We've been in such a hurry in the aftermath of our discoveries in Costa Rica, but even Lara has procrastinated a little once we got home. I think she enjoys the time we're taking to just explore each other and our relationship. And research. The woman is a little research whore, swear to god, and she's determined to make sure we're going absolutely where we want to be. Her gut keeps pointing back to Peru, and when both of our guts are on the same page, then it's got to be Peru.
Despite that, we've settled into a routine. For the two years between Yamatai and Costa Rica, we'd desperately searched for some kind of normal in our lives. We didn't quite succeed and the itch for adventure took us away a couple of times, but that doesn't mean we don't want to return to the way things had been before.
But that was before we were going out. Before we both saw what was right in front of us and admitted that yeah, we are totally into each other. We even went on a date. And then another. And nothing like when I used to drag her clubbing. I still do, I mean. But these are real dates. Couples stuff. Date night. I don't want it to stop, and from the things Lara whispers into my ear, neither does she. Lara Croft, closet romantic.
God, that woman. She's not always in the mood. Me, I'm ready at the drop of a hat or the tilt of a head or when she does this thing where she tucks her hair behind her ear. I'm always-on. But Lara has a switch. And I've learned a couple of ways to find it. But I flick it on and … God, that woman. I love her. I don't think I tell her enough. No, I know I don't tell her enough, but I'm afraid if I use the word too much it'll lose it's meaning and then I'll lose her.
It's silly and stupid, but she's all I have. She's my center, my anchor. And I'd be adrift in the ocean without a paddle without her.
This one time, we went to the movies. I took her hand and she looked at me with so much uncertainty and worry that it broke my heart. It was one of the first times we'd held hands in public after we'd said we loved each other. It was different, but it wasn't different. It scared her. I realized it scared her because it wasn't different. For a second I had an anxiety attack. Like she'd turn back the hands on the clock and try to undo what we'd already done.
She didn't. "We're still ourselves," she'd said, the fear disappearing from her face. I'm not stupid, but I still didn't understand, until she put her arm around me. Everything had changed, except nothing had changed, and that was awesome.
Six months after our first date, I finally buy the plane tickets. She'd told me about some dreams she'd had, and I have been thinking that maybe it's time to get out. She's got cabin fever. I let Lara bitch and whine at me for picking first class, right up until we are seated and she is comfortable and enjoying the wi-fi. She's just sitting there, earbuds in her ears and looking for all the world like she thought this is such a fantastic idea that she wishes she'd thought of it first. But she hasn't, which is one of the (many) reasons she needs me.
"What is it, Sam?"
I realize I've been staring at her, but I go with it and grin."I'm waiting for your apology."
"My apology for what?" The brunette has an adorably guilty look on her face.
"Your apology for throwing your little tantrum, sweetie." I put my nicest inflection into the words, and watch them hit their mark.
"That's not fair, using that voice." She slides down in her seat and starts to sulk. Now, she'll deny she ever sulks, but she does, and it makes me want to do naughty things to her. But then Lara Croft is the queen of making me want to do naughty things to her. Twenty-four seven, even on holidays. Especially on holidays. Can you imagine Lara as Sexy Santa? I have.
"I know," I sing, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. She flushes and looks around, but I take her hand and pull her over, kissing her on the lips. I'm not going to let her win another argument about public displays of affection. This isn't public, not really, and the flight isn't even full. It's not like we're going to go screw in the bathroom.
She's melted a little against me by the time we come up for air, and I know that this is my chance. "If you want to make it up to me, there's something. You just need to get up and go to the lady's room."
"I don't need to go to the toilet, Sam, I went before we took off."
Oh my god this woman is the smartest person I know and yet she can be so oblivious. So I just look at her. I look at her and smirk at her until the realization dawns in her eyes and her skin turns the color of scarlet. "S-Sam we can't. Are you crazy? What if we get caught?"
If I'm not mistaken, there's a gleam of curiosity in her eyes. I know for a fact she's never shagged in the air. Me? Multiple flight member of the mile-high club. So a chance to initiate Lara into the club is one I want to take. She has to come to accept the idea and there's only so much pushing I can do before she digs her heels in, so I settle for a hand on her leg and my breath in her ear. It worked back in a pub in London, so it can probably work here.
The thing about doing it in an airliner bathroom is that it's awkward. It's awkward and a little clumsy, but with the right person it's a lot of fun. And I'm pretty flexible. So's Lara, for that matter. All that climbing and exercising she does...between the two of us we could contort ourselves into all sorts of interesting positions. Thinking about those interesting positions just makes me more anxious so I try not to squirm.
The other thing about doing it in an airliner bathroom is that when you're done and making your way back to your seat, almost everyone knows what you've been doing. Lara looks mortified by the time we sit back down, so I take her hand and nuzzle it with my cheek. Then I lean against her shoulder.
