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Art is to Console

'Art is to console those broken by life.' Vincent Van Gogh

Even if Robin's brother were to cut his hair and the two to wear identical clothing Bane felt sure that he'd be able to tell the two apart. The similarities between the two, above and beyond the physical, were still noteworthy though. The two men walked the same, right down to their strides matching up perfectly when they walked together. They made no sound and were obviously in complete control of their bodies and how they interacted with their environments. There was also the way the two scanned their surroundings, looking for threats or things out of place was the same, both hyper aware in a way that suggested they were used to being in hostile environments. Both as predator AND as prey. Had the man Arthur had mentioned over the phone hunted them before? When and why?

Bane didn't anticipate getting those answers easily. There was a great deal of intelligence and cunning in both twins' eyes, though Robin hid his somewhat behind charm and a mask of immaturity. The younger brother didn't bother to hide, perhaps because he wanted Bane to see him as a threat. Something that would have been amusing to Bane before he learned that Arthur had the ability to slip in and out of his house without detection. How he'd done that was another question Bane intended to get an answer to.

For now he'd remain silent though, placing one hand on the small of Robin's back to guide him in the direction of the armored limo waiting for them.

Looking over at his brother Robin stated that he'd meet him at the airport, Arthur giving Bane one last look of warning in return before nodding to his brother and splitting apart from them to go and find his Englishman. Though not before memorizing the limo's, make, physical markings, and license plate.

"Nice wheels."

Keeping his hand firmly where it was Bane ignored the statement and instead looked to Barsad who'd just stepped out from the front's passenger seat. His second walked down the length of the car and opened the backseat door for them, holding it open.

"Thanks."

Barsad inclined his head ever so slightly.

Without complaint or hesitation Robin slid into the limo, scooting across the leather seating to make room for Bane. Apparently the interior met with the other man's approval as Robin wiggled his butt against the plush leather.

Signaling to Barsad that he wanted to be alone with Robin Bane exchanged one final look with his second and then followed Robin into the limo, Barsad closing the door once he was inside. A slight delay while they waited for Barsad to take his seat up front, and then they were pulling away from the street and joining traffic.

"So how mad are you?"

Turning his attention back to Robin and the issues they had to address on the relatively short ride to the airport, Bane opted not to beat around the bush. It wasn't his style and given Robin's-well it would take every second on the road for him to get anything resembling straight answers from his bird.

"Your brother will give me a detailed report of how he compromised my security. And he will never set foot in my house without my permission again. Is that understood?"

"Completely."

Bane wasn't sure the severity of the situation had penetrated Robin's thick skull. "I've broken men for lesser insults."

"I don't doubt it." Giving the appearance of utter sincerity for the moment, Robin reached over and placed a hand on top of the one Bane had rested on his own thigh, giving it a squeeze. "He didn't mean any harm or insult to your pride, Bane. He was just showing his teeth in a way he knew you'd understand. If he'd just warned you to treat me right like a normal person you'd have shrugged it off as nothing."

A valid point, but still...

"My teeth are far more lethal. And I more skillful at using them."

"I'll remind him of that, believe me."

Willing to leave it at that for now, he'd have words with Robin's twin later as he was the actual perpetrator who deserved punishment, Bane turned to the next important topic of conversation.

"The man Arthur mentioned when he attempted to bargain with me. Is he a threat to you or just your brother?" The brother could die for all Bane cared. Though the gratitude Robin would feel towards him were he to save the man's twin might be worth ensuring Arthur's life. At least for the time being.

It wasn't visible but Bane sensed Robin tensing up, those dark eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"Hypothetically both of us. But it's not something you need to worry about."

"You are mine. For now. I will not allow you to be harmed."

A faint smirk. "He might be crazy, but he won't tangle with you. Though it would be sorta fun to watch him try."

His little bird did have taste for blood at times. Bane liked that about him.

"His name."

"You don't need to know it."

Reaching out with his free hand Bane firmly grasped Robin's chin. "His name."

"Why? Because it would reflect badly on you if someone harmed me while I'm 'yours'? Or is this you telling me that you care, hmmm?"

"I won't ask you again." And he had no intention of answering Robin's question. He didn't want to know the answer himself.

A moment of silence as Robin no doubt weighed his options in that devious mind of his.

"Which name do you want? He's got a lot of them."

Now they were getting somewhere. "The one he was incarcerated under. For starters."

"John Smith."

A weaker man would be tempted to curse or strangle him. "Robin."

"That's the only name he'd give them. Having valid ID on you isn't a good idea when you steal and occasionally kill people for a living. Rather than assign him another made up name they just used that one. Who says Russians don't have a sense of humor?"

