Miraculously, Jenna caught herself each time she was about to roll over onto her right side that night. In the morning she questioned it, but with further thought she figured it was because she now knew the complications that could arise by cutting off the circulation to the rest of her arm. The thought was frightening –she already hated her broken arm anyway– and she couldn't imagine having to deal with it longer than was necessary. Even when she took a nap later that afternoon she woke up laying completely on her left side.
Jenna hadn't seen Isaac much that day. She only ventured to the garage to smoke a few times, but even when she was up there, Isaac was busy working on the car again. He had halted his actions for a minute to help her put her sling back on, but once this was finished he immediately returned to lay underneath the car. But Jenna didn't mind the lack of conversation. After their previous conversation in the garage, she welcomed the silence, and she sat quietly as she watched him work. When her stomach began to growl wildly later in the day, she stopped by the fridge upstairs, hoping she could find something filling to eat, but as luck would have it, the fridge was empty, the cabinets were bare, and she was forced to eat the last banana on the counter that had already started to brown slightly. As a way to escape her hunger, she took her time with applying some make-up in the bathroom, lining her eyes with black eyeliner and applying dark eyeshadow to her lids, and after she had done this, she napped. But when she awoke near five that evening, she knew she could not escape her hunger much longer.
Unable to abandon the thought of hopefully accompanying Isaac to the diner, she put on her coat and boots before she left her room to start up the stairs. The sun was setting behind the snow-covered horizon, and when her eyes found the garage she saw Isaac was leaning on the hood of the Challenger, a cigarette dangling between his lips, as usual. When he saw her approaching, he kept his eyes focused on her, and once she had reached him he began to reach into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes.
"Hey, are you busy?" Jenna asked him, her question catching him off guard. He took his bare hand out of his coat pocket as he glanced up at her.
"Not anymore," he replied. "Why?"
"Do you think we could go get something to eat?"
"At the diner?"
Jenna nodded. "Yeah, if that's okay," she went on. "I'm starving."
Isaac grinned. "Are you allowed to?" His tone was slightly humorous, but Jenna knew this to be a legitimate, dire question.
"I think so," she replied, honestly unsure. She thought she could recall Bane mentioning she could only stay on the warehouse property, but the starving state of her being was trying to convince her this had never been said. After taking one last drag, Isaac tossed the cigarette into the snow.
"You'd better find out," he replied as he leaned off the hood before starting to turn around. Jenna was frowning as she stared at him. Images of Bane the night before instantly flashed in her mind, and she found herself almost completely unwilling to talk to him.
"...can you go ask?" She asked in that quiet voice, her tone catching Isaac's attention again. When he turned and glanced down at her, he saw she had bowed her head slightly while her eyes were focused on the ground.
"You go do it," Isaac told her, and when Jenna raised her slightly widened eyes back up to him, her lips already parting to protest, he went on. "I can't be your go-between. You need to face him, Jenna."
"But-"
"-what good is it if I start talking to him for you?" He interrupted. "You can't avoid him forever. Just go ask him."
When Jenna's frown grew larger, Isaac grinned at her. "Go ask, and I'll be waiting in the truck."
"What if he says no?"
Isaac merely shrugged. "I can still go." His grin widened, and Jenna couldn't hold herself back from rolling her eyes at him before she finally turned to head back into the warehouse.
During her descent down the stairs, she hoped that Bane's door would be open, or that he would already be outside of his room. But just as she had been expecting, his door was closed, and when she reached the bottom of the stairs she let out a short sigh, already starting to feel anxious. She could not escape the menacing shirtless images of him, or the way his muscles had flexed so sternly with each push-up, but even more so, thoughts reflecting back to all that he had done to her began to take over. She was still entirely sure of the fact that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, but when her stomach let out a loud growl when she approached his door, she struggled to fight through her hesitation for a moment before she finally raised her closed fist to the door to leave two, gentle knocks on it.
The door seemed to open immediately after she had lowered her hand, and she was greeted with the sight of Bane's giant and looming figure standing over her, clad in a pair of gray cargo pants, a dark gray, zipped leather jacket, and his brown leather armband. Her eyes wandered quickly up his body, and when she found his masked face, she saw his eyes were glaring directly down at her. She waited for Bane to speak, but after an awkward moment of silence had passed, Jenna cleared her throat.
"Can I go... to the diner? With Isaac," she quickly added, reverting her eyes away from his. Bane wasn't staring at her angrily, but rather with some sort of other, foreign expression. Either way, Jenna did not want to look at him. Just his presence standing not even two feet from her was enough to weigh her down completely. But even though Jenna had looked away, Bane kept his eyes focused on her.
Although her clothes were ratty and the expression on her bowed face was still hopeless and blank, Bane had taken an immediate notice to her body's rather refreshed state the moment he opened the door, and it had honestly caught him off guard. The red around her eyes had faded severely and was now masked with make-up, her chapped lips appeared to have healed rather quickly, and her skin and hair looked as clean and soft as ever. Finally, Bane forced himself to blink, and he straightened his posture as he prepared to answer her question, only to pause as soon as his lips parted. He had literally just been on his way to go find Isaac upstairs and let him know they would be leaving in an hour's time, but for some terrible reason, he found he was starting to change his mind. There's bound to be some food upstairs. She'll be fine. You have plans to attend to. Along with this, Bane had told Jenna she must stay at the warehouse, even after her new-found freedom. When he had told this he had meant it... but then again he had meant it when he forbid her and Isaac from talking. That had backfired.
Jenna was still looking away from him, and Bane watched her shut her eyes tightly when her stomach gave off a loud grumble. Why say no? He questioned himself now. What good will that do?It looks like she hasn't eaten anything substantial in years. Bane sighed, unable to believe he was going back on his word yet again, and even worse this time, changing his rather serious plans. "Yes," he replied. "And you can tell Barsad I will no longer be requiring his assistance tonight... after all," he added, purposely making it sound as though it was something he had already been considering, prior to Jenna's question.
Jenna raised her head to glance up at him at now, her stomach dropping due to his surprising answer. "Assistance with what?" The question flew past her mouth, and as soon as she realized what she had said, she quickly reverted her gaze away from him again.
