Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

I'll Get Hot

Blake turned his attention to fussing over the flowers, he didn't know what the fuck else to do given the present situation and the fact that Bane…Bane was fucking with his mind the way no other guy had ever come close to doing since he'd discovered he was sexually attracted to men. Wants and needs, right and wrong, black and white, nothing was clear when it was like this between them. When it was unescapable, what they felt when they weren't fighting or able to get behind the shields they'd honed to protect themselves from hurt decades ago.

But Bane wasn't leaving the room, and finally he couldn't not look over at him, Blake's eyes meeting Bane's against his own will.

"Why? Why would you get me something for Christmas? And why flowers, of all things?"

"You know why."

Yes. Yes he did. Under all the denial he knew exactly why Bane had done what he'd done and playing stupid about it was just…stupid at this point.

Cursing fluently under his breath, even though normally he had a policy to watch his language during Christmas, Blake made a straggling gesture towards Bane and then stalked over to him, going up on tippy toes that he was as big as he could get. "Am I the only one here who understands the consequences if we do this? If…for fuck sakes, Bane, I can't even kiss you with that mask on your face, even if I wanted to." Glaring at the mask in question Blake wanted to rip it off Bane's face for precisely that reason. So that he could kiss Bane until they were so lost in it that what came after wouldn't weigh so heavy until after sanity had returned.

Lifting his hands Bane slid his fingers through Blake's hair, watching the heat flare in the other man's dark eyes at his touch. "I understand the consequences. I'd talked myself out of giving you the flowers before I came to find you earlier. I was going to keep them, and watch them die."

Imagining it, and connecting the dots, Blake's curved in an almost cruel smile. "We're both dying, aren't we?"

Continuing to card his fingers through his cop's hair, it was getting a little shaggy now, Bane nodded his head, not about to lie. He might wish it wasn't so, but he knew that even if he were to leave Gotham alive there would be a part of him that died in this wretched city because of this man. And even if he saved Blake, was able to see him spared somehow, there would be a part of the cop that would be dead too, destroyed by guilt for surviving when so many hadn't and the knowledge of why he'd been protected and saved.

Slowly Blake slid his hands up Bane's chest, feeling the muscles bunch and flex under his touch. And then his hands were on those wide, strong shoulders, and clutching them Blake let himself lean forward, resting his body against the strength of Bane's.

Keeping one hand where it was Bane moved the other to encircle Blake's waist, supporting him that way too as he continued to stroke, not knowing what else to do or say.

And they stayed that way for a while, Bane finally stating that Blake should get ready for bed. It was late.

Nodding, Blake stepped back and out from under Bane's hands, the detective walking over to the bed where he'd already set out his usual nightwear before heading to the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind him.

Deliberately choosing not to so much as glance in the mirror Blake went about his normal nighttime routine of changing, putting away his clothes in the hamper, one last bathroom break, and then washing up as well as brushing his teeth. He did it all on autopilot, deliberately keeping his mind blank as he washed off his tooth brush, set it aside for the night, and then headed for the door, thinking he was probably in for one sleepless night. Again.

The bedroom was dark when he stepped out, making him think that Bane must have turned out all the lights before leaving. But instinct had Blake realizing in a snap that Bane hadn't left, making him turn to face the man who was a part of the shadows that now blanketed the room.

"Bane?"

He didn't move to back away when Bane moved closer, or object when the man's hands came up to hold his head between them. And then Bane leaned in and Blake opened his mouth to ask when he was doing, the words dying a quick and total death as he felt the unmistakable sensation of lips brushing against his right cheek and then the left.

Immediately reaching out Blake traced those lips with his fingers, feeling giddy at the contact. "You took it off."

It took Bane a moment to process the words, the feel of Blake's fingertips running over his lips, caressing them, fogging up his ability to think. "Only for a moment. What you said before, that even if you wanted to you could not kiss me…the option is now there."

His fingers moving to splay over Bane's cheeks, Blake didn't even care what Bane had just said, the fact that he was finally hearing Bane's voice for the first time without the mask mechanizing his words taking all his attention. "You have an accent, I couldn't hear it before. Keep talking so that I can try and place it."

The response was so unexpected that Bane couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head over the fact that he honestly never knew what to expect when it came to his detective and the complicated workings of the younger man's mind. He'd just asked for a kiss, admittedly in a roundabout way, to see what Blake would say, and all the man cared about was hearing more of his voice so that he could figure out his accent.

"I have no true native language, I speak various tongues in the accents that were taught to me. The man who taught me English was originally from South America."

