "We- we have a bit of food. We can give it to you if you help me."
Sam looked knowingly at Lara who gave in with a resigned sigh. "Fine," she said. "Where is this pub?"
John's face lit up. "Thank you! You have no idea what this means to me." He stumbled off down the road, wincing each time he stepped on his right foot. "This way."
Sam couldn't let him walk around like that. He had to be in a lot of pain and it would take too long to get anywhere. "Here," Sam said, walking up to him and putting one of his arms around her shoulders. "Let me help."
"Oh thank you," he said, leaning against her and hopping along. "You're too kind. You remind me of my youngest daughter actually, always looking out for other people."
"Oh really? How old is she?"
"I think nine now? It's hard to keep track of time nowadays." They came to an intersection and John pulled them to the left. "Her name's Michela. Tough, but a sweet girl. I think she's handling all this better than I am."
"It's a hard world," Sam agreed. "I can't imagine growing up as a kid during this."
"Her sister looks out for her." He sighed. "I'm a bit useless though. I don't think it's long before I keel over. But I'll do my best for them."
"Don't say that," Sam said. "If you've survived for this long I'm sure you have a few good years left in you."
John chuckled. "That's because my daughters look out for me too." He winced and became sombre. "They're good girls. I hope that things work out for him after I'm gone."
"I'm sure with you watching over them they'll be fine." Sam found it easy to talk to John - he was like that charming old man who lived by himself in the flat upstairs. It was so nice to just have a normal conversation as well, to have someone else to talk to.
There was a screech to their right which was silenced almost immediately as Sam heard the twang of Lara's bow. She looked up and saw the biter drop a few metres in front of them, an arrow between its eyes.
"You two should keep quiet," Lara told them, but her tone wasn't harsh. "We don't want to draw more biters here."
Sam glanced back at Lara curiously. She wasn't scowling anymore but instead looked wistful. Sam wanted to ask her what she was thinking but she didn't think Lara would appreciate that.
"Of course," John said, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Let's go."
They continued onwards in silence, Sam helping John hop towards the pub. Lara followed behind them, bow at the ready.
Within another half an hour, they arrived at a grimy pub in the middle of the road.
"This is where they said they'll be," John said. He grimaced. "It doesn't seem like they're here though. I hope they made it out alright."
"You two should stay outside," Lara said, walking past them. "I'll check inside to see if it's safe first."
"Be careful," Sam called after her.
Lara glanced back and smiled faintly at her before slowly pushing the door open with her axe. It was a tense few minutes when Lara disappeared into the building, and Sam strained her ears to hear if she was alright. Eventually she emerged again, holding the door open for them. "It's safe," she said.
Sam helped John into the pub and then over to a table with seats by the wall. The table here had a good view of the door, while not being instantly noticeable if anyone walked in.
"Do you mind if I take a look at your ankle?" Sam asked him. "Just to see how bad it is."
"Go ahead," John said, shifting back further into the sofa.
Sam lifted his foot onto the chair and gently loosened his boot. His ankle was largely swollen and there was a blue bruise forming over it. She wasn't sure how she was going to get his shoe back on when it was that big but for now they needed to make sure the injury didn't get worse.
"Hey Lara, could you help me wrap his ankle?"
Lara found a thin apron in the backroom which they used to wrap his ankle tightly. After that, Sam elevated his leg with a container she found behind the bar and sat opposite him.
"When are they coming?" Lara asked, leaning by a window near the door.
John sighed and leaned back against the wall. "I'm not sure," he said sombrely. "I thought they would have been here first."
"We'll stay until they arrive," Lara said. Sam raised her eyebrows at her, surprised at the sudden generosity.
John chuckled next to her. "For your payment, of course."
Well that made a lot more sense. Lara looked at him for a moment then away, and Sam could have sworn there was remorse in those eyes.
Suddenly, the door next to Lara opened. Sam stiffened and watched Lara take a step back, drawing her pistol and pointing it at whoever was coming in.
A woman stepped in through the door, scanning the pub cautiously. Her eyes widened when she saw Sam staring back but before she could do anything Lara pressed the gun to her head.
"Don't," Lara said.
Sam stared at the woman then looked back at John. He mouthed, "who is it?" at her and she shrugged. This seemed like John's daughter but before she could say anything the woman spoke.