Bane's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he stared at her, but a second later he glanced up as he fixed the large collars of his coat. "We are expecting a guest," he told her in a lighter, louder tone. "All the necessary arrangements can be done without him."
Jenna glanced up to him again, suddenly unable to hold back her curiosity. "Who?" She asked in a small voice, and she practically flinched when Bane quickly glanced back down to her, surprised with her verbosity. Her eyes were slightly widened, her curiosity that she was struggling to hide shining, but judging by the way her eyebrows furrowed, the way her lips parted slightly, and how stationary and still her body had become as she anticipated his answer, Bane could easily guess what was on her mind. He grinned, Jenna instantly picking up on those wrinkles, and she took in a small breath.
"It is not who you're thinking," he assured, watching as Jenna's eyebrows met closer as she continued to stare into his eyes. "The model?" He went on, and his grin expanded when Jenna glanced down slightly, tearing her eyes away from his, her actions only confirming his suspicions. "No, no... it's someone much more... valuable than her." Bane waited for Jenna look back up at him, and when she did, he went on, answering Jenna's question before she could ask it. "The mayor."
Jenna's eyes widened, and she forced herself to tighten her lips before she confirmed. "The mayor?" The last thing she had wanted to was to have any sort of conversation with Bane, but her curiosity had overcome her, and to be honest, the fact that Bane was planning on kidnapping the mayor was rather alarming.
Bane's grin faded, and he nodded seriously as Jenna mumbled out her next question: why? "For reasons that I don't have time to answer right now. Go eat," he commanded instead. Jenna listened to him quickly and turned around to start over the stairs, discovering that she really didn't want to know why Bane was taking the mayor. Chances were, his responses would only make her feel sick.
"Oh, and Jenna," Bane called to her suddenly, waiting until she stopped and turned to look at him. "Consume something other than pancakes, please. Order something a little more substantial."
Jenna's eyes narrowed –what an odd request– but she didn't offer him an answer, and instead turned to head up the stairs. I'll order whatever I want, she thought to herself.
When she stepped back outside, she saw Isaac through the window of his truck, waiting for her in the running vehicle in front of the garage, and without a second thought she began to trudge through the snow. The clouds above teamed with the freezing temperature, threatening snow, but this didn't bother Jenna. She knew she would be able to stay primarily inside warmer buildings, and found that she was thankful Isaac wasn't making her drive. She figured Isaac wasn't the type of cruel man to make her drive with hand, and she assumed the Challenger wouldn't do good in the snow that already covered the ground, anyway.
When Jenna opened the passenger side door and began to climb in, she saw Isaac was messing around with the radio, trying to find a station, until he gave up easily and pressed a button with his thumb to turn off the radio. A short second later a CD began to play, and once Jenna had settled into her seat and closed her door, Isaac put the truck in reverse and began to back away from the garage before he corrected the wheel and began off of the property.
"We can't stay there long," he began. "I gotta be back by-"
"Bane said he didn't need your help anymore," Jenna relayed Bane's message, and when Isaac glanced over at her she turned her head to look at him.
"Oh," Isaac said now, having no urge to ask her why. She more than likely didn't even know. "Alright then, cool."
Jenna wanted to ask Isaac what Bane needed his help with, though she was sure she knew. Even more so, suddenly, she wanted to ask Isaac why Bane was taking the mayor, but she figured Isaac would not fill her in any more than Bane had.
The drive to the diner took a lot shorter than Jenna had expected. The roads were nothing but sheets of ice blanketed by the snow, these roads more than likely the worst in the city since nobody ever traveled on them, but Isaac's truck drove along them easily. Snow flakes began to fall from the sky and gather on the wind shield, and by the time Jenna saw the diner's lights ahead, the snow grew thicker, until it was pouring down heavily. Jenna was frowning, already anticipating the torturous, frigid walk to the doors of the diner from the parking lot, but when she glanced at Isaac she saw he appeared to be feeling quite content. He kept one hand on the steering wheel, his other hand resting comfortably in his lap, and though his eyes were sunken back as always, they appeared bright, and awake.
"Do you like the snow?" Jenna asked him. Isaac attempted to hide his surprise once her question left her mouth, but when he glanced into Jenna's eyes, he couldn't help the grin that spread onto his lips. Perhaps he really was helping Jenna after all...
"I love it," he replied as he faced forward again, that crooked grin never leaving his lips. "I grew up in it. I actually hate any other weather."
"You don't like summer?" Jenna asked him now. Isaac could sense Jenna's true curiosity, and he welcomed it, pleased to notice her voice carried new tones and that her mind was starting to work again.
"Nah," he replied, shaking his head slightly as he pulled into a parking space directly at the side of the restaurant. "Too hot. Do you like summer?"
"Yeah," Jenna replied as she leaned forward, preparing herself to venture into the snow. "I mean I don't mind winter, but I like warmer temperatures."
"I could have guessed," Isaac replied, amused, but just before he could open his door, he paused and turned back to Jenna, who had just placed her hand on the handle. "When we get in there, just keep your head down. You were all over the news last week and though I doubt it, someone might recognize you in here." Jenna nodded, and without another word Isaac opened his door and easily stepped down into the snow. Jenna struggled to follow his actions, but as soon as she was out of the truck, she immediately began to shiver.
She moved quickly through the snow, following Isaac to the door that he held open for her, and as soon as she stepped past him and inside she let out a sigh, appreciating the warm temperature in the building more than she had anticipated. The usual 'Please seat yourself' sign was located front and center, and she did not need to follow Isaac to know where to go. Keeping her head down all the while, she slid into their usual booth, Isaac sitting down opposite of her, and she wasted no time with grabbing the menu on the table and opening it. She was greeted with a large, appetizing picture of pancakes, but she found herself turning the page quickly, Bane's words suddenly repeating in her head. "Consume something other than pancakes, please. Order something a little more substantial." Like what? Jenna wondered.
Isaac sat silently on the opposite of her, watching Jenna turn through the pages of the menu as she tried to decide on what to get. After a moment or so of watching Jenna read the items on the page, he spoke up.
"No pancakes?"