"Was it worth the embarrassment?"
"You're going to be the death of me." She lets out a little sigh, and I feel her cheek nuzzle the top of my head. "But yes, it was."
I can't help the surge of joy I feel at the sound of her voice right now. Lara always sounds so catlike and content after we shag. Like I've managed to fuck all the worries and weights out of her, at least for a little while. She turns her head and we look at each other.
Our foreheads touch, then we shift positions to get more comfortable against each other. We spend the rest of the flight with her reading and me playing Animal Crossing. At least that's the plan, but I fall asleep at some point, because the next thing I know, Lara is nudging me awake and my 3DS has been put away.
"You looked so sweet and innocent that I couldn't disturb you," she explains, sounding deceptively kind. "Since that's such a rare occurrence, I thought it was a shame to waste it.
She makes a satisfied sound when I elbow her in the stomach. I wait until we've gotten off the plane and acquired our luggage before I elbow her back. We have quite a bit between us. Lara brought some equipment, and I have more than I probably need, but first of all I'm a master packer and second of all you never know when you're going to need a sparkling silver minidress.
Or a skimpy swimsuit with which to drive certain archaeologists mad. Lima's beaches are supposed to be pretty good. There's a theater scene which I know might distract her. For a night or two anyway. Just because we're going on an adventure doesn't mean we have to avoid having a little vacation on the way there.
And we do have our little holiday while Lara makes the necessary arrangements for the trip into the rainforest. Oh. Lara complains, but I think she's actually looking forward to spending time with me. At least that's what I think. She just uses the delay in getting the chopper as an excuse. I'm on to you, Lara Croft.
There are supplies, a helicopter and a bunch of other things I only half pay attention to, and when I put on that swimsuit Lara forgets to explain the rest to me. She doesn't let me out, either. I guess she doesn't want other people to see me in it. I don't really mind, I technically bought it for her.
We're both positively bouncing with excitement by the time we're boarding the helicopter and Lara clearly has something she wants to say. There's me and her, the pilot, and a man she hired as a guide. As we fly towards the forest, Lara can't hold it in and starts to talk about what we're looking for. Or where. It's cute, so I sit back and listen, my camera pointed at her face. Fresh SDcard and everything. I'm sure everyone would love to see Lara in a swimsuit, but she wouldn't appreciate that. That's for the private collection.
"Paititi is a lost Inca city. Various accounts all place it in the general region where Peru, Bolivia and Brazil all meet." When Lara talked about anything archaeological, there is this light in her eyes, and both her face and hands get really animated. She's just getting started, but I can see that she's already in the zone.
Lost Inca City? I thought. No sweat. We got this. "Is that what we were looking for last time?"
"No, though I think we were close and didn't even realize it. You know that strange vibration we can feel in the air around those...artifacts?" She doesn't say 'crystal skulls' and I don't blame her. It's a strange enough phenomenon for a pair of women who encountered a weather controlling queen. For normal people it's even more out there crazy.
"And those carvings. There was something similar when we were in Peru last time." Her face lights up even more when I add that to the discussion. I know she loves it when I'm paying attention. It's interesting, and relevant. Why wouldn't I pay attention? Look at her face!
"Exactly! I still think this is the best place to start, simply because of what happened last time."
Last time. Our Peru incident. It had been the first expedition we'd tried after Yamatai. Something simple and not too exciting to get Lara's feet wet, and help me get back into the groove of filming. We're partners, after all, and I'm never letting her leave me behind.
Things got a little hairy, and I ended up saving her cute little ass. We don't talk about Peru, but from the look on her face, I know we're going to have to discuss Peru. Ugh. I should have expected it. We're in Peru!
"There's a valley where some large geoglyphs were discovered several years ago. Some French explorers thought that it might have been a map." Our guide looks pretty bored, but I'm actually interested. I lean forward and grab her hands to stop her from accidentally smacking someone.
"None of the further expeditions ever really found anything, but I think they were on the right track. One of the expeditions discovered some carvings that look eerily similar to what we saw in Costa Rica, and it's in roughly the same area we stumbled into a year and a half ago."
"What do we do when we get there, sweetie? I mean what if there's more of those...things?" I'm referring to the dopplegangers. Only they're not really. Just somehow copies of us we encountered in the underground temple, with sunken in black eyes and grotesque expressions on their faces. The memory sends a chill down my spine. I'd shot Lara's. I think I had nightmares for weeks about it.
"We don't let ourselves get separated, for one thing," she's saying. I don't catch the rest of it, and she stops talking as a loud beeping sound comes from the cockpit. We suddenly fall and the chopper begins to spin and wobble out of control. I hold onto Lara tighter but she's ripped right out of my arms. I barely have time to scream before I black out.