"We don't have to fight alright? I don't want to hurt you."
"Shania?" John called.
"Dad?!" She turned angrily to Lara. "What did you do to him?"
Sam rushed out from behind the chair. "He's okay," she said quickly. "He's just resting here."
"It's okay, I'm fine!" He stuck his head out and smiled at his daughter.
Lara dropped her arm and Shania looked at her cautiously before rushing towards her father. Sam stepped aside for her. Behind Shania, another, younger girl followed, looking at Lara and Sam nervously before running past them.
"Dad!" Shania tackled her father in a big hug. "I'm so glad you're safe."
"Dad, dad!" The other girl rushed up to him and embraced him tightly. "Are you okay? What happened?"
Sam retreated to the bar and stood next to Lara, who was watching the newly reunited family with a wistful look on her face.
Sam nudged her gently. "You alright?" she asked.
Lara glanced at her and smiled faintly. "Yeah… I'm fine," she answered.
There was…something else that was bothering her, Sam saw. She had been quiet on this trip, and not in her usual, tense way. She wasn't sure what it was but Lara would share it with her if she wanted to.
Sam reached up and stroked her cheek gently with the back of her finger. Lara smiled warmly at her and Sam smiled back.
"Hey," Shania said. Sam looked back at her and saw that a lot of the wariness had faded from her features. One hand was resting on John's shoulder. "Thank you for helping my father. You didn't have to do that but you did anyways."
"It was no problem," Sam said, smiling at them. "I'm glad we could help."
"Shania," John said. "How much food do we have left?"
Shania frowned at him. "Not much, why?"
"I…may have promised Sam and Lara a reward for helping me," he winced.
"What?!" Shania exclaimed.
"Dad, we don't have enough food as it is!" The other girl said. Sam realised that the girl might be Michela. "Why did you say that?"
"It's okay," Lara said, stepping forward. "You can keep your food."
Sam raised an eyebrow and John stared at her skeptically. "Are…are you sure?"
"Yes. It's okay, really. If you guys are alright, we'll leave you to it."
"I umm…thank you," John said. "I am eternally grateful for what you've done for me. I hope you two stay safe."
Lara nodded and turned towards the door.
"You too," Sam said. She waved goodbye to the family then followed Lara outside.
They left the pub and walked for the rest of the day through Bath. Lara was still quiet, and Sam didn't think she wanted to share. Sam was worried, and she wondered if it had something to do with her parents. Lara had lost them at the start of this and she knew it had taken a huge toll on her. Maybe seeing John and his daughters reminded her of them.
When they had about an hour left until sunset, they decided to stay in a free house. It had been a long few days of travelling and she couldn't wait to sleep comfortably.
There were a few biters wandering around inside but they were quickly disposed of. They ate whilst there was still light, and after that Lara retreated out the backyard, saying she wanted some fresh air. Sam reluctantly let her go, worried but unsure whether Lara wanted to talk about it or not.
She lay down in the master bedroom, resting her hands behind her head, trying to get to sleep. She thought she had drifted off for a moment, until a faint scream in the distance started her awake again.
Sam opened her eyes and looked out the window; there was still light, but the sun was setting. She sat up and saw that Lara still hadn't returned. How long had it been?
She got out of the bed and walked to the backyard. The house was eerily quiet, and the orange, afternoon light made the rooms look even dustier. Lara wasn't anywhere to be seen and Sam chewed on her lip, wondering if something had happened to her.
"Lara?" she called out loud.
"Up here."
Sam looked up and saw a tree house which had a layer of leaves hanging over it. Was she in there?
"Where?"
"The treehouse. There's a ladder on the trunk."
Sam walked forward and climbed up the tree. The board rungs were thin but she was able to get up without too much trouble. Lara was sitting against the back wall, her knees drawn up to her chest.
"What are you doing up here?" Sam asked, sitting down next to her.
Lara shrugged. "Just…thinking," she said. Her voice was soft, and lacked any of the stress and firmness that she always had.
"Are…are you alright?" Sam asked hesitantly. "You've been quiet since we left the pub."
Lara chuckled humorlessly. "That's you, Sam; always concerned about other people."
"You didn't answer my question." When Lara remained silent she continued. "Is this about your parents? Did seeing John and his daughters remind you of them?"