"Not tonight," Jenna replied, never moving her eyes from the page.
"Why not?"
Jenna shrugged. She was not about to tell him what Bane said. She couldn't even believe she was finding herself obeying his orders in the first place. But Jenna could recall always being hungry not even an hour after she ate the pancakes at the restaurant; she would order something else for herself, and only for herself.
The two sat in silence until after the waitress came along, and after Isaac ordered for the both of them, Jenna keeping her head turned away from the waitress while he did so, he attempted to bring up another conversation.
"So what did you and your folks usually do around Christmas?" Isaac asked after he crossed his arms on top of the table and leaned over them while Jenna began to take off her coat. His question completely struck Jenna as odd and out of place, but he watched her eyes widen slightly when she remembered suddenly that it was Christmas Eve. Isaac grinned as he watched the realization hit her face.
"Parties and stuff," Jenna replied passively as she set her coat down next to her on the seat before glancing back up at Isaac. "Christmas Eve was always spent with a ton of stupid people I didn't know."
"What about Christmas day?" Isaac wondered.
"Same thing. Presents in the morning. More people over later. I've never liked Christmas." Jenna rolled her eyes while Isaac's grin expanded. "What about you?" She asked a moment later, only because she knew it was something she should have the courtesy to ask, but as soon as she remembered that Isaac had spent a while celebrating the holiday in Russia, she became genuinely interested.
"I stopped celebrating when I turned 20," he replied as he sat back, this time folding only his hands on the table. "But when I was younger, in Russia I just spent time with my grandparents."
"But what was different about it?" Jenna asked now, openly emitting her curiosity. Isaac noticed, and his grin expanded.
"About a year before we moved Christmas was still banned there," he went on as he glanced down to his hands. "So if you wanted to celebrate it, you had to do it in secret, you couldn't be public about it." When he looked up, he saw that Jenna was staring directly at him, and after a moment of staring back, he began to really notice how much the red that once lined her eyes had weakened, and how well the make-up she now wore hid what was left of the red.
"Why?" Jenna pressed on further, not only entirely interested suddenly, but also thankful this conversation was about as far away as they could go from the topic of Bane.
"Religious reasons," he replied.
"So what did you and your grandparents do?"
"Just spent time together, ate the traditional meal called 'Kutya'."
Jenna couldn't help the grin that stretched across her lips when she heard Isaac's accent attached to this more than likely, Russian word. "Say that again," she commanded gently. Isaac stared at her for a moment, but once he understood the reason behind Jenna's request, he smiled.
"Kutya," he said again, the accent thick, and Jenna's grin expanded. Isaac watched this happen, finding himself captivated by the look on her face; he hadn't seen Jenna genuinely smile in a long time.
"What is that?"
"It's a type of porridge, with honey and poppy seeds and stuff like that," he explained. "When we moved to the US my grandparents kept up the same traditions, but in high school I lost interest."
Jenna was nodding, her smiling fading. "That's cool though. At least it was different and family oriented. I wouldn't have eaten that k- kut...ya stuff though."
Isaac's grin returned due to her struggle. "Kutya," he corrected, watching as that grin returned back onto Jenna's face.
"How do you say it?" She asked now, her tone serious, but when her grin widened ever so slightly, Isaac caught on, and he laughed as he leaned over the table again.
"You just wanna hear my accent," he accused, smiling when Jenna let out a small breath of laughter.
"It's cool," she replied. "I like it. Say something else in Russian."
With a partial smile on her lips, slightly widened eyes and raised eyebrows, Jenna's excitement was unmissable, and after Isaac stared at her for another short moment, he let out a small breath of laughter as he sat back again. He glanced down at his hands, trying to think of something he could tell her, and once he had an idea, he raised his eyes back to hers, taking a second to admire the color that was starting to come back to them.
"Ты выглядишь красиво," he spoke quietly.
Jenna's grin expanded, and she couldn't help but to lean over slightly. She had grown used to Isaac's features, his demeanor and his tones, but nothing had ever looked more natural to her than the way Isaac's lips moved as he spoke each Russian word. Speaking the words alone really made him look Russian, and though she was completely unsure why, she found herself enjoying each sound and intonation of the unfamiliar language. The words seemed to just flow from his lips.
"What does that mean?" She asked him now, deciding if she were to ask him to say it again it would be a little much. Isaac had been grinning slightly, but now it stared to fade, and the expression on his face became more serious.
"It means you look good... er– beautiful." His body forced him to correct himself and speak the true meaning of what he had said. He glanced down slightly when Jenna's grin faded, her lips parting slightly, and he glanced back up to her. "I mean that, Jenna."
Jenna forced a small smile onto her lips, but she could feel what was coming next.
"I mean you always have, but... I meant lately. After... everything."
Jenna was leaning back in her seat, her excitement fading and being replaced fast by a dizzy spell that repeated the same one-syllable word over and over again: Bane, Bane, Bane, Bane, her mind kept saying over and over. It just a matter of seconds now that Isaac would bring it up, and Jenna felt as though she'd be unable to handle it.
"Thank you," Jenna mumbled, hoping and praying Isaac would drop the conversation. He stared at her, watching her eyes drop from him to focus on the table, and he frowned. Why did Jenna always shut down and turn back into a shell whenever anything about that month was mentioned?
"Jenna, talk to me," Isaac said as he leaned forward now as he tilted his head to the side, his sleepy eyes still focused intently on hers. "I promise you, talking about it will help."
Jenna was shaking her head, wishing they could just return to the conversation they had previously been having. "It won't."
"It will," Isaac stressed. "Keeping it locked away will only force you to over think it, and never overcome it. Getting it in the open will help you to forget about it." He paused, waiting for a reply, but Jenna kept her eyes focused on the table, her lips sealed shut now. "You really don't feel better after telling me about that dream?"
Jenna let out a sigh from her nose, waiting to feel a harsh pain overcome her upon thinking back to the dream, but when a strong surge of this familiar pain never came, she realized she hadn't thought of her dream ever since she had told him about it. But she wasn't about to tell him this. It would only prove his theory true, and give him more initiative to get her to talk. But the only topic that would be left to talk about was the topic of Bane, and nothing but Bane specifically.
