survivor!lara || under the cut. i am making this for me and the like three other Lara stans out there. smut, obviously. MINORS DNI.
-> in fandom it seems to be a general consensus that Lara hasnât had much experience before, and I agree.
-> it isnât like she doesnât enjoy sex, but I think she thinks of it as very intertwined with emotional connection. so she doesnât have many one night stands, if any at all - really.
-> so she wouldnât know really what she was doing so well the first time, but as with everything, Lara Croft is a very quick learner.
-> as time goes on and you both learn more about each other, sheâs better able to know what she likes
-> switch - doesnât like the idea of giving or receiving degradation, so she also prefers to be with someone whoâll mirror that when theyâre dominant!
-> in contrast, MASSIVE praise kink
-> tell her youâre proud of her and that sheâs doing well and sheâs ready to jump your bones
-> incredible at oral. this woman takes directions like a champ.
-> will drag her nails teasingly down your body whilst buried between your legs, looking at you with a smirk on her face, wholly amused by the sounds sheâs producing from you
-> loves praising you, but even more so she adores telling you how much she loves you through it all - again, goes back to how heavily she associates sex with feelings
-> incapable of teasing. sheâll try and then get so carried away by the sounds youâre making, sheâll wanna make you cum over and over again
-> nervous kisser at first, not able to work up the courage to do anything but peck you for the first kiss, yet she quickly makes up for it (and then some)
-> loves lavishing your whole body in kisses throughout, Iâm not sure sheâd love to mark you with hickeys but she would love to be marked.
-> she is a little embarassed if someone notices, though. she would prefer them somewhere only the two of you could see them, it feels more intimate that way anyway.
-> Jonah once noticed a hastily concealed one on her neck and poked fun at her, she didnât speak to him for the next hour
-> LOVES neck kisses. fastest way to get her worked up, that and paying attention to her nipples, be it with your tongue or fingers.
-> vocal in her own way. sheâs not screaming in pleasure, i see her more as the type to let out soft, breathy moans. becoming more like whimpers and louder the closer she gets.
-> will always moan your name when she cums, even when sheâs masturbating
-> cums easiest from head. itâs just the right balance of intense and relaxed for her. though she still loves her partners fingers being used on her.
-> sheâs a little into light choking, to the point sheâll hold her own breath before cumming sometimes without even realising.
-> genuinely quite vanilla in most other ways, but it doesnât matter when sheâs so talented.
-> sheâs literally the sweetest. always reminding you of how pretty/good you look because part of her is just in awe.
-> will use and receive the strap, but I think she prefers using it on her partner.
-> when on top, sheâs incredibly soft. Unable to joke or giggle - sheâll just keep praising and reminding you how much she loves you and doing this. will follow your every instruction, in her head her one role in that moment is giving you as much pleasure as she can.
-> when bottoming, sheâs much the same, except just incredibly grateful for everything.
-> going back to the hickeys for a second, incredibly easy to mark up. has pale-ish skin so love bites/bruises show up easily (much to her dismay).
-> always soft after sex, and is always in such a rush to take care of you. sometimes you have to all but strap her to the bed to let you take care of her for once.
-> generally prefers holding you, but after sex I imagine her favourite thing to do is to lay on your chest, listening quietly to the sound of your heart beating.
-> doesnât fall asleep easily most of the time, but ever since you came into her life itâs certainly helped. she still has nightmares and nights where she struggles getting to sleep - but something about sharing a bed with you in general will always help comfort her.
ââ
this ended up being longer than I intended and has also been sitting in my drafts for like 2 months lmao whelp enjoy I hope x
arthur morgan, leon kennedy, carlos oliveira, claire redfield, jill valentine, lara croft
HCS || ANGST
Arthur
-> of all the ones on this list, I could be biased in saying this, but I think Arthur would be the most understanding.
-> weâve seen it with Mary, after all. he knows how to be a gentleman (when he wants to be), and he knows all too well the risks of his like of work. how incompatible it is with romance.
-> still, though. that doesnât stop it hurting. it beats away at him like a hammer to his ribs. winding him of all the air in his lungs.
-> he would have a hard time looking after himself in the aftermath. forgetting to groom himself, letting his hair and beard grow long and unkempt. it would probably take a lecture from Susan before he quit that habit.
-> eventually, though⌠I think he throws himself back into his line of work. itâs the only stable in his life. killing and robbings the only thing he think he knows how to do, and you canât exactly take days off on the van der linde gang. when youâre being hunted by law all day every day, sometimes heartbreak is the last thing on your mind.
-> he still thinks about you often, though. especially in the silence. keeps a photo of you in a locket, he can never quite give it up. even when the girls tell him to move on, trying to cheer him up.
-> I donât think he would ever get back with you, but Iâm divided on this. my impression of his and Maryâs relationship is that they were on and off, but I think ultimately if you broke up with him, he would truly believe it was for the best anyway. for you, that is. and thatâs all that matters to him.
LEON
-> turns into mr nonchalant whenever you dump him. nods and keeps his words brief. you know those memes about how when a woman falls out of love with you she starts texting like sheâs from HR? thatâs Leon. (except heâs still in love with you)
-> yet the second you leave, all his walls and pretenses break. his serious and reserved demeanour leaves, and he fully immerses himself in the heartbreak behind closed doors.
-> he still wonât let on how sad he is to those around him, though. but itâs increasingly obvious.
-> almost all of the characters in this list would throw themselves into their work, but Leon? his heart isnât in it. and whilst heâs still turning up and trying his hardest, itâs increasingly obvious something is on his mind. from the way he snaps and hits the coffee machine when itâs too slow in the mornings, to the general shortness that have taken over his replies.
-> it takes some time off work (nothing crazy, just a few weeks) and admitting to those around him that heâs struggling for him to finally start moving on. heâs the type to go on a holiday to himself for a little bit, and good for him!
-> I think heâs pragmatic in the sense that heâll take down photos, pictures, try and give you your stuff back as quickly as possible. but that doesnât mean he wants to. itâs more something he knows he has to do.
-> would get back with you if you asked, Iâm almost certain. I think heâd have a bit of resistance to jumping straight back into a relationship, but he would miss you too much to stay away for long if you wanted him back.
CARLOS
-> lighthearted as ever, I really think Carlos would be the type to try and force a brave face, but inside he feels anything but warmth.
-> when you break up with him, and in the aftermath, he copes by cracking jokes. I can picture him saying something playfully egotistical: âguess itâs hard to find someone who can keep up with all this!â whilst gesturing to himself - but itâs all a facade. designed to bury deep the insecurities and heartache he feels.
-> carlos would be the most warm to you, in the aftermath. i have a heartbreaking image of him seeing you out in public a little while after the breakup with someone new, and he forces a smile, waving and exchanging pleasantries with you. even sparing a smile for your new friend.
-> and thatâs where his mask really starts to slip. smiles become increasingly strained, jokes harder to muster up. this is when he finally stops running from it, and his friends start realising as well - he really misses you, he canât pretend otherwise.
-> can honestly see him being torn between wanting to reach out, and wanting to respect your wishes to break up. if he did reach out heâd be a one and done kinda guy, heâs not desperate and wouldnât wanna come off as such.
-> definitely up there in terms of taking the longest time to actually deal with a breakup, mostly because he refuses to deal with it as such. but I will say⌠I think when heâs done, heâs done. I couldnât see him taking you back. not because he wouldnât want to be with you anymore, but because he knows how it hurt to lose you the first time - and he canât repeat that ever again.
CLAIRE
-> by some standards⌠I think Claire would deal with it best?
-> donât get me wrong, sheâd be a mess at first. sheâd cry to you when breaking up. an in the aftermath sheâd cry about you to friends. about the coldness beside her in the bed every morning. the bitterness of the coffee now you arenât here to make it.
-> but thatâs the exact reason why I think sheâd deal with it the best in the long run, she accepts it much better than the others, and although she still loves you so much⌠sheâs quickest to know how to move on
-> do I think that mean sheâs quick to date new people in the months that follow? no, not exactly. I more so think it translates into her being the most okay after a few months at work, with friends⌠sheâs the one most able to think of you without an ache in her chest months down the line. though there is still something.
-> I think she has a good support system. she has the very protective figure of Chris in her life also, and that definitely helps. besides just her support, I think she develops coping strategies the quickest. she knows when to feel her emotions, and she knows when to get on her bike for a long ride to clear her head.
-> I think Claire would be open to getting back with you, but it would have to be under specific circumstances. you did hurt her by leaving, and sheâd want at the very least some proof of change. plus, Chris is far too protective to not give her a bit of a hard time about getting back with you UNLESS you really were remorseful.
JILL
-> her immediate response is anger. probably argues with you a little during the breakup, especially if it came as a surprise. Jill is an incredibly loyal person, and she strikes me as the type to believe in sticking by each other through just about anything, so before any kind of sadness, she honestly feels betrayal.
-> she keeps the anger with her for a little under a month, until one night that anger gives way to sadness. she cries for a good few hours before sheâs finally able to compose herself again.
-> makes a vow to herself there and then sheâs never gonna feel this way ever again⌠so that rules out her ever getting back to you. atleast for the foreseeable future.
-> she doesnât really date anyone for the foreseeable future, anyway. keeps to herself out of fear of being hurt.
-> she convinces herself she doesnât mind, and maybe she doesnât - itâs better this way, she can be more focused on her work.
-> but at the end of every day, when sheâs lying in bed thinking of her day and rolls over to the side, she misses you.
LARA
-> god i love this woman and its almost hurting me to write this
-> a MESS
-> Lara isnât a pathetic person, far from it - but sheâs been through SO much loss in her life that when faced with losing you she genuinely becomes⌠desperate.
-> her lip wobbles a little, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes whenever the words âbreak upâ leave your mouth. she pleads a little, asks you to reconsider, but upon seeing youâre being serious and this is really what you want - she stops. falling quiet and preferring to let you leave in silence.
-> itâs not to make you feel guilty. she just genuinely doesnât know what to say.
-> locks herself away for a little bit in the aftermath, not months or anything but a few days to a week. doesnât text or call anyone, much less you. eventually, she visits Jonah to get back on her feet and start healing a little.
-> blocks you everywhere and gives back your stuff in a very impersonal way. canât stand seeing you for too long. itâs not because she hates you but rather because it literally pains her that things have to be this way.
