Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters end up in. Everything else belongs to someone else, and that's the way of it.
Only Fools Rush In
Despite the looks his omega was giving him Bane was no fool. At the moment he might feel like one for not realizing sooner what his Pet actually was, but no one else had realized it either. This Umbra substance was powerfully effective and did its job far too well. He would begin to research it in earnest as soon as the chance arose so that he knew more about what it had done to his omega and how to make sure the ingredients required to make it never fell into Blake's hands again.
He had an omega and intended to keep him that way.
"God. This is worse than when you're cum dumb. Seriously."
"When I'm what?" Had he heard him wrong?
A dark scowl. "Oh sure, NOW you're listening to me. And cum dumb is when an orgasm is so good it scrambles your brains and makes you stupid for a bit. Only in this case you're just being alpha dumb."
Good mood or not Bane reminded Blake to show him proper respect.
"No. And if you think that I'm going to be more respectful or better behaved or obedient, well then that tin can on your face is cutting off the circulation AND air to your brain." His Pet actually dared to drill one finger into Bane's chest to emphasis his point. "Give me my drugs or I will become the brattiest, most troublemaking pain in the ass you've ever met!"
"That is your drug addiction talking."
Blake's jaw dropped. "I am not a drug addict! Fuck that! I'm a cop!"
His Pet was in denial. That was to be expected.
"I am not an addict! Umbra is NOT addictive and I take it because my life is better as a beta than as an omega. I don't get high off it, I don't go into withdrawal without it, and it's no different than someone taking medication for a heart condition or bad blood pressure."
"You're not acting rational now that you're in withdrawal from it."
"This is not withdrawal! This is me being genuinely, really fucking pissed at you. And I'm a hormonal mess because I'm basically an omega now and about to go into my first heat after over a decade of supressing it. At this point you're lucky I'm this fucking together."
His omega really was beautiful when he was all riled up. Dark eyes flashing with spirit and fire, color burning over his cheekbones. Bane had every intention of enjoying this view for decades to come.
"Bane, if you don't…" Trailing off Blake closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them with renewed control and determination. "Let's try this again. Breaking it down into smaller pieces so that hopefully you will realize what Barsad and I are trying to tell you before you get us all killed.È Another deep breath. ÈSo first of all…Bane, what is going to happen when your men realize that there is an unclaimed omega in this place? Especially when they or I am in heat. Hmm?"
Pleased that the other man was at least trying to be rational, Bane was happy to do the same and reassure the omega that he had no reason to fear for his personal safety. "You will not be unclaimed; therefore they will not touch you. Only I will have that right."
"Not unclaimed? How do you-no. Oh fuck no. Bane. Are you thinking that we're going to mate? Officially? Get…married?"
The bug eyed, slack jawed look he was getting from his pale omega would have irked him if Bane wasn't well aware of why the idea would be so foreign to his Pet. Blake had grown up in a harsh, immoral environment that had been so hostile to his survival that his omega had been forced to corrupt his body and nature in order to survive it, soul intact. Had lived all his life surrounded by a culture where he'd been brainwashed to accept the unacceptable while being used and discarded by the alphas before he'd become Bane's. And he himself was guilty of not treating Blake as he should have; unaware of the truth of what he was until now. But that was over and he had every intention of treating the other man as he should have been from birth. He would honor, protect, and provide for his omega, making sure that no harm ever came to him.
And he needed to start behaving as an alpha should.
"I will court you and then I will make you my husband and mate. As is proper."
A choking sound was not the response Bane had been looking for. So he remained quiet as he waited for a proper one.
"You...you can't be serious. Bane…"
It was quite a struggle, it seemed, for his Pet to properly express himself. No. Not Pet, Bane mentally corrected himself sternly. He needed to stop thinking of him that way. He was his omega. His…John? The name really didn't suit him. Perhaps he would go with Blake, which seemed to be the man's preferred way to be addressed anyway.
"I realize that I am your Pet. And I realize that in this country I have no rights and you basically own me. And I even get that you could force me to marry you-"
"I will not force you. I will court you. You said that we should think of our predicament like being in an arranged marriage. I intend to make you see the benefits to agreeing to a true marriage with me."
"And you think that by the time you're done courting me I'll be able to overlook the fact that your adopted family is insane and wants to kill me, on top of the fact that you and I have NOTHING in common aside from-okay, so we have some things in common, but our world views are radically different. And eventually Bruce will come and get me once he knows I'm here with you."
