You're looking at this all wrong!

Wait. This isn’t a race.

You can see Lara is stuck in the same mindset you were just a second ago, not watching how close she’s getting to you in trying to make it to the gate before you can. If you were just beating her to it, she’d have this in the bag. But she said to “catch,” her. Well, you have to hope she was sincere about how being a surprise.

You let her get half a step in front of you before hauling off, wrapping your arms around her midsection. She lets out a whooping noise of shock as you lift yourself, and, consequently, her, off your feet, sending the two of you spiraling into the bushes.

A series of grunts and breaths from both of you take you from the bushes and into the less harsh ground of the parks’ woods, down a small incline that takes you out of line of sight from anyone walking the trails. Even disoriented, you remember what you’re here for enough to make sure you stay on top, pinning her arms down. For a moment, you wonder if you’re going too hard.

“Okay, you win!” she sighs in defeat, but smiling brightly all the same. “Even if you cheated.”

“Fuck off!” you scoff, grinning back.

“I mean, if I’d lived here for some sad amount of time, I’m sure I’d know all the tricks, too. And you couldn’t beat me to the gate.”

“I wasn’t TRYING to beat you to the gate.”

“Details,” she shrugs back. You grit your teeth, but not in frustration. While she’s playfully arguing, her hips are rolling steadily against you, and you can feel her grind her crotch up against yours. You feel like a middle schooler fumbling their first make out from how good just that is. Christ, it’s been so long. “Speaking of playing dirty, you DID win. Which means you get what you want.” Her expression is a mask of innocence as she punctuates the statement with a particularly languorous motion against you. “Any ideas?”