Man, it sure is exhausting handling your own shit and being a functional being in this distressing society. But hey, here's a little more for y'all to read. I sure do wish I could start living my life again and dedicate more time to writing though :( just know I haven't forgotten about writing this fic. I gotta write this fic. There's a juicy sequel that I've actually been incredibly hype to write for years now. Ah well. We'll get there when we're meant to get there. I've definitely been gaining some interesting new perspectives over the past few years.

Why couldn't her family ever act appropriately? Sam turned her head as she heard mounting yells coming from down the hall. To their credit, they'd managed to go two days without any chaos. That, at least, had to be some sort of record. She slapped her laptop shut with an exasperated sigh and gave herself a good, long stretch before sliding her chair back to get to her feet.

"Sorry," Sam grunted as she stood.

"Everything alright?" Lara asked from where she sat.

"Finding that out now," Sam replied brusquely as she followed the clamor to its source, which turned out to be Naomi's room. Great, Sam thought to herself as she drew near.

"How many times do I have to tell you no dishes in the room?!" Antonia was screaming.

"Can you stop shouting at me?" Naomi demanded from within.

"Not until you listen!"

"It's not a big deal!" Naomi screeched back at her mother. Neither of them seemed to notice Sam when she came to a stop in the doorway and took a look around. Dishes. Broken dishes on the floor. That's what they were screaming about. Sam held the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger and took a deep breath.

"HEY!" Sam roared over her mother and sister, causing them both to jump and look over in her direction, "Are you serious right now?!" Sam demanded.

"I keep trying to tell her to not take dishes in her room-" Antonia began.

"Shut the fuck up!" Sam spat.

"Samantha Andrea-!"

"Antonia!" Sam fired back, "she broke some dishes, big deal! You know how many dishes I've broken at school? It happens. Just clean it up and move on, don't scream at her for something so stupid. Jesus Christ!"

"Did I just hear you tell your mother to 'shut the fuck up'?" Sam's heart dropped when she heard her father's voice coming from the right. He was home already? Now she was really knees-deep in it.

"And what if you did?" Sam asked evenly, turning to face her father with her chin held high. Behind her father, Sam saw Lara peering around the corner of the hallway with a mortified expression on her face. Sam squeezed her eyes shut for a moment to brace herself.

"Apologize to her," Hisao growled, his eyes piercing Sam like lasers behind his glasses. Sam balled her hands into fists and took a deep breath.

"No," Sam glowered at her father.

"Excuse me?"

"No, I'm not going to apologize to her. You weren't here for what happened, you need to uninvolve yourself and stop jumping to conclusions. The only one here who needs an apology is Naomi." Sam crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sam-" Naomi tried to cut in. Sam flinched when Hisao raised a hand up to silence her sister.

"I don't care what happened, you don't get to disrespect your mother like that ever. Now, apologize," Hisao commanded.

"Maybe she should do something to earn my respect, then maybe I'd give it to her," Sam countered with a raised brow, though her heart raced in her chest.

"How about the fact that your mother and I have worked hard to supply you two with this home you live in, or the fact that you're getting a world-class education for free?"

"As long as I'm a good little heir and study what you want me to, of course," Sam fired back, "gee, dad! Thanks so much! I'm so grateful for you micromanaging every aspect of my life since the day I took the emergency exit out of mom's uterus!" Sam threw her hands up for dramatic effect, "I really am living my best life right now, look at us! The perfect American family!" The hairs on the back of Sam's neck stood upright when her father shook his head and let out a small chuckle.

"I see. Well, maybe I should leave you to fend for yourself since you're so grateful, how does that sound?" Sam gnashed her teeth together.

"Fuck you, Hisao. Do whatever you want." Hisao's eyes flashed dangerously, but before he could do anything there was a series of loud crashes within Naomi's room. Sam and her father both turned their heads to see that more plates had fallen off of Naomi's nightstand and gone clattering to the ground.