"What do you mean, once he knows you're here?"
"Bane. Do you really think I'd still be here if he knew? He doesn't know. Talia is about a good a plotter as…Elmer Fudd, for Christ sakes, when it has to do with Bruce. She doesn't think, period. If she'd bothered to check her facts she'd have known that not only am I not now, nor was I ever his lover, but that he's not even in the friggin United States right now. He's gone into these depressions since Rachel's death and this time he decided to visit this temple he visited before he met al Ghul and became his apprentice. He couldn't even tell me where it was because he took a vow of silence about it. He left like two weeks before she took me and neither he nor Alfred will be expecting a message from me because I was due for an undercover mission expected to last a couple months at the very least. Why do you think I've been so resigned to the fact that I'm stuck here for the time being? He said he'd be gone at least that long!"
He had no idea who Elmer Fudd was, but Bane was guessing he was someone very stupid. Blake's tone made that clear. And while Bane had also made it clear he expected Blake to be respectful of her it was hard to argue with the other man's assertion that Talia was not acting or thinking at all rationally where Wayne was concerned. He would need to speak with her about it when next they spoke.
But back to the matter at hand. "I am the stronger, better alpha. He will not take you from me."
"Yeah, he will. Friends don't leave friends in situations like this. And I'd rather he not have to kill you for both your sakes."
"It is I who will kill him. He will not take you from me, and you will wish to stay."
"Do you really think I'd want to stay with you if you killed my friend?"
Considering that Bane had to admit that no, given how loyal his omega was Blake would most certainly want nothing to do with him if he were to kill Wayne himself. So he would have to give someone else that pleasure instead. Which was irksome, since he would have liked to have proven once and for all that he was the better man, but really his lord or Talia would wish to claim the honor of killing the man anyway. "I will not kill him then. Though I will maim him if necessary."
Rather than look grateful Blake's eyes were narrowed with suspicion. "You're planning to use my coming heat against me, aren't you? That's why you're so confident you can win me over and I'll accept your marriage proposal. That's it, isn't it?"
"No." Bane didn't mean to snarl out his answer, but he would not shrug off such an insult easily. Especially when something he wanted so badly was in his grasp for the first time in his lifetime. "I would not be so dishonorable. I will see you through your heat with your permission. If you do not wish my company during that time I will see you safe elsewhere. I will court you once you are thinking rationally."
A long, drawn out silence.
"Fuck. You're serious."
"Yes."
"I need to sit down. Which I can't do until you let me go."
But he didn't want to let him go.
)
A moment to consider and then Bane picked his omega up by his hips, Blake hands immediately coming out to grab ahold of Bane's shoulder to steady himself as Bane carried him the short distance to their bed. Then he sat down and manhandled Blake until he was sitting sideways on Bane's lap, leaning against his chest for stability. Bane kept one arm around his omega's waist to keep him there, while the other came up to stroke a hand over the man's hair since he knew how much his omega liked to be stroked and petted. And needed to be gentled, in this case, since Bane knew the man well enough by now to know what a threat Blake could be when riled.
Giving him an unimpressed look Blake huffed out a sound of displeasure. Even as he leaned in instinctively towards the hand stroking through his hair.
"Al Ghul won't let you marry me. Much less Talia."
"Both will recognize the fact that it is the honorable thing to do. You just said that they are wrong about your relationship with Wayne. Amends must be made."
"Since when has either of them shown even the slightest interest in making amends for the innocents they've hurt because of their personal agendas? As long as they hurt Wayne and destroy Gotham they don't give a fuck about anything else." Was Blake's nasty resort to that before he lowered his head to stare at his hands as he muttered to himself. "Idiots couldn't plot their way out of a fucking paper bag. Fucking kidnapped me because of that stupid, fucking nickname Wayne gave me because he knows I hate my first name. And now this, Jesus Christ."
Watching as Blake swiped a hand through his hair in agitation, Bane frowned as he asked what the other man meant by that. His assumption that the endearment was because of the tattooed wings on his omega's arms was wrong? What did Little Bird have to do with the name John?
The look that flashed across Blake's face…
"Shit. Dammit." This time Blake's fingers insured that tuffs of his hair stood straight up from his head. "This is not my fucking day. Or week. Or fucking month, really." Some mumbling under his breath followed, then a mutter just loud and articulate enough for Bane to catch. "John's my middle name. My first is Robin."
