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atlasthegreatest · 3 months ago

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Between Adventures / Lara Croft x Gender Neutral! Reader

In which, Laura Croft and her long-time friend Y/n Drake embark on yet another dangerous adventure, exploring an ancient temple deep in the jungle.

Word count: 3153

A/n: This one was requested by @jamiedc-they-them I hope you like it!

The sun filtered through the dense jungle canopy, casting dappled shadows over the moss-covered rocks as Lara Croft and her best friend, Y/n Drake, pushed their way through the underbrush. The sound of rustling leaves and the occasional bird call filled the air, but the two were silent, communicating without words, as they often did. Years of friendship had made them closer than most siblings could hope to be.

Y/n had been with Lara through thick and thin. They had met in university, both equally obsessed with ancient civilizations, tombs, and lost treasures. From the moment they locked eyes across the classroom, they had known there was something special about their connection. It wasn’t long before they became inseparable.

“Remind me again why we’re doing this?” Y/n said, wiping the sweat from their brow as they shot Lara a teasing glance.

Lara smirked. “Because you love the thrill of it, and because I’d be bored without you,” she quipped, her British accent smooth and laced with affection.

Y/n chuckled, shaking their head. “Right. Because nothing says fun like almost falling off a cliff or being chased by mercenaries.”

“I’ve saved you from worse,” Lara shot back, her grin widening. It was true—there were countless times when Y/n had been on the brink of danger, and Lara had swooped in, fast and fearless. But it wasn’t one-sided. Y/n had saved her too, more than once. From the emotional toll of her father’s death to that time in Siberia when Y/n had patched up Lara’s leg after a nasty fall. Their bond was built on trust, loyalty, and shared danger.

As they trudged up the steep incline toward the ancient temple, Lara turned serious, glancing at Y/n. “You know I don’t say it often enough, but I wouldn’t be here without you.”

Y/n stopped, looking at her with raised eyebrows. “Lara Croft, getting sentimental? Should I write this down?”

Lara gave a light shove, laughing. “I’m serious, Y/n. You’re the only person I can count on. No matter what’s waiting for us in there,” she motioned toward the crumbling structure in the distance, “I know you’ve got my back.”

Y/n’s teasing demeanor softened. “Always. And you’ve got mine.”

They fell into an easy silence as they approached the temple entrance. The massive stone doors loomed in front of them, their carved inscriptions worn by time. Y/n took a deep breath, the weight of the moment settling on them.

“Ready for this?” Lara asked, her voice quiet but steady.

“Are we ever really ready for these things?” Y/n replied, smirking despite the nerves swirling in their stomach.

Lara placed a hand on Y/n’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “We’ve survived worse.”

It was a simple statement, but it carried the weight of their shared experiences—near-death escapes, ancient curses, and the nights spent patching each other up in makeshift camps. There was an unspoken promise in Lara’s words. No matter what happened, they would face it together, like they always had.

With a nod, Y/n and Lara stepped forward, pushing open the heavy doors. Inside, the air was thick with dust and the scent of age-old stone. The temple’s grandeur, though diminished by time, was awe-inspiring. Massive pillars stretched toward the ceiling, and intricate carvings lined the walls, telling stories of forgotten gods and lost civilizations.

Y/n took it all in, but their mind was already on the dangers that lurked within. “So, any chance this place doesn’t have a trap or two waiting for us?” they asked, glancing at Lara.

Lara’s eyes twinkled with excitement. “What’s an adventure without a little danger?”

Y/n groaned. “You need help.”

“Which is why I have you.”

They continued deeper into the temple, their flashlights flickering as the darkness swallowed them whole. The deeper they went, the more Y/n could feel the weight of history pressing down on them. The temple was old, and the air was thick with the sense that they were not the first to tread these halls—and perhaps not the last.

Lara led the way, as she always did, her steps sure and confident, while Y/n stayed close, their eyes scanning for any signs of danger. They had learned to trust each other implicitly, knowing that when one faltered, the other would be there to catch them.

And then it happened.

The floor beneath Y/n gave way, and they barely had time to shout before they fell. But Lara was faster. In a split second, she lunged forward, grabbing Y/n’s arm with both hands, her grip iron-clad. Y/n dangled over the dark abyss, their hearts racing as they looked up into Lara’s determined eyes.