Why? Why did you have to do this? Sam thought to herself as she regarded her sister with wide-eyed horror. Why did anybody have to do anything? Why did the situation have to escalate the way it did in the first place? It was just a couple of dishes. It was something so simple, so inconsequential in adult life. Hisao took a step towards the room, and Sam jumped back into Naomi's doorway and extended her arms and legs out to bar entry to the room. "Please just leave her alone and drop it," Sam pleaded, her voice quivering.

"Get out of my way," Hisao said.

"I'm not going anywhere," Sam stood her ground, an impenetrable bastion defending her sister from whatever wrath her father may inflict.

"Get out of my way," Hisao raised his voice as he took a step forward, "before I make you move. I won't ask again." His words were as cold and sharp as steel. Sam looked over her shoulder to see that her mom and sister both wore the same fearful expression on their face. She returned her gaze to her father's eyes.

"No," Sam said emphatically.

"Excuse me," Lara called down the hallway, "is everything alright?" Everyone watched with bated breath as Hisao glanced down the hall to where Lara stood and regarded her with narrowed eyes.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Hisao demanded.

"Well," Lara began, "it seems like you're yelling at your daughters and threatening them currently. Is that an accurate assessment?"

"Mind your business," Hisao spat. Lara opened her mouth to fire off a retort when he glanced over at Sam.

Drop it, just drop it! Sam pleaded with her eyes. Lara seemed to get the message as she deflated without another word. Hisao cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair.

"Clean up the mess, Naomi. And you," Hisao looked down at Sam, who still blocked the doorway, and lowered his voice, "it's gone. Figure your tuition out on your own." Sam bit her tongue and choked back tears as her father walked away and only then did she step out of the doorway to Naomi's bedroom. Her mother followed suit shortly thereafter and went after Hisao down the hall.

Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you… Sam thought to herself as they walked down the hall and brushed their way past Lara, who scowled after them. She turned her attention to Naomi, who was white as a pearl and trembled where she stood.

"It was just a few broken plates," Naomi blubbered as Sam strode her way over to her.

"Accidents happen, kid," Sam said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone, "mom just has her head up her ass." She pulled her sister into a tight embrace and took a deep breath to steady herself as best as she could. "Clean this mess up and then we're gonna leave the house for a bit, okay?" Noami nodded into Sam's shoulder before prying herself away and gathering up the broken shards of ceramic.

"Sam?" Lara asked from where she stood outside the door as Sam strode over to her room. "Sam?" Lara repeated when Sam didn't answer, and followed her into her room. Sam tried to throw her bedroom door shut behind her, but heard Lara catch it and click it shut behind them.

"Fuck!" Sam shouted when she was within the confines of her own space, grabbing the half-repaired camera off of her dresser and sending it exploding off the wall opposite her. A couple of her anime figurines joined her camera in an ever-growing pile of debris opposite her, and it wasn't until she reached for Chakra Cat next that Lara grabbed hold of her wrist to stop her. When she tried to rip herself free of Lara's grasp to wreak further havoc, Lara bear hugged her from behind and pinned her arms against her sides. Sam didn't even have the will to put up a fight as Lara guided her down to a sit on the floor.

"Deep breaths," Lara urged her, and Sam complied. Once she was adequately mollified, Sam felt Lara remove her arms from her midriff and watched as the latter knelt across from her and put a firm hand on each of her shoulders, "Can you look at me for a second?" Lara asked. Sam reluctantly complied, meeting her roommate's hazel orbs with her own brown ones. Lara scrutinized her with a brow raised in an evident combination of panic and concern. "Are you done now?"

"I think so," Sam's eyes drifted downward, and she inhaled sharply through her teeth.

"Then would you mind telling me what sent you over the edge? I saw your father say something to you before he walked away. What happened?"

"Can we just...please get out of here? I promise we can talk about it later."

"You know I'm not going to accept that. Talk to me. Please?" Sam kept her gaze fixed towards the ground and took a deep breath.

"He's cutting my trust off. My tuition's gone," Sam looked up at Lara, whose eyes had softened into an expression of sympathy.

"You really do need to get out of here, huh?" Lara sighed and got to her feet, "well, we knew this was a possibility…" her voice trailed off before she continued with visible hesitation, "is your father normally like that?"

