Lara Croft and the Breeding Chamber of Atlantis (closed for Jezebel1669)

[Baelnorn]

“What do you mean, you don’t want to come? You know, I don’t believe you one bit. Do you really think I didn’t notice you perk your ears while I was on the phone with Thomas, talking about the inscribed platinum plate? You’d never blow a chance to get your hands on some old relic. I know you, Lara Croft. And I know that you know Thomas. He was one of your professors. You’d never ignore him when he offered you such a chance.”

Sam was pacing through the apartment’s spacious living room, her smartphone still in hands. She’d just gotten off a call with Thomas Moore, an archaeologist professor she had met at UCL. At first, Sam hadn’t known what he was talking about. The archaeologist had acquired a platinum plate with ancient Greek inscriptions, and markings that looked like a map. The translation of the inscription mentioned Atlantis, but none of his colleagues was interested in it. Despite carbon dating clearly pinpointing the plate’s age at roughly 2500 years, other archaeologists didn’t see much value in it regarding the myth of the Lost City.

Thomas had followed the news about the events surrounding the Endurance and Yamatai Island, and decided to call Sam on the ghost of a chance of her or her friends being interested. He had tried to call Lara first, but she had refused almost all contact with others after her return to London. He was firmly convinced that his relic would be the final key to finding Atlantis, and had sounded a bit too enthusiastic, even for Sam. His overbearing fascination with the map and the myth surrounding Atlantis was probably the reason why none of his colleagues wanted anything to do with it, afraid of chasing a fairytale.

“Just because we listen to what Thomas has to say, doesn’t mean we agree to anything. And even if we did agree to something, what do you think would happen? That we actually find the Lost City of Atlantis with the help of a 2000-something year old map, when all the satellites of the world couldn’t find it?”

Sam stopped in the middle of the living room, looking Lara right in the eyes. She stepped closer to her friend and took one of Lara’s hands.

“Lara… at some point you just have to look forward again. Himiko is dead. The solarii are dead. What are the chances of getting into such a dangerous situation, again? If Thomas is right, we’re famous, and rich. I mean, even more famous, and richer than we already are. If he’s wrong, we still get a nice vacation out of it. And I know you’re itching to get out of London. I can see it in your eyes.”

Sam let go of Lara’s hand, and walked towards the apartment door, grabbing her brown jacket off a coat peg as she moved.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m going to take a look at this platinum map… and the professor as well...”

~~*~~​

An hour later, Sam knocked at Professor Moore’s office door, before opening it and entering. Thomas was sitting in a comfortable chair behind a massive desk that was covered in books and notes, typing away on his laptop. He looked up from the screen, and his stern face lighted up with a smile.

“Samantha! Lara! I’m so glad you could make it. Please, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?”

He almost jumped up from his chair, quickly walking around the desk to meet his guests. After a few minutes of moving things around to free two chairs, and fetching some drinks, Thomas joined Sam and Lara in front of his desk.

“So, what do I want? Well, I want to know what’s the real deal with this map I’ve found. I already told you some details on the phone, but there’s more to it. I’m 100% positive that this relic is the key to finally finding Atlantis, but everyone else I’ve talked with turned me down. It can’t be a fake or a myth, there’s just too much evidence.”

Professor Moore took a sip on his glass of sparkling water before he continued.

“First, it’s condition. Carbon dating says the plate’s a bit over 2500 years old, which matches with the dialect of the inscriptions. But here’s the catch: it’s a perfectly rectangular plate of pure platinum, with almost no surface damage despite its age. It’s composition and structure appears much more sophisticated than what cultures of that period should have been able to produce. I didn’t manage to let one of the Materials Research people take a look at it, but I’m sure they’d be very interested in it.”

Thomas stood, and walked over to the large safe in the corner of his office. He entered the code to unlock the massive steel door, and retrieved a small box from the interior. Turning back towards Sam and Lara, he closed the safe’s door, and returned to the desk. He placed the wooden box on the surface of his desk and opened it, revealing the platinum plate to his guests.

“Second, the inscriptions. I think we all know the various theories about Atlantis’ location. Santorini, Crete, Andalusia, Canary Islands, and so on. But according to this relic, they are all false, because Atlantis was much further away than anyone would have expected. The location described in the inscriptions on this plate put the Lost City right between Africa and South America. Today you’d call the area Ascension Island.”

To emphasis his words, Thomas walked from the desk to the large world map hanging on the wall, and placed his finger on a spot in the South Atlantic, between the continents of Africa and South America.

“I’d love to lead an expedition there, but the SHS won’t grant any funding nor time for it. Dean Williams doesn’t seem to entertain the idea of one of his professors trying to find Atlantis – he’s afraid I’d publicly make a fool of myself and the whole faculty. You, however, could go on an expedition, and discover the truth about the Lost City…”

 

[Jezebel1669]

Carefully pulling on a pair of surgical gloves Lara reached out for the platinum plate, lifting it up out of the box as she slowly began to turn it over, inspecting it from every possible angle before looking back at the main inscription once more. It was clearly a comment about Atlantis, despite the flowery prose it had been written in, but beyond that Lara struggled to make a clear translation.

"I'm sorry professor, but have you been able to decipher the full inscription? I know I should be able to do it myself by my Greek's a little rusty these days." Lara asked her old colleague. In truth everything about her was a little rusty. Ever since her return for Yamatai the 'intrepid explorer' had done little other than read gossip columns and visit bars when dragged out of her apartment by Sam.

Looking over at Lara sternly for a moment THomas's gaze suddenly softened as he remembered back to the report of her recent adventures. Out of the full expedition only four of the party had survived, including Lara and Sam, and since then Lara had been all but a recluse. "It seems to be a warning, or an invitation. The wording is a little unclear but seems to talk of some great horror with the ability to grant eternal life. I'd have thought that would've been enough to prompt SHS to take an interest, but you know how they can get with old religions."

