Who: Lara and Chase What: Random meetings while jogging When: Late nov/Early Dec where: out Status: complete Rating: Pg
This was the part of the year that Chase Stein hated the most - the time when his team’s games were winding down and he couldn’t really do anything because it was technically the season still and he didn’t want to risk an injury. But running was pretty safe right? Kept him busy (and out of trouble) and was healthy for him too. And it kept him from staring at the walls of his still mostly empty apartment. He really should get around to buying furniture but he didn’t know what he really needed and there was still a part of him fighting the idea of growing up that much. So he ran. Just wanting to move and escape the lingering effects of the dream he’d had about his parents.
Lara was out and about. She didn’t often run these days at least on the streets. There was a gym at the manor and she otherwise preferred to disappear into the wilderness. Something about too many loud noises and cars stressed her out. An ill-timed backfire could still trigger her PTSD, so she wore ear phones to try to drown out some of the noise. It mostly worked.
Chase had gotten into a few mixups with fans over the past year when they’d seen him in public but he hadn’t realized they were speaking to him so he didn’t wear headphones when he was out. It was easier just to not worry about it. Plus listening to the traffic and the people around him helped keep him distracted from everything else. Sometimes too distracted as evidenced by him not even realizing he was coming up on someone until he had to stop suddenly and move to the side, taking advantage of the opportunity to stop and take a few extra breaths and look around him. He’d run a lot further than he’d realized. “Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to run up on you.”
Pulling out her earbuds, Lara waved a hand. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t really looking where I was going. I’m a little preoccupied. Are you all right?”
She forced her shoulders to relax. It had taken years, but she could control the urge to lash out at people sneaking up behind her. Lucky him!
“I’m good. I was just too wrapped up in my own thoughts to realize there was somebody ahead of me early enough to change course.” Chase told her with a friendly smile. That was one of the things he’d noticed himself now that the court case was done - the anger he’d been feeling since his birthday had gone away for the most part. He wasn’t pissed off at the world and everyone in it anymore and it was nice not to hear that anger in his voice when he was talking to people. “Are you alright?” Part of being an athlete for him was learning to read other people’s body language to a degree so he was making sure not to make any movements towards her because she seemed tense.
“I’m fine,” Lara shook her head. “I just don’t handle being snuck up on very well. I like to see when people are coming.” It was the closest she could admit to any problems with a stranger that she’d do.
“Training, or just exercising?”
“A little bit of both actually. Gotta stay in shape for my career but public gyms have never really been my thing. And you can only stare at the walls of your apartment for so long before you need to get out of there. Or at least I have to.” Chase said, skirting around the issue of why he’d never done public gyms. Too many people intruding onto his thoughts while he was trying to clear his mind. Running though - running was easy for him. Even when he did stop for a conversation with someone - it was easier when it was just one person. He was getting better though. Better at working through everything and dealing with it.
“I understand.” Lara had spend so much time at University cooped up, that sometimes she needed to go out and run, herself. And in the years since she’d dreamed, it was still a good way to deal with excess energy, since she couldn’t go into a club or any place with loud, sudden noises. She missed that sometimes. But peace and quiet was nice too.
“I spend much of my time out doors.”
“I used to. I’m trying to get back into that now that things are settling back down for me. Plus you never know what you might see in a store window that you have to get for your living room or kitchen or whatever.” Yeah he’d made some impulse buys lately but he was furnishing his first apartment. He had to get decorative stuff and furniture right?
Lara could afford impulse buys. She’d technically impulse-bought an island, but it had been because of what ancient relics she’d found on it. She didn’t typically like doing that though. Too many years cut off from her fortune had taught her the art of frugality. “Sounds like a friend of mine. Infamous for her impulse buys.”
Chase gave a little laugh at her comment about her friend. “Yeah. I’m hoping not to become infamous for mine. Most impulsive thing I’ve bought so far was the car I’d wanted for my birthday.” He figured his apartment didn’t count because he had to have a place to live. He hadn’t really needed a second car though. And he was still driving his van a lot more right now.
“Not the worst thing I’ve ever seen impulse bought.” She’d gotten over judging people for it, though she still thought that kind of money was obscene. She’d been raised in it though, and it had taken living without it for her to really understand.
“Got anything else you’ve wanted badly?”
“I’ll admit I’m curious to hear what the worst you’ve seen is.” Chase asked curiously. Having control of his money was still so new to him and he’d been tempted to blow it all on stuff he didn’t need and would never use but he’d resisted. Mostly. He probably could have bought a smaller tv for his bedroom.
“Does freedom count?” He asked, the question coming out without him realizing it. “No. That’s really the only expensive thing I’ve bought. Well that and an apartment but I needed a place to live and I didn’t feel like buying a house.”
“I bought an island,” Lara replied. She flashed a grin, “A very small island in international waters and I mostly wanted claim to the ancient ruins on it, but still. But freedom counts. It’s not something you can buy with money, but money, it helps.”
Chase let out a soft whistle when she mentioned buying an island. “That’s one hell of an impulse buy.” He agreed, smiling at her. “I might be tempted to do that one day if I ever decide just living on the beach isn’t enough. I’ll give somebody with more knowledge than me about things like that access to the ruins though. Yeah - I’m learning that with my money. Even not using it - knowing I have it? Helps me sleep a lot easier at night.”
“After a few years surviving on Ramen, it was kind of nice to go back to real meals,” Lara admitted. Unlike some people, she’d had that option, and she sounded a little guilty over it.
“Real meals? What are those?” Chase said, attempting to joke. Most nights he ordered in. Or made something quick and simple like macaroni and cheese and hot dogs. Not a healthy diet at all but it was delicious.
“You know, bangers and mash, and that sort of thing,” Lara replied, playing up her accent. “I can’t really cook all that well. I’m better than my wife at it, but honestly, not that much. Take-out is still pretty common for us.”
“Pretty sure my culinary skills stop at macaroni and cheese.” Chase admitted. “The pizza place can pretty much identify me by voice but not everybody is meant to be a great cook. If we were - restaurants would suffer out here.”
“If you mean the stuff in the boxes, then that’s about what we’re good at too,” Lara replied with a smile. “The local thai place loves us, we order at least once a week from there.”
“It’s the powder. That’s what makes it so tasty. And probably the most unhealthy thing ever put in a box,” Chase told her with a grin. “I wonder if there’s a thai place near my apartment…” he was thinking out loud. He really should explore more around his neighborhood.
“Is it even cheese?” Did it matter? It was still delicious, and it was cheap. Two things that had been important to a pair of friends in University.
“I can recommend a place but I’ve no clue if it’s close.”
“In theory it is.” Chase said with a shrug. He didn’t really care if it was or not - it was delicious and easy to fix. And when there were leftovers it was easy to reheat. And not horrible cold the few times he’d eaten it that way.
“Yeah? It’d be pretty cool to get a recommendation.” The only restaurants he knew were the ones his parents frequented and he wasn’t going to walk into any of those.
“I’ll pass it along,” Lara promised. And she was a Croft, so she’d totally keep her promise.