Lara blinked and looked at her. "That's…not what this is about," she said. "He and Shania did remind me of my father, but it was just such a nice thing you did, offering to help them…If you didn't jump in to help John there would be two more lonely daughters in the world."
She sighed and looked away. "I'm proud of you. You helped John even when I wouldn't."
So Lara was beating herself up over this? "You did help in the end," she said.
"Only because of you."
"You're not a bad person, Lara."
Lara narrowed her eyes. "Can you really say that knowing what I've done in the past?"
Sam hesitated and Lara noticed. "See? I've killed a lot of people - including children. I don't understand why you keep having faith in me…" She looked down. "…or why you're with me at all."
Sam put her hand on her girlfriend's knee. "Lara, you're not a bad person," she insisted. "You're cautious, and that's a good thing in this world, but you're not entirely without heart."
When Lara remained silent, Sam hit her lightly. "You say you only helped John because of me but you were the one who let them keep their food. You didn't do that because of me did you?"
Lara looked up and frowned. "Well…no." she admitted, "They had three people. I think they needed the food more than we did."
"See? That's from the kindness of your heart. And I see your soft and squishy side all the time. I feel safe with you.
"I trust people too easily sometimes," Sam admitted. "I need someone like you to balance me out, tell me when I'm being stupid." She brushed Lara's bangs away from her face, letting her fingers rest on her cheek. "We work well together, and that's why we make a good team…and a good couple."
Lara looked at her and smiled - a real smile this time. Her eyes sparkled in the last rays of sunlight as she studied her. "You're too good for me," she said.
Lara had no reason to feel inadequate. "Or maybe you just underestimate yourself."
Lara smiled and leaned in, their lips meeting. They sat there making out slowly for a few minutes, her hands wrapped behind her neck, and Sam was just content to stay like that for the next hour.
Lara eventually pulled back though, and looked at her with heavy lidded eyes. "Do you want to go back to the room?" she asked quietly.
Sam stared at her in silence, breathing heavily from their previous kiss. "Are you sure?" she asked.
"Yes." Lara looked away for a moment and licked her lips. "Life is short," she said, looking back. "I don't want to leave this world with any regrets."
Sam stroked her cheek and kissed her again- a deep kiss that stole their both their breaths. She ran her tongue across Lara's bottom lip and then whispered, "Then what are you waiting for?"
Sam laid back on the bed, pulling Lara on top of her. Their mouths sought each other out in the low light, engaging in a delicious, slow dance. She leaned back, exposing her neck, as Lara trailed kisses along it.
Her tongue skimmed across the bottom of her ear. "I want you," Lara whispered.
Sam shivered and she felt it go all the way to her groin. She moaned into Lara's shoulder and had to restrain herself from tearing off the rest of their clothes.
She leaned back to look into her dark eyes. "Then take me," she breathed.
Sam helped Lara unbutton her shirt and then shed the rest of her clothes. Without that hindrance in the way, Sam ran her hands all over her, relishing the feeling of the hard muscle under smooth skin. Lara herself seemed to enjoy taking her in; running her hand along her thigh when she bent it up.
Lara kissed her ear, her arms on either side of her. "Show me what to do," she said. "Please."
Sam opened her eyes. Lara was nuzzling her neck but Sam could feel each shaky breath she exhaled.
"Lara," she whispered, turning her face towards her. Lara opened her eyes. She could see the nervousness in them. Sam kissed her jaw. "Relax. It's okay."
Lara smiled wryly at her and Sam cupped her cheek with a hand. "I still have the condoms in my pocket," she said.
Lara laughed and Sam could feel the tension break. "You didn't actually take them did you?" she asked.
Sam shrugged and grinned. She didn't, but it was worth seeing Lara laugh. "I needed to be prepared."
"Worried I'll get you pregnant?"
"You can't be too careful these days."
Lara chuckled and brushed her lips along her cheek. "You're an idiot," she murmured and kissed her again.
Sam grinned as she opened her mouth for her tongue. She took Lara's hand and guided it down, over the ticklish panes of her stomach and between her legs. Her fingers brushed her entrance, made her shudder. Another second and then they slipped in. She gasped; air rushing in and then out just as quickly as a whimper.
