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Cover is Not The Book
"Father Reilly would say that we're never truly alone. That God is always with us. But I've always found that idea rather creepy." There were just some things you didn't want someone else seeing you do. And really Simon had always thought that God should have better things to do with his time, though maybe that was the reason bad things happened. God was too busy watching the wrong people at the wrong time because he'd rather watch the good or pervvy things. Though God as Father Reilly described was all knowing as well...but also who would want to know everything? There was a reason telepaths were often on the verge of insanity or already insane in fiction. Seeing inside people's minds, constantly and possibly without shields...Simon felt somewhat nauseated just thinking about what that would be like.
Though that could be the lingering smells of the lunch the other poor bastards had had to eat for lunch. Simon honestly wasn't sure what John had all been washing off those plates...but it had looked pretty freaking gross to him.
At his side John pinched him hard in a signal to stay focused. Well that or-
"I have John too." Was that the right answer Simon wondered as he looked at the omega to see.
Judging from the look John aimed in his direction Simon was going to guess he wasn't quite right or wrong. People were so damn confusing. Why couldn't they be easier to read and understand? He'd get beaten up a lot less.
"You think to claim another man's omega as yours?"
"Not that way. Ewwww."
John gave him another look. "Thanks for that."
"You think it's gross too." Simon pointed out, knowing he wasn't alone in this.
"True."
Feeling vindicated Simon smirked and then turned his attention back to Talia since she was the person most likely to kill him in the room. At least at the moment.
"You haven't changed at all in your time within the League, have you, Boy?"
"A little. I think. My voice is deeper now and I don't really have any baby fat left. And I'm a little bit better at fighting than I was before. Or at least I can last longer in one, which is good. Since that's all you guys like to do."
At his side John made a sound that was part groan, part snicker.
Talia made a sound that was definitely derisive. "Still as dim as you are beautiful, I see."
As a male and alpha Simon knew in theory that he should probably object to being termed beautiful...but he really didn't care. If people cared more about being themselves and less on who people wanted them to be they'd be happier in the long run. And he didn't care that she thought he was stupid either. Why would he? The bitch was insane!
Actually, when he thought about it Simon was pretty sure that he was the only person in the room who wouldn't benefit from several months' worth of therapy. Which was just depressing.
John meanwhile had tensed up at his side because of course John would want to defend him. But thankfully he seemed to realize that now wasn't really the time.
And that being the case Simon inclined his head towards the crazy psycho who wanted to do things to him he really didn't want to think about. It would not go well for him if he didn't acknowledge that he'd heard her as Talia did not take being ignored well.
That done Simon turned his head to look at Bane as he asked him for permission for him and John to leave so that they could shower and change for the funeral. They smelled like the kitchen.
"Do we?" John whispered to him while Bane asked Talia if that was all right with her.
"Yeah. And you have something on your face."
John's jaw dropped a little. "For how long?"
Simon shrugged. He hadn't been paying attention earlier. It was hard to sing, be somewhat on his guard AND dry dishes at the same time. John knew he didn't multitask well.
"Ugh." Leaving his side John moved so that he was between Simon and Talia now, rubbing at his cheeks with his palms as he did so.
And once Bane and Talia were both looking at him John bowed his head all submissively, which if Bane bought Simon was going to seriously think less of him and his intelligence.
"My apologies for my appearance, Master."
)
The fact that he might have had food on his face for well over an hour now while surrounded by people who could have done the decent, humane thing and told him irked, naturally, but mostly Blake was just glad to have an excuse to put himself between Talia and Simon. Not that he thought the bitch would try anything at the moment, but better safe than sorry. Though the urge to bitch slap her or drown her in dirty dish water was strong as fuck.
To say that the bitchiness was strong with this one was a massive understatement.
But from plenty of past experience Blake knew that her comments were sliding right off Simon's back like a duck and water, which was the big thing here. Simon really didn't give a single fuck what pretty much anyone thought about him. It was perhaps his greatest strength in a world where everyone judged everyone twenty-four seven. Simon could be hurt emotionally of course, and there were a select few people whose opinion did matter, but none of those people would ever hurt Simon that way, which was why they mattered.
Bane had been standing slightly behind Talia, but now he moved past her to join Blake in No Man's Land.
"You have food on your face."
"Yeah. Kei just told me. Where is it?"
"Novik. A wet wash cloth."
One of the kitchen help immediately wet a cloth under the nearest sink and then ran it over to present to Bane like it was as offering to his god.
And ain't nobody worshipping his man but-scratch that thought. Stupid omega hormones.
