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.
Happy Early Valentines' Day! XOXOX
Because You See
Convincing his fellow cops, especially Gordon, that they shouldn't arrest Barsad was hard enough, much less getting it through their instinctively loyal heads that it was his decision to go with the mercenary, and that they needed to let him go. Barsad threatening to just knock them all out, the longer they stood out here the more precarious the situation became which didn't help Blake one little bit, but eventually he convinced his fellow cops to stand down. From his pocket Blake pulled out an envelope that was a little dirty, giving it to Gordon with the request that he see that The Batman got it the next time the two met up.
Making no effort to hide that he was pissed and didn't like any of this one little bit, Gordon had to take a calming breath before he took it, promising that he would.
Giving the cops a sincere salute, Blake promised Gordon he'd contact him with the info about the bomb as soon as he could if he succeeded.
While Blake said his goodbyes Barsad retrieved something off the remains that had once been Talia al Ghul, and after letting the cops see that it was a simple bracelet, nothing more, they allowed the mercenary to take both it and Blake away.
They walked a few blocks in silence, Barsad leading the way to an all-terrain that had been cleverly hidden from view in a shadowy alleyway. Unlocking it, Barsad headed for the passenger side, opening the door and holding it for Blake.
"Since when did you become a gentleman? Or do I look that bad?"
"You look that bad."
"And Bane really worried I'd ever be interested in you." Rolling his eyes Blake walked over and took the passenger seat, not surprised when Barsad demanded to see the full extent of his injuries before making it clear he'd do some serious damage of his own if Blake were to 'forget' to mention something.
Blake's Igor like rendition of 'Yes, Master' got him a slap upside the head.
Cursing and rubbing the back of his head, Blake would have given the man the middle finger but he was just too tired, especially now that he was sitting down and knew he could depend on Barsad to keep him safe until he was up to doing his own protecting. Which made him pretty stupid, this was Barsad after all, but he knew right now he was too valuable not to be protected. At least for now.
So he allowed Barsad to poke and prod his injuries, cursing when the mercenary hit a sore spot but a little smug when Barsad admitted at the end of it that he'd been patched up pretty well, though Barsad did butterfly bandaged a couple of the deeper cuts Talia had made with her blade before he shut the car door and then went around to take the driver's seat.
Again they lapsed into silence as they drove out of the alley and through Gotham's streets, Blake waiting until they'd been driving for about ten minutes before he felt he needed to speak up, especially since he didn't know where they were going or how much time he had before he'd be looking Bane in the eye again.
"It was my fault, her dying. You really think he's not going to snap my neck over that?"
Still looking straight ahead, Barsad didn't even spar him a glance. "I'll be the one doing the explaining, especially since he would snap your neck if you said that to him now."
"I can't-Barsad, I can't lie to him about that. Not only would he eventually figure it out but-"
"You're an idiot. You both are." Barsad's sigh was one of a man carrying a great weight on his shoulders. "You didn't kill her, she killed herself. Being the idiot that you are, you were actually trying to save her even though she'd have slit your throat open if she had taken that hand you offered. I have no intention of lying to him, I will tell him the truth. You're simply incapable of seeing it clearly."
"She wouldn't have been up on that roof if not for me."
"Blake…don't make me knock you unconscious. Shut up until I tell you to do otherwise."
Glaring at him, but also well aware that Barsad wasn't joking and was very capable of taking him out embarrassingly easy given the state he was in, Blake crossed his arms in front of him and basically sulked for the next five minutes until the loud complaints of his body, combined with the mental and emotional blows he'd been taking recently, caught up with him enough that he just closed his eyes and prayed for the strength to survive long enough to fix what could be fixed.
He'd mourn what couldn't be changed if he lived long enough for that.
They eventually pulled into a parking garage connected to a large skyscraper, Blake not questioning why they'd picked it as he quietly followed Barsad, taking the man's words to heart when he saw the guards waiting at the elevator.
What Barsad said to them he didn't know, he didn't speak the language, but they were let in and didn't run into any problems until they'd reached the top floor, the guards there all pointing their guns in his direction with Barsad only having a split second to stand in front of him, physically acting as a shield.
Following close when Barsad stepped out, his voice very angry sounding, Blake watched over the mercenary's shoulder as the guards all watching him like hawks while another man he assumed was much higher up on the food chain argued with Barsad, with a lot of pointing in Blake's direction. But Barsad wasn't someone to mess with, and eventually they were let through, Blake fully expecting to be shot in the back as he and Barsad alone headed down a plushly carpeted hallway.
"Talia gave orders for you to be shot on sight unless Bane was present."
Appreciating the explanation, he wasn't allowed to talk yet after all, Blake nodded even though the other man couldn't see it.
"You will come in, you will not speak. You will not approach him until I signal you, understand?"
"Yes."