"He has a temper," Sam replied simply. Lara bit her lip and nodded in understanding.

"Let's get out of here, then." Lara stood up and held a hand out to Sam, who took it and clambered up onto her feet as well. Sam then strode over to her closet to retrieve her North Face fleece before motioning for Lara to follow her out to Naomi's room. They found Naomi already waiting outside of Sam's room when they emerged, and they wordlessly made their way out to the elevator. Sam thought she heard one of her parents demanding to know where they were going, but wordlessly snapped the door to their penthouse behind them and ushered her companions out.

Her head was reeling as the elevator descended down the flight of floors to the bottom. Between her family, the altercation, and… She chanced a glance over to her left at Lara. Before the fight had interrupted them, Sam could have sworn she saw something behind her roommate's eyes as she was showing her her rendition of It's a Dangerous Game. She was almost completely certain of it. She couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh as she returned her gaze forward at the opening elevator doors.

"Are you okay?" Lara asked.

"No." Sam stepped out of the elevator and strode purposelessly out to the busy New York streets.

"I didn't mean to-" Naomi began from behind with a twinge of guilt in her voice.

"I told you, you didn't do anything wrong. I just…" Sam ground a fist into her forehead, "I need to clear my head and I don't know where to go or anything. I'm gonna be shocked if I'm even allowed to come home again after this holiday. You know what that means, don't you?" She looked back at Naomi, "I won't be able to help you anymore."

"I'm sure it's not that bad-" Lara tried to reassure Sam.

"No, it is," Sam cut in, taking a look around them. Where do we even go? She thought to herself. Her first instinct was to call Uncle, but she felt a twinge of guilt at the prospect of bothering him with more of her family's baggage. "Anywhere you wanna go, kid?" She looked back at her little sister, who merely shrugged.

"We could go to the Met?" Lara suggested, "I heard they have an exhibit with Masamune katanas."

"It's something," Sam said, flagging down the first cab she saw. The cab came to a stop, and they all clambered in together.

"Where to?" The driver asked.

"The Met, please," Sam said. The majority of their cab ride passed in silence, leaving her plenty of opportunity to be alone with her mind. What if she wasn't allowed back in her home for the rest of the holiday? All of her stuff was still in the penthouse, as was Lara's. She doubted her parents would deny a guest the ability to retrieve their belongings, so that was likely not a concern. Where would they spend the rest of their holiday, however? And what about her trust? Had her father already cut her funding off? Her plane tickets were round trip, so she knew that she would at least be able to get back to London. But how would she be able to make payments on her tuition for the semester? She didn't have a single dime to her name. Everything she had belonged to her father. She had to worry about food, tuition, the overpriced boarding expenses… Even if she got a job and set up a payment plan with the university, she would still have to make an initial payment. Where was she going to get the money for an initial payment?

"Sam," came Lara's voice from the side.

"What?"

"You're in your head again. Get out of it. Everything's going to be fine."

"Will it, though?" Sam countered, "You forget that the university requires initial payments for a payment plan."

"If you explain your situation to financial aid, I'm sure they will work with you. I know it's less than ideal, but you could also take out a loan for the semester until you're on your feet. There's options available, you just need to utilize your resources," Lara said. Sam gnashed her teeth together.

"Great. I'm broke and possibly accruing debt now. Fantastic."

"There's also scholarships. That could at least cover an initial payment until you get a steady job," Lara pointed out. Sam paused to think.

"I guess I could take a look at the school's website and see what scholarships are available…"

"Worst case scenario? Just put your education off for a semester. We could get a flat off-campus."

"I can't afford a down payment-"

"I can," Lara interjected. Sam blinked reproachfully at her roommate.

"I can't accept that."

"Just pay me back for your half when you're able," Lara said.

"But-"

"Sam. Just accept the sodding help."

"Why don't you just talk to Uncle?" Came Naomi's query from out of nowhere. Sam drew a sharp breath and shifted her gaze towards her younger sibling.

