Chapter21
When she returned from the bathroom, she stopped at Kazuya's door. For a moment she thought about knocking, but then she went on towards her room. After a few meters she turned around and walked back to his room. She knocked at the door as quietly as she could.
"Come in, Lara." came the reply almost at once.
Lara was very surprised, she hadn't expected a reply. She opened the door.
"Hey." she said in a weak voice.
"Hey." he replied.
Kazuya was sitting at a table wearing purple silk pyjamas. His computer was running.
"How did you know it was me?" Lara asked him.
"I heard your door open ten minutes ago."
"Oh. Why are you awake? Working?" she asked looking at the notebook.
"Yes."
"Having trouble sleeping?"
"Always." he replied closing the notebook.
He got up and walked closer towards Lara.
"Why aren't you asleep?" he asked her.
"I don't know. I woke up an hour ago and couldn't get back to sleep." she said and then added quietly: "I felt lonely."
"You wanted to go to your own bed, Lara."
"Yes... I am used to being alone... I am not sure where this will lead us."
"Does it matter?"
"So you don't care." she said with sadness in her voice.
"That's not what I said. You just can't plan those things."
"You don't cease to amaze me. I thought you had everything in your life planned."
"I can only make plans for myself."
"And what are your plans right now?"
"Believe it or not. I will go to bed. You should go as well, you look really tired."
Lara must have had a look on her face that said 'don't send me away'. Kazuya laid one arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She rested her head against his shoulder. She had seldom felt that tired in her life. Since she was in Japan, she hadn't had much sleep, she had so much trouble getting used to the time difference, and being up all day wasn't helping. She also had so much to think about. But at that moment she was able to let go, to forget about all the trouble, to forget what she was supposed to do. She closed her eyes. In his arms she felt really safe. Even a tough girl like Lara Croft needed that feeling from time to time. She hadn't felt that way since her fiancée and that was a completely different life. Most of the time she had to be really careful that people weren't using her, weren't after her money or after her life.
Then how could she trust someone completely who was - according to gossip - in league with the devil. But she was certain that this was just a bad rumour. She had learned that his mood was quite unpredictable and could change from one minute to the other. Of course this would help to spread such rumours.
"Lara... Lara, don't fall asleep while standing there." Kazuya whispered.
"Oh, sorry."
He lifted her up and carried her to the bed. Lara fell asleep soon afterwards.
When she returned from the bathroom, she stopped at Kazuya's door. For a moment she thought about knocking, but then she went on towards her room. After a few meters she turned around and walked back to his room. She knocked at the door as quietly as she could.
"Come in, Lara." came the reply almost at once.
Lara was very surprised, she hadn't expected a reply. She opened the door.
"Hey." she said in a weak voice.
"Hey." he replied.
Kazuya was sitting at a table wearing purple silk pyjamas. His computer was running.
"How did you know it was me?" Lara asked him.
"I heard your door open ten minutes ago."
"Oh. Why are you awake? Working?" she asked looking at the notebook.
"Yes."
"Having trouble sleeping?"
"Always." he replied closing the notebook.
He got up and walked closer towards Lara.
"Why aren't you asleep?" he asked her.
"I don't know. I woke up an hour ago and couldn't get back to sleep." she said and then added quietly: "I felt lonely."
"You wanted to go to your own bed, Lara."
"Yes... I am used to being alone... I am not sure where this will lead us."
"Does it matter?"
"So you don't care." she said with sadness in her voice.
"That's not what I said. You just can't plan those things."
"You don't cease to amaze me. I thought you had everything in your life planned."
"I can only make plans for myself."
"And what are your plans right now?"
"Believe it or not. I will go to bed. You should go as well, you look really tired."
Lara must have had a look on her face that said 'don't send me away'. Kazuya laid one arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She rested her head against his shoulder. She had seldom felt that tired in her life. Since she was in Japan, she hadn't had much sleep, she had so much trouble getting used to the time difference, and being up all day wasn't helping. She also had so much to think about. But at that moment she was able to let go, to forget about all the trouble, to forget what she was supposed to do. She closed her eyes. In his arms she felt really safe. Even a tough girl like Lara Croft needed that feeling from time to time. She hadn't felt that way since her fiancée and that was a completely different life. Most of the time she had to be really careful that people weren't using her, weren't after her money or after her life.
Then how could she trust someone completely who was - according to gossip - in league with the devil. But she was certain that this was just a bad rumour. She had learned that his mood was quite unpredictable and could change from one minute to the other. Of course this would help to spread such rumours.
"Lara... Lara, don't fall asleep while standing there." Kazuya whispered.
"Oh, sorry."
He lifted her up and carried her to the bed. Lara fell asleep soon afterwards.