)
When the knock sounded on his door Bane was tempted to ignore it, but he knew that wasn't an option, especially when odds were it was important given the impending end of the occupation and Gotham itself. So he ordered whoever it was to enter, coming around the desk to face down whoever it was who'd disturbed him. When Barsad came in he was surprised, and was opening his mouth to demand to know why the man wasn't where he was supposed to be when Blake stepped into view.
"Why is he here?!" His words came out like a snake's hiss, Bane's shock written all over what was visible as he forced himself to glare at Barsad, unable to bear looking into his bird's eyes for even a moment.
Bane couldn't catch what Barsad murmured to Blake, but the younger man stayed by the door while Barsad walked over to stand in front of him, continuing to hold his gaze with a look in the other man's eyes told him to expect the worst.
"The cops found out that Talia was with us and attempted to arrest her." Barsad spoke his native tongue, Bane understanding him perfectly. "They darted her, and she was so disoriented she chose poorly in her attempt to escape, climbing stairs to the top of a building. I was nearby, and got into position to act as sniper cover, but it was too late. By then she'd stepped on a structurally unstable part of the roof and had fallen, the only thing keeping her from plummeting Blake. He grabbed her arm and risked his life to save her for you."
Eyes widening, realizing that Talia had been taken by the cops and Blake had been sent to negotiate-was he here to negotiate? That made no sense, and Talia would have rather death than be taken-
Bane's thoughts cut off abruptly as he saw what Barsad had withdrawn his pocket, the bracelet recognizable even with the fresh blood splattered all over it.
"She forced him to let her go. She died on impact."
His hand visibly shaking Bane took the bracelet, staring dumbly at the blood that now stained his skin. It just didn't compute, he couldn't understand. She-Talia couldn't be dead. She was…he'd spoken to her only…
Eyes going to Blake's, he couldn't stop himself, it was the compassion and pity he saw in the other man's eyes that made it all real to Bane.
Collapsing onto his knees like all the strength had gone out of him, his breaths coming out harsh and in fits and starts, Bane stared down at the open hand he continued to hold out for viewing, the bracelet and blood etching themselves on his mind even as hundreds of memories flashed through his mind from the past. Talia's smile, her first step, the sight of her climbing out of The Pit to freedom and then being reunited when the League had come for him and…
And then in his peripheral vision Bane saw two knees, felt hands gently, hesitantly place themselves on his shoulders. Knowing those hands even through the fabric of his shirt, Bane slowly lifted his head just enough to stare in heartbroken silence at perhaps the only man who could pull him out of the darkness he could feel trying to take him, threatening to extinguish what little light he could still see.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save her for you. I-I tried."
"For me?"
"For you." Blake's hands, so warm and loving, moved to cup his leather covered cheeks, the detective shuffling a little closer on his knees to add to the contact.
And it was the anchor of that touch, as well as the other man's closer proximity, that sharpened Bane's attention just enough that he saw the scratches, the bruises on Robin's exposed skin, the slices in the coat his bird was still wearing. All were fresh, likely courtesy of Talia in her fight to escape capture, and still Blake had tried to save her…for him. Talia would have killed him, the darting Barsad mentioned likely the only thing that had saved Blake from an untimely death at Talia's hand. She wouldn't have hesitated for a moment.
"How did you know?"
A hesitation, and then Blake took a deep breath and met his gaze straight on. "She made herself stand out too much. She got involved with Wayne, us cops…and it was obvious to me that there was someone else in charge while I was here. So part of it is on me, for telling the others what I thought. I can't…won't regret that I did, either. But if you'll let me, this doesn't have to end with all of us broken."
"What do you mean?"
"We have the remote, Bane. If you'll give Gordon the bomb, let us end this…I'll leave Gotham with you. We'll go wherever you want, and as long as you never do what you did here anywhere else, I give you my word I'll never leave you." Pause. "She died believing she'd get the revenge she wanted. You gave Talia what she wanted. Now you need to do what YOU think is best. Please pick me."
In his head Bane knew that he should just blow up the city and all of them with it now. That if he did that everything would end, freeing him of the pain of his loss and the tearing guilt and shame knowing that a part of him wasn't even truly sorry that she was dead. A part of him that recognized that Talia had become as twisted and corrupt as Gotham City, and that if not for his time with Robin he might have continued to serve her to their complete, moral destruction.
And asking his bird to stay with him always, knowing why he did…
"You'd do that for this city, stay with me?"
"Yes. And because…" Blake ducked his head, hiding his face from view before resolutely lifting his head again to meet Bane's gaze. "Because I love you, and I'm not done trying to save you."
Watching the other man's gaze lower again Bane didn't believe it, couldn't believe that Robin John Blake loved him, or at least not to the degree that he loved his bird. And if he were a good man Bane knew that he'd either end them all here and now or just give them the bomb and let his bird continue to fly free and go back to the life he'd had before he'd ever come to Gotham…but Bane couldn't do it. He couldn't be that selfless, couldn't let Robin go a second time.