-> I think she would get back with you, but sheâd honestly have to think about it a lot. she knows how bad losing you hurt the first time round and whether or not itâs something she could do again would be something sheâd sincerely have to weigh up.
Multifandom: How they would react to their s/oâs death
really hyperfixated on the loves of my life from rdr2, resi evil and tomb raider⌠so have this!! again if anyone likes this enough and wants to see more characters included in future blurbs or hcs pls feel free to ask :)
arthur morgan, leon kennedy, carlos oliveira, claire redfield, jill valentine, lara croft
HCS|ANGST
ARTHUR
-> it was a mistake, the biggest of his life. he should never have turned his eyes away from you. especially not on a mission as dangerous as this.
-> twenty seconds. that was the amount of time it had taken him to get to you from the first bullet that racked through your body to the final one. he held you close as you slipped into the darkness, his hand clutched in yours, whispering soothing words. his entire world may have been uprooted, but he didnât want you to go into the afterlife in unrest.
-> the aftermath sees him angry at everyone. dutch, the whole gang, but mostly himself. he sees to it that he kills the bastard who shot you personally, and in the weeks that follow he spends much of his time in solitude. his mind unable to stay away from you for long.
-> he carries his grief in his chest. it sits with him deep and heavy, its almost like someone set a weight on him that canât be removed.
-> of all the characters on this list, arthur would be the one most likely to make peace with your death quickest. not because it hurt for him any less than the others, but simply because heâs content in the fact that heâll follow you soon.
-> he carries a photo of you in his breast pocket every day after, and when he eventually passes on that cliffside, his last thoughts are of you.
-> he dreams of seeing you on the other side.
LEON
-> chrisâs words had fallen on deaf ears, and the hand on his shoulder provided no warmth or comfort, in spite of its best intentions. you were gone. killed in a mission you were sent on. he hadnât been there.
-> in the aftermath, leon blames himself. curses himself even, for not being there to protect you. he throws himself into his work, vowing to make sure nobody else meets the same end you do.
-> yet day in day out, his mind flits to you. he wonders what he wouldâve done had he been there, if he even couldâve done anything. he tries to imagine what your last moments couldâve looked like, the obsession with trying to decipher it almost driving him insane. he hopes you went peacefully, but he doubts it.
-> of all the characters on the list, leon is tied with jill as the most likely to blame himself. he curses the fact he wasnât there, yet also holds resentment for the higher ups for not agreeing to allow him to go. insisting it was a one person job.
-> heâs tortured. it takes a lot of professional help and counselling to get him back on the right track, yet heâs never the same as before. you leave a permanent hole in his heart.
CARLOS
-> carlos didnât see it. his back was turned, fighting off some other enemy at the time. when he turned back around you were gone, his whole world shattered just like that.
-> in the aftermath, heâs the most likely to forget to take care of himself. he does right by you, organises your funeral, the burial, the whole works. yet when even weeks down the line heâs still neglecting himself, it becomes time for others to step in.
-> itâs a long path to getting better, but little by little he starts trekking it. remembering to eat, shave, drink water⌠yet even when getting better, he sees you everywhere. heâs haunted. he hears your voice by the sink when filling a bottle, he can see your figure at the oven when he cooks. he misses you so damn much. misses the life you were building.
-> he visits your grave often as a way of coping. talks to you even when he doesnât know if you can hear it. from small things to big things. sad emotions to happier ones. he hopes youâre listening.
CLAIRE
-> chris breaks the news to her, and instantly sheâs leaning on him. cursing herself for even doing so.
-> in the aftermath, I do think Claire directs a lot of her anger at herself. but also the world around her. sheâs upset that she couldnât protect you. In a way unique to her, because it translates into a special kind of self loathing. she couldnât protect Chris throughout childhood, he always had to be the protector - why was it the same now? was she good for anything?
-> sheâs the quickest to fall into depression, and she struggles with it for a long while in the aftermath. she resents all of herself. she cries every day, itâs entirely overbearing how much she misses you.
-> her eyes carry her grief. deep eyebags reflect the lack of sleep she gets afterward. her cheeks are almost permanently tear stained. it goes on for months, even strangers on the street can see her struggle by the time Chris gets more forcibly involved, insisting she goes to counselling.
-> it gets a little better in the long aftermath, life gets a little easier, and some of the old joys return. itâll never be the same, but with the support of her brother and friends she learns to start moulding a new life for herself.
-> yet your mark on her life remains ever present, even when she slowly starts reshaping her life. she attends group grief sessions every Wednesday, and itâs her way of coping for a long time.
-> youâre always alive in her thoughts, but especially her words. the opportunity to talk about you for even a little soothes her. she doesnât know if sheâs religious or not, but she hopes thereâs an afterlife so she can someday be reunited with you.
JILL
-> much like leon, jill wasnât there when you died. and much like leon, jill is wracked with guilt every day after.
-> anger is her presiding emotion in the aftermath. she actually doesnât breakdown in tears when she finds out you die. instead a cold, sharp rage seeps though her whole body. how dare she not have done more? how could she have let this happen?
-> she only finds herself breaking down after your funeral. in the silence of your shared kitchen that was once filled by your laughter. her tears are warm and salty, deep sobs that rack through her whole chest. she cries until she passes out that night, and when she wakes up again, sheâs back to anger. this time directed at you. why didnât you force her to come along? why did you insist you were able to handle this on your own?
-> her anger towards you doesnât last long, of course. she knows itâs misguided. but in the aftermath, I really think jill is the most likely to try and push away any thought of you. she canât bring herself to visit your grave for weeks after. she tries to throw herself into her work, yet she quickly learns that she can only avoid you for so long. as one day, almost instinctively, she finds herself sat by your headstone. clinging to it with hot tears burning her eyes. whisper urging you to come back. telling you how sorry she is.
-> youâre everywhere for her. inescapable.
LARA
-> my sweet, angel baby lara⌠god. she doesnât know what to do with herself.
-> she watches as you die. rooted to the spot in horror as you slip from her grasp on the cliffside. she almost plunges after you, sheâs stopped only by Jonah wrapping his arms around her, forcing her to stay put.
-> she transports your body back home, gives you a proper burial⌠yet much like her father with her mother, lara is the most likely of the group to refuse to accept your death. from more than one standpoint.
-> sheâs seen a lot. numerous kinds of myths proven to be true, she canât help but believe that, after all sheâs seen⌠the idea of resurrection couldnât be that far fetched. and she throws herself into it, wholly and entirely. researching any and every lead on the matter she can.
-> on the other hand⌠she refuses simply to accept that the universe could be so cruel. sheâs already lost so much. her parents, roth⌠almost everyone who loved her was gone. she couldnât lose you too.
-> and yet she had. and the first part in getting better for her is accepting that fact.
-> itâs hard, damn near impossible even, to give up the hope that she might find a way to bring you back to her. and itâs only though gentle coaxing from Jonah and assistance from her therapist that she realises your gone for good.
-> she visits your grave for the first time after your funeral upon this realisation. sitting with you for a while. sobbing hard. whimpers of pain and sadness leaving her lips. the manor feels so empty after your death, and I imagine she moves out for a while again, opting to stay in London for a while.
-> sheâll always mourn you, and just because sheâs accepted your gone forever, doesnât mean the pain is any less raw.
When Arthur gets news he can't bring himself to tell you, he does something else.
wc: 2127
a/n: angst. hurt no comfort. i'm sorry in advance. (pls note this is also my first ever time writing hurt no comfort angst, so if its terrible pls know its simply because im a writer who is a sucker for happy endings. nonetheless i tried so pls don't be mean x)
Suffice to say nearly 22 years experience running in a gang had brought many a contemplative horse journey for Arthur, yet none had ever felt quite like this one.
The journey back to camp from Saint Denis shouldn't have taken the near full day it had, but he had a good enough reason. He'd spent much of the last 24 hours wandering over grassy plains and muddy tracks, at one point coming a little too close to the border of Blackwater, where he lingered from afar before finally deciding to head back to camp.
He wasn't entirely sure why he'd found himself in the surroundings of Blackwater. Maybe it was some kind of subconscious torture method he had chosen, a return to a place that would always be a reminder of how goddamn good things were before they went so goddamn wrong. Or maybe they were never quite right in the first place.
At least they were hopeful, anyway. And that same hope that he had carried with him back in Blackwater - stored in his ribs just a little below his chest - back when he had dared to dream, was gone forever. And it could never come back.
The other parts of the last twenty four hours, the ones that hadnât been spent in contemplation, theyâd been spent in action. He didnât linger on the conversation heâd had with your father a few hours ago, preferring at this stage to act without any kind of second thought or regard.
"You got tuberculosis... I'm really sorry for you son it's a hell of a thing..."
In hindsight, how foolish was he for not knowing earlier. The coughing, the blood he spat up every now and then, the constant tiredness that he had tried so hard to put down to weariness from his wayward lifestyle. It all pointed to something being wrong. Then again, maybe part of him did know. He just didn't dare believe it. Not now.
His thoughts are stolen from him by the exact same reason why he couldn't dare imagine something was wrong. You.
You storm towards him as he enters the camp, your face stony and a little tear streaked. Suddenly, his chest sinks for what has to have been the hundredth time in the last day, and he chastises himself internally for being so goddamn selfish. He thought that by not instantly coming back and telling you he'd done you a favour, but had he really?
"Where the hell have you been?!"
He jumps off and hitches his horse, not quite looking at you yet. The raised sound of your voice paired with the way it had cracked at the very end was enough to enact heartbreak in him already, he needn't have turned his head and seen the way your top lip quivered due to the stream of tears you were holding back. He'd have been ruined.
"With Sadie." He responds gruffly, eyes overly focused on the reigns he was attaching to the wooden pole.
You sneer, your relieved sadness quickly turning into anger.
"Bullshit. Sadie got back here hours ago. Where the hell've you been since then?"
He shakes his head, sighing before responding. How was he ever supposed to tell you?
"Here and there. It don't matter. I'm here now ain't I?"
Dismissal is all he can handle right now. He thinks if he was to look in your eyes he would break down instantly. Spilling all the secrets he was vowing to tell you in a better way. He couldn't do that. Not to you.
It works until your hand finds his shoulder, forcing him to turn around and look at you. Your eyes bore into his, jaw set and he feels it starting. The unravelling.
"I thought you were dead, Arthur."
It's a simple sentence, yet the weight it carries is enough to make his stomach drop. He doesn't have it in him to tell you he might as well be.
