Author's disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to "Tomb Raider." Nada.
Author's notes: It's been over 6 months between updates. I am a terrible terrible writer. But I don't have as much free time as most. I think of lines constantly between work and whatever. You're all in my thoughts; stay strong, my lovelies.
"Alpha's Rest"
Chapter three "Realization"
Sam stared at herself in the mirror, her dark eyes regarding herself almost like a foe intruding upon her alone time. She was naked save a pair of panties and her eyes studied her figure. Blinking hard, she tried to abandon that way of thinking. She remembered Himiko's gaze gleaming over her curves, envying the body she was in, wanting it for herself….
"But it's mine…" Sam murmured aloud. Her body, her mind. Himiko's soul had been drawn out. Hadn't it? Her hand settled over her flat tummy as she watched herself in her reflection. Then a loud groan erupted at the door and a half-asleep Lara padded in, naked. She scratched her hip and moved toward the toilet.
"Sam, morning," Lara grumbled, yawning. She sat down and Sam looked away, smiling. They were that comfortable, she didn't mind. As long as she wasn't doing more…..Lara finished peeing and stood up, cleaning her hands in the sink. She yawned and settled her head on Sam's bare shoulder.
"Did you sleep well?" Sam asked. Lara's arms went around her waist, and she leaned on her.
"For a change. I dreamt we were on a beach, kissing." Lara's face turned red in a blush. "It was a …..nice dream."
"Better that than a fight," Sam muttered. Lara picked her up and walked out of the bathroom. Sam twined her arms around her neck. Both of them flopped onto the bed and Sam cuddled close, draping across Lara's torso. Their legs twined. "Hey."
"Hey," Lara grinned. Her tousled bangs fell across her eyes, but she was smiling like a fool. Sam felt her shift, her cock pressing hard into her stomach. "Sorry about that."
"I'll bet," Sam scoffed, but she fluttered her lashes down at her lover coyly. She felt a pulse of interest from Lara. Lara's fingers twirled the ends of Sam's hair and her gaze turned somewhat serious. "What is it?"
"Just thinking. How lucky we are. To be here…."
Sam leaned down and kissed Lara softly. "We're home…."
Memories of Sam coming home to Croft Manor during college flitted through Lara's mind. She cupped the back of Sam's neck, holding her to her kiss. Sam groaned above her, then twined their feet together.
"Ugh, I feel so off….hot, but…."
"Irritable?" Lara teased. Sam's fingers teased along her hip and side. She inhaled Sam's scent and felt a pang of longing so sharp, her stomach concaved. Was Sam entering her heat? The hungry kisses she plied on Lara indicated that, as well as the fingers trailing her shaft between them. "Hmm…"
"I'm so hungry. And tired. And…." The lustful look Sam swept down at Lara held her in place. Lara's fingers twined through Sam's hair. She leaned up and kissed her deeply. Sam hummed happily into her mouth. "Damn, is this a good time?"
Kajihana tea. Condoms. The options went through Lara's mind. But she didn't want any of that. The morning sun was filtering through the curtains, and she could call out of work for today. Sam was warm and happy with her. She let her get comfortable on top and Lara's eyes closed as she tilted her head back on the mattress. Sam took her inside. Lara watched her arch on top of her, watching with hooded eyes.
"Yes, it is," Lara murmured.
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Rachel rapped on the door to Lara's room, tray balanced on one arm. Lara had asked for a specific breakfast through the door an hour earlier and asked her to knock when she came back. She blushed as she heard movement inside and a small gasp. She could only imagine what the two were getting up to in their need for privacy.
"Miss Croft?" she called. There was a moan and Lara called out to her.
"Just…leave it out there! Please!" Lara sounded strained. Then she groaned. Rachel set the tray carefully on the carpet and turned toward the stairs. She had heard a spattering of stories from Winston and Cook about Miss Croft's adventures recently. The very first harrowing one with Sam to Yamatai somewhere off the coast of Japan. That they were together again was good news. She hoped Lara would relax, and Sam too.
