Hey guys! How's everyone doing? So here's a new chapter, hope you like it :D O and I'm not American but the day that is in it I have to say it :) Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers, reviewers and followers, hope you're having an amazing day and I am very thankful for all of you amazing readers from all around the world :) So here we go, enjoy!

-Sailor

I tried to sleep, I really did. I urged myself to sleep knowing I would regret it later. But all the high emotions, tensions and feelings were mixing together in a cocktail that had me buzzing and yet exhausted. I wasn't sure what my feelings were for Bane right now. I mean, there was something about him but I had a whole life before Bane and I couldn't just abandon all that. I had a career, and if there was even a snifter that I was hanging around with the likes of him my career would have been over before it started. And what would be the outcome? Live in the sewers for the rest of my days? I tossed and turned and eventually lay facing outwards as I saw Bane lie on his bed, his huge chest heaving up and down periodically. I noticed he had thrown his vest to one side, must have taken it off while I was turned away. I sat up and pushed the door open a bit more with my foot keeping my eyes fixed on him in case he woke up. After about an hour of staring at him I realised if he woke up and found me staring him out of it I would have no explanation. I decided go to the bathroom then lie back down and force myself to sleep. I stood up and pushed the door open causing it to creak loudly. I saw him stir slightly before settling back. I tip toed over to the bathroom and opened the door as quietly as I could. When I was finished I turned off the light and went back outside and was met with Bane sitting up on his bed staring at me.

"You forgot to lock the door…" I mumbled.

"I didn't forget…sleep eluding you?"

"Yea…did I wake you?"

"No I wasn't asleep, just thinking"

I nodded and stepped back over to my cage.

"Sleep here, it might help" he said glancing over and catching my eye.

"O no that's fine, that's your bed I understand that"

He got up and gestured for me to come over. He sat me down placing his hands on my shoulders and pushing me down lightly. I lay fully down and he sat on the edge looking over to my cage. He reached around and pulled the blanket over me. Amazingly I could feel my eyes drooping over straight away where I thought my brain would never turn it off but then I felt him run his fingers through my side fringe that was falling back over the pillow and I suddenly felt at ease. I felt a few strands of hair fall back onto my forehead; I could hear his left arm retracting and his right arm reaching out and brushing them from eyes. I felt one of his fingers scratch my forehead triggering me to wake from my light sleep.

"I apologise"

"For what?"

"I scratched you by accident" he said looking down at his hand.

"It's grand" I yawned sitting up slightly.

He looked up and I had a feeling there was something on my face.

"What is it?"

"You have a big scratch on your forehead now"

"O…it's ok" I said putting my hand up to it feeling the raised line, it wasn't that big.

"I forgot for a second"

"Forgot what?"

"My hand…" he said stretching it out in front of me.

His little finger on his right hand was tucked in towards his palm and didn't reach out with his other fingers; it looked like it was permanently curled. I hadn't even noticed it, I suppose it's so small that you would only notice if he brought it to your attention. I reached out and touched it, I don't know why I did it just seemed like something I had to do.

"What happened to it?"

"Old injury that never healed properly"

"Can you feel that?" I said running my finger over it.

He just shook his head, the touch obviously not registering with him. I stretched it out holding it with his other fingers.

"Does that hurt? When I stretch it out?"

"Not really" he sighed.

I let it go and it involuntarily curled back under.

"Is it annoying?"

"Not really, it's just something I live with"

I brought his hand up and kissed it and I heard him swallow heavily, his eyes fixed on his hand.

"I felt something that time…very slight" he mumbled.

I shuffled and lay back on the bed my head resting on my arm, my hand not leaving his. He looked me dead in the eye and I moved over slightly giving him room to lie beside me. I felt the whole side of my bed rise as he let his weight collapse beside me. I rested my hand on his chest feeling the dull ache of his heart through his thick muscle. He turned his head to look at me, putting his hand over mine. I don't know what took over me but I pulled his hand slightly leading him to lie practically on top of me. His knees went on either side of my waist and I could feel him holding his weight up so he didn't crush me. His face was inches away from mine; I could feel his breath coming out through the mask slightly and a hard bulge pressed against my crotch. He reached up and started fiddling with the back of his mask but I put my hands on either side of his face holding it to him.

"No don't, the pain…it's not worth it" I whispered.

I brought his hands down and rested them on the mattress over my shoulder. I ran my fingers over the little, icy pipes of his mask, his eyes closing as if he could feel my touch.

"We don't have to do anything" I murmured quietly.

"I would if it wasn't for this. I would love to wake up and be able to kiss you every day, make love to you properly…"

"Well we still could…" I said getting the feeling he wanted this either way, he was a man after all. I suddenly got a flashback of that party at Bruce Wayne's apartment.

"No, that would be selfish on my part…I want to kiss you, be physically close and this mask keeps you at a distance" he growled.

That I have never heard before, definitely a first on me and definitely not something I've ever heard at any parties I've been at or from any man I've ever been with.

"I thought you said people are inherently selfish" I smiled.

"This is true little one. Maybe it depends on the situation" I could tell by his eyes that he was smiling under that mask. I also would have thought in a situation like this selfishness would have taken over considering what he's getting out of it but Bane was different to other men, not that I needed reminding of that fact.


Silence followed our little joke but it wasn't an awkward silence. His show stopping eyes bore into mine for what seemed like forever; but I couldn't take my eyes off his. I didn't even want to blink in case I missed something. His eyes had this amazing glaze over them which I haven't seen in anyone before. They were full of passion, fire and yet equally filled with mistrust, hurt and love.

"Your eyes are perfect, did you know that?" I couldn't help myself I had to say it.

"But my mask…"

"Doesn't matter, just makes me notice your eyes more"

He brought his head down and rested it on my chest.

"Little one, your heart is racing"

I reached up and kissed the top of his head while my hand ran along the long bumpy line from the top of his neck and down his back. I felt goose bumps rise on his skin under the tips of my fingers and then I felt a drop of water soak into my chest and I realised it came from Bane's perfect eyes.

"Little one?"

"Yea?"

"Does the man I took you from make your heart race like that?"

For once I didn't actually know what to say. After defending John for so long since I got here, constantly having to prove that he cares and is coming for me and I realised I was working hard to convince Bane and to convince myself. The fact of the matter was John hadn't found me yet. Now, I have no idea what is going on outside this sewer but if he really cared as much as he claimed to he would have found me especially since Bane is who he's looking for as well. Bane was right about that, if nothing else.

"Little one…" he pressed.

"No, no he doesn't"

He exhaled heavily and then pushed himself up on his hands his flawless eyes staring into my own once again.

"Does Talia's touch give you goose bumps like that?"

"No, not at all" he immediately said his brow knitting together slightly.

I nodded slightly and ran my hand over his head outlining the mask with my fingertip.

"I have some business to attend to and I will be gone for 3 days…you can stay here if you wish but I am quite aware you don't like being on your own for some reason and I wouldn't want you to stay here if you will be frightened and uncomfortable, the choice is yours"

"I'll go with you" I said almost immediately. The idea of being left on my own here for 3 days was unbearable to even think about and then I knew I would miss Bane as well.

"Very good, I won't leave you on your own on this business trip I promise"

I nodded as he rolled off and lay beside me still only staying inches from my body. He pushed my hair behind my ear and then I watched as he fell into a deep sleep before I followed suit.