"The directions seem clear enough though, and given what we've been through things couldn't be any worse there than what we've already survived." Sam chimed in, her eyes hopeful and eager all at once. Lara's lack of ambition had began to worry her and the thought of being able to shed light on the mythical lost city of Atlantis sounded like just the kind of adventure to tempt the sourpuss out of her cave.

For a moment Lara stared at her reflection in the polished metal, seeing the haggard look in her own eyes from too many sleepless nights and hard parties which usually ended up with her being put to bed by Sam after making an embarrassment of herself. Perhaps this was the opportunity she'd been waiting for, and Sam was right about it being a far safer prospect than their previous journey.

"Perhaps I could fund a small survey expedition, just to check the area for anything interesting." Lara finally replied, looking over at Sam's excited face as her friend practically bounced in her chair, "If we do find anything we can always pass along our findings to SHS so they can mount a full research expedition."

Jumping up out of her seat as Lara carefully placed the plate back into the storage box Sam began to pace back and forth around the room as she counted things to do off on her fingers. "That's great! We'll need a ship, of course, and I think Joslin's still looking for work. We'll need some subs too, perhaps Jonah would be able to hook us up with some ROVs? I know he has friends in the navy who might be able to pull a few strings for us. Oh, and a camera crew..."

"No!" Lara said, her head snapping around at the suggestion, "No camera crew. This is just a simple survey trip and there wouldn't be anything for them to film. If we need to record anything we can do that ourselves with your equipment."

"My equipment? So you're not planning on leaving me behind then?" Sam said nervously.

"Of course not, how would I ever get anything done without my Sun Queen?" Lara answered, smirking to herself at Sam's scowl. She knew how much her friend hated to be reminded of just how close she came to being the host to a millennia old spirit, even if no-one in the 'real' world believed them.

 

[Baelnorn]

The professor’s eyes lighted up with a glimmer of enthusiasm and hope as Sam and Lara discussed the possibility of an expedition, and already started coming up with plans. Thomas smiled at Lara and Sam, unendingly glad that they seem to accept his proposal, while searching through the stacks of papers and notes on his desk.

“Fantastic! As much as I want to, I’m afraid I won’t be able to accompany you, nor can I provide you with any official funding. But you can have all information I’ve managed to already collect, as well as some contacts. Just a second, I’ve got it somewhere around here…”

After a few moments, the middle-aged man produced a notebook and flipped it open, revealing lots of notes, phone numbers, email addresses, and printed schedules.

“I’ve already checked a couple of options, and can also give you some contacts regarding travelling. There are two ways to get to Ascension Island. The one with the shortest travel time is an RAF charter flight going twice per week. It’s a bit bureaucratic since it’s military, and you have to book almost a month in advance, but the flight only takes about 9 hours. The other one is a mail ship departing from Cape Town, which takes around 9 days to get there.”

Thomas tugged on a page, and carefully and cleanly parted it from the notebook’s binding, handing it to Lara with several of the printouts.

“I’ll also see that I can get a replica of the plate with the same surface, inscriptions, measurements, and weight, before you leave. I guess it’ll be handy to have an exact copy around, instead of just some photos and scans. Everything else I’ve already gathered about the relic so far is on those prints, including a full translation, superficial material analysis, etc. etc.”

Putting his notebook away, Professor Moore turned back to Lara and Sam.

“If there’s anything else you need, please let me know. You can also always see me if you want to examine the relic some more. I’m not sure whether I can help with a submarine, but you sounded as if you’ve got someone for that? On the island itself there are boats for hire, so you don’t need to bring one yourself.”

Samantha nodded excitedly, and answered before Lara could say anything about Sam and Thomas dishing out plans already.

“Don’t worry professor, we’ll take care of that one. But it seems as if we’ve got a ton of planning – and reading – to do before we get anywhere near Atlantis, and from what I understood the sooner we start planning, the sooner we’ll go there, right? So what are we waiting for?”

 

[Jezebel1669]

"The RAF shouldn't be a problem," Lara said with a smile as she took the papers and quickly skimmed the notes for anything important she'd need answer to in a hurry. "I already have some... 'friends' in the military who should be able to help me out with a quick favour, although I may need Sam's help the return the favour when we get back."

Seeing nothing which stood out in the material Professor Moore had to hand Lara paid her respects and headed out of the office. As they wandered across the campus the archaeologist began to run the numbers through her head, working out exactly which of her families bank accounts she should raid for the financing this time.

Since her father's untimely death Lara had been left with far more money than she had any use for, and recently she'd discovered that Roth too had left her a sizable fund in his own will. With a mournful sigh Lara once again found herself wondering whether the money and trinkets were really worth losing not one but two father figures from her life.

Turning to Sam, who was bouncing alongside Lara as though the excitement of a survey mission to an island in the literal middle of nowhere was the best thing that had ever happened to her, Lara waited for her friend to calm down a little before asking her a favour.

"Can I leave contacting Reyes and Jonah to you?" Her tone was a little dark, but she knew Sam had kept in touch with both of the other survivors after their last ill-fated expedition while she herself had barely exchanged two words with them since leaving the cursed island. "They might find a proposition from you a little more appealing than one from me. I know Jonah certainly would."

 

[Baelnorn]

Sam bid goodbye to Thomas as well, and followed Lara out of his office, but not before eyeing up the Professor as she left the room. The young Asian happily walked alongside Lara, a wide grin on her lips, turning to her friend after they had left the SHS main building and wandered across the UCL campus.