Blake spoke in Spanish when he stated that he spoke decent Spanish, but didn't consider himself fluent. And what other languages did Bane all speak, anyway?

"Me vuelves loco."

"I drive YOU crazy? You drive me crazy."

"I am far easier to understand than you."

"Yeah, you keep deluding yourself into thinking that, Bane. As it is we'll both be as insane as the Joker by the time we get blown up, the way we're going. Something to look forward to."

Making another sound of amusement Bane pressed his forehead against Blake's, not bothering to comment since he didn't know what to say at this point. Other than the fact that he should be saying good night but didn't want to.

"To hell with it."

Uncertain what Blake meant by that, Bane got his answer a moment later when Blake's lips slated across his and he found himself being kissed for the first time, the gasp of surprise he made making room for the other man's tongue to come into play as well.

The kiss didn't last very long, a brief tasting that stirred up as much as it settled as Blake introduced Bane to the deceptively simple show of affection that had the other man going pliant with the pleasure and making a small sound of distress when Blake pulled away.

"Please."

Bane's plea seem to echo in the room and then he pressed his lips carefully against Blake's, asking for more without knowing how to do it properly himself. He was prepared to beg for it as he held the other man's body tightly against his, wanting every bit of contact he could get.

Tasting the terrible need and desperation, having heard it in the simple 'please' Bane had spoken, Blake found himself giving in inspite of himself, putting everything he had into this next kiss even as he kept it achingly sweet and tender, no tongue or nibbling, just their lips meeting and their arms holding each other close as the shadows hid their expressions from the other.

And when he finally broke off that kiss and they'd been silently holding each other for several minutes without talking or trying to initiate another kiss, Blake found himself taking Bane's hand, giving it a slight tug as he motioned in the direction of the bed with a quick jerk of his head. "You can sleep here tonight, if you want. Sex isn't on the menu."

More than happy to accept those terms Bane nodded, retrieving his mask from the nightstand and putting it back into place before following the other man over to the bed, joining him under the covers on his side, as he knew Blake often slept that way. And Blake shuffled backwards so that they were side by side, with his back pressed up against Bane's chest, which gave Bane the courage to place an arm across Blake's chest to keep him close, smiling behind his mask when the touch wasn't shaken off.

)

Waking up the next morning, Christmas Day, Blake stared blankly in front of him, intimately aware of the body currently pressed up against the back of his. And while logically he knew he should be freaking out over that fact, not the least because Bane's sizeable erection was currently pressed up against his ass, Blake found himself too tired to so much as flinch over the situation he found himself in. Bane was probably awake as well, or at least sleeping lightly enough that the man would know the instant he moved. And that thought had him rolling around to face Bane, the other man's eyes open and meeting his without flinching.

"Morning."

"Good morning, Robin."

Okay, the use of his first name wasn't exactly something he'd been expecting, but given their previous conversation about names and the importance of their meanings Blake supposed he really shouldn't be surprised that Bane was changing his form of address. He should actually be more surprised that it hadn't started sooner.

"I'd make a comment about whether or not we're on a first name basis…but since you only have a first name and we are sharing a bed at the moment…just don't call me that in front of anyone else and I'll allow it. Can't promise to answer to it though, I haven't in a long time."

Bane thought that over for a moment. "I like that only I can call you by your true name."

Rolling his eyes over the fact that Bane would see it that way, which made him feel weird on top of everything else, Blake didn't bother to argue about it, instead stating that he was going to get up and head for the bathroom to take care of business and shower, turning over and sitting up to do precisely that.

Keeping his arm around Blake's waist, though he knew he should move it, Bane asked the question he'd been mulling over since he'd woken up about two hours ago.

"Why did you invite me to sleep with you?"

Blake kicked off his covers as he answered, deliberately not looking at Bane. "I couldn't leave you alone the way you were."

"So it was out of pity."

"Compassion. Basic human decency." Blake corrected, looking down at Bane now. "I don't know what the hell went wrong last night, especially since you're being an ass and not telling me, but something was seriously wrong and I could all but see the darkness smothering you to death in front of me. And you sinking further into the black isn't good for anyone." That he'd also wanted Bane's company...went unsaid.

"It was to help your people then."

Lifting a hand Blake aimed to flick Bane between the eyes, Bane grabbing his wrist before he did, the grip just tight enough to sting a little.

Jerking on his captured arm Blake glared until Bane turned him loose.

"Be that way then. It's what you're good at." And on that note Blake slid across his side of the bed and off it, walking around the bed towards the bathroom and very loudly slamming it closed behind him.