"Uncle's done enough for us."

"He has money, and he'd help you in a heartbeat. He loves us," Naomi said.

"Absolutely not. Completely out of the question." Sam crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat with a sigh. She had no problem exploiting her father after all the trauma she'd been subjected to. The prospect of letting her uncle pay for her education left a bitter taste in her mouth, however.

"What do you think?" Naomi asked, nodding in Lara's direction. Lara's eyes darted around frantically when she found herself in the spotlight.

"I, er…"

"You agree with me, right?" Sam demanded.

"All I'm going to say is that it's good to stick to your principles." Lara scratched the back of her neck with a grimace.

"You sound like a politician in the House of Lords now," Sam jibed.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Just forget about it," Sam let out an exasperated huff of air, "I'm not taking Uncle's money. End of discussion."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Naomi fired back.

"Which is why you're not going to say anything to Uncle, got it?" Sam countered in a dangerous tone that defused her little sister, whose eyes drifted downward wordlessly.

"...I just feel like this is all my fault," Naomi sulked, "and it's not fair to you."

"I made my own bed," Sam replied, "really. It was a matter of time."

"We're here," said the driver that everyone evidently had forgotten was there. Lara paid the cab driver and they filed out of the cab. They made a beeline up the steps of the Met and inside the entrance to a counter where they could buy tickets.

"At least let me try my card," Sam protested as Lara pulled out her wallet.

"It's fine, this was my idea," Lara assured her. Sam bit her lip, the reality of her newfound poverty setting in once more.

"...Thank you," was what Sam ultimately said at length.

"Of course," Lara said with what Sam figured to be her best attempt at a reassuring grin before turning her attention to the counter's attendant, "two adults and one student." Once the tickets were paid for, they took a look at the museum map the attendant had handed them and headed for the East Asian exhibit. "It's beautiful," Lara remarked when they came to a stop in front of what Sam presumed to be a Masamune katana, given that the plaque underneath it read: Priceless Treasure of Japan.

"You gonna educate us on this sword's history now?" Sam gave Lara a playful nudge. The corners of Lara's lips twitched upwards.

"I wasn't planning to, but now that you mention it, Masamune did work in the last part of the Kamakura period-"

"Alright, Encyclopedia Croft. I get it," Sam said while shaking her head. Lara smirked at Sam before turning her attention to some of the exhibit's other pieces.

"I like the wave patterns in the blades," Naomi was saying.

"That's the hamon," Lara said, "which is the dividing line between the harder, crystalline steel and the softer steel. The difference lies in how quickly the steel is cooled. You see the lines that look like wood grains within that wave pattern?"

"Yeah," Naomi nodded.

"That's from folding the steel. That's how the smiths would remove impurities from the metal."

"Cool," Naomi grinned cheekily. Sam watched the two of them interact with a small smile.

At least if Lara has feelings for me, she has Naomi's approval, Sam thought to herself before blinking in surprise at the direction her own mind took. Is that what she wanted? To date her best friend? What if they did and it didn't work out? Could they still preserve their friendship? Was it worth finding out? Sam considered Lara as the latter continued to educate Naomi on the intricacies of katana-forging. She still wasn't over Jess, after all. Would it be fair to give Lara a chance when her feelings were still so conflicted? No, Sam thought, I couldn't do that to her. Lara's so sweet and kind, and I'd probably be the toxic partner. I don't even have my shit together right now.

Still, the tension she felt as she observed Lara's physique was palpable. Her eyes drifted from Lara's strong, veined hands to her prominent collarbones, defined jawline, the messy hair that perfectly framed her face, and finally the toothy smile that adorned her handsome features. Everything about her roommate was desirable. The pheromones that Lara was emitting seemed to drive Sam crazy in that moment as her heart began to throb in her chest.

Could it work? They did have a lot in common. But what if that just made the dynamic between them boring. No, no, Lara could be spontaneous and out-of-left-field when she feels like it. The very fact that she was in the States with Sam proved that.

"So some of his swords are still missing?" Naomi was asking Lara when Sam started to come back to reality.