Holding out his hand with the intention of taking the cloth and then asking where the smudge or whatever was Blake froze when Bane ignored the gesture and instead leaned in to start rubbing the cloth very carefully along his jawline.
Right. Like that wasn't like waving a red flag in front of Talia's face. He was sorta mated to a dumbass.
"The omega is feeling better, I see."
Mentally Blake gritted his teeth over that. He hated how his designation were too often seen as things and not people. But now really wasn't the time to get into that. So he said nothing.
Having finished removing the mark Bane tossed the cloth onto a nearby table. "He needs to rest. And they both need to shower."
Deciding that playing the bimbo omega wouldn't hurt if it meant getting away from Talia Blake turned his head and lifted up a hand to daintily sniff himself. Yeah. Definitely shower time.
"I can escort both of them to their rooms." Barsad offered.
Bane looked over at Talia. "Do you need me for anything before your father arrives?"
Naturally she had to take a minute to think about that, possibly searching her teeny, tiny warped brain for some excuse. Or a way to get Bane to leave her alone with him for a few minutes so that she could kill him in self-defense or something. Bet she was sorry she hadn't pushed him into a mountain crevasse when she'd had the chance weeks ago.
"No, go get your Pet cleaned up. I wouldn't want his stench to offend my father."
Okay, he did NOT smell that bad.
Talia's next words were directed towards Simon, the way she smiled chilling Blake's blood as she stated that he'd want to clean up too. Her father would want to speak with him at some point. About his future.
"He wants to discuss how you're going to kill me? Really? Do I get some say in the method of execution?"
That got him a raised eyebrow. "You think we're going to kill you?"
"Yup."
"So cavalier about your possible death."
Simon shrugged. "There are worse things than death."
There was remembered darkness in her eyes as Talia stated that that was true.
"Do you wish me to escort you back to your rooms?" Bane asked her, changing the subject.
"I can find my own way back, thank you. See to your Pet and the boy. We'll talk more about both of them later."
Moving in Talia made sure Blake attention was on her as she leaned in on tip toes to press a kiss against skin and leather as her lips met Bane's cheek. The look she sent him said quite plainly 'He's MINE', which Blake pretended not to see by lowering his lashes to hide any reaction he might have. It was better for the both of them that he didn't acknowledge that look.
And if he had to actively fit the impulse to take Bane's arm or hand...well only Blake had to know he was that stupid.
That she probably hadn't got the reaction she wanted didn't show on Talia's face as she placed a hand on Bane's cheek in a parting gesture, dragging her fingers a little as she moved her hand away and sauntered away.
His ass was so much better than hers. Just saying.
"Take the boy to be cleaned up, I'll see to my omega. If I'm required, contact me."
Barsad nodded.
"Come, Little One."
Blake would have at least mentally protested being called that, but he didn't fancy being called 'precious' or his actual first name in front of the others either.
Instead he nodded and gave Simon a little wave goodbye before following after Bane, wincing on his guards' behalf when Bane glared at the other guards when they started forward to accompany them. They were definitely in the dog house with Bane. And while that wasn't nearly as bad as say being in The Pit...they were likely going to be hurting really, really soon.
He'd pity them more if they weren't bad guys.
Following Bane out of the kitchen Blake kept close to the alpha side, just in case. Currently he wasn't experiencing any hot flashes so his scent was just that of a regular omega's for the most part. And he was covered with Bane's scent as well which seemed to be enough to keep the other alphas in the compound from doing more than look at him. Word had obviously gotten out as to what he was and possibly who Bane intended him to be. And while everyone here was stupid enough to be in the League of Shadows that didn't seem to translate into stupid enough to touch Bane's future mate.
At least for the time being.
When Talia gave the order to kill him Blake didn't-or maybe not.
"Question. This compound, is it full of your people or League people?"
"We are all members of the League of Shadows."
"Right. But say Ra's al Ghul went completely insane due to a brain tumor or something and ordered the men in this compound to kill you...would they do it without hesitation, or do they consider you their leader first?"
The look in Bane's eyes said he did not like this line of questioning.
"Like for instance Barsad wouldn't kill you even if ordered to. Right?"
"My leader has no reason to want me dead or question my loyalty."
Sighing, alphas were dumb, Blake let the topic drop for the time being. Like last night when he should have really kept pushing the whole 'you're a fanatic who's dooming yourself and the world' agenda seeing as he was pretty sure at least some of what he'd been saying had gotten through Bane's incredibly thick skull. Enough that Bane had been restless the entire night and had left him incredibly early this morning.