"I- I don't- I ain't sure why this matters. It's not like this is the first time I've been gone so long." He attempts a reassuring chuckle, his hands finding your sides and holding you softly in his grasp. His heart sinks further when you shrug away, brows furrowing.
"It matters 'cus in case you've forgotten, you spent damn near two weeks washed up on some goddamn island, and I had no idea how to get to you. I-"
You cross yourself with your arms, as though you were hugging yourself.
"I can't do that again. Not now. Not ever. I thought I lost you."
A tear slips down your cheek, and Arthur swallows thickly, holding his own back. He sniffles a little, before nodding in understanding. He knows what he has to do.
"I don't think this is workin' out."
Your brows furrow even more, genuine confusion washes over your face that almost makes him question if he was doing the right thing. Yet he stands his ground. The heartbreak of him leaving you now, sending you back to your reputable family and allowing you another chance at a life for yourself... he reckoned it would feel like nothing in comparison to the heartbreak you would feel had he told you.
Because he knows... if it was down to you. You'd stick by him and watch him die. And then what? Be left with this failing gang, probably forced to run it alone after a while, which would be damn near a death sentence for anyone in this unforgiving country⌠let alone a woman.
No, he was doing the right thing. He was doing the only thing.
Your brows unknit slowly, a realisation that brings with it a sense of shock and offense unloading on your features.
âWhat?â
Itâs spoken softly, like you hadnât quite heard him. You want to believe you hadnât.
âI said⌠I donât think this is working. Us, I mean.â
His voice is gruff, you faintly register how badly his tone is betraying him. Heâs lying, you both know it. But your anger is quicker than your rationality, and you fire back.
You spit the words out, the question a challenge. You both know he canât think of one concrete reason why.
He still tries.
âI just⌠ainât really built for all this⌠this romance. Itâs not compatible with this lifestyle and- and you have a good life. A real good chance at making something of yourself if you went back to your parents-â
âMy parents?!â
Your brow arches higher, arms crossing. You donât even have time to soothe the sharp pain that pierces through your heart at everything heâs saying, let alone the mention of your parents.
âWhy the hell is this suddenly an issue? Why would I go back to my parents now? Ive been running with you for years now, and-â
âThey could give you a good life. Much better life than I could ever give you. BesidesâŚâ
He sits down on a rock a little nearby, head staring down at his hands.
âThis whole thing is damn near over. I donât reckon Dutchâs grand plan of Tahiti really got an awful lot of meat to it⌠youâre safer away from here.â
The last words are quiet, and theyâre the only thing heâs said thus far that has an air of truthfulness to the tone.
You force yourself to keep looking at him. Even whilst your throat closes over and your eyes cloud. Youâll be damned if he gets out of this one so easy.
âIâm a grown woman, Arthur. Iâve made my choice. My choice is you. Always has been, always will be.â
He looks up, and for just a moment, he resolves himself to pull you into his arms. Nuzzle against your neck and probably have you swat your hands lightly against his in a complaint of how the stubble of his beard scratches you. His heart fills with hope, he imagines running off with you all over again. Taking the money heâs earned from camp, getting somewhere warm and dry. Maybe he could make a proper life with you. The whole thing. Kids, a little house. Be an honest, decent man. Be a happy man. Finally.
Yet just as quick as it appeared, the illusion is shattered.
He was dying.
And all of his hopes were fairytales.
And he couldnât stand by and watch you keep choosing him.
âWell my choice is different.â
When he speaks again, his voice is rough. Youâve known him many years now, and rarely ever seen him on the verge of tears. Yet when you blink back the puddles swimming in your own eyes, you can see pools in his own. He brushes his sleeve against his eyes, rising and turning his back to you.
You canât say anything. You simply stand there in disbelief as he busies himself around his horse.
âIâll take you to your parents tonight⌠should be able to get there by dawn if we ride fast enough.â
He sniffs, coughing a little bit.
You realise suddenly that he has made his choice. And he was never the man you thought he was. This bold, brave man that you fell in love with for his rough edges and hidden layers was nothing more than a goddamn coward.
And if he wanted you gone, so be it.
You sniffle, setting your head straight and squaring your shoulders.
âFine.â
He turns around absentmindedly, his chest pangs a little foolishly at how easily you were willing to do this, yet it only serves in reassuring him he was doing the right thing.
âIf you want rid of me. Iâll go. But let me make this clear.â
Your eyes lock with his, scorched fury dancing in your irises.
âI will never forgive you. And you can never see me ever again. I gave my all to you, Arthur.â
He instinctively sucks in a breath, starting to say your name and stopping himself quickly.
âAnd Iâll be damned if I let you ride me back to my destiny⌠Iâll ask Charles to take me. Or Sadie. Or anyone that isnât you.â
You turn around sharply on your heel, stalking off to find anyone decent left to help. You hear him follow you, he calls your name, suddenly a little frantic.
âYou got anything else to say?â You challenge, spinning back around to look at him when youâre several feet apart.
He does. He really does. He has so much left to say. He has a lifetime left to say. Yet all he can do is stand there silent, rooted to the spot. He shakes his head. Resolved to the fact that this was for the better.
An aching, selfish part of his soul wished upon every star that you could see the heartbreak in his face, hear the preemptive regret in his tone. Just as you wished he could see how much you wanted him to fight for you, how much this was breaking you.
Yet neither of you picked up on the others struggle, and your attentions each seemed selective at best.
You shake your head back.
âThought as much. Goddamn coward. I canât believe- I loved you.â
His legs go weak, yet he stays stood there all the same, watching as you wring your hands together, dabbing at the same eyes he could stare into for hours, now swimming with tears because of him.
âGoodbye, Arthur.â
And just like that, you turn back around, marching over to Charles tent.
Arthur stays stood there only a moment longer, before deciding he canât bear to see you leave. He gets back on his horse and rides out. To where, he doesnât know, yet after a few hours he finds himself back at the border of Blackwater, at the same safe distance was was a few hours ago.
He stays there that night, watching over the lights of the town and seeing each one switch off.
Itâs there he dies a little bit, on the outskirts of Blackwater, the edge of all his hopes and dreams. The buffer between the wishful thinking of the past and the cold reality of the future. He realises that for the rest of his short time, heâll be a ghost in a live manâs body.
You were gone, and with you went his happiness, joy, his only reason left to fight.
He lies down to sleep, his mind filled with images of you, and when he rises in the morning - he feels almost like a zombie, his body a machine running only on making the best for the others around him with whatever time he has left.
For the first time in a long time, he felt truly and utterly alone.
MULTIFANDOM: TAKING CARE OF THEM AFTER THEY RETURN FROM A MISSION PART ONE
little drabbles on what it would be like to comfort/take care of some of our fave traumatised characters when they come back from any kind of mission or dangerous situation <33
i ended up making these a lil longer than I originally had planned, therefore sacrificing a few characters- but Iâd be more than happy to make a part 2 with some other characters if people liked this one enough!
The crease between his brows betrays him, and you can only throw him a glare of disbelief as you kneel by his tent, searching around for any bandages you can find.
âIf you think I ainâ got more than my fair share of bullet holes in my body through my years, then-â
âIt ainât about how many times youâve gotten hurt before, Arthur. Itâs about now. And right now youâre hurtinâ. And I wanna help.â
His eyes betray his words, a vulnerable feeling that almost winds him reflected in his pale, greeny-blue eyes. His words of insistence on taking care of himself rise and die in his throat. He grumbles when he sees your face, and sighs when he finds himself shifting closer. As if his mind and body were at war.
âAlright. If itâd make ya feel better.â
âIt would. Thank you, darlinâ.â You quip back, leaning in to kiss him on his cheek, smiling at the pink blush thatâs dots where your lips touched not a moment later.
You lift his shirt up to examine the wound, sighing in relief a little when itâs nowhere near as bad as youâd feared. You reach for the bandages youâd managed to source, cleaning his wound before carefully wrapping them round his torso. You chose not to comment on the soft groan of relief that echos from his throat, deciding heâd been through enough today without any teasing.
His body thrums with a quiet sense of warmth, that he canât help but feel is from more than just the relieving feeling of being bandaged up. His lower abdomen glows a little from where your fingertips had touched, and he gently runs his hand over the bandages covering him, as if itâll make him be closer to you.
Silly, really, considering youâre right there.
Heâs pulled you onto his knee before either of you realise. Both of you a little flustered at this, yet you quickly recover, melting against him.
He presses a soft kiss to your shoulder, and your hand finds his, running small circles against his thumb.
This softness was all new to him, something heâd only ever heard of when the girls around camp talked about their fancy romance books. To have someone taking care of him. Someone worrying about what he was doing.
âThank you.â He whispers quietly in your ear.
You turn around to him a little, smiling as you crane your neck to peck his forehead lightly, smiling at how his blush has now travelled down his neck and ears.
You both know he means for more than just the first aid.
leon
The steady ticking of the clock had been a constant for the last hour.
He was sat in your shared bedroom, his hands propping up his chin as he stared at a spot on the wall.
He knew you were due to be home soon, faintly in the back of his mind he recalled that fact. Yet his thoughts were largely elsewhere. Having returned from his mission just a few days ago, his brain still largely clung to the memories. Try as he may to put on a brave face around you, these small moments to himself always reminded him of how goddamn unforgiving this line of work could really be.
âLeon?â
He didnât even hear you come in, only noticing you when you call his name. He snaps his head towards you, mouth open just a little. And he knows itâs written all over his face. He couldnât lie to you if he tried.
Yet he does.
âHey.â He says, smiling softly. âHow was work?â
You raise a brow, sinking down onto the bed beside him.
âGood, but⌠I donât think that really matters right now. Whatâs up?â
âHuh?â
âLeonâŚâ You start, your brow arching even higher, ââŚdonât bullshit me.â
He sighs, looking away from you as he scrubs a hand over his face. His eyebags evidence of the sheer exhaustion his entire body was carrying right now.
âI just⌠couldnât sleep.â He opens and closes his mouth, searching for an explanation on why, yet he couldnât figure out what to say.
Still, you understand. You always do.
You kick your shoes off, stripping out of your work clothes before cuddling up close to him, wrapping your arms around your neck.