Just his name alone caused her stomach to clench tightly and refuse to let go. Although Jenna had known for a while, she felt like she was just realizing it now as her stomach clenched even tighter: Bane was the root cause of all her trouble lately. It all began and ended with him, and each time she was forced to see or talk to him, she felt as though it grew worse. Her feelings were mangled and confused; anger, hatred, fear, nervousness and disarray all swarmed her whenever she was in his presence. Just the thought of him alone brought back the unwanted memories of all that he had done to her. His true colors had shone, and upon witnessing this, it made Jenna feel even more disgusting about all that they had previously done.
She didn't want to talk about Bane, and she didn't wanted to think about him. It wouldn't help, she knew, it would only make it worse. What she craved was distraction. Distraction would blockade her thoughts and force her to focus on something else, and with Isaac, these distractions came naturally. Genuine smiles, real laughter, excitement rising from the pit of her stomach, this is what Jenna felt she needed to heal and forget. Why couldn't Isaac understand this?
Now, Jenna shook her head at his question. From the corner of his eye, Isaac noticed the grumpy waitress making her way over with their orders. He straightened up, preparing to remind Jenna to hide her face, but by the way her hair hung over, her face was already hidden behind it. He stared at her for another moment before he finally turned to accept the food from the waitress.
–
The two ate in silence. While Isaac struggled to keep his eyes off of Jenna and focus on his own thoughts as he ate his usual burger, Jenna found herself just picking at her main dish of green-bean casserole after she had eaten her salad. She struggled to focus on her and Isaac's previous conversation, but she was always interrupted with thoughts of Bane. She tried to focus on the Russian words, the accent, how Isaac had looked when he spoke them, but out of nowhere Bane would pop into her mind and each time this happened her insides would grow constricted. Nearly twenty minutes after they had received their food, Jenna gave up eating entirely, barely able to chew a single, tiny bite or let alone lift up her fork, and after she took a few sips from her glass of water, she pushed her plates away from herself. Isaac had finished eating a while ago, and he had sat silently, secretly watching Jenna just move her food around with her fork.
After leaving some money on the table, Isaac stood, waiting for Jenna to get up as well and put on her coat. But instead she just stood there, waiting to follow him, and when he realized she wasn't going to put her coat on, he turned and started to the door, Jenna at his heels.
Her body immediately began to shake once she stepped outside, but she struggled to ignore this as she held on to her coat while making her way through the snow storm and to Isaac's truck. Once it was unlocked, she immediately climbed in, still shivering, and she waited for Isaac to start it. He placed the key in the ignition, and once he started the truck, he quickly turned to Jenna's shivering frame.
"Look I know you don't like how I keep bringing it up, but I don't think you realize how dire it is you talk about it."
She knew Isaac to have nothing but good intentions and strong desires of helping her, but each time he mentioned the topic again it was like a strong kick to the gut. "Isaac," she mumbled. "I don't want to talk about him."
The cab of the truck grew silent, Jenna wondering why it had all the while, until she realized she had said 'him' and instead of 'it'. Fuck...
Now Isaac understood, once and for all, that it all had to do entirely with Bane. "You can't keep avoiding the subject, or avoiding him, Jenna..."
As he stared at her, he watched her close her eyes and take in a deep breath, only to start cursing at herself when she felt her eyes welling with tears. She turned away from Isaac to face the mirror, but she grew even more angry at herself when the noise of her sniffling filled the cab. Frowning, Isaac stared at her for another moment before he finally turned to face forward, put the truck in gear, and back away from the diner.
The truck ride back to the warehouse was filled with the sounds of the tires plowing through the snow on the road, the engine, and Jenna's near silent sniffling. With each sniffle, Isaac found himself feeling more and more conflicted. He wanted to still help her, but each time he tried it ended in Jenna only growing more upset. The only time he ever saw her smile, laugh, or feel anything else other than sadness and emptiness was when they were talking about something completely off subject, like colors, smoking, Christmas, accents or foreign languages... These distractions are what gave small insight to the old Jenna, but while it was enjoyable to witness, this was never permanent.
The warehouse appeared empty when Isaac's truck came bouncing into the lot, and he wondered if Bane and the rest had already finished the mission. He parked his truck just outside the garage door, and as soon as he shut the truck off and removed the key he pushed open his door and immediately started over to the garage door to start lifting it up. Wiping away a tear on her cheek, Jenna climbed out of the truck as well, and as she started over to the open garage door she began to finally put her coat on. Isaac kept the light inside the garage off, the area around them already lit and bright due to the snowy weather, and he began to pull out his pack of cigarettes.
"You want a smoke?" He asked Jenna, finding her leaning against the wall just under the garage, her body turned to him, but her head remained bowed. She nodded slowly, and after Isaac had lit his, he stepped closer to her before he handed her a cigarette and his lighter. Jenna glanced up slightly to accept them, but she instantly bowed her head again when she placed the cigarette in between her lips to light it. She exhaled slowly as she handed Isaac back his lighter, and as he placed it back into his pocket he kept his eyes focused on her all the while. Tears continued to slowly flow down her cheeks, and she continued to sniffle every once and a while.
Isaac glanced away finally, taking a slow and deep drag from his own cigarette, and when he heard Jenna's boots scuffle gently against the floor of the garage, he glanced back over to her, exhaling as he did so.
"Jenna, why are you crying?" He asked her gently. Jenna could feel his eyes on her, but she didn't bother glancing up to look at him. She shrugged, but answered his question anyway.
"You know why," she mumbled. "I can't... help it," she replied, sniffling slightly in between her words.
"You know I never had the intentions of making you cry," Isaac went on, surprised when Jenna let out a small sigh of laughter.
"I know," she replied, finally looking up to wipe away another tear. "It's hard to face. I just don't think talking will help right now..."
"Do you think it ever will?" Isaac asked a short moment later.
"Maybe," Jenna replied. "Just... not right now." She glanced away, hating herself as more tears welled gently in her eyes.