She closed her eyes and guided Lara with a hand over hers, enjoying the feeling of Lara moving in and out of her. She eventually dropped her hand and let Lara explore herself.
"Is this alright?" Lara whispered.
Sam nodded, moved her hips in rhythm with her hand. "Keep going," she breathed.
She did.
Each movement of her fingers made her groan, stealing her breath until she was whimpering Lara's name in her ear. She pushed her hips up against her hand, sucked hard on Lara's neck as she pushed her closer and closer to the edge.
When she came she came hard, screaming Lara's name in a loud moan. Her nails dug into her back as pleasure arced through her body. Lara grimaced, and then held her against her as she came down from her high.
She kept her eyes closed in bliss, felt kisses on her cheek; slow, tender, leading down along her neck, and then back to her mouth. Lara.
Her eyes flickered open and she smiled at the girl above her. Lara smiled back, her features so soft and gentle. Sam cupped her cheek and ran her thumb across her lower lip, admiring how pillowy they were.
"Was that okay?" Lara asked quietly, nuzzling into her hand.
"It was good," Sam smiled, drawing circles on her bare hip absent mindedly. She pecked her lips. "Stop worrying."
Lara smiled down at her, cheeks slightly pink. Sam chuckled. God she was cute. She pushed her down by the shoulder and rolled half on top of her.
"Your turn right?" she asked, grinning.
Lara smiled nervously. "Yeah?" she said. The way she said it made it sound like a question.
Sam raised an eyebrow. "You're not sure if you want it?"
Lara was instantly flustered. "Yeah I do- I mean no- I mean-"
Sam laughed and kissed her. "Always so polite, Lady Croft," she said. She grabbed her breasts and ran her thumbs over her nipples, feeling them harden. Lara caught her breath and squirmed beneath her.
Sam grinned at her. Knowing that she could make someone like Lara come undone with such a simple action was such an ego booster. She wasn't done with her teasing though. Sam abandoned her breasts and started kissing down her body; between her breasts, along the ridges of her abs and then one on each inner thigh.
Her skin was smooth, even with the mottled blue bruises and red scrapes on them. In fact, these imperfections just enhanced her beauty. They were evidence of all the battles she had been through; evidence of a survivor.
Sam sat back and traced a long, white scar which ran along the outside of Lara's thigh. She wondered what had happened. A knife fight? A bullet graze?
"What's wrong?" Lara asked, propping herself up on her elbows.
Sam looked up. Lara's brow was slightly furrowed- half in concern, half in worry, yet she was still beautiful. A part of Sam had always been jealous of Lara's looks. They had attracted both boys and girls back in school so effortlessly, whilst Sam needed to work to even come close to Lara's beauty.
Now though, Sam thought she was the luckiest girl in the world to be here with her.
"You're perfect," she said, not looking away from her eyes. Lara smiled timidly and Sam crawled back up to her. She kissed her again, sliding a hand between them and then into Lara's very wet entrance.
Lara exhaled as if releasing a great breath. "That-that feels good," she whispered.
Sam smiled. "It should, sweetie."
Lara closed her eyes, lips slightly parted as Sam continued, fingers moving in and out.
The rest was all breathless sounds and rocking hips. Ecstasy. Reflected in the throaty moans which Sam felt all the way in her groin. Lara moaned her name once, her breathing strained.
Hands gripped her hips as she neared. Pulled them closer, pressed her fingers harder into her body. A scream as she climaxed, jaw open, breathing stilted, writhing underneath her. She arched up against her, pressing their bodies together that Sam could feel her shivering. Thighs clamped tight around her hand, her breath hot and heavy against her neck.
Panting, as she came down, limbs lying uselessly on the bed. Sam wrapped her arms around her waist and bent a leg between hers. She smiled and watched Lara lay next to her, regaining her breath.
"That okay?" she asked, kissing her shoulder.
Lara rolled onto her side and looked into her eyes. She slid her hands around the back of her neck and then drew her into a deep kiss. That was an answer enough.
Sam closed her eyes and lost herself to Lara's taste.
This was perfect - a moment of pure bliss. Sam couldn't have imagined a better way for this to happen. She knew she kept thinking this, but she could stay this way for the rest of her life and be happy.
They broke the kiss and Lara brushed their noses together. Sam might have whimpered at the gesture. There was just something about how gentle she was that made Sam swoon every time.