"I will give you the bomb." He said softly, waiting until Blake met his gaze again before continuing. "And in exchange you will leave with me."
A small smile, the mood too sober for more than that. "It's a deal."
Nodding in return Bane lowered his head to rest it against Blake's shoulder, the smaller man's arms coming up to hold him as best they could.
Bane gave Barsad the order to see to it that Gordon got his bomb, and to arrange for them to leave as soon as possible. He never wanted to step foot in Gotham again.
He just wanted Robin.
)
Three Months Later
Bane climbed the stone stairs to the second floor of the small villa they were currently living in, the former mercenary stomping his way down the hallway before entering the master bedroom. He was in a foul mood obviously, one hand placed over his face to keep his now useless mask over his mouth. He'd lost weight in his grief, even in his face, and the result of his loss of appetite was that his mask no longer fit his face properly. Minutes before, while attempting to work out in the hot midday heat, he'd jerked on one of the straps in frustration and broken it in his impatience. He had a spare mask, that wasn't the issue, but that would fit no better and he hated the physical reminder that he'd let himself become weak. The whole situation he was in, the life he was living now, today it infuriated him beyond all words and he wanted to put his fist through the walls over and over until he-
Staring, unable to believe what he was seeing, Bane felt his heart literally stop at the sight of his shirtless cop lying sprawled out on his side on the sundrenched balcony, unmoving, so still that only Blake's hair moved faintly in the weak breeze.
The mask hitting the floor with a dull thud Bane didn't give it another thought as he ran over to drop to his knees beside his lover's side, wrenching Blake up and into his arms, tearing the sunglasses off his lover's face and tossing them aside with one hand so that he could see more of Robin's face.
And then his heart started to beat again, his Robin's eyelashes fluttering and then opening, the cop's brows furrowing in confusion as Blake stared up at him questioningly.
"Bane?"
Not understanding why Blake's eyes were roaming over his face before concentrating intently on maintaining eye contact, Bane was about to ask what had happened when the way the other man's face lit up with such happiness and love that it stole his breath all over again.
And then his bird was surging forward to kiss him, and feeling Robin's hands cradle his face Bane realized what had happened, his body going ridged in reaction to the shock. Now he knew why the man had looked at him in such confusion before settling on his eyes, the one aspect of his facial features Blake knew well visually.
Apparently oblivious to his reaction though, or too caught up in the moment and the kissing, Robin kissed Bane very thoroughly before lifting his head to beam at him, fingers stroking all over his face. "Finally. Finally you took that stupid thing off and let me see you, My Sexy, Sexy Man."
Stunned, Bane actually stuttered over the words, "But the scars…"
"Like I care." Blake continued to grin at him like an idiot as he leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching. "They're just scars, I've got my own even if you do have way more. They're just lines and thin bumps on your skin. Don't tell me you intend to dump my fine ass when I'm not so young and sexy anymore? I know you're no Prince Charming," He teased. "But I thought you loved me more than that."
Realizing, allowing himself to both realize and believe completely for the first time that Robin's claim that he loved him was the truth, Bane felt the unbearable weight of guilt he'd been carrying since he'd taken Blake from Gotham start to dissipate, leaving nothing but indescribable happiness behind. The love of his life wasn't with him to decommission the weapon he'd become, or as a martyr that had left with him to save the city he'd sworn to protect. No, he could see the truth in Blake's eyes, a truth that had probably been there all along and he'd been just too focused on himself to see...
"You love me."
"I love you."
"And we're going to grow old together and you'll never leave me."
"That's the plan."
Breaking out in a small but so very happy smile of his own, Bane nodded his agreement of that plan and then hugged his bird tightly against him, planning to never, ever let him go.
He'd stopped believing in Happily Ever After a long time ago…but if it was possible in this world, he'd have it with his Robin. He was sure of it now.
)
So Tale as Old as Time, Song as Old as Rhyme, Blake and the Beast
The End
)
Well thanks for reading until the end, here are the final spoilers so to speak about the Disney twists for the last few chapters, which were few and far between at points due to plot points.
Chapter twenty-seven was the snowball fight, twenty-eight was Bane actually letting Blake go, and Blake's "Thank you for understanding' comment, which was Belle's line. Twenty-nine was Blake and Gordon's lines/reunion, taken from Belle and her father's reunion after she leaves the castle. Thirty was the rooftop fight between Blake and Talia, echoing the Beast's fight with Gaston, Talia's lines were Gaston's, and Blake trying to rescue Talia after she fell, and Talia responding with violence before plummeting to her death continued the parallels. Finally, from this final chapter, we have Blake lying on a balcony, Bane thinking him dead, and Blake seeing and recognizing Bane by his eyes, and the rest is obvious lol.