“See? I told you it would be a good idea! You get to get out of London and dig into a mystery, I get to see a tropical island without any ancient ghosts and madmen, and probably meet some cute boys… Oh, we definitively need to go shopping for some new beachwear before we leave. I need to show my best sides…”

Samantha chuckled a bit, thinking of her possible encounters at the beach, but then took a deep breath and calmed herself a little. She was really excited, not only about the whole trip, but especially about Lara finally coming out of her reclusiveness. Sam was happy to see Lara smile and show some ambition again, and not just let her drag her through clubs without any self-motivation.

“Now we only need to get Reyes and Jonah on board, and we’re all set.”

“Can I leave contacting Reyes and Jonah to you? They might find a proposition from you a little more appealing than one from me. I know Jonah certainly would.”

Sam took Lara’s hand as they walked along, softly lacing fingers with her best friend.

“Sure. Let me take care of that. It’s been almost a year… I guess they’re also sick of sitting on their asses. And don’t worry too much about Reyes. You saved us Lara. Reyes couldn’t have done anything better than you did. She’s just grumpy that she was so powerless and helpless on the island. And Jonah… well, I guess you stopped being his ‘Little Bird’ faster than he’d anticipated. You know he’s always liked you, and I don’t think that changed.”

On their way home, they quickly stopped to grab some food. Once they were back in their luxurious shared apartment, and had finished their meal, they started digging into the professor’s notes. While Lara focused fully on the research, Sam took her phone and looked up Jonah’s number. She figured it would be easier to get Reyes back into the team if Jonah was already onboard. Samantha’s finger hovered over the dial button for a moment longer, before she finally pushed it, and waited for him to pick up the call.

 

[Jezebel1669]

Leaving Sam to make the calls Lara headed into her room to sit at her desk, which she'd barely touched since her journey to Yamatai. Clearing away the papers concerning the Dragon's Triangle Lara pulled out a map of the south Atlantic and began to sketch out a plan for the journey ahead.

Before long she was lost in her work, reading over the notes provided by Professor Moore and cross-referencing them with her own studies and records. Most of his information seemed accurate, but with a little extra legwork Lara was certain she'd managed to locate the entrance to the ancient city, although according to her findings the entrance would now be somewhere underwater several miles off the coast.

Letting out a deep, mournful sigh Lara slid the papers aside and checked her watch. It was too early in the morning to make any more plans tonight and she felt exhausted after so many hours working, so instead she stood up and made her way over to her bed. With well-practiced ease she pulled her top off over her head, letting her breasts swing freely as she stripped off her pants before slipping under the covers, the smooth silk feeling good against her naked body.

 

[Baelnorn]

Sam’s been on the phone with Jonah for several hours, much longer than she anticipated. Eventually she even had to sit down in her room and connect the charger, since her phone was audibly protesting against its quickly dwindling battery levels. They had so much to tell each other, and it’s been a heart opening talk for both of them.

Jonah was extremely glad to hear of Lara finally getting better. For the past half year, he had repeatedly tried to call or mail his “Little Bird,” but she had never answered. She’d been entombed in her isolation, barely letting anyone but Sam close. If it hadn’t been for the Asian, he’d have completely lost contact with his friends. Jonah’s been getting really worried about Lara falling into a depression from which she’d never escape.

When he heard about the proposed expedition, he was taken back a bit. The physical wounds had healed, by the mental scars from Yamatai were still fresh. Jonah wasn’t sure he was already ready again for a new adventure. But then Sam spilled the beans about the goal of the mission. They wouldn’t go into unchartered territory, but stay close to an established settlement. No ancient ghost empresses, no crazy island madmen. Reluctantly, he eventually agreed to join them.

It was already way past midnight for Sam, when they finished their phone call with the promise to call again in a few days to exchange more details. Finally, Sam put down her phone, and started undressing. She dropped her marine blue blouse on the floor right where she stood, and quickly let her bra, her white cotton trousers, and silken panties follow. The slim Asian stood in front of the mirror for a moment, enjoying the sight of her naked body, before she slipped into a black lace nightgown.

Samantha switched off the lights, and crawled under the light blanket. At some point during the last few weeks, she’d fallen into a habbit of pleasuring herself before going to bed, and she didn’t plan on breaking that series. She reached towards her bedside cabinet, and retrieved a small egg vibrator from one of its drawers.

“Well, Professor Moore didn’t look too bad… I wonder if he knows how to handle a really naughty student…,” Sam murmured to herself, while teasing her nipples with the toy through the thin fabric of her nightgown. It didn’t take long before she dipped the vibrator between her legs, bringing its powerful buzzing right against her needy clit. A few minutes later she moaned into her pillow, and came hard to the mental image of fucking the professor in his office, while her hips bucked wildly against her hand.

 

[Jezebel1669]

Laying in the darkness Lara heard Sam's moaning echoing through the otherwise empty apartment. It was the same almost every night, the asian's sweet voice raised in glorious ecstasy as if she didn't even realise Lara could hear every gasp. Or maybe it was because she knew her friend could hear her.

Sliding her hand under her pillow Lara's finger closed around the ancient Incan statuette she kept there for a very special reason. THe smooth metal was nothing like the motorised, machine-pumped plastic toys Sam seemed to enjoy so much, but as Lara slipped it down between her legs, the aged worn surface sliding smoothly over her tender folds, she felt the pleasure already beginning to build.

Encouraged by the sounds of Sam's excitement Lara pushed the idol up inside herself, feeling her tight lips taking hold of the oddly shaped relic as it stroked over her inner lining in all the right places. Burying her face in her pillow Lara moaned silently, her breathless cry stilled in the night air as she began to work the antique with a steady rhythm dictated by Sam's loud passionate cries.

 

[Baelnorn]

Sam was completely lost in her imagination, and never realized how loud she was while masturbating. Her mind was filled with the noises and sensations of her buzzing toy, as well as images of fucking Thomas in every possible way – on her back on his desk, bent over his chair, riding him on the floor. When she finally climaxed, her hips bucking uncontrollably against her hand, she didn’t even notice the loud gasps and passionate cries that escaped her sensual lips.