"Which prison?"

Robin's pronunciation of the prison's name was perfect, accent and all.

It was also a name Bane recognized immediately. The level of security and the type of men damned to live within those walls suggested that this man who wished his bird harm was not someone to be brushed aside or dismissed. Just surviving more than a year there took considerable fortitude and lethalness. Or he had value to the government or someone in position to keep him alive.

"Why does he wish you harm?" Bane asked next.

"We don't know that he does."

If he developed a permeant tic or twitch as a result of his dealings with Lieutenant Robin Blake Bane wouldn't even be surprised. Perhaps he was becoming a masochist, to put up with it the way he did.

"We have limited time before we reach the airport and I believe I'm correct in assuming you would prefer we part on good terms, Little Bird."

The little shit rolled his eyes at him.

"Look...Arthur shouldn't have even involved you with this. The odds that 'Smith' will come to Gotham are high because this is where his father died. It's as simple as that. He might have serious cause to hate his old man but from what I've heard Smith's got daddy issues out the wazoo. Which is why we figure this city MIGHT be where he's headed."

"Did you kill his father?"

"I wish."

Eyebrows rising Bane asked what the man had done to Robin or a member of his family to make him feel that way. And that had been the absolute truth. Robin would have bathed in this unknown man's blood if the opportunity had presented itself.

"Not the point. We were talking about the son, remember? And as for him coming here to hunt us, well the most he could know about Arthur and I is that we're twins and our approximate age. That's all anyone could give him. So I'm not terribly worried about him finding us in this city since he has no way of knowing we even live here. I'm more worried that once he comes here he'll fall back into bad habits and innocent people are going to get hurt."

Bane filed all that away even as he stated that Robin still hadn't explained why this man might wish the Blake siblings harm specifically.

"His dad liked us better."

Now they were getting somewhere, especially given Robin's feelings towards Smith's father.

"Who was his father and why did he like you better?"

"His father had more names than his son. And I don't know why he liked us better. The feeling wasn't fucking mutual."

"Perhaps the first statement is true. But not the second. You know why he thought more highly of you and your brother than he did his son."

"His son's a fuckup. Everyone looks better in comparison."

"There is more you aren't tell me."

"And you're an open fucking book." Robin leaned in close, their breaths mingling as Robin stared into his eyes. "You ready to share your secrets with me, Bane? Fair is fair."

"We are not talking about me."

"And I'm done talking about this. So unless you're ready to talk about stuff you don't like talking about I suggest you take a vow of silence or make out with me for the rest of the ride. Those are your only two options, Sweetie."

"Sweetie?" Bane repeated, silently bemoaning the return of that ridiculous nickname.

Another smirk, though this one was far more playful. "You really thought that wasn't coming the way you keep 'Little Bird' ing me?"

Perhaps that was part of it, but it was also a diversionary tactic meant to change the subject. One Bane would allow Robin to think had worked for the time being. He had enough information to get his search underway. He would find out the truth on his own if his bird refused to trust him with it. They'd revisit the conversation when he got back from Japan if necessary.

So rather than push the issue Bane settled for stating that Robin was never to call him that again before leaning in to occupy Robin's mouth with the pleasure of his own.

Robin had said he only had the two options after all.

)

Of the two options he'd given Bane Robin knew that it did not bode well for him that he actually wished Bane had opted for the first choice. It was beyond stupid to wish Bane had been willing to peel back a few of his layers to give Robin a closer look at the man beneath all those masks he wore. The more Robin knew the more likely Bane was to kill him once their 'relationship' had come to its unavoidable close. Ergo it was obviously better to remain in the dark as much as possible. Also preferably naked and having sex, since that's all they'd ever be at the end of the day. Could ever be.

Fuck his luck. Seriously.

But Robin kept those thoughts and sentiments to himself as they drove across the tarmac in the direction of what Robin assumed was a private plane or jet. Only the best for his badass billionaire.

Ending their latest kiss, they'd been making out like a couple of teenagers on a weird couch for a while now, Robin started to move away with the intention of cracking a mile-high joke when Bane reached out to pull him in. Unfortunately he did that by sliding a hand under Robin's shirt with the likely intention of settling it on the small of his back again. Only Bane brushed up against the rip in his shirt and reminded Robin in the process of the road rash he'd suffered earlier again.

It barely hurt though so Robin was surprised when it was Bane who flinched away and then immediately moved in to yank his jacket away from Robin's body to get a look at what he'd felt.

"What did you do to yourself?" Bane demanded to know, fingers prodding the ripped shirt.

