Chapter 13- Something More
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'I…I am sorry to have disturbed you… I will g… go now.' Ebony stammered, embarrassed.
'No.' Bane replied firmly.
Ebony froze in her tracks.
'You will do no such thing.' He said.
Ebony watched Bane draw back the quilt in the dim light, allowing her into the warmth of his bed.
With the quilt drawn back, Ebony could see Bane's bare muscular torso glinting in the dim light as he lay in bed.
He was a stunning example of strength and power as he shifted to face her.
Wearing nothing but her black bra, low cut briefs and the support bandage around her ankle, Ebony moved towards the side of the bed.
Trying to hide her jitters and put on a show of confidence, Ebony slid under the covers.
Both lying on their side, they faced each other with only their lower halves under the covers.
Making the first move, Ebony reached her hand out to touch his chest.
Her cold fingers made contact with warm skin.
It seemed Bane was a formidable heat source.
A human heater.
It was then that Bane spoke on a whisper.
'If you want to show your gratitude, you will do everything I say, without question, starting with this...' He began.
Ebony was about to cut in, saying that she already did everything he asked of her, but… perhaps that wasn't entirely true.
'You will come here, every night at exactly twenty-one hundred hours. Is that clear?' Bane ordered.
Ebony nodded her head, remaining silent as Bane continued.
'However, I will not guarantee the life of your Detective if he steps too far out of line,' Bane warned.
Ebony nodded again in acknowledgement.
She silently hoped Blake wouldn't take too many risks, for his own sake.
Raising his hand to take hold of her shoulder, Bane abruptly pushed Ebony down onto her back.
Tensing, she held her breath and remained still as Bane raised himself up on his elbow.
Ebony was preparing herself to be manhandled, for Bane to do whatever he wanted, however he wanted.
Preparing herself for… anything.
Ebony felt his fingertips run across her collarbone, down the front of her chest, in between her bra, down to her ribs.
Bane slowly traced the curve of her ribs with his fingertips, examining where the fractured bones and heavy bruising had once been.
Could he see that well, in the dim light?
Ebony inhaled shaky breath as his featherlight touch tingled her skin.
She didn't realize he would be so…
Gentle.
Ebony felt Bane move his large palm across her flat stomach to cup the contour of her small waist.
'It seems you have healed well, Ms Black.' Bane observed, thinking back her ordeal in the collapsed apartment.
Unbeknownst to Ebony, Bane had assessed her injuries after she collapsed.
Turning only her head towards him, Ebony remained frozen as they held each other's gaze.
Bane observed the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed nervously.
For Ebony, the seconds seemed an eternity.
The only sound was the inhalation and exhalation of air from Bane's mask as time seemed to stand still.
'Now, go back to your room,' he ordered coldly, in a completely different tone to the one he had just used.
Ebony's eyes widened as Bane withdrew his touch from her waist.
'I have a busy day tomorrow and currently... you, are an uninvited guest.' Bane said shifting away, turning his back to her.
Astonished, Ebony took a moment before sliding out of the bed, back into the cold air.
Covering herself with her robe on the way out, she left the room.
Passing the guards at the door, she quickly returned upstairs to the penthouse suite.
Standing at the foot of her much larger bed, she dropped onto the puffy quilt, plank style.
Ebony exhaled a long breath.
Well that wasn't exactly how she thought her night would go.
Ebony had mentally prepared herself for almost anything, but she hadn't anticipated rejection.
Although, she had made some progress.
At least it looked a hopeful for Blake.
xxxx
In another part of Gotham entirely, downtown, Blake had almost exhausted all his contacts, that still remained above ground that is, on where to hide the Commissioner.
The Detective had been moving Gordon to different accommodation weekly, as it was likely Gordon still had a large target on his back.
At least he was fully recovered from his injuries now and could look after himself.
There were wild parties in high end apartment buildings that would go on for days at a time.
With no control of the rabble.
All at the expense of the rich and powerful, those who up until now, had enjoyed the finest things in life.
Now it belonged to... everyone.
Blake would visit the orphan boys regularly, to see how they were doing and bringing them any extra food he could find about the city.