Calling himself every kind of stupid idiot, boy was he an idiot, Blake discarded his clothes and left them lying on the floor, uncaring for the moment that he might trip over them later and break something. Who cared if he did after all? He'd be dead before said bone healed anyway unless the Venom still swirling around in his bloodstream was just that badass. His arm was certainly all but healed at this point. And thinking about Venom in general just pissed him off that much more, so that Blake almost forgot to relieve himself before stalking over to the shower, which coincided with the sound of the door being swung open and Bane entering the room without his permission.

Restraining himself from giving Bane the finger, no matter how tempting it was and boy was it ever, Blake closed the shower door behind him and then turned his attention to playing with the water to get the right temperature, ignoring the other man's presence.

And even through the glass and water, mere moments later, Blake could hear Bane perfectly as the man demanded to know why he thought he could get away with torturing him this way.

Hands dropping back to his sides where they fisted, Blake had to take several slow, calming breaths to keep himself from exploding and doing something stupid like putting said fists through the glass wall that stood between the two of them. In the time he'd known Bane he'd been forced to kill someone, had his hero badly hurt and sent to a hell hole, lived in a war zone, been shot, kidnapped, exposed to Venom, stabbed, been given countless headaches from arguing with the stubborn idiot, forced to stand by while his city continued to be destroyed…AND had to deal with a massive attraction to a man who was responsible, one way or another, for everything that was currently wrong with his life even if he was taking his orders from someone else.

And Bane thought he was the one being tortured here? That he was suffering more than he was?

Turning his head to meet Bane's gaze through the glass, Blake's eyes darkened to nearly black. Bane thought he'd tortured him? Oh he'd show him torture.

)

As he hadn't taken complete leave of his senses Bane was fully aware of the fact that following Blake into the bathroom hadn't been one of his smartest ideas, especially since he knew that a shower would mean seeing Blake naked, but he hadn't been able to stop himself. He also knew, in some corner of his still rational brain, that the poison Talia had injected into his feelings for Blake the night before was responsible for his inability not to pick at everything Blake did that showed him the slightest hint of kindness or desire to be closer to him. It was not what he should do, and made him feel pathetic, but Bane couldn't seem to stop himself.

"So you think I'm torturing you, do you, Bane?"

The way Blake had said those words, a purr with a hint of claws, scraped over Bane's raw nerves the way they were meant to, the sight of the cop's tense body, muscles flexing as water ran down them while the other man stared him down with eyes gone black…

He actually shuddered and had to close his eyes for a moment before he could rein himself in enough to answer with a simple nodded of the head, words beyond him at the moment.

As he watched, having forced his eyes to open, Bane tracked every motion Blake's body made as the other man retrieved something from the variety of bottles lined up on the shower's long, built in shelf, popping the top and pouring some sort of liquid into his hand.

"I haven't deliberately been torturing you, FYI, but since you think I'm the sort who would do that for shits and giggles, well I guess I'll have to educate you for future reference, should you get out of Gotham alive and find yourself in this situation again. Killing two birds really, since this is how I like to start my day when I get the chance anyway."

A brief pause, then Blake turned to stand sideways, his voice still hard with the promise of both violence and unspeakable pleasure when he spoke.

"So, Cher, My Dear Bane. It is with deepest pride, and greatest pleasure, that I welcome you today. And now I invite you to relax, let's pull up a chair, as the bathroom proudly presents - your torture!"

It took Bane several heartbeats to understand what he was seeing, or it would have if his heart hadn't literally stopped beating in his chest as some corner of his brain caught on right away what Blake planned to do before the rest of his mind very sluggishly caught up to the rest.

The no doubt deliberately loud moans were what made it final sink in, Bane's brain finally connecting the dots so that it understood that Blake was making those sounds, moving his body that way because yes, he had a finger buried deep inside his very naked ass and was stimulating himself that way, while the mans' other hand was wrapped around his erection in a tight grip, his body's reactions to the first making him thrust into his wrapped fingers for added sensation.

Trying to look away was impossible, as was closing his eyes or fleeing the room now. Every second was already imprinting on his mind like acid, each new sound Blake made, the expression of pleasure Bane could see on the other man's face, and the fact that this was for him, even if it was a punishment…he couldn't have stopped watching if their lives depended upon it. He was also aware on some level just how aroused and hard he was getting watching this, his breathing even more halted and full of static than normal, but all that took a backseat to what he was watching, his need not to miss a second of what Blake was doing.

And then Blake was adding a second finger, the detective's back arching like a drawn bow while his mouth dropped open in a guttural sound of pleasure…and that hit a button Bane hadn't even known he'd had.

Pushed it hard, so that he couldn't just watch anymore.