Smiling to herself, Rachel ascended to the foyer and gazed at the marble fireplace near the entrance doors. A job with the Crofts was certainly good to her.
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"Yeah, a day off. I'm sorry I called so late. And…tomorrow too?" Lara leaned up on one elbow, feet shifting back and forth in the tangled sheets. Sam was draped over her side, hands groping her all over. Lara had asked for five minutes to call in after their last time and she inhaled Sam's pheromones which were spiked radically. Sam was still aroused, as was normal for a heat. But they'd already joined at least three times that morning. Lara's hairline felt sticky with sweat, and she was damp all over. Her shaft hadn't retracted, and Sam started toying with her. Lara hissed between her teeth and turned the phone away.
"Stop that," she moaned. Sam grinned wryly at her and kissed her belly. Lara hastily wrapped up the conversation.
"I'll be back in two days? Okay, bye!" Lara tapped the end call button and tossed the cell onto her nightstand beside the bed. She rolled toward Sam and spread her thighs, letting Sam get comfortable between them. "Really, now…"
"Sorry," Sam blinked up at her. She sounded anything but. Lara's fingers sifted through her hair affectionately. She cupped Sam's cheek.
"I'm all yours," Lara said. Sam blushed up at her.
"You bet you are," she breathed. Lara laid her head back, gasping, as Sam pulled her into her mouth.
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Two mornings later, Sam and Lara sat on the carpet of their bedroom, long legs spread as they shared a plate of sandwiches that had been dropped off by Rachel. Sam's heat was finally receding, and she'd finally allowed clothing, so Lara was in a t-shirt and boxers, scratching at her hip as she chewed. Sam was in one of Lara's shirts without any bottoms, sprawled, leaning against the bed.
"I have to thank Cook for this recipe. Watercress and goat cheese, yum," Sam grinned. Her hair must look a sight, and Lara's long hair was uncombed and tangled as well. Lara gave a grunt and picked up a bowl of fruit, picking up slices of peeled oranges, eating them quickly. Juice coated her lower lip, and Sam wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin.
"Have some blueberries," Lara mumbled around her mouthful of oranges and nudged one of the bowls close to her. Sam dug in with a spoon, sighing as the juice of the berries burst in her mouth.
"We're lucky. Got any plans for later?" Sam asked. She picked up her glass of ice water and drank quickly. She felt replenished and happy and sated. Lara gave her a wry smile.
"We could take time and watch a movie or read. You took up all our time," she grinned, so Sam knew it was a tease. Sam blinked coyly at her lover.
"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not," she said. Lara laughed.
"I'm not either. That was great," she admitted.
Lara leaned over and kissed her brow. "Let's get in the bath. We're a mess."
"Partially your fault?" Sam teased. Lara rubbed her thigh and stood up, stretching her arms over her head.
"Fault never felt so good," she grinned. "Come on."
The two walked unsteadily to her washroom to start the water.
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"Okay….and go," Sam called. She had her camcorder up to one eye, taking a very candid if bouncy shot of Lara walking across the main floor of her father's museum hall. She wanted to get a few "messy" shots, as she called them, before she took clean-up shots that were steadier with a tripod. Lara had agreed and smiled toward the camera. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up casually. Sam thought she looked good, and even though her heat had ended, her gaze went to the tips of Lara's shoes, on up to her smiling face. She followed Lara as she was led across the main room of the museum hall.
"Welcome to Croft Manor. What you see behind me is my family's museum. A place to store artifacts found. My father always said 'relics of night, brough to light.' Well, when they're not in circulation with a museum, that is," she smiled. Sam gave a small grin behind the camera. "Let's look at a few pieces. Behind me is a game that was played in medieval Europe. I can't tell you how many hours I spent looking at this as a child."
Sam could see that memory, younger Lara gazing up at the pieces behind glass. The display was right beside the door leading back to her mother's art room, so of course this would be a stationary place for her. Lara bypassed the door leading further away from the camera's view, and she ascended the stairs to the second floor. Sam followed pace. They passed by a jewish dibbik box behind glass, a shaman's mask from the Cook islands, and Lara stopped beside the two Japanese statues in her collection. They were late Jomon period, far from the timeline and even the design style of statues from Yamatai. But still Sam halted, as if her shoes were glued to the carpet and Lara similarly halted, as if stopped by the statues that seemed to glower down at her.
