This morning I'm up before Lara, which is a miracle since the woman is usually up at the ass crack of dawn. But I'm hoping to get a little sunning in and maybe drive some of the crew crazy because it's fun. A little flirting is harmless. Besides, I really need to improve my mental space. Running away from my problems? Yes sir!
What I'm not expecting is Soraya to already be up and on deck. Her swimsuit leaves little to the imagination, but it's her skin that tells a story. That's the interesting thing about scars. I wonder what that big one on her back is, nestled in her tattoo. The ink covers most of her back and depicts a rich tapestry of color and shapes. It seems to be abstract at first, but the longer I stare, the more it starts to make sense. It curves around and into the bottom of her bikini, and then wraps around her hip. I wonder if it means something special. It's so prominent, it has to mean something.
I get closer, sitting casually and looking at the ocean rather than her. I'm attracted. I'm not dead. And it's actually really chilly so I'm determined to not look anywhere near her right now. This probably wasn't the best idea this time of year. But if she can handle it I can handle it. Then she's leaning a little closer and holding up the lotion. Duh. That's stupid of me to forget. "Oh! Good idea! Can you get my back?"
It's innocent from me, but the look on her face isn't. It's a little too late now so I turn my back to her so that she can get to it. I've had enough guys do this to me over the years to know when someone is making a move, and Soraya is making all sorts of moves. It feels good too.
Then Lara sits down next to us and takes the lotion away and I almost forget Soraya is even there. I've spent a lot of time trying to find a suit for Lara that would show off how sexy she is while still helping her modesty. She was modest to begin with but her scars only make that situation worse. I hadn't expected her to wear it during what she thinks is 'work time' but her legs are going on forever and there's that fold where her leg meets her pelvis. I'm drooling. I hope she doesn't notice.
I don't think she did because she glares at Soraya and I roll my eyes. I've lost a bet with Soraya but it's so worth it. Lara is hot when she's jealous, but I need her to trust me. She's giving me this look, so I try to reassure her. I'm not expecting it when she picks me up. I think she's going to throw me over her shoulder which would have been so hot and then she throws me over her shoulder and it's so hot. I'm a little relieved because it was a lot colder than I'd been expecting. I want my hands all over her to warm us up. She doesn't give me the chance at first.
I've kind of forgotten my own name by the time I'm coming off of my high. That was some seriously life-affirming love making and I grin to myself as I feel her lips on my shoulder. Once, I caught her nibbling there when she thought I was asleep. Her sheep-dog caught in the act look is the most adorable thing, ever.
Her fingers creep up, caressing at me, and then she brushes them against my neck. I can't help it and I stiffen. There's this fear that rushes through me in an instant, and when I recover I can feel Lara pulling her hand back. I grab it. My body is trembling as I bring her fingers back to my throat. Blood pounds in my ears but I make her touch me, and then I let her touch me. I did this for her one scar at a time until she stopped flinching when I touched her. Baby steps.
It's like ten minutes before I really start to relax. I shift in closer to her, and play with her hair. I'd taken it out of it's tail sometime in the middle of everything and it moves loosely through my fingers. Her hair really is a marvel. She smells like sex and sweat and old dusty things and it's the best thing in the world right now.
She's peeking up at me. I grin at her when her fingers still. "It's okay, sweetie. Don't stop, please?"
They start stroking again, and she closes her eyes. I sigh. When I open mine again her face is inches from mine, so I kiss her. I can taste myself, but that never bothers me. Lara pushes me down and I find her right hand with my left and our fingers thread together. I love when that happens. It feels so natural and Lara once told me that it was one of the reasons she knew we belonged together. Because it's never awkward and they fit together like we are made for each other.
Maybe we're going to go again and I'm not complaining. I still need to get her back for earlier. I arch beneath her, kissing at her jawline (and I can gush about her jawline if you give me half the chance) when she slides off of me.
Okay did I do something wrong? I sit up and look at her. "Lara?"
"Shit…" She's fishing through her clothing and I'm not sure why. She has everything I need right there and the view is perfect. My mind starts going to really dirty places and I wonder if she packed something naughty. I really hope she packed what I think she packed. She's muttering to herself in cutest fashion, so I rest my face on my hand and keep watching.
"This isn't how I wanted...where is it? There... I really should have…" She's found whatever she was looking for and is standing there in the tiny tiny cabin next to the bed. I kind of hope that Soraya doesn't come in any time soon. She has the top bunk but she probably knows what we're up to.
"Sweetie, what is it?" She's sometimes pretty shy at first when it comes to trying new things, but I've never seen her like this. She turns around, face red, hands clenched tightly around something.
