Well, another one-shot that didn't leave my mind. I was trying to shake it off, but it was persistent, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was not sure what would come out of it as my original idea was something different, but here it is... decide for yourselves if you like the results. Let's see what Kurtis hides behind his cool fassade :)

And of course, leave a comment as always if you feel like! Would be appreciated :)

Hands in my pocket, I wander the dark night streets of London without even knowing what brought me here. It could have been so many other cities of the world I go to, but I chose London. Hmmm… I'm not looking for an explanation anymore.

I walk down the roads, still wet from the rain during the day. The lights of the city mirroring in the puddles, the shops closed, only a few drunken teenagers crossing the bridge when I amble around. Loneliness. The word keeps swirling in my mind, questions popping up, leaving me wonder what I've done wrong. Does being alone mean being lonely?

I continue my way, raise my head to look at the London eye. I see the Thames flow, slowly rolling towards the sea, taking the reflections of those famous building with her.

Things have changed, and I need to do something with my life. All those happenings in the past make me look at myself with different eyes. I have destroyed my enemies, barely saving myself at the end, but I've done it. I've lost something, I've won something. So I'll leave it to fate what will happen to me. If this is my destiny, I'll know it in time.

Then I raise my head, and I don't want to believe my eyes. I see her. She just emerges from a building, and walks over to a motorbike standing at the side of the road. Am I fantasizing? No, it's her. Lara Croft. I would recognize her from a million. Anytime, anywhere. Suddenly those days come back to my mind. The encounter in the Louvre, how I touched her, how she looked at me. Interesting. When I look there again, she's not there anymore. I only hear the loud roar of the bike fading between the dark walls.

I stop in my tracks, confused by my own state of mind. Was this fate giving me a sign? Is this what I've been waiting for? From all those places I could be now… why did I get to this one spot? In this exact moment? If fate wants to show me something, I'm ready to accept the challenge. She still has my weapon after all.

With new determination, I hurry back to my place, find my bike, and rush along the empty side roads of London until I leave the city. Fate has intervened, and I will get my weapon back, continue to follow my destiny. The lonely war against evil.

I slow down when I reach the manor. I ask myself why I know where she lives. Maybe once, months ago, I tried to find out a few things about her. Only because she's made me curious. What's wrong about that?

Maybe I shouldn't be here. It's the middle of the night, I can't just walk in on her and ask for the chirugai. On the other hand, she just arrived back from the city as well, she can't be sleeping yet.

I walk to her bike that is standing in front of the entrance, put my hand on the engine, and feel the warmth of it. I was right.

I waver for just another moment, hesitating if it's a good idea. But what could go wrong? I'll knock the door, say hi, ask how she is, request my weapon back, and I'll walk away. Simple and easy. Yes, that's what I'm going to do. The determination I came here with is back now, so I walk to the door, and raise my hand that stops for another moment before it touches the hard wooden surface. My knocking is faint as if I want to give fate a chance that she wouldn't hear it. What if someone else opens? What will I say who I am? You know the guy from the Louvre? Shit, maybe I should leave until I still can.

It's too late. I hear the steps, and then hear the door creak. I take a step back. What the hell is wrong with me? I feel nervous as if expecting a beast to jump on me from behind that door. Keep it easy, Kurtis, I tell myself. Get the chirugai, wish her a nice life, and walk out.

Then the door opens, and she's standing there in person. Lara Croft with those hazel eyes. The light coming from inside chases the darkness away, and I'm standing there, staring at her, feeling like an idiot. I order myself to behave like a normal person with a functioning brain.

"Hey," I say, wondering what the hell made me say that. The surprise is clearly visible on her face, but I can't decide if she's happy to see me or not. Probably not after I disappeared without a word. But why would that have been a problem for her?

"Kurtis?" she asks, her voice expressing the same surprise that her face showed. "You're alive."

It was a statement, not a question. What am I doing here?

"I'm sorry I left in Prague, but…"

"Don't worry about it." Yes, she is cool, maybe even cold, but what did I expect? She would hug me into a warm embrace, feeling relieved that I didn't die? Seeing her, I forgot why I've come here at all. She turns, walks back in, and having no other choice, I follow her. I've never been to her place before, I'm amazed by its size, the high walls, the spacious hall, the staircase. It just suits her.

"I know it's late. I'm sorry about that," I say, looking around, and then moving my glance back to her. Wow, she looks amazing, wearing leather trousers and a light shirt that just gives her that breath-taking cleavage. Not that I would look there. No. I force myself to look into her eyes again.

"Don't keep being sorry about everything. What are you doing here?" Her tone didn't change, and somehow it annoys me. So I decide to stay cool, and act that way. If Lara is not affected by our encounter, I won't be either. So I casually walk over to the sofa at the fireplace, and sit down, leaning my arm on the backrest. She cocks her head to the side, obviously questioning my manners. Well, Lara, get used to it. I'm a cool guy.

"I'm here for my chirugai," I answer, my feet drumming to an unknown rhythm on the floor. She looks confused for a moment, not understanding my intentions.

"That's how you call that thing." She smiles a bit, finally grasping what I want. No, don't smile, I think in despair. That makes you look so terribly irresistible.

"Yes, and I'd love to have it back." Yes, be tough, Kurtis. Show her who the boss is.