Switching off the vibrator, Samantha basked in the warm afterglow of a fulfilling orgasm. At some point, she thought, she might be tempted to see if the real Professor Moore would match her fantasy. Perhaps after they got back from Ascension Island. But for now, she was quite happy with her fantasy, and hid the toy away again in the drawer.

Sam listened closely, wondering if Lara could have heard anything, but there was no sound from outside her room. They had moved to this apartment after returning home from Yamatai almost 11 months ago, but never had the Asian seen or heard anything indicating Lara might be anything but a prude. Samantha chuckled softly, remembering her own antics – how she once forgot one of her toys in the living room, or how Lara once met a naked guy in the kitchen Sam had “borrowed” for the night. To an outsider, she mused, it would almost seem as if Sam was so over the top to balance out Lara’s abstinence.

~~*~~​

The next morning Sam woke up early and quickly cleaned up her toy, as well as jump under a hot shower. When Lara finally made it out of her room, Samantha was sitting on the couch in the living room, a mug of hot coffee (including her usual three sugars and lots of cream) in hands, wearing very comfortable black leggings with a simple white t-shirt without bra. She looked up at Lara, and flashed her a wide smile, before firing off a salvo of comments at her best friend.

“Hey, good morning! Did you sleep well? I’ve got some great news. Jonah and I’ve been chewing each other’s ears off on the phone for hours, he’s been really worried about you and why you never answered his calls or mails. Anyway, he’s in! We’re going to talk some more about details soon, but he agreed to join our expedition. Isn’t that great?”

 

[Jezebel1669]

"That's great," Lara agreed with a tired smile. Despite her years of training and fieldwork the last few months had ruined Lara's morning enthusiasm, and after being kept up half the night by Sam's orgasmic cries, and her own far more muted sexual manipulations, she was in no condition to chat.

Making her way over to the kitchen, her naked and sweaty body covered only in a long shirt which draped down just far enough to cover her well-toned ass, Lara reached for the pot of hot coffee. Filling a large mug the adventuress took a large gulp of the warm beverage, feeling the black goodness sliding down her throat and filling her belly.

With a long satisfied sigh she made her way over to the lounge Lara lowered herself into a chair across from Sam, tucking a foot up under herself to get more comfortable, completely unaware that this left her stubbly crotch on full display for her flatmate. "It sounds like you've already made a good start on getting things organised," Lara commented with a little more life, feeling the coffee wakening her tired synapses more every second. "I'll make a call to some of Dad's old friends in the RAF later, to see of they can help us out with transport to the island."

 

[Baelnorn]

Samantha raised an eyebrow when Lara tiredly shuffled out of her room in nothing but a long shirt that was barely enough to cover her ass. The young Asian’s eyes followed the sway of her friend’s hips and butt cheeks, before she returned her attention to her own coffee. Inwardly Sam wondered if Lara had turned into a psychic overnight, considering how she had mused in her bed last night about the brunette being an abstinent prude.

After a few moments, Lara returned, still wearing nothing but her shirt, but this time with her own mug of coffee. Sam wondered what her friend was up to, but before she managed to organize her thoughts into a witty comment, Lara dropped into a chair and tucked one foot under. Almost choking on her sip of coffee, Sam’s gaze lingered on Lara’s crotch for several long moments. She couldn’t believe what she saw, and curiously absorbed the sight of her best friend’s pussy, the thin stubbly layer of hair covering it, and the tender lips guarding its entrance.

Finally Sam managed to draw her eyes away, and look Lara in the face. It wasn’t a moment too soon, since her flat mate started talking to her only moments after getting “comfortable” on the chair.

“It sounds like you've already made a good start on getting things organized.”

“Sort of. I’d call it a good start,” Sam quipped shortly. “I still need to call Reyes, so don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”

“I'll make a call to some of Dad's old friends in the RAF later, to see if they can help us out with transport to the island.”

Samantha’s gaze continued to drop towards Lara’s young pussy every few seconds. She was a bit confused why she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off her friend’s privates, since she wasn’t the least interested in women, not even a little curious. But something about this sudden brazenness greatly fascinated her, and she wondered what the reason for it might be.

“Sounds good. I’m not too keen on waiting a month for a flight or wasting 10 days on a ship, when we have actual work to do! Before we start making plans for the rest of the day, I’ll order us some brunch. Do you want your usual selection or something else today?”

Sam got up from the couch, put her cup on the table, and grabbed her phone. She walked around the table, and leaned down as she passed her friend, whispering teasingly in her ear, “But before I make the call, you should really consider your choice of attire. Your castle gates are wide open, and you’d probably give the poor delivery boy a heart attack.” She winked, and quickly disappeared into the kitchen to check if they needed some other groceries in addition to their brunch.

 

[Jezebel1669]

“Sounds good. I’m not too keen on waiting a month for a flight or wasting 10 days on a ship, when we have actual work to do! Before we start making plans for the rest of the day, I’ll order us some brunch. Do you want your usual selection or something else today?”

"I think I'll go with the exotic fruits melady today, to celebrate our new endeavor," Lara replied as she tilted her head back and emptied the coffee cup down her throat, rocking her whole body with it and inadvertently thrusting her hips forwards as she did.

“But before I make the call, you should really consider your choice of attire. Your castle gates are wide open, and you’d probably give the poor delivery boy a heart attack.”

Wrinkling her brow at her friend's comment Lara glanced over at the apartment's front door. "My castle gates?" She asked in confusion, wondering what the hell Sam was talking about. She was just about to call out after her friend when a gust of air from the open window blew up between her thighs, causing her exposed pussy to shiver for a moment.