Last night he'd thought if he pushed any more on the subject he'd undo all the 'good' he'd done, getting Bane to at least think about what he was saying...but now Blake was second guessing himself. Had he done it because of that or had he just not wanted to upset Bane further?
How screwed was his objectivity becoming?
Though it was some comfort to remember that at least he hadn't developed Stockholm Syndrome. He still thought Bane was a complete and total idiot for being a League member.
Gotta look for those silver linings.
)
Barsad informed the guards that they would discuss their failure to properly guard Bane's Pet in the future and then dismissed them. Or at least that's what Simon was assuming given the guards' tones of voice and their reactions to whatever Barsad said to them in a pretty sounding language that shouldn't be used to yell at people. There were much better dialects for that in Simon's opinion. But he was pretty sure that Barsad didn't care about that so Simon kept that thought to himself.
When Barsad motioned for him to follow him Simon had no problem doing so, happy to leave. The place smelled bad and while the distraction had been appreciated, Simon was happy to give it up in favor of studying Barsad and trying to figure out if the other man was still mad at him.
It would help if he knew why Barsad had been mad at him that morning, Simon acknowledged with an inner sigh, but in his experience when you asked someone why they were mad at you they only became madder at the fact that you didn't know what you'd done in the first place. Which was very unhelpful and annoying in Simon's opinion.
He assumed part of it was that for some reason Barsad hadn't slept at all while they were sharing his bed last night. He'd offered to sleep elsewhere so that wasn't his fault and if that's what Barsad was mad about then they had a problem unless Simon was assigned to share a room with someone else since apparently he couldn't be trusted to have a room to himself. Or maybe Bane and Barsad figured he'd end up dead without constant adult supervision. They wouldn't be the first to think that.
"It doesn't bother you. That she called you dim."
"Who cares what a crazy person thinks of them." Seriously. Even someone of limited intelligence should get that basic concept.
The look in Barad's eyes when he looked over at him...Simon wasn't sure how to interpret it.
"At least you had the sense not to say that to her face."
Duh. Again. He wasn't stupid.
"We need to be careful where you're concerned until she leaves the compound."
"Is she going home with her father after the funeral?"
"She hasn't shared her intentions with me. Or with Bane to the best of my knowledge."
"Well at least her father won't stay long. John will chase him off."
Simon was used to people giving him the 'how can you be that stupid' look. But he found he didn't like Barsad looking at him that way.
"What?"
"You think Ra's al Ghul would be chased off by an omega Pet?"
Eyes rolling was justified in Simon's books.
"He handed over an innocent omega to be raped and beaten by an alpha. Just like his 'mate' was once damned to The Pit because of him. Your leader is seriously delusional about a lot of things, but I think he does have enough sanity that the similarities will have occurred to him by now. And are eating away at him as we speak. And if they aren't I know John well enough to know he'll make sure al Ghul makes the connection and then do his best to twist the knife so that al Ghul feels as much guilt and shame as he's capable of feeling. So yeah, your 'fearless' leader won't be hanging around here long, I'm guessing."
Barsad inclined his head. "That would be good strategy on the cop's part."
"Yup. Not enough to get him home though." Or at least Simon wasn't anticipating it being that easy. Though he was sorta curious as to how Bane would respond if al Ghul tried to take his 'mate' away from him.
"No. Or you."
"Batman's probably our only hope." Simon agreed.
"You trust Wayne to come and save you?"
"I trust him to come and save John. And hopefully me in the process. Saving people from Gotham is his thing, right?"
"Except when he fails."
"Well no one's perfect."
The sound Barsad made might have been an extremely rusty laugh. It was hard to tell.
"You'd be unwise to put your faith in The Bat. Even if he gets through the men, he will not defeat Bane. Bane is his superior in every way."
"Wayne's better looking."
Barsad stared at him.
"And Wayne's better with people. And probably more skilled when it comes to sex since he's probably had way more of it than Bane has. And he was smart enough to leave the League and Bane wasn't. And I'd say that Wayne has better fashion sense too only that Batman outfit...I mean it could be worse but still..."
"You think Wayne is good looking?"
"Yes. He's very pretty."
"Pretty." Barsad repeated the word like he didn't know what it meant.
"Handsome?" Was that a better choice?
"He'd have been nothing without the League's training. And in turning against us he became nothing once more."
"Technically he'd have still been good looking without the League." Simon couldn't help but point out. "Though maybe not as ripped. Or I assume he's ripped given the training and his career choice as a vigilante crime fighter. Staying in peak physical condition would be vital to his survival."
"His looks are all he has, then."
"And his millions of dollars."
Barsad glared at him.