"Anything else I may serve you with?" she asks with sarcasm in her tone. I watch her cross her arms over her chest, her hips pushed to the side a bit. Just like a teacher trying to intimidate a cheeky child. It won't work on me, darling. Darling? Did I just call her darling? What the…?

"All I want is my weapon, and I'm out of here." Okay, that was a smart answer. I cross one leg, trying to look amused. Please go and get the chirugai. Any minute longer that I spend here will make me long for you even more and I don't want that. I have a mission in life, and women are not part of it.

"As you wish." She gives me the kind of look I'm not sure what it means, then she slowly walks up the stairs, and disappears from my view. Phew… I blow out a breath, feeling a bit better that she's not present. I ease my shoulders, and run my fingers through my hair, looking forward to the moment when I hold the chirugai in my hands again. Piece of cake.

"It's an interesting thing, your weapon." Her voice startles me, I didn't hear her come back. How did she do that? Hell. When I look up, she's standing at the base of the stairs, holding my chirugai in her hand, looking at it with curiosity. "I've never figured out how it works."

"It only obeys me," I say, and stand to reach out for it. She doesn't move. "May I have it, please?" Some manners are allowed. I'm no caveman after all. She kept it for me, so I'll say thanks, give her a cool look, and walk out.

"Come, and get it," she teases, holding the round metal on her open palm. That's not a good idea. I narrow my eyes at her, trying to find out what she's planning, but I can't see a thing. Her face is casual, a bit amused, her eyes shining, a tiny smile in the corner of her mouth. No, definitely not a good idea. I move closer. Why am I doing this? Another step, and I'm almost there. I can almost reach it, but she suddenly moves her hand behind her back, hiding the chirugai from me.

"That's not funny." Does she want to play a game with me? If that's what she wants, she can get it. I take one more step.

"I think it is," she smiles, and then she bites into her lip when I step in front of her. Damn it, why did she have to do this? It makes me crazy when she does that, and I can't look away. I can't look away and she knows it. God, save me from the wickedness of this woman.

"I got you in Paris, I'll get you now." I must stay confident, but her scent is filling my nose, then my brain, and… what do I want here at all? Oh right, the chirugai, I remind myself, and finding my clear thoughts again, I reach out, running my hand down her arm. Just like in Paris. It worked there, it'll work here too. She's holding my gaze, letting my hand travel down, but before I reach the weapon, she moves away, making me follow her. I hate that she can do this to me. The only woman who's ever managed to confused my mind. Is the chirugai worth so much? I've lived without it so far, maybe I should forget about it, and end this madness.

"But now we're playing on my field." When her back touches the banister, my body bumps against hers. She is so soft, so womanly, so gorgeous. The tip of her tongue flicks out as she licks her lips. Another intentional, cruel attack against my fortitude. I shouldn't be here, I definitely shouldn't be here, but I want that kiss. I want to catch those lips, bite them, suck them… oh no, stop right there. This is all wrong. I'm walking into her trap, and that's exactly what she wants. Take revenge on me because I could take her guns away. I remember that moment of victory. How damn hard it was not to kiss her when her lips were so close to mine. As close as now.

"I'm here to get my weapon," I repeat in a resolute voice, but I don't believe my own words anymore.

"Are you sure?" God, I hate women. My glance slips down to her lips again.

"I'm here for only one thing. I want to…" What did I want? I'm just gazing at her, and she simply mesmerizes me. I have no idea what I wanted to say. "I want to…"

"Say it, Kurtis," she whispers. My hand slides off her arm, and it moves to her waist. Did I do that? Surely not. "The one thing you've come for. Say it." I have no idea what she's talking about. I feel undone under her spell, and only see those hazel eyes. What's happening to me? Where's the cool Kurtis who came here?

"I want to… kiss you." No, these can't be my words. No, I didn't say that. Of course not. Did I? Please God, let me not have said that. Her triumphant smile tells me I did.

"Then do it." She tips her head back, offering me those full lips I've been dreaming of so often, and I don't care about cool Kurtis anymore. To hell with him.

I pull her closer until her belly touches mine, and I do what I've come for. My lips touch hers, and her kiss is so warm and soft. She lets me taste and linger before she swirls into it, pulling me down into that pit of pleasure. Her hand loops around my neck, her fingers rake through my hair, and she is the sweetest woman I've ever tasted. What am I doing?

"I think you deserved it," she says after she pulls away, and again I have no idea what she's talking about. She could tell me now I'm Genghis Khan, and I would believe it.

Her hand runs down my chest, only the tip of her fingers touching me when she reaches my stomach. Then she moves, places the chirugai into my palm, watching me with shining eyes. I can't say a word. I keep staring at her with mindless eyes that others could interpret as cool and reserved as she walks up the stairs, and turns back to me at the top.

"Well, you have your chirugai now." She offers me a challenging look. "Decide if there is anything else here you want." She wags her brows, and then walks away, leaving me standing there with my orange glowing weapon in my hand. My stare moves down, I see it, I feel how it responds to my presence. I have what I wanted, I could just walk away, but I still taste her in my mouth. What would cool Kurtis do now? Probably waive a hand, and really just walk away. What? There is a woman like Lara Croft offering a night with her, and he walks away? As I said: to hell with cool Kurtis and loneliness. I throw the chirugai aside, and ran up the stairs, knowing mindless Kurtis will have much more fun in life.