Quickly grasping her shirt Lara pulled it down to cover her crotch, too little too late. "Oh shit Sam, I'm sorry... I didn't realise..." the explorer stammered, her face brightening with embarrassment as the truth dawned on her. She'd been wondering what had been wrong with her flatmate's strange behaviour, her eyes darting back and forth in what had obviously been some sort of signal which Lara had totally failed to pick up on. "I'll be right back," Lara called out, vanishing back into her room.

Moving over to her dresser the archaeologist pulled out some yoga pants and a fresh top. For a moment her hand hovered in front of the underwear drawer as she wondered whether to bother putting something on the cover herself up even more. Not much point, she thought to herself, I've already given Sam the full tour of the property, she may as well be allowed to admire the frontage.

Stripping out of the shirt she'd tossed on in her hurry to find caffeine to wake herself up Lara pulled on the tight sports top, using her hand to straighten her impressive if somewhat diminutive chest inside the garment before bending down and pulling the yoga pants up just below her waist.

Stopping for a moment Lara ran her hand over her crotch, feeling the stubble growing there. I really need to shave again soon, she pondered, before a wicked grin crossed her lips as her fingers continued to drift over her lips. I wonder what Sam would say if I asked her to help with that too.

 

[Baelnorn]

“Oh shit Sam, I’m sorry… I didn’t realise… I’ll be right back!”

The Asian couldn’t help but laugh as she heard Lara stammer an embarrassed apology from the living room, and then make a bee line for her room. “It’s okay Lara, you’ve got nothing down there I wouldn’t know myself,” she teasingly called after her friend, before hitting the dial button for the delivery service, and placing their orders.

After finishing the call, Sam refilled her mug with hot coffee – not forgetting to add her extras – and returned to the living room, waiting for their brunch and groceries, and her friend. While waiting, Samantha’s thoughts returned to the “incident” she just witnessed. It was strange to see Lara like this. She couldn’t remember when she had last seen her best friend so preoccupied and/or distracted from something to a degree that made her forget to put on some panties.

Still, she had already been wondering about Lara’s “preferences.” Contrary to Sam, the young adventuress didn’t seem to spend too much time trying to have some fun with the other sex, and Samantha had already mused at some point that perhaps Lara might have a thing for girls. Even then, she had never seen her friend flirt – at least not successfully, and that when her young body should have granted her a default victory right from the get-go. And the idea that Lara brought home a guy or girl to fuck their brains out? Completely inconceivable, whereas Sam was quite liberal in that regard.

Then something dawned the young Asian woman. Could it be that her best friend was hitting on her, that she just pretended to have forgotten to put on her underwear, and let Sam see her bare pussy on purpose? It certainly didn’t feel like that. It seemed to be just an honest, although really weird, error.

Thinking about it some more, Sam had to admit to herself that the thought was entertaining. Even though she in bed liked cock above all else, the thought of getting frisky with Lara wasn’t as repulsive as she would have imagined. Usually, the image of two girls pleasuring each other did nothing for Sam, but this particular one could prove to be an exception. Lara was hot, no doubt, and perhaps, at some point, Sam would agree to try something in that avenue. But before she could spin that thought a little further, she heard the door open, and a dressed Lara emerge.

“Hey, look who found some clothes,” Samantha teased with a wide grin. “Food’s one the way, should be here in roughly half an hour. I hope you manage, and don’t think about eating me instead.”

 

[Jezebel1669]

Lara could feel her face flushing at Sam's suggestion and she quickly turned away, pretending to tidy away the cups and other crockery lying about the living room. "That's okay, I can wait for the delivery boy." A moment after she'd said it Lara realised the unintentional double entendre and quickly began to stammer once more. "I meant the food, I'll wait for the food."

For a moment the adventuress dithered on the spot, unsure what to do to get out of the already intolerably uncomfortable situation. Finally the feeling of the dried juices on her thighs made the decision for her. "I'm off to take a shower," she announced proudly, raising a finger over her shoulder as a warning to her friend. "And before you ask, no I don't want any company."

Almost striding out of the room Lara made her way as quickly as was possible while still maintaining the little dignity she had left, not stopping until she was leaning back against the bathroom door with a deep relieved sigh. Sam was her best friend in the world, but at times Lara could throttle her.

It felt strange to be stripping out of her clothes again so soon after putting them on, but moments later as she stepped under the hot shower, feeling the liquid flowing over her body Lara realised the shower had been the best decision she'd made all morning. For several minutes she simply let the warmth soak into her skin, the cascading water washing away the thin residue of sweat and... other bodily substances, leaving her feeling relaxed and reborn.

Plucking a sponge from the nearby holder Lara slowly began to lather herself up, letting the bubbles form on her arms and shoulders before working her way down to her breasts. She felt a little sordid as her hand moved over her nipples, sending a familiar tingle up through her body, Sam's suggestion still hanging in her ears, along with the memory of the previous night's manipulations, but Lara assured herself that she was simply leaning herself, nothing more.

Moving the sponge down her body, leaving a trail of soap over her well-defined abdomen, Lara carefully skirted around her crotch and instead focussed on her long, powerful legs. The muscles felt a little weaker than they had during her trip to Yamatai and Lara realised she'd let herself got a lot more out of shape than she'd realised. Making a mental note to pay a visit to the gym later in the day she moved the sponge back up her legs, letting it slip between them as she rubbed the soap into the last place she had left to clean.

It felt good to be touching herself there, but at the same time shameful. She needed to clean herself, Lara knew that on a logic level, but once again she could hear Sam's playful voice in her ears as the sponge unfolded her flower, spreading the slick soapy foam up over the sensitive folds of her pussy. Her clit was beginning to respond as well, swelling as it sensed the stimulation of her lower lips, and automatic response she assured herself.