He would never forget where he came from.
He had been one of them, once.
xxxx
Ebony did exactly as Bane had asked.
She appeared in his suite at nine every night for a week.
Most of the time, he wasn't there.
So she would wait for an hour, roll her eyes or shake her head, sometimes both and then return back upstairs in a huff.
Of the few nights he was there, Ebony would sit with Bane at the small circular dining table.
They usually had short conversations about nothing in particular.
Then he would send her back upstairs.
It seemed Bane was playing just another game with her.
xxxx
On one particular night, Ebony was walking down the hallway on her way to Bane's door preparing for another night waiting alone, when she saw Marissa pass by the guards.
She was carrying a basket full of clothing.
Bane's, no doubt.
Marissa passed by Ebony with a weary but concerned smile.
Were those blood stains on Bane's clothing?
Passing the guards and closing the door behind her, Ebony entered the living space at precisely nine pm to see Bane sitting at the dining room table.
Various medical supplies were scattered over the surface.
'Ah, Ms Black.' Bane said, acknowledging her presence without looking up, focussed on his side.
It seemed that Bane was fresh out of the shower.
Apart from a towel wrapped around his waist, he was completely… naked.
Water droplets still glistened off his pale hairless chest.
Sensing that she was interrupting his concentration, Ebony stopped in her tracks.
'Perhaps… I should return tomorrow.' Ebony said.
'You will stay.' Bane ordered firmly, continuing to focus on whatever it is he was doing.
Moving closer to him cautiously, she could see fresh blood seeping from an open wound.
As Bane moved his hands away from the wound, he dropped a bloody bit of metal and steel tweezers onto the table.
It seems that he had just removed a bullet from his own side.
Ebony watched as a single trail of blood trickled down his skin, eventually being absorbed by the towel.
Looking on in both horror and awe, Bane began skilfully stitching up the open wound himself.
He's obviously done that before.
'That looks painful,' Ebony cringed, with wide eyes, genuinely concerned.
'It is relatively superficial.' Bane replied.
'My mask keeps any discomfort at bay.'
'Why don't you get the medic to look at that?' Ebony suggested.
Surely he must be in some pain.
'I prefer to administer my own medical treatment wherever possible.' Bane replied resolutely.
Ebony took that to mean that he would rather be in control.
Of course.
Ebony watched as Bane skilfully pierced his skin with the curved suture needle again, unflinching.
'What happened?' Ebony asked curiously, concerned.
'There are attempts on my life almost every day, Ms Black.' Bane explained, unconcerned.
'Rogue citizens, anyone with a weapon that thinks they can be a hero. Today's volunteer has paid with his life and has already been made an example of.' Bane said.
Ebony knew Bane was referring to the hanging of bodies where the world could see from one of the damaged bridges.
There had been many such hangings already.
Ebony watched on as he skilfully tied off the last of five stitches.
It must be an awful way to live, always wondering if today would be your last.
Although his men were utterly devoted to him and treated him like a god, taking orders obediently, Ebony did not envy Bane's way of life.
Keen to help and drawing on what her parents had taught her when she was younger, Ebony unwrapped some sterile gauze and antiseptic.
It was her turn to help him now, repay the favor.
Whether she liked it or not, she couldn't avoid the fact that this huge, masked man before her that had killed many without barely lifting a muscle, had saved her life.
Moving closer to him, Ebony shifted a dining chair next to his, examining his handiwork.
Using some gauze, she leaned down to gently dab around the fresh stitches to remove the last traces of blood.
Bane sat back in the chair, moving his arm out of the way.
Of course, he could have done it himself, but he silently welcomed her close proximity.
Her attention.
Ebony tried to remain focussed on the wound instead of the fact that the huge man before her was practically naked.
If not for the bath towel.
Bane remained still, watching as strands of hair fell into her face as Ebony tended to his wound.
Her breaths were shallow but steady as she carefully controlled every action.
'It seems your parents taught you well.' Bane observed her precise application.
'They taught me basic first aid and a few other techniques. Bullet wounds… not so much.' Ebony replied.
Unwrapping more medical supplies, she taped a dressing over the wound, pressing the surgical covering gently around the sides.