Isaac nodded solemnly. "We'll hold off on it then," he then assured, and Jenna could easily make out the sincerity in his voice. As she nodded the tears overflowed in her eyes, and she closed them, hoping to block them from sliding down her face, but nonetheless, a few escaped. As Isaac lifted his cigarette back to his mouth to take a drag, he noticed this when Jenna glanced back up to him, and keeping the cigarette fixed in between his sudden, grinning lips, he idly took a step closer to her.
"C'mon, Jenna, stop cryin'," he told her, reaching his hand up to place it on the side of her head, his palm resting on the upper part of her neck, just below her ear. Jenna froze suddenly, but when Isaac used his thumb to wipe away a tear, she relaxed slightly, understanding his kind gesture, until she suddenly found herself staring into his eyes. He stared back deeply into hers until Jenna dropped her gaze to his mouth when he exhaled from his previous hit, keeping his burning cigarette in between his lips all the while. Jenna felt her stomach drop slightly upon watching this, and suddenly his hand felt hot and heavy against her head. When she saw Isaac was still staring at her, her heart began to race as anxiety completely overtook her.
Isaac took the cigarette from his mouth with his left hand suddenly, and without warning he began to lean in closer to her. Jenna's mind went completely blank as she idly leaned in as well, and her eyes slid closed the second their lips touched.
Her heart was instantly sent into a speeding and racing frenzy, and she could feel it pounding against her chest as she went lightheaded. Having never been this close to Isaac, she gently inhaled the scent of gunpowder and cigarettes, and though her body had gone completely numb and stiff, she found herself deepening the kiss along with Isaac, pressing her lips closer to his as he took a breath in through his nose. The thick stubble that covered his face poked and tickled her own, but Jenna found this new sensation to be nothing but welcoming as a stunning thought crossed her mind suddenly. She could not remember when the last time she kissed somebody had been. Although the general feeling was familiar, it was still incredibly foreign, and as Isaac continued to move his lips against hers, she realized how she had always taken such real kisses for granted...
What lasted for only a few, short seconds felt as though it had gone on for minutes, and when Isaac finally pulled away, Jenna's eyes opened, and they immediately found his. Her heart was racing, her stomach was bubbling with an odd mix of nervousness and excitement, and if Isaac wasn't still holding onto her head, she was sure she would have fallen over due to the sheer randomness of his act. But as she stared back at him, suddenly she couldn't see the snow, feel the cold, or attempt to even focus on anything else, and as if it had been a verbal, mutual agreement, she found herself leaning back in to him, and meeting him half way before their lips met again.
Isaac's eyes remained closed as kissed her, his own heart racing and his body feeling dizzier than it had in a long, long time. His mind shut down completely at the feel of her plump, soft lips against his, and he curled his fingers into her hair to grip on it as he deepened the kiss. He dropped the cigarette from in between his fingers before he placed his hand on her hip, underneath her coat, and as soon as he pulled her closer, they both opened their mouths. The second Jenna felt Isaac's tongue against hers, she couldn't help but to let out a small, barely audible moan as she leaned in closer to him, finally dropping her own cigarette from her hand, and as soon as she did she gently wrapped her left arm around his waist. His body was warm, and significantly more slender than...
Isaac could feel Jenna slowly pause, and he applied more force into the kiss, trying to bring it back. He wanted to keep Jenna with him; he was not ready to let her revert back into her shell of despair, not now. And as soon as Jenna felt this new pressure in the kiss, the thought was abandoned from her mind.
When a strong gust of wind blew past, blowing Jenna's hair up and into her face, she and Isaac both halted the kiss, their eyes opening in unison. The area around her spun as she gazed into Isaac's blue and sunken eyes, but suddenly she felt as though she was seeing them in a new way. The excitement never failed to stop churning in her stomach, her body tingled, all the way from her toes to her fingertips, and with each inhale the combination of gunpowder and cigarettes caused the tingling to grow stronger, and she welcomed this feeling. She watched Isaac's eyes move in a small circle as they rounded over the eyeliner that lined her eyes, masking the red, and when he returned to the middle, he found the color of her eyes to be even more stunning than usual. Shocks ran throughout his own body, practically painfully stinging the back of his neck, and when curiosity got the best of him, he idly removed his hand from Jenna's hip and reached back before he gently trailed his fingertips up her left arm, underneath her coat sleeve, before he moved them down again, discovering her skin was definitely as soft as it appeared. When his hand stopped on her wrist, the desire to feel other parts of her body arose quickly, but a small voice in the back of his head started to make itself known.
Stop.
Jenna had seen a new look spread over his features when he touched her arm, his face going from sleepy, mild shock, to unmistakeable, curiosity. His eyebrows seemed to drop lower, his eyes glazed over, and his lips appeared as though they were ready to raise into a smirk at any second. Jenna slowly unwrapped her arm from his waist, but just before she could completely let go, her hand clutched the fabric of his coat, and once she did Isaac's grip around her wrist tightened ever so slightly. The prickling sensation in her body increased, willing her closer to him as she welcomed the absence of thought in her mind, and as she stared up at him her lips parted, preparing her to ask a question, but she paused, struggling with her inquiry.
"Do you wanna go inside?" She asked in a voice just above a whisper, her tone so quiet that if anyone else were around they would have failed to hear her. "It's kinda cold outside..." Her inquiry sent a strong shiver up and along Isaac spine, but he kept his composure as he nodded while removing his hands from her. He turned to face the garage door as Jenna slowly started toward the exit door, and after he closed the door and began to follow, he couldn't help but to glance over his shoulder. All the garage doors were closed, and the area in between the L-shaped building was completely empty. As he turned his head to face forward, the voice in his head kept commanding him to stop and change his mind, but once his eyes focused on Jenna, and ran down her slender back and stopped on her swaying hips, the voice faded away, and instead was replaced with silence.
The inside of the warehouse was just as empty as the outside, and after stepping inside behind Jenna, Isaac glanced down to the basement before turning his head the opposite way to glance down the hallway. Jenna had stopped near the basement stairs, and she bit her tongue as she found herself hoping and praying that Isaac would lead them up to his room. When Isaac glanced back at Jenna, sure now that the warehouse was empty, he couldn't stop himself from reaching out to place his hand on her lower back to lead her toward the ladder. As she moved down the hall, Jenna couldn't help but to let out a small breath of relief, although her anxiety still remained strong.