“Hold on!” Lara grunted, her muscles straining as she pulled Y/n up inch by inch. The sound of crumbling stone filled the air, and for a moment, it felt like they might both fall. But Lara didn’t give up, not on Y/n.

With one final pull, Y/n was back on solid ground, gasping for breath. They lay there for a moment, both of them breathing hard, staring up at the ceiling.

“Remind me to never let you choose the route again,” Y/n panted, trying to catch their breath.

Lara laughed, the sound rich and full of relief. “Noted.”

But beneath the humor, there was something deeper—a bond that went beyond friendship. It was a connection forged in the fire of shared danger, mutual respect, and unwavering loyalty. Y/n Drake wasn’t just Lara Croft’s best friend. They were her family, her partner in adventure, the one person who knew her better than anyone else in the world.

As they stood, brushing the dust off their clothes, Lara looked at Y/n with a rare, soft smile. “You’re my rock, you know that?”

Y/n smiled back, their heartwarming at the words. “And you’re mine.”

With that, they pressed on, side by side, ready to face whatever the temple had in store. They didn’t need words to reaffirm their bond. They knew, in their bones, that no matter what lay ahead, they would face it together. Like siblings, like the closest of friends.

It was them against the world. Always.

———————-

As they ventured further into the temple, the air grew colder, and more oppressive. Every step echoed ominously, bouncing off the ancient stone walls. The passage was narrow now, forcing them to walk in single file, and Y/n could feel the hairs on the back of their neck standing on end.

“You ever think about what life would’ve been like if we weren’t constantly risking our necks in places like this?” Y/n asked, their voice quieter now, almost swallowed by the cavernous silence around them.

Lara chuckled softly ahead of them. “You mean a life where we sit behind desks, drinking coffee and grading papers? It’s crossed my mind.”

Y/n smiled despite the tension. “We could’ve been professors, you know. Lecturing on tombs rather than raiding them.”

“Maybe,” Lara said. “But admit it, you’d be bored out of your mind.”

Y/n laughed, shaking their head. “Yeah, probably. Besides, you’d have dragged me out into some tomb the moment you got restless.”

“I’m good at convincing you to follow me into trouble,” Lara admitted with a grin, casting a glance over her shoulder. “But you never hesitate.”

Y/n thought about that. It was true—they never did. Something about being with Lara had always felt right. Whether it was scaling mountains in Siberia, diving in ancient ruins off the coast of Greece, or sneaking through hostile territories in the middle of the night, Y/n never second-guessed it. Not when Lara was by their side. They had a trust that ran deeper than any friendship they’d ever had. It was unspoken, solid, like the bedrock beneath them.

Suddenly, the corridor opened into a vast chamber. The ceiling arched high above them, supported by towering columns. In the center of the room was a stone pedestal, and on it sat an artifact—something ancient, something powerful. Its golden surface shimmered even in the low light of their flashlights.

“Well, there it is,” Lara said, her voice tinged with awe.

Y/n took a step forward, eyes narrowing. “This feels too easy.”

“Way too easy,” Lara agreed, scanning the room. Her instincts were rarely wrong. Y/n followed her lead, their senses on high alert. There was always a catch in places like this—booby traps, hidden dangers, something waiting to spring the moment they touched the prize.

Lara approached the pedestal cautiously, her eyes darting to the floor, and the walls, looking for any sign of danger. Y/n watched her work, marveling at how calm and focused she was. Lara in action was like watching a master at their craft, her movements deliberate, and calculated.

“There,” Lara pointed to a faint line etched into the floor just in front of the pedestal. “Pressure plate.”

Y/n knelt, inspecting it. “Looks like it triggers something nasty if we disturb the artifact.”

“Good catch,” Lara said, crouching next to them. “But it’s more complicated than that. See those holes in the ceiling?”

Y/n followed her gaze, their stomach sinking. “Spikes.”

“Probably poisoned, knowing our luck.”

“So… we leave it, right?” Y/n said, but even as the words left their mouth, they knew that wasn’t an option. Lara’s eyes were already locked on the artifact, her mind working through the puzzle.