"I wanted to do this right, you know, but we're headed towards danger and adventure, and there's probably no place with the proper atmosphere where we're going and I'm not really sure how this would go over at Abou el Sid anyway…" Her throat bobs while she babbles, then she kneels next to the bed and looks up at me with a nervous expression. But she's stubborn and determined and just rushes right into it. And I mean literally rush, since she's barely stopping to breathe. "The first time I ever saw you I knew you were someone special, Sam. It just took me years to truly understand why, and now that I do I don't want to waste any time."
I think she's still talking, but I can't hear it except as a distant murmuring. I can't breathe because that's a ring she's holding up and I feel like my head is going to pop and holy shit it sparkles!
Lara Croft is proposing and I can't even believe it. I hadn't been kidding when I said it had been something I thought I'd never have.
"...to dress up and take you out, do this right. Treat you … traditionally but it's going to be a… Sam, are you listening?"
"Yes!" I snap out of it and grin down at her. She's still wide-eyed and nervous looking, so I lean down and kiss her. She squeaks against my mouth but I'm not letting her go until our lips are sore.
She mumbles something and I break the kiss to look at her. She looks a little amused, but she clears her throat and tries again. "Sam, will you marry me?"
I just said yes but I guess she really really wanted to say it. And I guess I really wanted to hear it, because I start crying. My throat tightens and I just have to nod my head at her because suddenly I can't find the words. I pull her back into the bed and bury my face into her chest. Her arms hold me close and tight and I feather my lips against her skin.
When I think I can look her in the face again, she's beaming at me. It's like a light that shines into my soul and pushes all the darkness away. She doesn't say anything, just pushes that ring onto my finger. It's not the super traditional proposal she'd no doubt would have planned out to the finest detail, but it's still distinctly her. Awkward and a little flaily. The ring feels weird on my finger but it sparkles and I get distracted as I wriggle my finger around to watch it reflect the light. It looks pretty old. Not old and nasty but old and...elegant. The diamond is clearly high quality.
I start giggling and I can't stop.
She strokes my face, her grin about as painfully big as mine. "I love you. You should have let me finish, I'm supposed to finish before you say yes."
"I let you finish, Sweetie." Ugh. I sound like a frog. I blame the emotions. "I just...you're so sneaky! I thought you'd be a lot more obvious if you were ever thinking about this!"
"I really wanted to do dinner," she replies, a little sadly. I shake my head and cup her face in both of my hands.
"No! No it was perfect! It was sweet and it was you. It was so you. I wouldn't want it any other way."
"At sea, halfway between London and Cairo in a cramped cabin and completely starkers?" She gives me an incredulous look.
"Awkward and adorable," I retort, and she turns red again. I shift us on the bed until she's under me and I've got her shoulders pinned to the hard mattress. "And beautiful. Sexy. Hot. Smart. Funny. You're the perfect woman, Lara." I lean back and grin at her. "Sam Croft. Sam Croft-Nishimura. Sam Nishimura-Croft."
"Whatever you want, Sam. I'm not going to force you to change your name if you don't want to."
Leaning back down I nuzzle the tip of her nose with the tip of mine. "We've got some time to think about it, since we're not exactly going to be able to elope until we're back home, and I want a big motherfucking wedding. It's required. I probably shouldn't wear white."
"You're wearing white." She has this stubborn look in her eyes and I could argue the point, but it's not worth fighting over this. She wants me in white she'll get me in white. And I think about it and bite my lip.
"I'll wear white if we can get you into a tux."
She squints at me, and I can't tell what she's thinking until she says, "I think we need to set a budget right n-"
I put my hand over her mouth. "Oh no. We're doing this right and it's the bride's family that does all this stuff and I'm the bride remember?" I don't know how my parents are going to handle this or if my dad'll disown me or something, but my mom kind of found out about me and Lara on accident. I made her swear to let me talk to my dad first and I know she'll keep that promise. It's not like they talk to each other much.
They're actually a big reason why I never thought I'd get married. I mean what's the point if you're just going to be distant with each other? But they loved each other once, hadn't they? I'll die if me and Lara turn into that.
I let go of Lara's mouth and smile nervously at her. "Is that okay? I mean...I know how you are about money. But I...think I really want to make this special."
"I know, and while I reserve the right to joke about the expense, I only have one request." She holds up her finger.
"Okay! What is it?"
"Can we keep the guest list as small as possible? Less is more, Sam. Less than twenty."
That probably meant less than a hundred and we could probably work with that. The media attention is going to be intense considering who my father is and the fame that surrounded Yamatai. I'm sure she's not even close to ready for that but it's my job to handle all of that for her. "I'll talk my mother into something small. Small for her, anyway."
"What about your father?" She pulls me down and I rest my cheek against her clavicle.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess. Maybe he'll even be cool with it." Stranger things have happened, but right now I don't even care. I'm just so stoked.