âHey⌠I know itâs hard. I canât even imagine how hard it is. But youâre safe now. I know how hard the aftermath of this must be⌠but I promise youâre safe. And I am always here for you. Okay?â
You pull up from his chest, looking in his eyes. You can see wetness forming in them, that he rapidly tries to blink away, and you reach out to stroke his cheek.
âA problem shared is a problem halved.â
He kisses your thumb, ducking his face into your neck as he pulls you up a little. Wanting to hide away.
You shift positions. Holding his head against your chest, gently stroking his hair back. It was rare to get Leon like this, yet even the toughest of agents need to lean on others sometimes.
âI know⌠thank you.â
You kiss his forehead.
âI know youâre exhausted, so I wonât force you to talk tonight. But please, once youâre well rested tomorrow⌠Iâm here, okay? Iâm always here.â
Your fingers smooth over small wounds down his shoulder and back, a feather light touch that you wished was enough to cure him.
âI know⌠you havenât turned into a ghost just yet.â
You sigh, rolling your eyes, drawing a genuine watery laugh from him.
âI love you.â You say, his eyes fluttering closed, on the brink of falling asleep finally
He opens his mouth before sleep takes him entirely, determined to get these words out.
âI love you too.â
carlos
âOh come on⌠this little thing? Youâre being silly.â
He smiles at you, hand pointing to his face, which was bearing one of the nastiest looking black eyes you think youâd ever seen.
Trust him to still look handsome in spite of it.
Your fingers gently dug into his cheeks, turning his face to get a better look.
âItâs not exactly little. Carlos.â
His eyes scan over your face, a mixture of heat and love reflected in his blown pupils that linger just a moment too long on your lips.
âNot exactly big either.â
You roll your eyes, ignoring the dry laughter that follows him. Your hands find the small ice pack youâd brought into your shared bathroom, clutching it in your fingers, you press it against his eye. Slowly at first, making sure to avoid any stinging feeling.
Still, the wince in his eyes betray him, and you can only grimace in sympathy back at him.
âSorry, handsome.â
His eyes flick up to you, beaming with the same warmth they always do when you give him any kind of affectionate name.
âI still think you should let me take you to A&E.â
He huffs out a deep, rumbling laugh, yet his hands find yours, squeezing them tightly as though he was the one reassuring you.
âHey⌠promise Iâm fine. I know my limits. This mission didnât even scratch the surface of some of the others. Making it out with only a black eye is a dream scenario.â
You roll your eyes, removing the ice pack to lightly dab a towel around his eye.
âOkay⌠well if you wonât get checked out, Iâm doing this. Deal?â
He opens his mouth to protest, yet you cut him off with a glare. His eyes scan you up and down, a tilted smile growing on his face. His heart slams against his ribcage, even more so than it had just twenty four hours ago. It was addicting to have someone care this much.
âDeal.â He resigns, pulling you into a hug and breathing you in, before letting you get on with your work.
claire
The soft sounds of her breathing filled the room, little snores leaving her lips that you promised not to make fun of her for.
This time.
You couldnât, really. It had been a few weeks now since Claire got back, and you could tell the weight of what sheâd seen still rang heavy throughout her, like some kind of terrible cymbal.
She hadnât really slept since her return, something that was common in the weeks following any kind of mission she was on. So tonight brought a welcome change. Her reddish brown hair lay strewn across the pillow, her mouth agape just a little bit.
You smiled looking at her, counting each beat of her eyelashes against each other, each murmur that left her lips.
It takes you a minute to register the way her hand starts twitching, but youâre pulled to action when you hear her groan a little, shaking her gently by the shoulder.
âClaire? Hey, hey. Claire?â
Her eyes flutter open gently, a panic rising and dying in them upon seeing it was only you. You smile at her, and she gives you a weak one back.
âHey⌠you okay?â
She nods weakly, sitting up in the bed and coughing a little before reaching over to get a glass of water.
âYeah⌠just a little nightmare.â
You grimace, raising a hand to her forehead when you finally notice the thin sheen of sweat that was covering it, and you realise her dream must have turned sour earlier than youâd realised.
âOh baby⌠stay here. Let me get you a towel.â
You rise to stand but her hand flies out, wrapping around your wrist.
âNo! No⌠stay. Please.â
You open your mouth to protest, reassure her youâll only be gone a second. But when you see the panic in her eyes, you quickly shut yourself up. Lying back down beside her.
She shifts closer to you, groaning.
âIâm sorry⌠I just⌠I canât stop thinking about it.â
Her voice breaks on the last word, a tear slipping down her cheek.
âGod, I just wanna sleep.â
You feel a tug on your heartstrings that causes you to pull her flush to your chest, and instinctively she turns her ear, listening for your heartbeat as tears soak your shirt.
âShh⌠itâs okay. Itâs normal. Iâd be more worried if you werenât thinking about it⌠Iâm here, okay? Weâre gonna get through this together. All of this.â
She nods, hiccuping a little bit as she takes deep, grounding breaths. Composing herself with an impressive quickness.
âThank you.â She mumbles into your chest, closing her eyes again at the steady thum of your heart.
You stroke her hair back, reaching over to grab a towel from the side of your bed and gently dabbing her forehead, smiling when she seems on the verge of slipping into a deep sleep a few moments later.
âGoodnight, darling. Iâm not going anywhere.â You say, sleep tugging at your eyelids as your arms wrap around her.
The last thing you see before succumbing to your own exhaustion is the small smile that tugs at her lips.
jill
You swear, the shower had to have been running for at least an hour now. Sheâd told you she was gonna jump in the shower before you went out to grab groceries, and she was still in there fifteen minutes after you returned.
Your shoes thudded up the stairs, your hand following against the door not a moment later.
âJill?â
No response. You knock again.
âJill?â
When she doesnât respond again, panic takes over. You creek the door open gently, not wanting to barge in on her, yet you donât have to look far in the end. Sheâs sitting on the edge of the toilet seat, still fully clothed, zoning out at a spot in the corner.
Her eyes flicker up to you, and a sense of warmth and relief flickers over her features momentarily. Yet all too soon itâs gone, and replaced with the same tormented storm cloud youâd seen upon entering.
She turns away from you quickly, and your eyes drift to the shower that remains on. You register then she hadnât even made it as far as getting in yet. You grimace, it wasnât like Jill to be so careless. You knew she had to be hurting.
You turn back, taking a few steps towards her. Getting Jill to open up could be hard at times, so you had a better idea. Turning her around with a hand to her shoulder, you slowly strip her of her clothes, dotting little kisses to each graze and bump you see along the way, before making light work of removing your own clothes.
You nod to the shower, the silence of the tender moment broken with your words.
âShall we?â
She chuckles a little, nodding before stepping inside. You grab her favourite bar of soap and shower wash, before stepping inside.
Your hands smooth over her skin, kissing her shoulder as you stand behind her. The stream of water hits her hair first, and she reaches for the shampoo. Your hand flies out to ease it from her grasp.
âHere⌠let me.â
She raises a brow, about to scoff back some comment about how sheâs more than capable, yet something inside her shuts her up. Maybe itâs the urge to be taken care of that she had thought sheâd long since repressed, yet you always had a way of pulling back to the front.
You scrub the shampoo into her scalp, earning a soft moan of contentment from her. You smile, pressing soft kisses to her shoulder blades all whilst you continue your routine on the rest of her body. Lathering soap across her skin, rinsing her off and gently applying shower gel before another rinse. Itâs not a long shower, by any means. And by the time you step out again, she still hasnât spoke a word. Yet her eyes look lighter, reflecting the load that she had practically felt coming off her chest.
Itâs twenty minutes later, when youâre both in the bedroom following the shower, that she finally speaks, wringing her hair out with a towel.
âEver since⌠I havenât been able to shower properly ever since.â She says, her voice cracking, as if sheâs not quite ready to say since what. âI just keep⌠scrubbing. I canât help but feel infected even when Iâm not.â
She looks away from you, determined not to cry, taking a deep breath before she turns back again.
âThank you.â She says, voice gruff. âFor always knowing what I need, even when I donât know myself.â
Youâre a little winded by the rare vulnerability, and she shifts closer to you, her head leaning against your shoulder.
You rest your head back on top of hers, not even minding the way her hairs still slightly wet. You kiss the top of her scalp, rubbing circles into her hip bone. She wants to spill every word from her soul of how much she loves you, appreciates you, but she canât bring herself to. Not right now. Yet with a simple look in her eyes you know everything she wouldâve said anyway.
âI love you too.â
She smiles, ducking her face against your neck and humming in content, chest filling with hope again for the first time in the last few days.
lara
It was with much convincing from Jonah and several days deliberation that she even accepted your plea to help in the first place.
She had been staying in Croft Manor since coming back from her last expedition just about a week ago. Sheâd chose to stay there after being checked out by the hospital on her return because she needed some down time, and the busy city life of London was unlikely to offer such a luxury.
Youâd been by her side every day since, yet sheâd simply refused to let up. Insisting on taking care of herself. It wasnât even that she was refusing help, she just couldnât bring herself to worry you.
Sheâd conceded only tonight, and it was how you both found yourself here. Stood in one of the Manors bathrooms, with you stood between her legs.
You dabbed at her bottom lip, holding a cloth to it. Soaking up the blood from the wound that had reopened there. Not a bad wound by any means, it was simply a very awkwardly placed cut. Yet you insisted on helping nonetheless, and sheâd finally agreed. Largely because she realised at this point it would likely make you feel better.
Your brows were knitted together in tender care as you dabbed at her busted lip. Her heart skipped a little at the sheer concentration on your face, and her eyes crinkled upwards just a little.
Having someone be so gentle and attentive with her was a feeling she wasnât quite accustomed to yet.
âI promise itâs not as bad as it looks, darling.â
You sigh, fingers gently brushing over the stitch to her eyebrow and the graze on her cheekbone.
âIt couldâve been a lot worse.â She offers again, and you just glare at her.
You remove the cloth to find her lip is no longer bleeding, and before thinking about it you press a soft kiss there.
Her mouth opens a little, tongue darting out over where youâd just kissed as though she could savour it. She tastes your fruity lipgloss just a little bit, and itâs enough to make her grin, reopening the bleeding to her lip just a little.
You sigh, pressing the cloth back to her lip.
ââŚSorry.â She says sheepishly.
âDonât be sorry, silly. Iâm just glad youâre alive.â
She chuckles a little.
âMm⌠me too. That ice was⌠brutal.â
You cast her a look of sympathy, your free fingers gently stroking her jaw.