“We don’t leave it,” Lara said. “We find a way.”

Y/n groaned, but there was no real protest in it. They had known Lara too long to expect her to walk away from something like this. “You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days.”

Lara smiled, her eyes glinting with that familiar spark. “Not today, Y/n/n.”

Together, they worked through the problem, their movements synchronized like they’d done this a hundred times before. Lara calculated the weight of the artifact, and Y/n rigged a counterbalance from the supplies in their pack. They moved quickly but carefully, speaking in low murmurs, passing tools, and testing ideas without hesitation. It was their dynamic—an effortless partnership built on trust and understanding.

Finally, Lara was ready. She stood over the pedestal, her fingers hovering just above the artifact. “On three,” she said, meeting Y/n’s eyes.

Y/n nodded, holding the makeshift counterweight in their hands, ready to place it on the pressure plate. Their heart pounded, adrenaline coursing through them, but they trusted Lara’s timing completely.

“One… two… three.”

Lara lifted the artifact, and at the same moment, Y/n placed the counterweight. For a tense heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, a faint clicking sound echoed through the room, and Y/n froze.

“Lara—”

“I know,” Lara said, her voice steady, though Y/n could see the tension in her eyes.

They both looked up as the ceiling above them began to shift, grinding as the stone moved. The spikes didn’t drop, but something else shifted in the shadows—gears turning, mechanisms coming to life.

“Run!” Lara shouted, and they bolted for the exit.

Y/n sprinted alongside Lara, their breath coming in ragged gasps as the floor beneath them began to collapse. Behind them, the walls groaned as hidden traps were set off, and the sound of ancient stone grinding against itself filled the air.

“Faster!” Lara called, her hand grabbing Y/n’s arm, pulling them along as the ground crumbled beneath their feet.

They leapt over a wide gap, barely making it to the other side as the ground fell away into darkness. With one final push, they threw themselves through the temple’s entrance just as the passage collapsed behind them.

Breathing heavily, they lay on the jungle floor, staring up at the sky, their bodies aching but alive. The cool air was a relief after the suffocating atmosphere of the temple.

“That,” Y/n panted, “was way too close.”

Lara laughed, the sound light despite their brush with death. “But we made it.”

Y/n turned to look at her, shaking their head in disbelief. “You’re insane.”

“And you love it,” Lara replied, still grinning.

Y/n couldn’t argue with that. They lay there for a while, catching their breath, the adrenaline slowly fading. Despite the danger, despite the madness of it all, Y/n wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.

“You know,” Y/n said, after a long moment of silence, “no matter what crazy adventure you drag me into next, I’m in.”

Lara smiled, the warmth in her eyes unmistakable. “I know, Y/n. I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side.”

And that was the truth of it. Lara Croft and Y/n Drake weren’t just friends—they were family. Bound not by blood, but by something stronger: trust, loyalty, and the shared understanding that they would always have each other’s backs, no matter how dangerous the journey.

Bonus chapter

The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the small kitchen of Lara Croft’s countryside manor, a rare moment of quiet settling over the house. Y/n sat at the wooden table, scrolling through photos on their phone from their last adventure—the temple raid, near-death experiences, and the shimmering artifact they’d managed to retrieve. The adrenaline rush was still lingering, even though it had been days since they made it back.

“I still can’t believe we actually made it out of there in one piece,” Y/n muttered, shaking their head as they stared at a picture of the temple collapsing behind them.

From across the room, Lara appeared with two mugs of coffee, placing one in front of Y/n before sitting down opposite them. “Surprised?” she teased, raising an eyebrow. “You should have more faith in us by now.”

Y/n chuckled, taking a sip of the coffee. “It’s not a lack of faith, it’s just that—well, sometimes I think we’re pushing our luck.”

Lara leaned back in her chair, her eyes flickering with amusement. “That’s part of the fun.”

“Easy for you to say, Miss Tomb Raider.” Y/n smiled, though the teasing was warm. There was no bitterness, only the usual back-and-forth banter that had long defined their friendship.

Lara shrugged, her expression softening. “We’ve always made it out together, haven’t we? I’d call that luck and skill.”