"Robin." Bane repeated, testing it out.
A small, bright bird who was often seen as a herald of spring. A name that also brought to mind the character of Robin Hood, a man who robbed from the rich to feed the poor. Both suited his omega, Bane decided. Much more than plain John.
"Shit. You're going to start calling me Robin, aren't you?"
"Why would you prefer John?" Bane countered, genuinely curious.
"A man can only take so many Robin Hood jokes before blood is shed. And it's hard enough becoming a cop with a juvie record, much less a prison one."
Ah. "Then I will call you it only in private."
"Fine."
Blake-Robin stared off into space pensively for a minute or two before shifting a little in Bane's lap so that he could angle his body to better face Bane. "You're serious about this, aren't you? Why? Why me? Because unless you're counting on my personality doing a one eighty once the last of the Umbra is out of my system I am not remotely what you must be looking for in a mate. And FYI I was born an omega, and I was a BRAT before I ever had a single injection."
Bane didn't doubt it. Just as he was aware of the fact that Robin would likely continue to infuriate, confuse, and bring chaos to his life for the rest of their time together. The rules of biology and genetic coding meant that once they were bonded Robin would be more inclined to behave him, but Bane wasn't so foolish as to assume his omega would allow those instincts to hold sway over him for long. Robin had been a beta too long, his life in Gotham only warping him that much more from what he should have been.
And Bane was fine with that.
He'd met other omegas. They were terrified of him. Shuddered and hid behind their alphas or tried to hide their fear by acting as though they were too pure and untouchable to even be in the same room as him. Nevermind the fact that he never would have laid a hand on any of them. No omega in this country or most countries would willingly become his and Bane would never force one too. Not knowingly, anyway.
Robin was violent, argumentative, and abrasive. He was not afraid of Bane or his touch, and in fact welcomed the latter blatantly. The other man didn't find his size displeasing, and had seen him with both his mask on and off, like now. Had told him he had beautiful eyes. Robin was the only omega Bane had ever met who saw him and wasn't frightened by what they saw. Wasn't disgusted because of his past, his time in the Pit, or the blood on his hands. In truth his omega was nothing like an omega was supposed to be, and at the heart of it that was perversely why Bane had decided on the course of action he had.
He'd realized as they'd walked back to his rooms that while Robin would never be a perfect mate he would be the best mother Bane could hope to give his children. Robin would not only love them, but would protect and fight for them. Would shed blood and fight until the last drop of blood left his body if necessary. And furthermore Robin would use ever devious, manipulative brain cell he possessed to insure their happiness and safety in life. Bane would bet his life on that.
Talia's mother had loved her daughter and cared him. Bane knew that. But she'd spent her days in the Pit waiting for her alpha to save them while spinning stories about the life they'd have once they were free. She'd lived her life as much in that fantasy world as reality had allowed. She hadn't fought until the end. And as far as Bane knew his mother hadn't fought at all when he'd been cast into the Pit in his father's place. Better she get to keep her alpha than him.
He was willing to put up with a lot in order to provide his children with better.
And realizing his omega was still waiting for an answer to his earlier question about why Bane would want to mate with him, Bane gave him one.
"You're what I want."
Robin's expression made it clear he didn't believe that for a second.
Eyes drawn to the scowl the omega was wearing, Bane's mind suggested a way to shelve the argument for the time being while further deepening their sexual relationship at the very least. It was the only bond they had to build off of currently.
Lifting up his free hand Bane slid his thumb over Robin's bottom lip, noting with satisfaction the way that immediately eliminated the scowl and shifted Robin's focus in a more agreeable direction.
"I've never kissed anyone before. Will you teach me?"
Surprise was written all over Robin's face. "Are you serious?"
"You said you wished to. Kiss me. So teach me."
Silence. More scolding. And some muttered words Bane was willing to bet were not complimentary and curse oriented in nature. And all the while his omega eyed Bane's mouth.
"Fine. But I'm going on the record here as stating that I'm only doing this because my first heat is coming on, my hormones are out of control, and sex as an outlet sounds like a fucking good idea at the moment. And I might just have to kill you in the near future, and no one should die without being kissed properly at least once." A short pause. "And fuck you're smiling at me. You-dammit. I'm going to punch you after this."
As per usual when it came to matters in the bedroom, his Robin proved to be an excellent teacher. Bane liked kissing a LOT.