Lara wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against her. Sam closed her eyes and smiled when Lara kissed the base of her neck.
Bliss.
Sam opened her eyes slowly, staring up at the ceiling. She yawned and looked around, realising that there was sunlight streaming through the blinds. It had to be early morning or something.
Lara was sleeping half on her stomach in front of her, an arm outstretched over Sam's stomach protectively. Sam rolled onto her side and ran a hand over her back. There was a large bruise on her trapezoid and she saw several small, red marks from where she had scratched her last night.
Ouch. Sam felt briefly guilty about that but then grinned as she remembered how amazing last night was. They were a trophy if anything - a testament to the Englishwoman's prowess.
She propped herself up on an elbow and kissed Lara's neck, the other hand running along her waist.
Lara stirred from her sleep and turned her head in her direction. Sam kissed her lips and Lara opened her mouth immediately.
"Mmm good morning," Lara breathed when they finally parted. She lay back on her pillow and smiled lazily up at her.
"Morning stranger," Sam grinned. She was still propped over Lara so she trailed her fingers back and forth over her stomach. "How'd you sleep?"
"Amazingly," she smiled. "The best I have in years."
"Aren't you happy you won't die a virgin now?" she asked. "And you couldn't do better than me for your first time."
Lara rolled her eyes. "Always so humble, Nishimura."
Sam grinned. "You know it's true," she said, leaning down and capturing Lara's lips in her own.
"Mmm it is," Lara murmured against her lips.
They kissed for another few minutes. Lara had shifted to get a better position and had bent a leg between hers. The pressure was arousing and Sam was ready to slip her hand down there again when her stomach rumbled loudly.
They both stopped and looked down between them as Sam chuckled nervously. "I guess I'm hungry," she said.
Lara laughed. "I am too, actually." She sat up and Sam rolled onto her back. "I'll go heat up some food," she said, picking her clothes up off the floor. "You can just relax."
Sam watched Lara button up her shirt. "Okay," she said.
Lara finished redressing and smiled back at her. "Be right back," she said, pecking her on the lips.
"There's nothing in this house," Lara growled, standing up from the cupboards she was looking through. She didn't even close the doors this time - just left them open as she marched towards the door.
Sam followed her out the door. She couldn't find anything either. "It's okay, Lara," she said, "We'll find something."
Lara sighed and shook her head. "Maybe we should just head to Bristol now. There's probably more food there than in the city we've been ransacking for the past year."
Sam sighed as she considered the thought. Lara had proposed this to her before, but Sam had said that it was a better idea to find food then start their next trip. They were down to their last can and their supplies had only lasted this long through studious rationing. If they encountered trouble they might not be able to get out of it.
"Let's try a few more houses okay?" Sam suggested. "It wouldn't hurt."
Lara didn't look hopeful as they moved into the next few houses. They searched everywhere for any trace of food, but there was nothing for the first two houses. In the third however, Sam found a protein bar which had fallen under a table.
"Yes!" Sam said, crawling out from under the table. "I found something!"
"Really?" Lara rushed over to her and looked at her find.
"I know it's small but it's how it's used that counts right?" Sam joked.
Lara looked up at her, cracking a small smile. "You eat it," she said. "I'll find something else."
"What?" There was no way she was doing that. "You're hungry too. We'll just break it in half and both have some."
"Sam, it's barely enough for one person. It's better if you have it and regain your strength than both of us gaining nothing from it."
That made sense but she wasn't going to eat this while her girlfriend went hungry. "Lara, you need to eat."
A flash of irritation passed over her face. "I'll be fine," she said.
"No you won't if you don't eat."
"Sam! Just eat it okay?!" Lara snapped. A second later she reddened and covered her face with her hands. "God, I'm sorry," she said, looking back at her ashamedly. "I'm just..."
Sam unwrapped the protein bar and broke it in half, shoving one half into Lara's hands. "Here," she said, "Eat."
She walked away before Lara had the chance to protest. She was hungry, and it was making her angry. Sam knew she didn't mean to snap at her and it was sweet of her to let her have all the food. But it was stupid, and it didn't feel right eating whilst Lara was still starving.
The rest of the house yielded nothing and they soon moved on to the next. Sam searched through the living room, thinking that small bits of food could be found in the most unorthodox of places.