âI can imagine.â
She shudders a little, pushing down the memories from her Siberian expedition. Not quite ready to talk about it all yet. Sheâd told you the basics, she confided in you about everything, after all. Yet this was slightly trickier. She couldnât endanger you with the burden of knowing too much information.
Beyond that though, sheâd spent so much time uncovering new secrets about the world and her own family she didnât even know where to start.
You finish patching up her wounds, and she smiles at you, mind elsewhere as she drifts off to the hall, finding herself, as if on instinct, stood in front of her mother and fathers wedding photo that adorned the hall.
She stands there a moment on her own, before she feels your arms encircle her waist, you peck her shoulder before setting your jaw there, your eyes following hers to the photo.
âTheyâd be proud of you, you know. I know I am.â
Itâs a small sentence, but itâs enough to remind her of how much sheâs always been loved, and how much sheâll always love you. Her eyes brim with tears a little and she squeezes them shut, head tipping back with a soft sigh.
âThank you.â She mutters softly, and the pair of you stand there for the next few minutes.
Lara was no stranger to a tough past, and she feared an equally tricky future lay before her - yet here in the peace of this moment with you, she felt truly at ease.
when your boyfriend messes up for the final time, you go to the one person you know will help make it feel all better.
word count: 7224 (this was not meant to be even half as long đ)
SMUT. MINORS DNI.
cw: oral sex r!receiving, fingering l!receiving, mention/description of cheating, swearing. extremely light dom/sub undertones (maybe idrk) and some jealousy if you squint!! lara also has a praise kink bc i say so. porn with plot bc i accidentally wrote like 3k words of build up oops.
a/n: writing this bc after starting the survivor trilogy I have fallen in love w Lara and noticed a fic shortage #bethechangeyouwannaseeintheworld. this is my first of hopefully many times writing for lara so pls don't rinse me if she's ooc x
It wasnât like she was trying to fall in love with the only girl she couldnât have, but then again, it seemed most of her life had been one long string of things she wasnât trying to do up until now.
She's lying on her bed now, her arm drawn lazily across her stomach. Eyes squeezed shut and brows pinched as though she were fighting off a headache.
The real headache was you.
She forces her eyes open, and comes back to her thoughts. Her roommate, Sam, is sat before her. Mouth open, doing nothing to soothe the storm or guilt that was surging from Lara's stomach to her throat.
"I don't know, Sam. I can't really choose who I fall for, can I?"
Sam smirks at that, and Lara swears if she didn't love her best friend so much, she'd demand she get out there and then.
"Didn't take you for such a romantic, Lara Croft."
"I know." Lara mutters.
Sam pauses for a moment, as if weighing up whether or not to speak her mind.
"She has a boyfriend... y'know.."
"I know." Lara emphasises, eyeing Sam from the corner of her eyes with trepidation, and Sam knows her well enough by now to know this means she's scared of judgement.
She tucks her knees to her chin, sitting up. Sighing slightly as she stares straight past Sam, eyes a tad glazed over. Jaw set.
"It's just... he's such an arsehole. He's a lazy slob, he doesn't work, doesn't go to Uni... he does nothing with his days! He's not that good looking... and to top it all off he doesn't even have the decency to have a good personality!"
Sam laughs, ever so slightly amused by what was evidently a well thought out tirade by Lara.
"He's just... nothing. And she's...", Lara trails off, looking up as her eyes seem to reignite with some kind of life, as though one had turned on a lightbulb. "Everything." She settles on eventually, groaning and tucking her head in her knees - almost as if, if she tried hard enough, she might actually will herself into disappearance.
It's at this moment Sam finally sees Lara for what she is. Lovesick. She smiles, a little sad for her friend, before gently resting her hand on Lara's shoulder.
"Hey... it'll be okay. Just because you can't act on these feelings, doesn't mean you're bad for having them. You just gotta sit with them."
Lara looks up at her finally, smiling, mouthing a small thank you.
"Besides..." She continues, her smile slowly taking on a more smirk like feature. "Even I know he's a terrible boyfriend. Everyone does. I'm sure someday he'll mess up for the final time and then, well, who knows!"
Lara groans, falling back onto the bed to peels of laughter from Sam.
----------------------------------------
She knows it was just a joke, but as the week moves on, Lara can't help but revisit Sam's words. They ring in her head, on a constant loop as she moves through her week. A dull reminder when she trudges through Campus early in the mornings, shrill and sharp as the day goes on. Almost like they're forcing her to pay attention to them.
'I'm sure someday he'll mess up for the final time, and then, well, who knows!'
She feels at odds for even thinking about it. Cursing her moral code for even allowing her to dream about someone else's girlfriend like that. She'd done so good at pushing it down in the past, accepting you would never see her as anything more than a friend, what the hell was so different suddenly?
Yet still, Sam's words echo in her head all week, thudding away like some terrible migraine. She can still see the waggle of Sam's eyebrows after, hear the the reverberating sound of her laughter.
She's peeling an orange when it happens. So deep within her thoughts she almost doesn't hear the first knock.
Almost.
Her brows crease, eyes darting to the front door of her flat, visible from where she's stood. She checks the clock just beside the door.
It's past midnight.
Had she imagined that?
She inches forward a little, and the second she does, the knock starts again.
"Lara... you there?"
Your voice hits her ears, instantly slicing through any of her prior thoughts as though it were a knife. She springs into action, almost running to the door. She doesn't even have time to reprimand herself for being so eager.
She pulls it open, and sure enough, there you're stood. Eyes red rimmed and raw. Cheeks slightly stained with mascara.
Lara swallows, eyes tracing over your face. Any excitement she felt at the heralding of your arrival suddenly and swiftly replaced by a pang of guilt, mixed with a hurt that tugs at her heartstrings.
"Y/N? Are you- are you okay?"
You sniffle slightly, staring back at her.
"Y-yeah... I just-" You trail off, eyes looking everywhere but at her. You scan the clock. 00:16. You shouldn't have come here, you couldn't possibly bother her at this hour. It wasn't fair.
You shake your head, mentally preparing yourself to turn around, tell her it was nothing, and march back to your own flat to deal with it on your own.
Your sleeves dab at your eyes, and it's then that you take a moment to look at Lara. Really look. Stood before you now, eyes filled with concern. It's like she's already carrying half the weight of this, without you even having to say anything. Beneath her heavy expression... you recognise some other feeling. It's an expression you can't really place, but you know you've seen it on her before, and you know you can't walk away now.
You take a deep, steadying breath. Before finally speaking.
"H- he's been cheating on me."
--------------------------------------
The inside of Lara's flat had always been homely and comforting, a touch that you had always suspected was thanks to Sam being her roommate, more than anything.
Lara's room was slightly more reflective of her personality. Research papers stacked high in the corner of the room, journals strewn across her table. There was only one picture in her room, to your knowledge - a photo of herself and Sam taken some time in their first year of University, arms strung around each other. Maps covered the walls. Post it notes stuck anywhere there was space. On her desk, a diary lay half open, and you could faintly see where pages had been removed, presumably in the last few days.
You had always liked her room most, ironically. It lacked the perfection of the rest of the flat, but it was so her. Reflective of her nature as both a workaholic and someone who cared deeply for those around her, the ones she let in.
An even bigger plus, her bed was comfy. And that was perhaps the most important fact to you now as you sat there, sniffling quietly.
"I suppose I should've asked if you wanted one sugar or two, but I think I remember you saying you liked your tea sweet, so I've given you three."
Lara returns, carrying with her two steaming mugs of tea, kicking her bedroom door shut behind her.
She remembers how you like your tea off by heart. Three sugars and plenty of milk.
She remembers everything about you, but she could never admit that.
"Thank you." You smile sadly, taking the mug from her.
She sits down beside you, a few inches apart.
"How do you feel now?"
You sip your tea slowly. She'd made it exactly how you like it. Perfect.
She had a habit of doing things perfectly.
"Like shit... but I'll survive."
Lara gives you a half smile, half grimace. Her hand gently reaching out to touch your shoulder.
"You'll do more than that."
Silence falls, and then-
"Are you... are you gonna break up with him?"
You scoff, chuckling bitterly.
"I already have. It's not like it wasn't a long time coming."
You're not lying. Tell the truth, things hadn't been the same between you and your now ex for a long time. You couldn't pinpoint why or when, but it was as if at some point... the spark died. It was almost as if it were never really there in the first place.
Silence falls again. You can't shake the feeling silence will be something of a staple in this conversation. You're not complaining, really, it gives you a chance to think.
Sometimes, you think, more is said without words anyway.
It's a truth Lara seems to realize too, as she scoots a little closer to you. Head bobbling a little unnaturally, weighing up whether or not to do it in her mind, before eventually throwing caution to the wind - her head leaning down onto her shoulder, hand, slightly shakily, seeking out yours.
"I'm... I'm sorry." She murmurs finally, "That bastard never deserved you anyway. You'll find someone much better."
You can't see the way her jaw sets, nor how her fists ball slightly into her duvet.
You smile a little, head almost unconsciously falling onto Lara's. Squeezing her hand like she was the one who'd just been cheated on.
"Thank you." You whisper finally, just loud enough that she could hear.
Silence blooms between the two of you again. You do your best to ignore the small warmth that tickles across your ribs, Lara pushing away the heavy fire that bursts from her chest, rising up her throat.
You look at Lara's bedside table finally, pulling your eyes from the spot on the wall they had claimed. And it's only then that you see it. She has two pictures in her room. Stuck to the side of her table, almost covered by the shadows that fall over it, a small photo of you two is there. You recognize it quickly as the one and only selfie you had 'forced' her to take with you a few months back, one that she claimed she 'hated'. The remnants of blu-tack surrounding the picture makes you think it's been hastily removed and stuck up again many times before, and your feelings are almost hurt.
A weird feeling rises within you, one that had been there one too many times. One that you had ignored one too many times as well.
"Why's the photo you have of Sam framed and mine isn't?"
She looks almost like a child who has been caught stealing sweets. Her face turns to you all too quickly, flying from your shoulder, eyes a little widened. She does her best to keep her voice calm and steady, yet her failing composure is plain to be seen.
"How- What photo of you?"
She cringes instantly. She's a terrible liar.
"Oh, so you don't even remember putting it up?" You tease, cringing a little at how your voice is a touch too shrill. Why do you even care? Sam's her best friend. You knew that. Why should it matter?