The tingling sensations in her hands made it hard to grip the ladder, and Jenna could feel her legs shaking as she made her way up it, fighting through the shocks and tingles until she was stepping onto the platform. She glanced over her shoulder in just enough time to watch Isaac climb onto the platform, and as he stood she started over to his door to immediately push it open. Prolonged time was proving to be the only thing that kept the warning voice coming back to feed Isaac logical thoughts, and when the voice advised him further to stop, he glanced across his platform to look over at the thug's area, which like the rest of the warehouse, was empty. If there were ever a time to do this, he fought against the voice as he turned back to his door, now would be it. The warehouse was empty, Jenna seemed just as willing as he did, their prior kiss was making him hungry for more, and he couldn't remember the last time he had gotten so intimate with someone had been. When desire took over, suddenly he found it easy to fight against the voice.
After she removed her boots, Jenna was standing a few feet from the door, a new dizzy feeling overcoming her, and suddenly a voice of her own began to speak in her mind, making her feel confused. She struggled to ignore and avoid it, knowing very well the voice would bring him up at any moment, but as soon as Isaac stepped through the door and closed and locked it behind him, leaving his lights off, the only light stemming from the glowing numbers on his alarm clock, he immediately began to shrug off his coat as he stepped closer to her. Once he dropped his coat behind him, revealing the plain black t-shirt he wore underneath, he reached forward to place his hands on her hips, and once his fingers slid onto them, the voice was gone again. When he pulled her closer, Jenna's began to fade, and once he pressed his lips against hers, it shut up completely, as well.
The tingles over took her again as she lost herself in the kiss. She pressed her body closer to his, ignoring the slight pain that overcame her right arm as Isaac started to take off her coat, and she opened her mouth along with him. While the scruff that covered his face pricked her skin, his lips were rather soft, and she moaned slightly against him as their tongues danced hungrily against each other. Once her coat fell to the floor, she clutched the fabric of Isaac's shirt that covered his shoulder while he wrapped his arm around her hips, his left hand grabbing the sling from her right arm to start taking it off. Once he let it fall to the ground, Jenna managed to move even closer to him, and his grip around on her waist tightened as she did, their kiss growing deeper. It took Jenna a minute to realize Isaac had started walking them toward his bed, and once she felt the back of her legs hit it, he let go of her hips and let her fall gently onto the soft mattress as he snapped on the small, dim lamp on his night stand.
As soon as she swung her legs onto the bed and looked up and over to him, she watched him finish taking his own boots off before he moved to quickly take off his shirt, and suddenly he was hovering over her and placing his hands and knees on either side of her. As her body and head sunk further into the bed and pillows, Jenna couldn't stop her eyes from glancing down and wandering over his exposed arms and torso, and she grew surprised to see Isaac bared three tattoos – one on either side of his upper arms, just beneath his shoulders, and a single, cursive, foreign word on the left side of his chest. The sight of these only turned her on further, and when she raised her eyes a little further she noticed a large, faded red scar that stretched diagonally toward his neck, starting from just under his shoulder. Vaguely she wondered how he had obtained that, but before she could even raise the desire to ask, Isaac was leaning down to bring back the kiss.
Jenna ran her hand up his arm, surprised to find that although it was slender, it still carried muscle, and she wished that her right arm wasn't broken. She struggled to keep it stationary, and she felt Isaac grin against her when he felt her cast twitching against him. He broke the kiss, but he kept his face close to hers, and his eyes wandered down to her left before he began to pull up the fabric from her tank top. This time the shock than ran up her spine stung her head powerfully, warning her that this was really happening, and the time to stop it was now or never. But as Isaac began to slide her left arm out of the shirt and move to pass it over her head, Jenna sucked in a sharp breath when she felt Isaac suddenly and quickly reach underneath her and unclasp her bra with a simple pinch of his fingers before he removed her left arm from the strap. She felt the breath tremble out from her lips when he easily lifted her shirt and bra off of her chest to slide down her right arm to complete the task of disrobing her upper half. He let the clothes fall to the floor before he reached up to slide one of his pillows out from under her head, and she let out a startled breath at this. Resting only on a flat pillow now, Jenna bit her lip, her cheeks growing hot as she watched Issac's eyes wander down and over her breasts as he sat back on his knees, still straddling her waist, and she closed her eyes when she heard Isaac sigh. They opened a short second after, however, when she felt Isaac take a gentle hold of her cast, and she turned her head to watch him lift her arm and place it slightly over her head, her arm remaining bent the entire time. For a second Jenna was surprised she had the ability to do that with her arm, and her eyes widened slightly as she enjoyed the sheer comfortable feeling of this position, but when she heard Isaac's voice she was immediately distracted.
"Does that hurt?" He asked in a whisper, and when Jenna turned her head she found him to be looking directly at her. Her throat suddenly felt dry, and she found it hard to swallow. As Isaac was still leaning over her now, taking her in with his eyes, and Jenna felt as though she hadn't been so exposed with someone in years. Only in her dreams during that horrible month was she able to entertain herself with the idea, but now that it was becoming a reality with Isaac, things felt much different. She used to take so much pride in her body before that month, but now here she was, laying still under Isaac in this more than vulnerable position, biting her lip while struggling not to cover her chest with her left arm. In the back of her mind she recalled another time when she was in a similar position with a different man –when he held both of her wrists over her head with one hand, painfully cutting off the circulation– and just like that the masked man flashed in her mind. She closed her eyes again, forcing a swallow down past her dry throat as her stomach uncomfortably clenched again, but she forced the beast from her mind, and instead focused on Isaac's question.
She shook her head now, and as soon as she did, she reached up with her left hand to grip his shoulder and pull him back down over her body before crashing her lips against his. His right hand found her hip, and Jenna's body tensed as she felt him start to slide his fingertips softly up her stomach, and once his hand ran over her breast, she could not help the stronger, louder moan that escaped past her and into Isaac's mouth. Her reaction enticed him, and he tightened his grip on it as he broke the kiss to place his lips against her neck. She groaned again when she felt him bite on her flesh, his stubble almost painful as it rubbed against her soft skin, and her eyes closed as her jaw dropped, her hand finding his shoulder to dig her nails into. Isaac groaned against her neck when he felt her nails break through the skin, and he bit her harder, lust completely overtaking his body.