Y/n couldn’t argue with that. Despite all the danger they faced, all the near-death experiences, there was always an unspoken certainty between them that they’d survive—together. And as much as Y/n liked to play the role of the reluctant partner in crime, they knew that life without these adventures, without Lara, would feel incomplete.

Still, moments like this—where they could sit in peace, with no traps to avoid or bullets to dodge—were rare. Y/n had learned to savor them.

“You ever think about taking a break?” Y/n asked, glancing up from their phone. “I mean a real break. Not just a few days between expeditions, but, like, a vacation.”

Lara raised an eyebrow, the idea clearly foreign to her. “A vacation? Doing what?”

“I don’t know. Normal stuff. Lying on a beach, reading books that aren’t about lost civilizations, maybe even trying some hobbies that don’t involve scaling cliffs or dodging traps.”

Lara smiled at the thought, though her eyes held a glimmer of uncertainty. “And you think I could handle something like that?”

Y/n leaned forward, their grin widening. “You’d last a week, tops. Probably less.”

“Five days,” Lara corrected with a smirk. “I’d get restless by then.”

“Exactly,” Alex said, shaking their head with a laugh. “But I’d still like to see you try. Just once.”

Lara took a long sip of her coffee, her eyes thoughtful. It was hard for her to imagine stepping away from the life she led, from the thrill of discovery and the rush of danger. But for Y/n’s sake, she’d consider it. After all, they had followed her into every wild, death-defying adventure she’d ever dreamed up. Maybe they deserved a quieter moment, just the two of them, without the shadow of ancient tombs looming over them.

“I’ll think about it,” Lara said finally, the warmth in her voice making it clear she wasn’t just humoring Y/n.

Y/n smiled, appreciating the sentiment. “That’s all I ask.”

They sat in companionable silence for a while, the morning sun streaming through the kitchen windows, casting golden light over the hardwood floors. It felt strange, this stillness between them. But it was a good kind of strange. A reminder that their bond wasn’t just built on danger and adventure, but on something deeper—something that could exist even when the world wasn’t crashing down around them.

After a while, Y/n glanced at the artifact sitting on the counter nearby. It was small, barely the size of a fist, but intricately detailed with ancient inscriptions, its surface gleaming with an otherworldly glow.

“So,” Y/n said, leaning back in their chair. “What are we going to do with that thing?”

Lara followed Y/n’s gaze to the artifact. “I’m still working on that. I’ll take it to the British Museum for a proper study, but I’m not handing it over to anyone until I know what it really is.”

“Fair enough,” Y/n said, their fingers tapping the edge of the table. “Just don’t let it be another cursed object. We’ve had enough of those for a lifetime.”

Lara chuckled, standing up and stretching her arms above her head. “I promise, no curses. Just a little bit of history we’ll need to unravel.”

Y/n rolled their eyes. “History. Right. And that’ll be the end of it.”

Lara’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she moved toward the door. “You know better than that.”

And Y/n did. Of course, they did. Lara’s life was never just about one adventure, or one artifact. It was an endless pursuit of knowledge, mystery, and discovery. But despite all the danger, despite the relentless pace of it all, Y/n knew they’d follow her wherever she went. They’d made that choice long ago, and there was no going back now.

“Come on,” Lara said, motioning toward the door. “Let’s take a walk. I’ll show you the garden.”

Y/n blinked. “Wait, you have a garden? Since when?”

“Since always,” Lara said with a grin. “I don’t just live in tombs, you know.”

Y/n stood, a laugh bubbling up. “A garden? Maybe you really could do this vacation thing after all.”

Lara smirked, leading the way outside. “Don’t push your luck.”

They stepped out into the fresh air, the countryside stretching out before them in a beautiful expanse of rolling hills and ancient trees. The peacefulness was striking, a stark contrast to the chaos they usually found themselves in. But at that moment, as they walked side by side through the quiet garden, Y/n realized something important.

No matter where they were—in the depths of an ancient temple, scaling mountains, or just walking through a garden—Lara and Y/n would always be the same. Two sides of the same coin, always looking out for each other and always chasing the next adventure together.

And maybe, just maybe, they could find moments of peace like this more often. If only for a little while.

Before the next adventure called.

#tomb raider #lara croft #gender neutral reader #laura croft x gn reader #adventure

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