Setting the sponge aside Lara reached for the shaving tools which were kept in a waterproof box nearby. Pressing her fingers against her throbbing lips Lara held them steady as she slowly carved her way through the stubble, cutting the diminutive hairs away a stroke at a time until her crotch was once again cleanly shaven.

http://i.imgur.com/NcXepMO.gif​

Taking a moment to run her fingers over the oily smooth skin, assuring herself once more that it was all just for the sake of cleanliness, Lara slipped her finger up inside her pussy while her other hand pressed against her belly, fingertips playing over her clit.

As she delved deeper into her cunt Lara bent forwards, her head resting on the tiled shower wall at steady herself as she quickly fingered herself to orgasm, letting her juices wash away down her legs along with the water flowing from above. Her little reward for being such a good, clean girl.

Licking her fingers clean Lara reached up and took the shower head off of the wall and quickly washed away the last of the soap suds clinging to her body, taking a moment to pinch her nipple playfully to send a thrill through herself, again her little reward for being good. When she was finished Lara stepped out into the bathroom and reached for a towel.

 

[Baelnorn]

Sam’s face carried a shit-eating grin from one ear as Lara dashed off to the shower. She knew exactly that her comments made Lara uncomfortable. Still, Sam felt perfectly justified to tease her best friend mercilessly like this. They both knew it was nothing malicious, just some playful teasing amongst friends. And it was the perfect revenge for the full-frontal flashing Lara had given her earlier.

The young budding filmmaker switched on the TV to relax a bit until her friend was back from the shower. Lara was really taking her time with the shower, but Samantha didn’t mind. She knew how quickly one could get “comfortable” under the hot, steamy water, and start rubbing one out. Thinking of her teasing and Lara’s response, that was probably exactly, what was going on in the bathroom right now.

The thought amused her. For a short moment, she wondered whether she should try and sneak a peek, but then decided against it. Even for Sam, that would be crossing the line from playful teasing to intruding into Lara’s personal space. She could still muse though about whom Lara was thinking of while doing the deed, and wondered if it was her own image, which moved her friend’s fingers.

The news and some meaningless morning shows went by, while Sam waited for either the delivery service or her friend to interrupt her watching the hopelessly boring TV program. Eventually, the food delivery won out, and Sam practically jumped up at the sound of the bell, racing to the door. She took a quick peek through the door spy, and saw a young man who couldn’t possibly be older than 19, waiting, carrying two large bags. Sam opened the door wide to let him in, and greeted him friendly.

“Hey, good morning! Please come in.”

“Good morning, Ma’am, I have a brunch and grocery delivery. Where do you want me to put it?”

“Straight ahead, just into the kitchen. You can put them on the table there.” Samantha was eyeing the guy up as he carried the bags inside, especially the soft motions of his buttocks in the delivery service’s uniform. Her initial guess of the guy’s age seemed about right, and his wild dark blonde hair and blue eyes gave him a cute “innocent-boy-next-door” look. She imagined how he’d move on top of her, the thought bringing a naughty smile to her lips. Sam followed him, her mind toying with naughty images of her being a bad girl and seducing the poor innocent delivery boy.

The young man dutifully carried the bags into the kitchen, and put them on the table while taking care that nothing spilled or toppled over. After making sure that the order was complete and safe, he turned around and faced Sam. “The receipt is in an envelope inside the left bag. The order’s been charged to your account, as requested. Do you need anything else, Ma’am?”

Sam found him incredibly cute, especially the way he tried to avoid stealing glances at her figure in the tight black leggings and white t-shirt. And the way he called her “Ma’am” made her want to do very bad things to him. Still, she knew it was just a fantasy, and that she couldn’t just sex up any random guy that provided a service for her. There was nothing, however, that would stop her from playing out this fantasy tonight in her bed.

“No, that’s all. Thank you for the prompt delivery,” Sam answered with a bright smile on her lips. On their way back to the front door, Sam quickly produced a 20 GBP note from her purse. “Wait, here. Just a small tip, and have a nice day!” She slipped the note into the young man’s hand, and used the opportunity to steal a glance at his name badge – James. James thanked her for the tip, and Sam closed the door after he had left the apartment. Leaning against the door for a moment, Sam murmured to herself, “We’re going to have lots of fun tonight, James…”

 

[Jezebel1669]

Stepping out of the bathroom, a towel over her head as she dried her hair, Lara was just in time to see Sam closing the door and leaning back against it with her usually mischievous look on her face. "Don't tell me, that was Darren, or Kevin?" She asked, curiously.

The last two delivery boys had ended up spending the night after accidentally bumping into Sam at a night club, the third one she'd been to that night after hearing one of them mention he was going out for the night. The noises that had come out of the room that night had forced Lara to snap an ancient tibetan prayer wheel in half, and proven the advantages of metallic artifacts as masturbation aids.

Moving over to the kitchen counter Lara reached into the bags, hunting round for her brunch as she started to unpack the items methodically and carefully into neat piles. After a few minutes she peered over at Sam in confusion. "Did you check this stuff before letting your boy toy leave? I can't find my exotic fruit medley anywhere, but I think we got some extra fruit salad mixtures instead."

Leaning over the counter Lara let out an exasperated sigh at her friend's easily distracted nature. "Sometimes I wonder what I should do with you," the explorer said, before quickly turning her face away and pretending to be looking for a fork as the memory of what she'd pictured Sam doing the night before bubbled up in her mind and her face began to flush once more.

 

[Baelnorn]

“No, that was James. Young and cute, but none of my acquaintances,” Sam replied, continuing in her thoughts, But I wouldn’t mind getting to know him much much better. She followed her friend into the kitchen, keeping an eye on the towel tightly wrapped around Lara’s athletic body. Sam watched her friend unpack their order, methodically separating the items with their brunch from the groceries, and organizing everything in small piles on the counter.