"Yes, in particular the Honjo Masamune, which is still regarded as one of the finest swords ever forged. It went missing towards the end of World War II when the Americans banned the production of Nihonto with edges-"

"What's a Nihonto?" Naomi asked.

"Basically just a Japanese style sword made in Japan. So if a katana is made in America or England, it cannot be called a Nihonto. But America occupied Japan and banned the production of Nihonto. It was then mandated that all swords be surrendered, and I believe it was Tokugawa Iemasa who turned in the Honjo Masamune among other heirloom swords. The swords were later reported to have been turned over to a man named Sergeant Coldy Bimore, but during later attempts to track down the Honjo Masamune, it was found that there were no records of a Sergeant Coldy Bimore ever having received the weapons. So nobody knows where the Honjo Masamune currently is. Sad, isn't it?"

"I don't know a lot of history like you," Naomi said, "but one thing I'm learning is that Americans suck and ruin everything."

"Same thing with the English, if I'm being honest," Lara added with a small laugh, "we've really buggered some nations with our repeated conquests."

"Say 'buggered' again, please," Naomi said.

"Buggered."

"You have any theories on the Honjo Masamune?" Sam asked over Naomi giggling.

"But of course," Lara said.

"Think you're going to find it one day?" Sam continued.

"Maybe. Truth be told though, Yamatai has really had my interest since you showed it to me."

"You do know that that's essentially the Japanese equivalent of Atlantis, right?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Perhaps. But they also thought that the lost Roanoke colony would never be found," Lara pointed out, "until my father proved them wrong, at least." The expression on Lara's face became indiscernible at the end of her statement, and Sam regarded her for a moment or two.

"If you do go looking for Yamatai, promise you'll take me with you?"

"Of course. You'll be my partner-in-crime, you can make the documentary and I'll handle the archaeology."

"Croft and Nishimura versus the world, huh?"

"Exactly," Lara smiled again and Sam felt a strange swooping sensation in her chest. "Plus, probably, my Uncle Roth and his crew. And a few others."

"I'd like to meet your uncle sometime," Sam said.

"He's on expeditions a lot, but I can always see if he's back in the UK when we get back if you'd like."

"That would be fantastic. What's he like?" Sam asked. Lara took a moment to think. In the background, Naomi was audibly fawning over a suit of samurai armor.

"Very gruff but kind at the same time. He also used to be a Royal Marine, so he can be a tad uncompromising at times, which isn't a bad thing. It just means that he's a man who sticks to his principles and tells you things the way they are. He's taught me a lot."

"Like?"

"How to climb, how to fire a gun and shoot a bow, what kinds of plants can be used for medicine or consumed for food...we used to go camping a lot. He's also taught me how to be my own person and how to stand up for others when they need it," Lara rocked back and forth on her heels, "that lesson came particularly in handy with the gymnastics captains this past term. He's helped me grow into a stronger woman. I look up to that man a lot. He's a father to me." Lara absently thumbed the magatama that hung around her neck. "I definitely should get in touch with him when we get back. It's been a while."

"He sounds like a certified badass," Sam remarked while Naomi continued to wander through the exhibit and read through all the information displayed, "can't say that surprises me if he's the one who raised you, though." Sam glanced over at Lara with a small smirk.

"I can't help but feel you give me too much credit," Lara shrugged noncommittally.

"And I can't help but feel you don't give yourself enough credit," Sam said, "you're a certified BAMF. A renaissance woman. Like, you're book smart and really intelligent, but you also have a lot of practical skills and are incredibly athletic. I've seen your gymnastics tapes and I live with you. I should know. Thesis, argument, conclusion, fight me, Lara!" Sam put her fists up in front of her as if to fight and nudged Lara in the shoulder with one of them. The corner of Lara's tips twitched upward in amusement.

"I don't need to, you earned top marks on that essay," Lara replied.

"This armor is so cool!" Naomi's voice came from the next room over in the exhibit.

"I guess we should probably catch up with her before she wanders off on her own…because she will," Sam said with a small laugh.

