Our sleep schedule has gotten really messed up. If Lara isn't up at all hours trying to research into our artifacts, I can't sleep because of the nightmares. And it's not just Victor or Scotland. Or even Egypt. It's like it all comes back to fucking Yamatai and Himiko. I know that Lara is worried, and if I'm truthful, so am I. I don't want to lose myself. I don't want to wake up one morning unable to control my own actions.

So we decide to keep living. I don't think we ever actually talked about it. We just did it. We're going to have the normal things and we're not going to let anything stop the plans we have for our lives. Our dreams, both for ourselves and each other.

Tonight though, we can't sleep for different reasons. I feel Lara get out of bed, and I grab her pillow. Hugging it against my chest I inhale her scent, but I can't fall asleep again either. I'm too excited. Too nervous. Fucking terrified.

Lara's sitting at her desk. She didn't dress even though it's cold and I can see the goose pimples on her skin while she leans over a journal. There's a little bit of light shining in from outside, casting her in an otherworldly glow. She looks raw and beautiful like a wolf. Maybe she's not a wolf. Maybe she's a tiger. Definitely a kind of cat. Plus, she really hates wolves.

Silently, I slip out of bed and pad across the floor towards her. My fingers find the scars on her shoulders, new and old. I trace them and she shivers against my touch. It brings a smile to my lips. I love how she responds to me. Just that act is enough to chase away the ghosts in my head. I still can't believe I'm tapping that. Lara Croft is my girlfriend. We're going to get married. I love her so much, and that's the thing I hold on to when the dreams are at their worst.

I slip into her lap and caress her cheek, before kissing her. "Hey."

"Hey." She smiles as she searches my eyes, and our foreheads press together. "Excited for tomorrow?"

"Terrified. Tell me how we managed to talk my parents into letting us do it in London?" Or how my dad didn't freak out when I told him I was with Lara? As in with with. In fact, he hadn't even blinked. It was like he already knew. Or maybe he's never cared enough as long as I'm not being an 'embarrassment'. I guess I could do worse than Lara.

I'm still mad at him for being …. him. But he'd promised he'd be there for our wedding, and they've already landed in London. He probably has some kind of business thing going but I'll take any win I can get. I literally will not forgive him if he's a no show.

"I pouted at you until you convinced them it was a good idea. Besides, this is your home as much as mine."

"It's only fair, since we're letting them do all the work." And it's more like my mom insisted and my dad just went along with it. I haven't even seen the dress I'm going to wear, but I know I'll look good in it. I could walk down the aisle in sweatpants and she'd still stare at me. I'm scared, but I can't wait.

"We're really doing this." Her voice is shakey. She must be terrified, but she's Lara Croft. She'll face down gods and devils so I think she can face down a pastor and some vows. I still need to write mine, but I'm not going to tell her that. "So what are you working on?"

I feel her fingers start to explore the marks on my arms. She started seeing them after Thinis. They show up sometimes, usually when the weather is poor. And the weather isn't going to be poor tomorrow. I'm going to make it fucking sunny for my wedding. Unlike most brides this is something I can actually do. I shouldn't. Lara keeps warning me that the more I tapped into that power the more likely it is that Himiko could wrestle control. But she's not in my head. I can control this.

"Still trying to break more of my father's code…"

I reach down and close the journal, ignoring her protest. "Wedding. We're getting married. Then we're going to have all kinds of honeymoon debauchery for two whole weeks. Then and only then are we going to start crawling into ancient ruins." I look at her sternly, and she raises her eyebrows, waiting me to finish. "You're not leaving me. You're not even going to think of leaving me. We're a team Lara. You and me. We rely on each other. I'm not going to be a stay at home wife. I'm going to chronicle your career and make both our names famous."

I'm still kind of worried about her taking off on me. I think she'll like my honeymoon plan though. I made sure to take us some places that will have things we can enjoy together.

"Never," she says, her lips finding the pulse on my throat and sending shivers throughout my body. "Never, Sam. I couldn't leave you behind, even if I wanted to. I missed my chance to do that a long time ago and I'm glad for it. It would be a shit thing to do at this point."

Our eyes meet again. She kisses me like she's promising me something, and I try to promise that she won't lose me. Not to Himiko, not to anything else. I shift on top of her until my legs are on either side of her. There are no words for how her skin feels against mine. Smooth in places and rough in others. Perfect and imperfect all at once.

I gasp when she nips on a sensitive area, and she puts a finger over my lips. "Shh, Sam. We have guests, remember?"

"Oh my god you're not going to worry about people overhearing us are you? This mansion is huge…" It would be nice if we moved into the main bedroom, but she still has issues with the idea of taking over her parent's room. I keep hoping that once we're married and officially the ladies of the manor she'll change her mind.

Any further thoughts on the matter are derailed when she lifts me onto the desk. I grip the edge of the desk as Lara nipples her way down my chest bone. "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."

"You can sleep in the guest room after," She suggests, her lips smiling against my stomach. We both know that's not going to happen.

AN:

Thank you so much for reading this far, and for all the feedback and responses I've gotten. I appreciate every one. Lara and Sam are going to get a few weeks before they get drawn back into the world of artifacts and shadowy beings. After all, Himiko is patient. She's already waited a thousand years, she can wait a little longer...

In the meantime, there's still Swear Jar and the AUs!