She hoped there was food, but all she found was a flask of bourbon in a Bible, and that wasn't useful.
She slid the book back into the shelf and then felt an arm slide around her waist.
"For you," Lara said in her ear. She held out a single rose out in front of her.
Sam's heart fluttered and she took the rose gently between her fingers. "What's this?" she asked, turning around to Lara with a smile.
Her girlfriend smiled shyly with the hint of a sparkle in her eye. "A thank you," she said. "For being so lovely."
Sam admired the rose in her hand. It must have been flowering season, as it was a dark, vibrant red and the petals cupped each other perfectly. The thorns had even been cut off - something Lara must have done herself.
Romance was something Sam was unused to - everyone she had been with after the outbreak had only been interested in one thing, whilst the boys she flirted with back in school were awkward and juvenile.
Romance felt really…nice.
"It's beautiful," she said. "Just like you."
Lara smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm sorry for snapping at you before," she said. "I was just-"
Sam put a hand on her chest. "I know."
Lara relaxed and exhaled in relief. "Good. I was worried you'd be mad at me."
"Even if I was mad this makes up for it." Sam put the rose under her nose and smelt it, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again she looked at Lara seductively over the rim. From the way Lara's eyes darkened she knew she had its intended effect.
Sam grinned and walked around her, to the middle of the room. "Would you like to tango?"
Lara raised her eyebrows. "You know how to tango?"
Sam cocked her head. "I'm more surprised you know how to be honest."
"I took lessons as a child," she said, walking up to her. "Along with the other ballroom dances."
"Nerd." Sam grinned and put the stem of the rose between her teeth, holding her hands out for Lara to take. Sam put one hand on the back of Lara's shoulder whilst she rested hers against her hip. They clasped their other hands together then began to dance.
They hadn't taken five steps when Lara accidently stepped on her foot.
"Mrghph!" Sam said with the rose in her mouth.
"Sorry…Ow! That's my toe!"
Sam giggled despite herself. They twirled around the room clumsily, each step landing more often than not on each other's feet than on the floor. This was in no way a tango, and Sam could only imagine what idiots they looked like.
Sam descended into a fit of giggles at the spectacle, screwing up their dance even more. Lara grinned but she could see it was starting to infect her as well. "Come on Sam-Shit!"
Lara took another step back and then pitched backward, dragging Sam down as well. Sam yelped, the rose falling from her lips as she landed on top of Lara. That broke the dam and Sam laughed aloud, burying her face in Lara's shoulder. "We suck!" she said.
Lara was laughing as well as she placed a hand on her lower back. "We're not that bad," she chuckled.
Sam looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. Lara grinned and shrugged. "Okay, perhaps we are."
Sam giggled again. They really shouldn't have tried this when Sam's only lessons had been from a Youtube video five years ago. How did she think she would be impressive with those skills?
Lara was watching her with a smile. "I love you," she said.
Sam froze and looked down at Lara, her laughs fading quickly into a gape. Lara looked back at her with a completely soft and serene expression - love.
Panic seized her chest. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. "Umm…" She quickly got off Lara as her mind scrambled for an excuse. "I need to go."
Sam ran out to the backyard, and instantly gripped her hair and shut her eyes.
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.
What was she doing? She was getting in over her head with Lara.
This was just…just…
Just what, Sam didn't know but it wasn't meant to get this serious. She had allowed herself to become attached before and they all ended up leaving her sooner or later. It was stupid to love Lara - not that she did of course.
She sat down on the grass and moaned into her hands. She didn't love Lara. She couldn't. They had only gotten together in the last two weeks and as great as those weeks had been, that wasn't enough time to fall in love with someone. She had no idea how Lara could even say those words but now she had to deal with it.
Sam breathed deeply until she was calm again. This was going to be awkward.
She had run out on someone after they said that they loved her. How was she going to let her down gently?
Sam picked at the grass and stared at the fence. Lara was going to be so crushed. She hated seeing her so sad, and disappointing her was like kicking a puppy. Would things even be the same between them anymore after this?
Her eyes landed on a rosebush in the corner of the yard. It looked like it was once neatly trimmed, but it was now overgrown and there were several buds of red amongst the deep green.
Well…gifts were always a nice way to begin.