Not wanting to be the stationary participant who just laid still and had everything given to her, Jenna immediately removed her hand from his shoulder to find the buttons and zipper of his cargo pants. She struggled to undo the top button with only her left hand, but when she felt Isaac groan against her neck upon feeling her hand against him, motivation overcame her, and she closed her eyes again once she finally undid the button. As she moved on to the second and last button, Isaac began to trail kisses down her neck, and Jenna's jaw dropped, a moan escaping when she felt Isaac trace her collarbone with his tongue. A shiver ran throughout her body as she finally undid the button, and just when she reached his zipper, Isaac sat back on his knees and grabbed her hips, letting out a sigh as she unzipped his pants.
This new side of Jenna he had never witnessed was driving him crazy. His pants tightened more,
despite their recently undone state as he stared at her, topless, beneath him. God, it's been so long. Without thinking, he trailed his hands from her hips up her sides and over her ribs, and as he watched his hands cup her breasts he let out a groan as he squeezed them. Isaac couldn't remember the last time he had something so warm and soft in his hands, as opposed to the various weapons and tools with their hard, metallic textures he had grown so accustomed to handling for a long while. The corner of his lips raised on his parted mouth when he saw Jenna close her eyes and let out a moan while arching her back as he kept his hand on her breasts, moving them in circles. Her reactions to his touch enticed and empowered him, and when Jenna opened her eyes, the aqua blue color now hazy, he grinned at her before leaning forward.
Jenna could not suppress the loud moan that escaped from her when Isaac attached his mouth to her right nipple. Her eyes clenched tightly closed, and she arched her back when she felt Isaac's tongue swirl over it suddenly, moving in perfect, tight, round circles. She placed her hand on the side of his back and pressed her nails into it, and she sighed when Isaac leaned back up to her face to leave another kiss on her lips while his hands found the top her own pants. She could feel his fingers moving against her as he undid the button and moved down the zipper, and without hesitation he backed up on the bed to pull both her pants and underwear down her legs. Jenna lifted up her hips, assisting him, and once she felt the clothing at her knees, she moved to kick them off of her body as Isaac crawled back on top of her.
"Что вы хотите, чтобы я сделала для вас?" He asked in a deeper, sultry voice that sent a wave of dizziness over Jenna, the sensation causing her eyes to snap open upon hearing Isaac suddenly and randomly speak his native language.
"What?" She asked, breathless, able to feel Isaac's lips against hers, that same excitement from the diner bubbling her stomach.
"What do you want me to do to you?" He rephrased in English, grinning when he felt Jenna's body clench and witness her lips part hungrily. She let out a slow breath as she continued to stare into his half-lidded eyes.
"Touch me," she replied slowly and breathlessly, enjoying the smirk that stretched across Isaac's lips.
"A woman of simple tastes," he deemed, still hovering over her, and Jenna couldn't help but to grin as well while she watched him lower his hand from her peripheral vision.
"Yeah- ah!" Her reply instantly morphed into a loud moan when she felt Isaac slide a finger inside of her with no hesitation, and her eyes clenched closed as she arched her back and spread her legs further.
Still smirking, Isaac began to easily move his middle finger in and out of her, his eyes focused intently on her as another swarm of blood ran downward. Her eyes remained softly closed while her lips remained parted, and suddenly desiring to see that exhilarated look on her face again, his grin expanded before he gently eased two fingers inside of her now.
"Oh my God..." Jenna groaned after her jaw had dropped. Jenna's body stiffened while her walls tightened around him, and suddenly, vaguely, that voice returned to her mind. This is wrong. But Jenna ignored it, her body refusing to listen. The sensation from Isaac's fingers diving inside her over and over again intensified, and she groaned as she turned her head against the pillow, her nails still clenching his side.
Already she could feel her finish approaching, and as Isaac watched her, he bit his lip in anticipation when he felt how much more wet Jenna had become and how tightly her walls clenched around his fingers. By the time Jenna had even considered making him stop, the sensation from her first, powerful orgasm took a hold of her, and she cried out rather loudly as her body trembled. Isaac's finger movements slowed, but the feeling they brought on intensified as Jenna struggled to catch her breath and keep herself from moaning loudly. But as soon as her racing heart began to slow and her body relaxed, a very unwelcoming, startling, muffled and metallic voice suddenly spoke up in her head.
"Well, that was... fast," the voice said in an amused tone, and as soon as it had spoken, Jenna's eyes snapped open as strong, painful shock ran up her spine while the particular memory of her and Bane flashed in her mind. Swallowing again, she closed her eyes tightly as she absentmindedly shook her head, and she fought with her mind, willing the images of him away.
Opening her eyes now and desperate to rid Bane from her mind, she let go of Isaac's side and started to push his pants down, her silent actions immediately letting Isaac know what she wanted. Slowly and teasingly, he removed his fingers from her and applied more pressure when he ran them up the length of her, smiling when Jenna let out a pleasurable squeak as her back arched, and he promptly moved to finish removing his pants. As he kicked them onto the ground, Jenna hungrily eyed his large and erect dick, her body and mind desiring nothing else, and when Isaac's eyes found her face he smirked when he saw what she was looking at.
There was no need to speak and there was no need to prolong things any further. Once he positioned himself in between her, he studied her face as he began to push himself into her, savoring each sensation as he went deeper and deeper inside of her, only to close his eyes and let out a groan when he felt her immediately tighten around him. Clutching the blankets now with her left hand while she struggled to keep her right arm stationary, Jenna closed her eyes as her jaw dropped slightly, her back arching more and more, and after Isaac had filled her up completely, she let out a slow and steady sigh as he started to slide back out. For the first time in what seemed like ages, there was no pain attached to this action, and Jenna had forgotten how it felt to have a man inside of her with the absence of pain. Without warning, however, he rapidly quickened his pace, and before long he had reached a quicker, steady rhythm against her, his hips swinging as he clutched on the blankets on either side of Jenna. He kept his eyes closed as he became lost in the sensations, each thrust feeling better and better and ultimately bringing his finish closer. Beneath him Jenna continued to emit moan after moan, the noises becoming more breathless as she moved her hips against his as well, and when she opened her eyes she found Isaac staring down at her.