Lara swallows, blinking slowly.
"I- I do remember. I... I just..."
You cut her off, waving a hand. It's almost embarrassing how much you were feigning nonchalance right now. So embarrassing, in fact, that you couldn't even register why you needed to feign nonchalance.
"It's fine. I know, she's like, your girlfriend, or whatever."
Lara's brows knitted together.
"She's not my girlfriend. She's-"
"I know, I'm just fucking with you."
She shifts a little bit away, knee jiggling. You notice, of course - mistaking her nerves and confusion for a sign that she'd been caught out. So you press on. Why do you press on?
"Oh my God... you have a crush on her, don't you?"
"What?! No, Sam's just a friend."
"Then explain why you look so nervous right now?"
Lara's mouth is open now, eyes drawn together. Entirely unsure how this line of questioning even came about. Her next words come out instinctually, much to her dismay.
"Because I do have a crush, it's just not-"
Your heart sinks at that. Jealousy rising in your throat for the second time that night, embarrassingly worse than when you'd found out your ex was cheating on you just five hours ago.
You launch into further questioning, not letting her finish.
"Sam? But you do like somebody? I knew it, you've been so on edge these days-"
"I don't- I didn't mean to say-"
"Well come on! You already let it slip now, you have to tell me wh-"
"Let me finish."
You frown, laughing a little, slightly shocked by the determined tone.
"Sorry?"
Lara glares back at you. She's stood up now, she shakes her head a little, eyes fluttering shut. Seeming to be fighting a silent battle you wish you could be let in on.
"Let me finish... please."
You lean back, eyes scanning her body, taking note of the way she stands. Almost like she's poised for battle, shoulders stiff with nerves.
She moves forward a little, running a face over her hand, she's pacing now.
"This is so stupid... I can't do this to you now."
The genuine torture on her face sets some kind of primal panic through you, and you scramble to your knees suddenly, ready to lurch from the bed as adrenaline courses through you, heart pumping.
"Can't do what? Are- are you okay?"
Lara stops in her tracks suddenly, sighing. She groans, wringing her hands as she stared upward toward her ceiling.
"Urgh! This... this isn't how this was meant to happen."
She faintly registers Sam's words, pulling them from the depths of her memory, and wonders if perhaps this was how it really was meant to happen all along.
You get to your feet suddenly, taking a few tentative steps towards her, arms crossed.
"How what was meant to happen? Lara, you're scaring me."
She swallows, groaning again before tipping her head down. Forcing herself to look in your eyes.
"How I was supposed to tell you."
Your face twists in confusion again, for the umpteenth time that night, mouth falling open to speak even though your mind hadn't quite caught up yet. What the hell was she talking about? Tell you wha-?
It hits you, suddenly, and it feels like you'd fallen from a height, winded. Your face unknots itself from the depths of your bewilderment, falling instead into an expression of complete shock. Eyes wide, mouth closing and opening.
Lara's own expression mirrors yours, as if she hadn't been the one to make it so obvious. And so for a moment, the pair of you just stand there, frozen to the spot.
It gives you a chance to look at her. Really, look at her. You'd always known she was gorgeous, smart, funny. Those were three facts nobody could deny. Yet standing here now, looking at her, it was as if something slotted into place in your mind, like the missing piece of some puzzle. Your eyes drifted across her hair, a shade of brown you could never quite place, somewhere between chestnut and mahogany. You took note of how strands of hair had fallen outside of her ponytail, as usual. It emphasized her nature as a busy woman, she had no time to fuss over rogue strands of hair, yet it only made her look all the more perfect. You turned your attention to her mouth next, swallowing slightly as you noticed the curve of her lips - those same lips that were usually tugged into a smile she reserved only for you - were now hanging open just an inch, evidence of her internal panic.
Finally, your eyes met hers, and in her own hazel, slightly blown pair - it all clicked. And you realized suddenly it was never about losing a spark, or how inadequate your boyfriend was, or even his actions tonight. This was always meant to happen.
Because it was always about her.
You smile suddenly, soft and warm. It makes so much sense. How could you have been so blind? Lara's forehead creases in response, and the look of vulnerability and fear in her expression is enough to break your heart.
"Why- why are you smiling?" She mutters, feigning confidence a little by her refusal to tear her eyes from your face.
"No, no! I'm not smiling in a bad way!" You respond, instinctually, stepping towards her, one hand grabbing her bicep as if you were steadying her.
Her eyes flicker down to where your hand stays, and you can almost feel the heat from her eyes.
"I assume you've figured it out then."
You're unsure if she's stating or asking that.
"Figured what out?" You tease a little, but you do want to hear it. Need to hear it.
Her lips twitch a little bit, she's fighting off all of her old instincts to stop these words slipping.
"That I like you."
She cringes a little, both of you slightly taken aback by how easily and confidently those words had left her mouth, in the end.
"I... gathered that. Yes." You say, unable to produce much else, world a little shaken from the weight of so many realizations.
She sways on the spot ever so slightly, unsure on whether or not to get closer to you.
"I'm... sorry." It's all she can say in the end, even though she isn't quite sure why.
"What for?" You respond, confused, thumb absentmindedly stroking her arm.
"Dumping that on you, especially now when you're so overwhelmed... I just couldn't-"
"Hey." You cut her off, hand tentatively reaching up to her cheek, brushing your thumb under her slightly water-filled, downcast eyes. "Don't apologise."
Her eyes meet yours again, throat bobbing as she swallows a little, tongue darting out across her lips.
"I'm... I shouldn't have told you like this. You've hardly had time to process anything."
You scoff a little, yet your heart is warmed as always by how damn considerate she is.
"I think I'm processing things just fine. You like me... and I like you."
Her eyes spring open suddenly, like she wasn't expecting the feelings to be returned.
"You-"
You smile a little bit, and Lara feels her entire chest lighten. Just for a moment, before the crushing sensation of nerves takes root again.
"You can't say that. You can't possibly know that right now." She says finally, voice shaking a little bit.
You sigh slightly, pressing a little bit closer to her unconsciously.
"I do know. I promise. This isn't some spur of the moment emotion... this is real."
You cringe slightly at your words, recognizing how cheesy you must be being right now. But it was true. You knew exactly what you were saying. What you were doing. What you wanted. Everything made sense now. The way you seemed to look for her first in every room you knew she was in. How your heart would sink whenever she would slip away when your boyfriend arrived, a detail, you note, makes a lot of sense now. The inexplicable guilt you felt any time your boyfriend would ask about her.
How everything had changed the moment you met her, and your boyfriend could never compare to her. How could he even try?
You hum slightly, eyes flickering to how close your bodies were.
"Besides..." You say, a small smirk on your face. "if I didn't know I wanted this..." You step up on your toes to reach her height, whispering the next bit into her ear, "... do you really think I'd be this close?"
You step back down, and fuck, if the blush on her face doesn't solidify how right this felt for both of you, you don't know there's anything that possibly could.
A small, pleased noise leaves her, instinctual and raw.
Her face was inches from yours now. She realizes just how close both of you have got, and she accepts there and then this was mutual. Both your hearts hammered inside your chests. Her eyes trail from your eyes, to your nose, to your lips. A beat too quickly each time, as if your face was a map she had memorized.
"Okay." She murmurs softly, almost to herself, nodding.
Her forehead fell against yours, hands shakily framing your jaw. Yet the new confidence she was moving with couldn't be ignored.
"I'll... I'll do whatever you want. We can take it however far you need. But- I need you to tell me you want this too."
She gestures a little bit to the lack of space between the pair of you. You're almost breathless, winded by how it feels to be this fucking wanted after almost a year of being made to feel anything but.
"Lara..."
"I need you to say it, Y/N. I need to know this isn't some emotionally charged mistake you'll end up regretting in the morning. I need to know you want me to do this."
"It's not."
"Then say it."
"I want you."
She pulls back, pupils blown with the same vein of expression you had registered on her face earlier, when you came to the door. You have another mini revelation, mind flashing with images of what she now knows was suppressed desire that she had seen on Lara's expression so much in the last few months. Her eyes flick to your lips one final time, and then, slowly, she leans in.
Your eyes flutter shut.
And finally she presses her lips to yours.
Shaky. Uncertain. Perfect.
Your breath hitches, she hums softly against your lips. The sound makes you shudder, reaching your ears with a hint of desperation that signals to you this had been a long time coming for her.
Her thumb strokes your jaw, wanting to commit every inch of this moment to her memory. She pulls away gently, not wanting to push it too far.
"I-"
"Do that again."
You don't have to tell Lara twice, and the surprise on her face quickly vanishes. She crashes her lips against yours, a little messy for her perfectionist liking, yet it just leaves you craving more.
Her hands come up to your hair, and yours wrap around her neck. She slips her tongue inside your mouth, pulling a groan from the back of her throat.
You whine, and before you know it, your back hits the back of her wall. Gasping, you pull back for breath, and her mouth is on your jaw, peppering little kisses along your face, neck, anywhere she can access.
"You're so pretty..." She murmurs, entirely drunk off of the sensation of finally getting to do this after what felt like a lifetime of waiting.
You whimper a little bit as she nips at your neck, unsure as to whether or not it was the nip or the comforting kiss she pressed there after.
Her lips are on yours again suddenly, and you wrap your legs around her waist. Her hands respond by moving from your hair to hold your thighs, and a natural fluidity settles between the two of you. The kind that only comes when two people just get each other.
She carries you to her bed, placing you down and crawling atop of you, all without breaking the kiss.
Her hands fumble a little with the edge of your shirt, cool fingers pressing against the bottom of your stomach - and you suck in a breath at the sensation. Her head falls into your neck, a tiny whimper leaving her lips that only stokes the fire pooling in your belly.
"Please...", she murmurs, and you aren't sure what exactly she's pleading for.
Neither is she.
You take the chance to reach your hand up to the back of her neck, playing with the small hairs on her nape. She practically purrs in pleasure, and the sound is enough to fuel your determination to please her.
"What do you want, Lara?
She swallows a little, kissing along the nape of your neck, all the way up to the curve of your jaw.
"You... please let me make you feel good." She pulls away, making eye contact with you, the look of sheer want in her eyes nearly winding you. "'S all I've wanted." She finishes, almost slurring her words.
Seems she was considerate in all aspects of her life, then.
