Thoughts by the Pyre (Lara Croft Fiction)

Mar 25, 2013 01:37

Title: Thoughts by the Pyre
Rating: E
Spoilers: There are mentions of character deaths so if you haven’t played the game, but want to don’t read.  (And hurry up!  It’s an awesome game.)
Summary: Lara’s thoughts as she stands by the pyre.
A/N: I don’t own Lara Croft, that distinction goes to Crystal Dynamics.  I’m just playing this delightful game ^.^

Lara stared at the flames, feeling the cold numbness of her shock wash over her skin.  Roth.  Grim.  Both died protecting her.  Died because of her.  Reyes’s words still stung with their truth.  Distantly she could feel all the stabs, bullet wounds and contusions she’d gained on this bloody adventure, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to care.  What was she going to do now?

“Lara.  Did you hear us?”  Jonah’s voice pulled the young archaeologist from her darkening thoughts and she looked up at her friend.  “We’re going to go help out Reyes to see if we can get the boat running.”

“You go I … I can’t leave, not yet,” She whispered, turning away before she could see the sadness in their eyes.  Reyes’s face was haunting enough.  Lara had lost a father figure, but Reyes had lost the love of her life, the father of her beloved daughter.  Anger and tears burned hot, but she pushed both back.

“All right, take the time you need,” Alex said as he and Jonah departed for the beach.  Lara felt Sam stay by her side, her hands clinging to Lara’s as Lara’s did the same.  She turned towards her friend, studying her and thankful that Sam hadn’t been taken as well.

“Do you want me to stay?”  Sam asked, stepping closer and cupping Lara’s far shoulder with a gentle hand.  Lara turned her head and buried it in the crook of Sam’s neck, ignoring the smell of sweat and smoke for the scent of orange blossoms, Sam’s favorite lotion.  Distantly her mind replayed the last time Sam had put on the lotion, just after the two had taken a shower and Lara had helped smooth it into Sam’s back.  That was just a handful of hours before they crashed.

God that seemed a lifetime ago.

She felt Sam’s arms reach around her and pull her close.  “I’m here Lara.”

Tears burned down her cheeks, cutting through the grime.  She clung to her lover, pulling her close as anger, sadness and bitter resolve all fought within her for dominance.  She felt as if she was back out at sea, stuck in one of the Sun Goddess’s storms.  But Sam’s arms, warm and solid, kept her grounded and she was able to pull herself together.  With a deep breath she stepped back, dropping a kiss onto Sam’s cheek.  “Go to the beach.  I need … I need to be alone for a while.”

“Okay.  Come down when you’re ready.”  Sam pulled back, her lips pulling up in a smile of understanding and love.  Lara filed the image away for later because it helped warm her.

“Take this.  Keep it with you at all times.”  Lara pulled her gun from her hip, flipping it around to hand Sam the stock.

“You just want to see me shoot of my foot,” Sam replied, taking the gun.  The bit of humor worked and Lara smiled.

“Just try and keep the barrel pointed at the bad guys.  You’ll be fine.”

Sam nodded and with a small wave left, leaving Lara to tend to the funeral pyre burning before her.

Roth.

Grim.

What was she going to do?

‘You’ve got great instincts girl.  Use them.’ Roth’s deep brogue cut through her mind and for just a moment she felt him standing next to her, encouraging her.  She drew a steadying breath through her nose and let it out her mouth, her resolve hardening as she felt calm take place of the sorrow.  Oh it was still there, marring the sides of her mind, but she couldn’t deal with that now.  She was the one that got everyone into this.  She ‘was’ going to get them out.

sam/lara, character death, lara croft, tomb raider

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