"It's fine. I've had a billion times worse. Though you can kiss it better if it makes you feel better."

Bane was not amused as he demanded to know why it wasn't bandaged.

"It's road rash, Bane. I cleaned it."

"You didn't see a doctor?"

"For road rash?" Seriously? Bane did know he'd been shot before, right? This was nothing.

Apparently Bane was serious as he demanded that Robin remove his jacket and shirt so that he could see the extent of Robin's injuries for himself. If need be there was a First Aid kit in the limo that he could use to 'properly' clean and bandage the wound.

"Wounds. I did my arm too. And I did clean them properly, Nurse Bane. No need to give me a non-sexy physical. Plus you have a plane to catch."

"That can wait. Strip."

"Bane." Wow, role reversal. The irony was not lost on him either, making Robin smile.

"Robin."

Was it weird that he was starting to find it arousing, the way Bane said his name like it was a command? Probably. But then again he'd never claimed not to be fucked up.

"It's nothing, Baby. I just lost a few layers of skin. I could have done the same wiping out on a skateboard or a bike. I'm fine. I'll even let Arthur check it out once we get back to our place if it worries you that much. He's more of a worrier than you are."

"I will not trust your wellbeing to him."

"Don't insult my baby brother, Bane. It severely decreases your chances of getting laid when you get back. And speaking of which...we're here." Or at least the limo had come to a complete stop.

A sound of frustration left Bane's lips, the sound so surprising that Robin broke out into a wide, dimples on full display smile in response. And what the hell, Bane was more stubborn than a fucking grandfather mule.

Shaking his head at the both of them Robin twisted to the side and shrugged his jacket down and then told Bane to lift up his shirt if he needed a closer look.

Taking him up on the invitation Bane carefully pulled the ruined shirt up so that he could see the extent of the 'damage'.

Bane was still studying it when Barsad opened the door and stuck his head in to see why the heck they weren't getting out.

"Tell him I'll live."

"He's being overly dramatic." Bane stated without looking away from the already scabbed over 'wound'.

"I'm being overly dramatic? Seriously?"

Straightening Barsad was suddenly looking over the top of the door, Bane immediately turning around and slating his body so that Robin wasn't even visible, much to his annoyance. If they were under fucking attack he sorta needed to be able to see what was going on.

"It's his brother and the boyfriend." Barsad stated. "They're getting out of their car."

"Which sorta means we should too." Robin pointed out in exasperation. He'd has nudged or pushed Bane out of his way if it were possible but since it wasn't he had to settle for poking Bane in the side a couple of times. Mostly because he was curious as to how Bane would react.

The sound Bane deep in his throat said he was getting a reaction, but sadly Robin couldn't see his face as the other man slipped out of the car.

Though the dark look Bane aimed in his direction when he'd turned around said plenty.

Shrugging his jacket back into place Robin shuffled across the leather seating and then bracing a hand on the open door slid out and placed his feet back on solid tarmac. Stretching his arms above his head to work the kinks out Robin waved at his brother and Eames and held up a finger to ask them to give him a minute.

"If you don't want to see me kissing your boss you're going to want to close your eyes, Barsad."

"I've seen far more disturbing things."

Laughing in delight, he could get to like Barsad, Robin winked at the man before turning back to Bane, who was scowling at him. Possibly for winking at his assistant. Silly boy.

Moving in Robin deliberately only brushed his lips over Bane's before leaning back and doing his best Humphrey Bogart impression.

"Here's looking at you, Kid."

No reaction. Still scowling.

"Oh come on. I know it's not that great a movie and people who say it deserves to be in the top ten movies of all time have NO idea what they're talking about, but we're at an airport and-you know what, nevermind." Robin flicked a finger in Barsad's direction. "Barsad, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship...see you both when you get back. Don't kill people."

And on that note Robin spun around with what he considered movie worthy flair before starting to walk in the direction of his ride home.

"Robin."

Stopping, Robin looked over his shoulder, eyebrow raised.

"Stay out of trouble."

"Not possible, sorry."

And on that note Robin turned back around and took the last couple steps to reach his brother and Eames.

Eames snorted. "Of all the cop shops in all the towns in all the world, he had to walk into yours."

"Yes! Thank you for saying that. Though technically he and I met in a museum."

"Robin!"

With continued drama Robin spun around and placed his hand around his mouth. "Yes, Dear?!"

The insult of that had Bane opting not to say whatever warning he'd been about to give. Instead he marched over to the plane without another backward glance, Barsad shooting Robin a quick look of amusement before following.

"Was it something I said?"