Goosebumps crawl along your skin, and you're embarrassingly quick to nod. Her hands find your shirt again instantaneously, tugging a little.
"Can I take this off? Please?"
You nod, and she sits up on her knees, pulling your shirt over your head and discarding it in the corner. Her eyes roam your body, an insatiable hunger in them.
Her attention flickers to your bra, the swell of your breasts in it, your cleavage. She burns up instantly, and you can't help but giggle.
"You have 'em too, y'know." You tease, earning a death stare in return.
"C-can I-"
"Yeah."
Her hands fly to your bra, fumbling with the clasp a little due to nerves. Your breasts spill out of the bra upon removal, and she can't stop the whine that leaves her.
"God..." She whispers, and it's your turn to blush.
Her lips are back on you again, and you swear there must be some kind of magic in each peck to your burning skin. She kisses down the slope of your neck, sucking in a few light lovebites on her way, before reaching your nipples. Her tongue flicks out over your left one slowly, her other hand cupping your right breast. Her movements start out soft and slow, flickering gently, and then all at once her mouth envelopes your nipple, sucking harshly on it.
"F- Ah!"
It's delicious, it stirs the heat in your belly throughout your whole body. Your eyes squeeze shut, gripping her hair a little, panting.
"L-Lara..."
She moans at the sound of your name on her tongue, teeth grazing your nipple just a bit before pulling herself off that one, moving to the other one where she repeats her routine.
She doesn't linger long, her lips travel down the rest of your torso. Hands finding the waistband of your sweatpants, she pecks just below your naval, swallowing in anticipatory excitement, a small rumble from the back of her throat.
She stays there for a moment, sunk beneath your thighs on the bed, as if in worship. Her head rests against your thigh, and she heaves out a deep breath.
âPleaseâŚâ
She half whimpers it, looking up at you from beneath dark lashes, her hazel brown eyes shining with blown pupils. You swallow thickly at the sight. Sheâs beyond gorgeous, itâs almost unbelievable.
She doesnât finish her sentence. She doesnât have to, what she wants is clear. You nod, and in a second her fingers move to your waistband, shrugging the last of your clothes off all at once.
She leans back up as she removes your pants, tossing them aside gently. She shudders as she takes in the sight of you before her naked, and she runs a hand over her jaw as though she canât quite believe it.
âGod youâre beautiful.â
âLar-â
Your response is cut off by a moan, as her tongue finds your slit, licking a line up it. Your hands fly to her hair instantly, and sheâs quick to follow with her own noise of pleasure.
It doesnât take you long to figure out that, in spite of only having had one ex before to your knowledge, Lara knows what sheâs doing. Her tongue laps at your core like a woman starved, circling your clit with just the right rhythm to drive you wild.
You can only whimper her name as you lie there, panting a little, hips bucking up into her mouth.
âFuck, youâre soaked.â
Her words send sparks of pleasure directly to your core, you choke back an even louder moan, trying your best to keep as quiet as you can. Mostly for Samâs benefit.
Itâs an endeavour that doesnât seem to last long, as the next moment, Lara slips a finger inside of you. She eases it in gently, curling it and dragging softly against your walls. You barely manage to stop yourself from crying out, and by the time youâve composed yourself enough that you donât fear awaking Sam, sheâs slipped another finger in - and you canât help the cry of pleasure that escapes you.
âLara!â
You half expect her to tell you to shut up, make you feel bad for the noises youâre making - but instead she seems to revel in it, in a way your ex never could. It was almost like your pleasure was her pleasure, as a small whimper left her at how much you seemed to be enjoying yourself.
âYou sound so prettyâŚâ She pants, sucking on your clit as she pumps her fingers inside of you.
âYouâre so much better at this than he ever was-â You pant out, and the weight of what youâve said only hits you after itâs left your mouth. Your eyes fly open, looking down and fearing youâve offended her by mentioning him, yet the way her cheeks flush and the groan that leaves her mouth quickly confirms otherwise.
She doubles her efforts now, and heat builds in your stomach quicker now. Your thighs tremble slightly, hips bucking a little more wildly now as your hand tightens your grip in its hair.
âOh fuck, Lara-â
She whines into your cunt, almost as desperate as you, fingers clutching at your sides a little.
âFuck, please Y/N⌠I wanna feel you let go for me-â
Her words are all it takes to push you over the edge, as the dam that was building inside you finally breaks. You fall apart on her tongue, clenching around her fingers as you almost scream her name, a choked sob leaving your lips. She guides you through it all, gently pressing a soft kiss to your clit as your peak subsides, your breaths coming in short gasps.
She climbs back up your body, propping herself up above you with her elbows. Your eye to eye with her, chest still heaving. She smiles at you, eyes sparkling with a joy she always seems to have when around you.
Your heart swells, she tentatively pecks you, and you sigh happily against her lips.
âYou sounded so pretty when you were doing that aswell.â You say, and she blushes even more fiercely than you thought possible, burying her head in your neck.
âThank you.â She mumbles, and you giggle, hand finding her hair and stroking it.
âYou were incredible at that⌠I didnât think-â You cut yourself off, but she pulls back with a raised brow.
âIâd know what I was doing?â She finishes, slowly starting to smirk.
âWhat? No. I just mean⌠I didnât think you would have had much-â You cut yourself off once more, realising how you were sounding. Yet ever the perceptive one, Lara once more fills in the blanks, laughing this time.
âExperience? God, Y/N- wanna insult me anymore?â Her voice is light, and you know thereâs no offence behind it as she places her face back in the corner of your neck with a small kiss to your shoulder. Still, you clarify.
âDidnât mean it like that.â
She smiles against your neck.
âYeah⌠well, sometimes itâs not about experience.â
You scoff, hands finding her waist now.
âOh please, enlighten me then, Miss Croft - what makes you such an expert in your field?â
She pulls back, rolling her eyes with a smile as she finds your eyes.
âLetâs just say⌠when youâve had enough time to imagine something, it tends to show in the final product.â
Her words spark goosebumps across your skin, and you groan, tipping your head back. She seizes the moment to kiss your nose, and a thought begins to take hold in your head.
âHowâs about I show you what Iâve been imagining, then?â
Laraâs pupils are wide when she looks at you, and that adorable flustered look returns.
âY- itâs not an obligation. You donât have to.â
You raise a brow, watching her stammer.
âUnless you want to! Of course, in which case, I- uhm-â
You crack up a little, brow still raised. She catches on, chuckling a little at her own politeness before nodding.
âYes⌠please.â
You smile at her, before flipping her over instantly, making her gasp in surprise.
âGood girl.â
You have just enough time to notice how her cheeks flush at the praise before you slip her tank top over her head, making light work of undressing the rest of her before you settle back on your knees. A thrill courses through your veins. If Lara was gorgeous before, she looks ethereal like this, and you tell her so - covering her cheeks in crimson once more.
You lean your head down, kissing from her lips down to her jaw, and stopping at her neck. You move her hair to the side as you suck in a light bruise, drawing a delightful whimper from her before you peck the lovebird gently after.
âHow do you want me, Lara?â
She hums a little in pleasure, eyes squeezed shut in focus of all the sensations.
âFingers⌠please.â
You smirk against her neck as your fingers traverse down her body, stopping only when you gently spread her legs, reaching her core to discover sheâs absolutely drenched.
You moan a little at the feel of it.
âLara, baby youâre soaked.â
Your words only make her wetter, similar heat already prickling along her thighs and stomach at the feel of your fingers against her. For what feels like the millionth time that night she pleads for something, only this time you seem to know exactly what as your fingers spread her lips, stroking upwards until you reach her clit, slowly beginning to rub it in right circles.
Her legs fall open even more and a gasp leaves her lips, her hand eagerly grips your jaw, turning your head to kiss her which you do so more than happily. She moans against your mouth, arms wrapping round your neck, and your mind faintly drifts for a moment to how fucking glad you are that jackass cheated on you, if this is what it led to.
You slowly increase the pace of your rubbing, her clit spasming a little beneath your touch. Her mouth leaves yours as her head falls back in sheer pleasure, and your forehead follows her, falling against hers.
For a moment you stay exactly like that - rubbing her clit with your forehead resting on hers, her eyes squeezed shut, noises of pleasure that she tries her best to stifle being tugged from her lips. Her eyes fly open suddenly, and youâre acutely aware of how close you both are. Her eyelashes almost touch yours, and you smile.
âW-what?â She pants out, hips rolling against your fingers.
You shake your head, unable really to explain it yourself.
âJust like seeing you like this.â
Her eyes squeeze shut again, and a series of curse words leave her lips. Her forehead leaves yours, falling back against the pillow, and your face takes refuge in her neck, pecking the column of her throat.
âFuck⌠Shit, Y/N- Iâm so close.â
It only takes a few more seconds for her to come undone, climaxing on your fingers. She cries out your name, hand clutching the sheets and her hips leave the bed with a gasp for air. You peck up her throat gently, easing her through it.
âThatâs it⌠thatâs my girl.â
The way her cheeks flush at that confirms your already well evidenced suspicion that she has a praise kink. Duly noted.
You kiss up her neck to her jaw, then cheeks, peppering plenty of tiny kisses to her face before finally gripping her jaw gently, pressing your lips to hers. She grins at you. Hair a mess, pupils dilated and lips flushed. She looks gorgeous. You smile, laying your head to her chest, and for a moment - the two of you just stay there. Her arms circle round you, head tucking on top of yours.
âThat was-â
âNice. Very, very nice.â She finishes, far too blissed out to care for her usually extensive vocabulary.
âIt was.â You agree shortly, for much of the same reason.
She presses a small peck to your forehead, stroking hair from your face.
â⌠I assume you would, uhm, like to stay the night?â She asks, and you giggle a little at how nervous she seems when asking that, given the circumstances.
âGiven its, like, 2AM⌠I think thatâs a fair assumption. But⌠I wouldâve wanted to anyway.â
She beams at that, chest blooming with so much warmth she hardly knows what to do with it.
With her arms encircling yours, it doesnât take you long before you feel yourself start to doze off.
You shift a little against her, and she gets the message, shifting you both to a more comfortable position where she can still hold you, yawning herself.
âTired?â
âExhausted.â You rumble into her chest, and she smiles, stroking your shoulder.
A soft kiss is pressed to your temple.
âWell get some sleep, darling. Iâll be here and we can talk in the morning.â
You donât need to be told twice, as you fall asleep with Laraâs arms around you, her following not long after - awarding you both a night of sleep like you hadnât had in months.