'Thank you.' Bane said as Ebony withdrew her touch.
'Do you require pain relief? Is there anything else I can do?' Ebony asked, concerned, raising her eyes to his.
Now not focussed on the wound, for the first time she realized how close they were to each other.
A breath away.
Bane paused as he held her gaze for longer than Ebony would have liked.
Again, she felt as though he was looking straight into her soul.
Breaking the increasingly awkward silence, Bane spoke.
'You can come to bed, Ms. Black. I would like your company tonight.' Bane replied simply without emotion.
Ebony nodded once obligingly.
She followed the big man as he rose, leading her into the bedroom.
As she trailed behind him, Ebony felt like she had just witnessed a rare moment of vulnerability.
Not because of his injury, but because of her.
Perhaps there was more than just physical pain, but something much deeper going on.
Similar to her.
Being a cold night, Ebony watched on as Bane turned his back to her, before dropping his towel and pulling on thermal pants and long sleeve top, covering his injury.
Ebony eyed his muscular back once more before it was covered in a layer of fabric.
Ebony was mostly glad that he chose not to sleep naked.
She watched Bane ease into the far side of the bed and draw the covers back for her to join him.
Removing the tracksuit and sneakers she was wearing, Ebony stripped down to her long sleeve top and underwear.
Crawling into bed, she tentatively shifted closer to him under the quilt, as he lay on his back.
Facing him on her side, she gently placed her palm on his warm chest once more.
Ebony slowly lowered her head onto his shoulder in a comforting manner.
Suspecting that he was stubborn like her, Ebony guessed that he was likely in more pain than he was willing to admit.
Or perhaps he was wounded in ways that were not completely evident.
It was well known by everyone that Bane proudly transmitted as a pillar of strength.
But in these quiet moments, he was… something else.
Something more.
As Bane slowly moulded his arm around her back, Ebony felt the rise and fall of his chest in time with the mechanical sound of his breathing through the mask.
Just a man and a woman in bed together.
Bane closed his eyes, absorbing her touch.
Somehow being near to her, took the weight of the world off his shoulders, even if only for a few hours.
Ebony drifted asleep thinking that whilst everyone else had already assumed that she was Bane's and they had been having hot passionate hardcore sex or whatever else they chose to think for a while now, perhaps Bane sought something else.
Barsad had told her a few facts about Bane's past.
Surprizingly they had some things in common.
They were both orphans.
But whilst Ebony had been 21 when she had lost her parents, Bane had never known his.
Ebony wondered if Bane had ever had a relationship, a stable home, a loving family.
Perhaps he wanted a taste of what it was like.
A glimpse of a normal life.
Barsad also told her that whilst Bane had had women in the past, perhaps it was something else he craved other than just physical sex.
Touch.
Intimacy.
Humanity.
xxxx
xxxx
In the early hours of the morning Bane rose from the covers to dress.
Adjusting his back brace to not put too much presure on his injury, Bane took a moment to admire the beautiful woman lying next to him in his bed still in enthralled in the clutches of sleep.
Eventually he stepped into the living area.
Barsad arrived shortly after.
'The men are waiting for you downstairs, brother.'
Barsad looked curious when Bane closed the bedroom door.
'Boss?' Barsad questioned knowingly.
Bane looked sternly at his comrade.
'Not a word.' He said, giving Barsad a warning glance.
Barsad raised an eyebrow as a small smirk graced his lips.
It was bound to happen, eventually, he thought.
He was right after all.
He knew Bane had other plans and didn't spare her life purely because of her expert camera skills.
xxxx
Ebony awoke alone.
Crumpled sheets remained where Bane had been.
But.
He had left something in his place on the bed.
Ebony gasped when she lay eyes on it.
It was…
Her camera!
It was sitting neatly on the bed near his pillow.
Scrambling up into a sitting position, Ebony grasped the device, so glad to have it back.
Inspecting it closely, her heart sank a little when she realized that it was damaged beyond repair.
Did she really expect anything different?
But in the end she didn't care, she was just so glad to have it in her possession once more.
Ebony couldn't wait to see Bane, to thank him for returning it to her.