As Isaac leaned down Jenna raised her head, their lips meeting in the middle, and she kissed him hungrily as her hand found his shoulder. Isaac hissed against her when she dug her nails even deeper into his skin, and she dragged them down the length of his back just when he took a hold of her bottom lip in between his teeth. Opening his eyes, he grinned as he leaned back slightly, taking her lip with him, and only after Jenna whimpered did he let go. He let out a short laugh when Jenna gently ran her teeth over it to help soothe the pain, but without warning his pace quickened, and he pounded himself deeper inside of her, and already Jenna felt herself about to come again.
The sensation instantly took over her entire body, and as Isaac continued to swing his hips against hers, Jenna struggled to control the volume of her moans as she came, gripping her fingers around his arm as her body moved against his, the sex suddenly feeling so much better. But all too quickly, a sudden image of Bane flashed her mind, startling her, and for just a second her mind forced her to face the image of Bane hovering over her as she came, rather than Isaac. She turned her head, now, the sensation of her orgasm remaining strong as Isaac continued on for a while longer, her body growing more and more sensitive all over as Bane finally began to fade from her mind, and just when Jenna thought she'd be unable to take it any longer, Isaac was bowing his head and gritting his teeth as he came inside her, letting out loud series of moans and groans past his teeth as he did so. Once he had finished, and strong, pleasurable sensations of their own overtook and numbed his body, he dropped his jaw to let out a huge sigh, and Jenna watched his chest heave up and down as he tried to catch his breath.
Breathing steadily herself, she turned her face to the left to avoid breathing directly on him, and as she stared at his closed door, barely illuminated by the lamp, those same images of Bane began to flash in her mind and force logic back to her as her orgasm began to rapidly fade away. What had they just done? What would Bane do when he found out about this? How would Isaac react to her now? Oh my God...
Jenna's lips parted slightly as her eyebrows furrowed, and she dropped her gaze from the door to the carpet, her hand idly falling away from Isaac's arm to dangle off the edge of the bed. While her racing heart was starting to slow, she became legitimately dizzy as she thought back to all that had just happened, and she closed her eyes. What have you done?
Hovering over Jenna, Isaac kept his eyes closed as a stinging sensation became known on the back of his neck, and he closed his eyes tighter as he, too, realized the severity of what he had just done with Bane's girl. You've done it now, buddy, Isaac's own mind was scolding. If you thought lying to Bane all those years ago would be the death of you, imagine what he'll do now...
He kept his eyes closed, his own breathing becoming slower and gentler, and only after he started to move away from Jenna did he realize he was still inside her. Thoughts of Bane burned inside his own head, and all he could think to himself was one, simple word over and over again: betrayal, betrayal, betrayal... He swallowed as he pulled out of her while Jenna couldn't help but to let out a quiet sigh, having forgotten as well, and the bed bounced slightly when she felt Isaac get up and immediately head into the bathroom. The fact that he hadn't even said a word to her or looked at her once they were finished proved it: he was feeling just as guilty as she was. A strong, foreboding feeling was burning Jenna from the inside out, and she couldn't help but to feel as if she had just granted Bane her own death wish.
Jenna thinned her lips as she turned onto her side, bending her legs at the knees to bring them up closer to her chest, and her mind spun with deep worry and concern as the one topic she couldn't stand to think about anymore pushed its way through finally. What would Bane do now? Kill her? Kill Isaac? Jenna groaned quietly as she closed her eyes tighter. She could only imagine.
She didn't want to go downstairs. She feared seeing Bane. She feared the talk he'd force on them, if any, and even more so she feared what he would do to Isaac. The longer these thoughts went on, the more exhausted Jenna became, and by the time Isaac was walking out of the bathroom, wearing only a pair of boxers now, the fear of going downstairs at that moment was too frightening to bare.
"Can I sleep in here?" Jenna's forced question broke through the awkward silence. Isaac had just reached the foot of his bed, and he immediately picked up on the hidden meaning in her tone. When he glanced at her, he saw she had rolled onto her left side, and her eyes were closed. To be honest, Isaac wasn't entirely ready to face Bane either... how could he have let this happen? How did it happen?
"Yeah," he replied simply. "That's fine." His voice had returned to its usual, American accent, but Jenna was grateful for this. Feeling entirely too tired to get dressed, let alone get out of bed, regardless of how early it may still be, all Jenna could manage to do was get the blankets out from under her, and she waited until Isaac had crawled into his bed behind her. She began to place the blankets over her, but she paused when Isaac reached over her to pick up the pillow from the floor and place it on his side of the bed, next to the wall. Once he snapped off the lamp, Jenna waited this time for him to pull the blankets up, and once he had she forced herself to scoot down slightly and get comfortable, a small part of her mind allowing her to enjoy being in an actual bed.
Behind her, Isaac turned around, his back facing her own, and he stared at the wall through the dark, his mind flashing him images of Jenna beneath him. When they grew too strong and vivid, he closed his eyes, shutting them away. Jenna was struggling to do the same behind him until finally she closed her eyes too, exhaustion getting the best of her, and as her body relaxed, her mind ran rapid with thoughts of what the next day would hold...
I seriously cannot wait to hear what you all have to say about this chapter! PLEASE leave me a review expressing your thoughts! Isaac and Jenna? How COULD they, or, DO IT AGAIN!? What do you think is going to happen? How will Bane react? AHHH!
(Would also like to take the time to remind anyone who needs the reassurance that this IS a Bane fic, and the upcoming chapters will all be primarily Bane. Each action and interaction with the characters all happen for various, PLANNED reasons.)
Also, a giant thank you to my second mind and pair of eyes, Loretta Lolita. Her dedication to this story and my characters is amazing, and her help never goes unappreciated :)