--------------------------------------
You donât know what time you wake up the next morning, but sunlight is streaming through the blinds whenever it happens, forcing you to turn your head away - quickly making you realise you arenât in your own bed.
Memories of the night before come flooding back, and your stomach twists a little with nerves but mostly with excitement. You press your hands a little into the mattress below you, and itâs then you realise Lara isnât in the bed anymore. You sit up a little quickly, looking around for her, before you faintly make out her outline in the kitchen from the crack in the door.
You smile, working yourself up to walk inside, when you suddenly hear another set of footsteps enter the kitchen, giving you pause for a moment.
âHey.â You hear Lara throw out, almost timidly.
âSo⌠guessing I was correct in saying he was gonna mess up for the final time?â
Your face drops a little, redness flooding your cheeks as you hear the unmistakable voice of Sam, a giggle leaving her not long after, accompanied by a groan from Lara.
âSo⌠you already know?â
Sam laughs again.
âYou could say that, yeah. Lara, this is so exciting, you have to tell me everything!â
You smile a little, shifting a little closer to the door where you can just about make out Sam practically crushing Lara in a hug. Lara rolls her eyes a little bit, but the absolutely beaming grin on her face canât be denied.
âYou act like Iâve just won Archaeologist of the year, or something-â
âPlease! You talked about her far more than any stuffy archaeology award. You might as well have.â
You canât see how Laraâs eyes light up for a moment, before clouding over with some other expression, something like worry, yet Sam can, and once more she squeezes Laraâs arm.
âHey⌠whatâs wrong? I thought youâd be really happy⌠Iâm assuming she likes you and this wasnât a one off thing, no?â
âI am, I am happy!â Laraâs voice is a touch too shrill to be entirely believable, and Sam merely raises a brow. If there was one person Lara had found it better not to lie about her feelings to, it was her.
âItâs just⌠she likes me and I like her⌠what if I mess this all up now? Like, Iâve come this far, and what if I never get any further because I donât know what to do. Iâve never even-â Her voice trails off, she clears her throat. âIâve never even been in a relationship before. Not really.â
Sam casts her a look of sympathy, hand tightening round her arm again.
âHey⌠youâre getting ahead of yourself. You need to take these things one step at a time, okay? Otherwise youâll start overthinking and thatâll really complicate things⌠just ask her to dinner over the weekend. Or coffee. Or anything, really. Something small to show her youâre serious, I bet sheâd love that.â
Lara smiles a little, mumbling a thank you to Sam.
âBesides, as someone who was only separated from you guys by a few inches of paper thin wall⌠it sure sounded like you were doing something right. And so was she, apparently.â
You blush again, and you donât see how your flustered appearance matches Laraâs. You hear Sam burst into peels of laughter, Lara following behind not long after, making you chuckle quietly.
âSam!â
âWhat? Itâs the truth. I have to speak it.â
Lara shakes her head a little, though the worry had dropped from her face and that lovely expression of happiness and lightness was back, a grin taking permanent hold of her features.
âNow⌠I have to get to class. Iâll be back this evening, though, at which point I really want you to tell me everything. I love you, okay? Iâll see you later.â
Lara chuckles, pouring herself a mug of coffee as the kettle finally boils.
âI love you too, idiot. See you later.â
Sam crosses to the door, smirking as she opens it.
âAnd Lara?â
Lara turns around, humming softly.
âAsk her out before she leaves later on. For coffee, food, anything like I said.â
Lara rolls her eyes playfully, turning back around to sip the coffee.
âIâll see.â
âWell, just know if you donât⌠Iâll think youâre the biggest loser known to man for the rest of time and forever. Bye!â
Sam shuts the door quickly, hastily dashing down the stairs to get to class. Laraâs face twists before she sighs, laughing once more when she hears Samâs own giggles as she peels down the hall.
She sits there for a moment after, tasting the bitterness of the coffee on her tongue, yet unable to stop her face splitting into a smile every few seconds because of you.
She thinks of you in the bedroom, unable to stop the nervous giggle that peels from her mouth at the thought of that being the sight she gets to wake up to much more often now, and she pours the rest of her coffee down the sink. Shaking herself out before resolving herself to get back to you.
As she sets off, she thinks of how just twenty four short hours ago, this felt like a far off dream she would never achieve. She smiles again, not the same excited ones she had exchanged with Sam this morning, but a far more tender one. Eyes filled with warmth that almost made tears prickle.
She turns the lights off to the kitchen, and as she shuts the door, thinking of you, she thinks that she will take Samâs advice after all. Sheâs already come this far.
You quickly shift back to the bed, sitting upwards. Your eyes land on hers when she walks in, both your faces splitting into smiles that say more than either of you could.
coming out of hiding⌠been cooking up a little Lara Croft one shot Iâll hopefully get finished up by the weekends over, first time writing in a long time kinda nervous đđđđđ
rest in peace Arthur Morgan. rest in peace Jason Todd. itâs a real shame. you guys wouldâve loved streaming susannah joffeâs die your daughter. you wouldâve loved to have streamed susannah joffeâs die your daughter. real shame.
just realised Iâve done these for Cass and Dani⌠but not the very woman who first got me into re8? absolutely shameful. letâs fix this.
cw!! some nsfw/ smut, below the cut! these hcs are both x reader and also some general ones. enjoy! <33
-> the general consensus is that Bela is very out to impress her mother, whilst this is true - I also believe Cassandra is, and this has led to some⌠conflict between the two at times.
-> Bela has, at points, resented Cass for seemingly getting her mothers approval so easily as the protector of the house. Her insecurities make her believe this means her mother values and loves Cassandra more than her, which simply isnât true.
-> it took a very long time for them to both realise their mother loved them unconditionally. her love wasnât subject on who provided her with the most assistance on that day, and it certainly wasnât something they had to earn.
-> naturally, however, because of this divide between her and Cassandra at points, Bela felt closer to Daniela for a long time. As did Cassandra. (This did always make poor Dani lose her head ESPECIALLY when one would come complaining about the other but alas x)
-> nowadays however Cassandra and Bela get on much better. It took a long while and a lot of tearful conversations (plus one hug that Daniela orchestrated and will never let them live down) but they got there. now they would quite literally go to war for each other.
-> I also like to imagine Bela as more of a romantic than weâd think.
-> yes, Daniela gets the name as the resident book lover and romantic, yet on more than one occasion Bela has been caught sneaking to the library late at night to find a romance book.
-> i hc that when she first began to fall for you, she read double the amount of romance books than she usually would. throwing herself into it in the fictional world because you couldnât POSSIBLY feel the same way. right?
-> speaking of, falling for Bela is the most rewarding thing⌠once you get past the initial months of hell.
-> I mean once Bela gets even the slightest INKLING that she might have feelings for you she immediately goes into shutdown mode. she practically falls off the grid for two weeks, throwing herself into her work, her hobbies, anything thatâll help her take her mind off of you
-> sheâs very insecure, I think, and she hides behind her bravado of confidence and self assuredness⌠yet deep down I truly think sheâs insecure of her worth. she canât possibly imagine you feeling the same way for her. thatâs why she hides from her feelings.
-> she tells herself you deserve better, she truly believes sheâs just protecting both of you by completely distancing herself from you altogether :(
-> it takes a LOT of Daniela and Cassandraâs meddling to finally get her to face her feelings, and even more âwhat the hell are you doingâ style conversations to convince her that you feel the same
-> which is hilarious because itâs painfully obvious to everyone apart from her
-> Bela: âYeah I mean y/n is always laughing when sheâs around me and generally I make her smile more than Iâve ever seen her smile and the look she reserves only for me can only be described as sheer and utter love⌠but she canât possibly want me, right?â
Cassandra and Daniela: âŚ.
-> itâs okay though, because it all works out, resulting in a tearful Bela breaking down to you and telling you how much she loves you, her lack of composure and her true vulnerability in that moment only showing how much she trusts and loves you
-> when you guys are finally together, Bela is the most attentive partner you could ever ask for
-> I think her love language is primarily words of affirmation. Though she also likes physical touch and quality time.
-> theres nothing better to her than to be able to tell you how gorgeous you are, day in, day out.
-> she always wakes you up with a kiss to the forehead, and a soft reminder of how much she loves you - as the rest of the day is spent reciting various compliments about how extraordinary you are, how smart you are, how altogether incredible she finds you⌠you get the idea.
-> sheâs surprisingly playful when in a relationship?
-> you just bring out all the best sides in her. sheâs so incredibly in love with you.
-> amazing at sex.
-> id actually risk to say sheâs perhaps the most generous Dimitrescu sister in the bedroom department
-> sheâll make you cum as many times as you like before even considering her own orgasm.
-> and when the focus is on her, she cums quick, because she finds so much pleasure in pleasing you alone.
-> alexa play âthe giverâ by chappell roan.
-> however, she has also been known to be a fan of bottoming on occasion. she likes giving you control from time to time. she trusts you so completely.
-> I also think she treats sex the most intimately⌠sheâs pausing every few minutes to whisper compliments in your ear. Sheâs telling you how much she loves you, and how good you look, and how amazing you make her feel⌠so on and so forth.
-> back to some slightly more general hcs⌠I think sheâs amazing at board games
-> it always annoyed Cassandra and Daniela that every board game night, the winner was practically guaranteed - and it was almost always Bela or Alcina
-> amazing piano player.
-> she always wanted to garden, yet because of her resistance to the cold she canât be outside for long periods of time, so she could never really do much.
-> this naturally means she owns a cactus. she names it something ridiculous like âslayer of kingdomsâ and itâs all very melodramatic.
-> she takes damn good care of that cactus though, youâd better believe.
-> itâs cute. prickly yet beautiful. sort of like Bela.
-> i think her favourite flowers are roses, however.
-> itâs cliche, she knows. but theyâre gorgeous to her. the thought of anyone getting her a bouquet makes her melt.
-> speaking of, complete gardener. when itâs warm enough she likes to take short strolls in any kind of garden or nature she can find.
-> loves star gazing.
-> in the warm summer nights, sometimes youâre able to head outside with Bela and star gaze. not for long, yet long enough for Bela to have fun and keep safe
-> she knows an awful lot about constellations, sheâll cuddle up close to you and point them out to you, smiling against your neck.
-> these are some of her favourite times with you. she feels so at peace.