“Did you check this stuff before letting your boy toy leave? I can't find my exotic fruit medley anywhere, but I think we got some extra fruit salad mixtures instead.”

Sam raised an eyebrow at her flat mate’s complain and looked over the things on the counter, and into the now empty bags. Without a word she grabbed the envelope with the receipt, tore it open, and looked at the order list. No exotic fruit medley was to be found anywhere on it, but indeed two fruit salads. Samantha shrugged, and chuckled softly, murmuring an apology while offering Lara the receipt to check for herself. “Oops. Seems I ordered a normal fruit salad instead of your medley. Sorry…”

“Sometimes I wonder what I should do with you,” the explorer sighed, before quickly turning away to search for a fork. Sam felt a little bad about messing up Lara’s brunch, and moved over to her friend. While Lara was rummaging through the silverware drawer, Sam came up behind her and hugged her tightly, pressing her whole body against her friend. “I’m really sorry Lara. If you absolutely want that medley, I’ll order again… I was already thinking about how to convince Reyes to join our little expedition, and mixed up what you said to me.”

 

[Jezebel1669]

As Sam wrapped her arms round Lara the archaeologist squirmed a little, enjoying the feeling her her friends warmth through the thin top with nothing underneath. A moment later she squirmed a little harder and stepped away from her friend, aware just how dangerous it might be to get aroused when nothing but a tight pair of yoga pants and a quick shove to the floor was all that prevented her from pressing her cunt to Sam's mouth and making the honey little bitch eat her out.

Grabbing a dirty fork from the drainer beside the sink and holding her fruit salad in front of herself to stop sam getting too close again Lara quickly backed her way towards her room. "Sorry Sam, I just remembered," she stammered again, for the third time that morning, "I need to get down the gym and get a good workout in. If we';re going on this trip then I really need to be in top shape. You wouldn't want me collapsing on you or anything."

Again Lara's face blushed and she turned away quickly as she headed into her bedroom, the image of collapsing on top of Sam on the living room floor flashing through her mind. Quickly packing a gym bag, making sure to take some underwear to put on once she got there, Lara stepped back out into the main room and made her way back to the kitchen to fetch some water from the fridge.

 

[Baelnorn]

Sam couldn’t make any sense of what was going on. Never before had she seen Lara like this, and it confused her to no end, unsure what could cause her flat mate to act like this. Samantha just nodded, and watched her friend dash off again, without taking a single bite of her brunch. It was obvious that the comment about having to hit the gym was just an excuse, and a pretty lame one at that. Lara was still in great shape, and they both knew it.

Some minutes later the young Asian sat in the living room, picking away at her fruit salad, when Lara left her room, a gym bag hanging from her shoulders. She went straight to the fridge and grabbed some cool bottled water. Sam raised her head, and called out to her friend as she passed through the living room on her way to the front door.

“Have fun in the gym! I’ll try to give Reyes a call and see if I can convince her.”

After Lara had left the apartment, Sam just shook her head, and finished her meal. If she didn’t know it better, she’d say that her best friend was having a crush on her. Lara recently started to get all nervous whenever the two of them were physically close to each other, her voice was trembling, and she stammered her words out. She wasn’t sure, however, perhaps it was something different. She decided she’d ask her friend when she was back from the gym. But for now, she had a call with Reyes…

 

[Jezebel1669]

Stepping through the door Lara felt a little daunted. She hadn't been to the gym in months, and although for part of that time she'd been out of the country and had a good excuse for her absence she still felt guilty about her recent lazy attitude.

Making her way through the ranks of exercisers Lara found herself a clean weightlifting machine and set herself down. It didn't take long for eyes to start wandering in her direction as she flexed her legs against the lifting bar. She could never understand why so many men seemed enthralled by the sight of a fit young woman exercising her body.

After moving between several different machines, running through the fitness plan her personal advisor had lain out for her what seemed like a lifetime ago, Lara was beginning to feel her muscles aching in a good way. Moving over to the racks of weights she selected one which would strain her just enough to help improve her muscle tone and started to pump it rhythmically.

Just as she was dropping in to a steady pace Lara felt someone's hand graze over her backside, before dancing up her back. Playful fingers teasing at her before a familiar voice called out, "Lara Croft, I'd never forget a... face like that."

 

[Baelnorn]

The gym was all but deserted today, only a few people showed up for some training. Sara didn’t mind, she actually preferred it to days where the space was crowded, and you’d have to stand in line for certain machines or weights. She was almost done for the day, the only entry left on her list was a bit of relaxing in the steam room. Sara was on her way to the changing room to prepare for the steam room, when she noticed a familiar face – or rather, butt – she hadn’t seen in a long time.

With a slightly mischievous smile on her lips, she walked over to the woman who just started pumping some dumbbells for a shoulder exercise. Getting closer, Sara now was certain that it was indeed who she thought it was. She stood right next to the young female who seemed to be completely lost in her rhythm, and placed her hand at the small of the girl’s back. With tickling, teasing motions she moved her fingers higher, following her “victim’s” spine.

“Lara Croft, I’d never forget a… face like that.”

Sara pulled her hand back, and moved so that Lara could see her. It’s been a long time since they had last met – before Lara’s journey to Yamatai, so seeing her friend in the gym was a welcome surprise. Once Lara had put the weights away and gotten up, Sara quickly pulled her into a welcoming embrace, pressing her own hot body against her friend.

“How are you doing sweetie? I heard about that island, I’m so sorry Lara. If you want to talk about things some time, I’m all ears.”

 

[Jezebel1669]

It was a surprise to see her old friend again after all this time. Lara had meant to give her a call after returning from Yamatai to arrange another girls night out with her and Sam, before the whole trip had gone to hell and left Lara in no mood for wet t-shirt contests and male strippers.