"Oh, you mean like you? Pissed off your ass in the middle of the night in London?" Lara gave Sam a peevish grin.

"That's what I'm saying! She's pretty much a mini-me, after all."

"Well, in that case!" Lara said, wrapping a hand around Sam's elbow as she made for the next room over, "Best that we get moving, yeah?" Sam's arm felt warm at the site where it made contact with Lara's hand, and she soon felt the heat in her face as well.

"Y-yeah" Sam stammered as she let herself be dragged along by her roommate. As they weaved through museum-goers, Sam found herself looking at her faint reflection on the glass display cases. Her and Lara did look quite nice together, didn't they? Nope! Bad Sam! She berated herself internally. But still, Lara did look dashingly rugged in her flannel, especially paired with her fresh eyebrow scar. Wow, do I have a bad girl kink or something? Sam wondered before shaking her head to clear it, God damn it, Samantha, you horny fuck! She's your best friend!

"Did people really go to battle in these fancy helmets?" Naomi was asking Lara as she and Sam drew near.

"No, I would say this armor was probably more ornamental…"

They continued through the rest of the Art of the Samurai exhibit–as well as numerous others–over the course of the next couple of hours. Ultimately, Sam wound up having to forcefully extricate Lara from the medley of cultural displays the Met provided, lest the latter keep their entire group at the museum for the rest of the day.

"I just wish I could hold at least one of those artifacts," Lara was lamenting as they all emerged onto the streets together. "Well, what do you want to do now?" She continued, looking directly at Sam as she spoke.

"Well, to be honest I feel like it's probably safe to go back to the house now. It's been, what, a few hours since everything happened?" Sam had to admit that she felt drained after the emotional rollercoaster that was her last thirty-six hours.

"Is that what you want to do, though?" Lara pressed with a brow raised.

"Kind of, yeah," Sam admitted.

"Can we get some ice cream rolls first?" Naomi chimed in. Sam smiled softly at her.

"Sure, kid."

"Ice cream rolls?" Came Lara's query.

"You'll see," Sam replied, "they're great."

The elevator opened with a ding on the floor of Sam's penthouse, and Sam could feel her heartbeat in her throat. In spite of the fact that her heart rate was so rapid that she felt faint, she forced herself to step out of the elevator and lead the way towards one of the doors. Almost as if on a cue, Sam found her mom waiting for them right inside.

"We have food cooking in the kitchen if you would like to join us," Antonia began. Sam stood there and stared at her. She knew this game all too well, this was how her parents consistently skirted around accountability. Every single time there was a quarrel, her parents would act like nothing happened and try to woo Sam and her sister with honeyed words. Honey didn't neutralize poison, however.

"No," Sam held a hand up, "not happening." It was Antonia's turn to stare as she opened and closed her mouth a couple of times in an attempt to speak.

"I know our family isn't perfect-" is what Antonia decided to begin with.

"So then just apologize," Sam cut in.

"Well now I don't think-"

"You know what? Just forget it. I don't have the energy for any of this right now. Besides, didn't you guys just disown me? So why should I give a fuck about any of this?" Sam strode down the hall towards her room, "Just leave me and Naomi alone before the media gets a juicy exposee." Hanging her head in exhausted defeat and scratching the back of her neck, Sam gently pushed her bedroom door open and made for her bed, ultimately plopping down to a sit atop it. She looked up to see Lara standing in the doorway.

"You alright?" Lara asked.

"Just hold me."

"What?"

"Just hold me. Please?" Sam felt like she had weights attached to the skin right below her eyes as emotional fatigue set further into her psyche. She found herself barely able to think a straight, coherent thought. Lara bit her bottom lip before nodding and stepping into the room. She shut the door behind her with a snap and took a seat beside Sam on her bed. Sam closed her eyes as Lara's warmth and familiar scent engulfed her. Sam nuzzled into her roommate's shoulder and allowed herself to enjoy a sense of calm and peace as Lara rubbed a thumb back and forth along her shoulder.

She didn't know how long they sat there, only that they wound up falling asleep in each other's arms.

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