"I….I…these….these came from…" Lara swallowed and brushed her cheek with one hand nervously. She gave Sam a look and gestured at the statues. "They're not from Yamatai…I…"
Sam got the meaning but was startled when Lara abruptly burst into tears. It was as if someone had turned a faucet on, fat tears wetting her eyes and trailing down her cheeks. "I'm…sorry!" she gasped and sat down on the carpet. Sam set the camcorder down safely on the carpet. She'd forgotten to turn it off, but that thought was clearly out of her mind. Lara was grieving, in extreme distress and she wanted to soothe her.
"Oh, sweetie," Sam said. She knelt on the carpet and held onto Lara as she fell into her lap, arms wrapping around her waist. Lara leaned her head into Sam's lap and held on tight, breathing her scent in deep. "What's wrong? We're home now."
They said this often to each other. And while it was true in the physical sense, it was also true in the emotional sense. They both felt so comfortable and happy in their new relationship. Coming home was the best way to describe it.
Lara continued crying into her lap, hands tightening over her hip and lower back. "I'm sorry, I took us there, I had the means, Roth had the ship, it was my idea…."
"Only because I told you about Himiko. Love, it was my idea, too," Sam said softly. Lara looked up at her, reddened eyes pained. She smoothed her fingers over Lara's face, tracing her cheek softly. "I'm to blame, too, if there is blame. And I'm not blaming you. We had no idea what would happen…."
"My expedition, my fault," Lara muttered. She seemed to collapse on the carpet, legs limp as she laid her cheek on Sam's thigh. Hopefully her words were calming her, because her sobs ebbed off to nothing and she breathed deeply against her. "I'm sorry…"
"Well, you gave me a few days of good loving, don't feel sorry," Sam said wryly. A blush stained Lara's cheeks and she laughed. She knelt up, rolling the crinks out of her shoulders. "It's okay to feel guilt, it's natural. But I'm here, we're back. And I love you, if that means anything."
"It means everything," Lara murmured. She knelt up to kiss Sam softly. Sam kissed her brow next. "Come on, go get your camera."
"Want to film anymore today?" Sam asked. Lara unrolled one shirt sleeve so she could wipe at her wet eyes.
"No, I must look horrible. Let's go sit."
Where to sit was not a question. Their sunroom awaited them. Sam picked up the camera, noted it was on, and turned it off. She would notice she'd partially captured the encounter later on, but for now, she took Lara's hand and went with her down to the first floor to the sunroom.
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Later, Sam was going over her camcorder footage and saving clips to her laptop. She found a shaky image from the camera pov, herself setting it down and stepping away, the vision cleared as it was set on a sturdy footing on the floor. Sam noted her leg stepping away, then half of Lara's leg as she lay in her lap. Earlier, that afternoon in her father's artifact hall. She couldn't make out more than Lara's leg, but she could hear their entire whispered conversation as Lara had cried.
"My expedition, my fault," Lara was saying in the clip. Sam paused the footage. It was an eeirely intimate view of their life, but she couldn't find it in her to delete it. Maybe public concern over their harrowing stories of being attacked on the island of Yamatai would die down if they could all see Lara Croft's guilt. She'd have to talk to Lara about putting this into her documentary of their home. It was a big ask, but Sam wouldn't just put it in without her approval.
Sam sighed and shut the camcorder off. She walked toward the kitchen, where she needed to find Rachel. She'd know where Lara was. But Sam found Lara there, chatting with Rachel and Cook, leaning against one counter island. She gave Sam a small smile and Sam moved into the room, greeting Cook and Rachel as well.
Life would get better.
End for now
End notes: The phrase Lara said from her father I made up, closely associated with "Creatures of night, brought to light." If you know, you know. Sorry for the time between updates, I have no excuses. Review if you liked _
Sincerely,
Pen 10/26/2024