"Sara, I've been meaning to call, really, but things have just been..." Waving her hand in the air vaguely Lara tried to think of the right words to describe almost being made into a cannibal's dinner, coming within inches of being raped by a mercenary, murdering several dozen people and blowing up a Japanese castle before facing down against an army of cultists, demons and the spirit of an ancient Sun Goddess. "...complicated."

Letting her eyes wander down Sara's body for a moment Lara couldn't help but admire hwe well her friend had been taking care of herself, or how swearty she seemed to be. Licking her lips at the memory of the last time the two of therm had gotten sweaty together Lara smiled wickedly.

"I see you've been working out a lot more than I have. I've barely been keeping myself together since... since the island." She still couldn't face the memories of that place, the dark horrors she'd seen and experienced, but at least she'd made it out alive, and back to her friends.

Picking her towel up up the bench L\ara wiped the sweat from her face before moving down to rub it over her chest as well, aware just how messy she must've looked to her friend at the moment. "Were you looking to train today?" She asked, hoping to spend a little more time with Sara, especially since it would mean having an excuse to not return to the embarrassment that was the situation with Sam.

 

[Baelnorn]

Sara felt Lara’s gaze wander over her body, her friend almost undressing her on the spot with her eyes while smiling wickedly. She also remembered the last occasion of being intimate with her buddy, and returned the grin, knowing too well of what Lara was thinking.

“I see you've been working out a lot more than I have. I've barely been keeping myself together since... since the island.”

Now it was Sara’s turn to scan her friend’s form with her eyes, and she didn’t find anything she wouldn’t like. “Thank you, but come on, you’re too harsh to yourself. You still make guys turn their heads after you, and the weights are not that bad,” she commented, nodding towards the dumbbells on the floor, before adding with a naughty glimmer in her eyes, “And you know I always liked your soft spots.”

“Were you looking to train today?”

“I’m almost done with my schedule for today, just missing the steam room. I was on my way to get ready, when I noticed your cute… face, and decided to jump over and say hello. You know, how about you just join me, and afterwards we crash at my place for a bit? What do you say?”

 

[Jezebel1669]

The offer was tempting but it was already getting too late in the day and Lara still had to get things organised for the trip to the Ascension Island. Shaking her head sadly she had to decline her friend's generous offer. "I'm sorry Sara, I have to get back to Sam. We've got another trip lined up soon and there's too much to be done right now to be taking the night off."

Looking over at her friend with a twinkle in her eye Lara quickly flashed a smile at the attractive young police detective. "I do have time for a steam though, just not too long."

Reaching down for her bag Lara pulled out her bottle of water, taking a large gulp to clear her throat before splashing some over her face and chest to clear away some of the more persistent sweatdrops still clinging there.

As she arched her back slightly, letting her breasts feel the cool chill of the water she could feel her nipples beginning to respond and felt a little guilty at the display she was putting on for the other gym members, both men and women. Silently shrugging to herself she pushed the thought aside. Many of them only signed up to the place on the off chance of seeing something like this, and it'd be unfair not to let them get their money's worth.

Finished with her freshening up Lara followed Sara down towards the steam rooms, passing through the locker room where they both stripped down and wrapped themselves in towels. Lara tried to tell herself that she wasn't checking out Sara's body as they changed, but even she had to admit that she wasn't trying very hard.

Stepping over to the steam room entrance, a unisex facility with an entrance into the men's locker room on the far side, Lara was pleased to see the place was empty. Not surprising considering the lack of members currently in the main gym, but certainly an advantage.

Moving over to the controls Lara quickly turned the dial up a few notches and listened with a smile as the steam began to pump into the room a little faster thickening the air with the warming vapours. "I hope you don't mind," she called over to her law enforcing friend, "but I really like to get the heat up when I use these things."

Turning back to Sara she saw her friend already laid out on one of the benches and moved to join her, taking advantage of the empty space to spread herself out before pulling the towel away and letting her skin breathe.

http://www.reluctantla.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/steamroom.jpg​

 

[Baelnorn]

Sara greatly enjoyed the coy glances Lara stole at her in the locker room as they both changed for the steam room. She could almost feel her friend’s eyes on her curves, her firm breasts, her tight butt, and her taut belly. Giving her buddy a small show, Sara swayed her hips a bit more than necessary as she wrapped herself in a towel, and slowly walked towards the steam room.

She didn’t wait for Lara to join her in the room before getting comfortable. Pleasantly surprised to find the facility empty, Sara’s lips curled into a wicked smile. She chose a wooden bench in the corner, slightly hidden from chance looks, and laid down. Unfolding the towel, and revealing her naked body, she laid down and waited for her friend.

A few moments later, Lara joined, and quickly turned up the steam dial to a higher setting, making the room flood with swathes of hot steam. “I hope you don’t mind, but I really like to get the heat up when I use these things.”

Sara smiled, and turned her head to watch Lara come closer. She watched shamelessly how her friend spread herself on a nearby bench, and pulled the towel away. “You know, 15 months ago we didn’t need a machine to get a room hot and steamy,” she said to Lara in a low, husky voice. “I wouldn’t mind if we went back there some time.”

The police officer sat up, looking at Lara. Taking a quick glance around the room to make sure they were still alone, Sara stood, and slowly moved over to Lara. Sitting down next to her friend’s feet, she let her eyes linger on the young woman’s naked form for a long moment. “I’ve missed you, Lara, but I understand that this life of adventure is something you have to do for yourself. Still, if you ever got tired of adventuring and archaeology, I’ll always welcome you back.”

Eventually, Sara reached out out, gently tracing Sara’s ankle with her fingers. She rubbed her friend’s hot skin in soft, teasing circles, before starting to inch her fingers slowly higher and higher. “But I’m sure you didn’t want to talk about work right now, right?”