A/N: Yes, yes; I'm a shameless smut-whore, forgive me. But this is pay off! Hopefully Bane will be a little kinder to Lily now that she knows the drill - ha, yeah right. Okie dokie, the drill is, loves, this chapter's rated M...because Nommy apparently can't contain herself & needs to envision every character in TDK Trilogy...never mind. Please review!

XXIV.

Yearning for Each Other's Warmth

Lily took her time getting to Bane's room, stopping off at her own first she threw her coat over the unmade bed and flopped down on it, her hands were shaking and her breath was ragged. She felt nauseated, trapped here with Bane, Barsad and Scarecrow; she pined for normality, she wanted to see John, it actually hurt her chest to think about him and the anxiety she felt whenever she did threatened to overwhelm her. She prayed every day that he wasn't dragged into Scarecrow's courtroom, she genuinely had no idea what she would do if she had to see him thrust down in that seat between the lists of frightening men, judged by Crane...with her standing at his side. Lily sat up, her breath short; was she a villain? No, she told herself; you're just looking out for yourself...

But you haven't saved one person, the very reason you agreed to be Crane's advisor...

A sigh escaped Lily's pale lips; she felt impotent, she knew deep down in her heart of hearts that she didn't get involved with Crane to save anybody, how could she save the life of anyone here? She was one woman alone. That thought depressed her, knowing how cowardly she was and how deep she was falling into madness almost nearly made her retch and no amount of doe eyeing Bane would make him tell her exactly what he wanted or expected of her. She got to her feet doggedly, tired after the day's events and plopped down on a stool before an oval mirror and gazed into it blandly,

Her dark eyes stared back at her and Lily made a face at her outrageous hair and ran her fingers through it thoughtfully watching the brown curls bounce back up like golden springs and sighed again. Her face which was blanched with only a tinge of colour looked tired, unsatisfied and sad; Lily felt all of those things. Tired of her constant anxiety of not knowing what would become of her and what had become of her friend. Sad in general, Lily had been pretty sad before Bane's revolution, only now it was ramped up to a near dizzying level as she looked back over the hotel room, this was neither earned nor hers; the room bore scars of the mercs' mistreatment before their commandeerement, probably ripping some ritzy woman from her bed while she screamed for mercy before they flung her in the pen outside Crane's court. Lily now wore her clothes, looked in her mirror and slept in her bed...She got up irritably and rubbed her neck, she was frustrated with everything.

Barsad's constant enmity, John's whereabouts, his safety and Bane's mixed signals towards her all swam about her brain threatening to make it go into overdrive and she remembered that night she had sat unclothed save for Bane's lavishly warm coat. She longed for that coat...and the arms pulsating within. Lily gasped and shook her head, rolling her shoulders; she absently rubbed her tummy to try and undo the knot,

"No...No! Get a grip of yourself."

Lily scolded herself and wiped her face, her shoulders shaking at her own mad thought process. For a while she paced around the room trying to quiet her noisy mind, but to no avail; she felt like screaming she was so riled up. She wanted to hit something, shout at it and break it until it lay in a heap at her feet; completely destroyed. Balling her fists, Lily's eyes raked over the chest which sat at the foot of her bed and knelt beside it, determinedly she rifled through it and uncovered a lovely black dress; her mouth curved into an indulgent smile.

Lily had no idea she was a fashionista before she had taken up residence at the hotel.

With a cock of one of her eyebrows she quickly disrobed and slipped into the little black dress; it was a little too big, but hardly noticeable and Lily had been wearing hand-me-downs since before she could remember so she cared little as she poked around the room for some shoes. Finding none, she shrugged and opted for bare feet and threw a glance at herself in the mirror; ruffled her hair, and made sure none of her curls were sticking out ungainly and set out down the halls.

Asking one of the many mercs that prowled the hotel for directions to Bane's room, Lily was led down to the bottom floor. She was surprised that Bane should take a meagre room at the bottom, but then realised that it made sense given that he was a soldier and was probably used to far worse accommodation than a base room at a four star hotel. It almost heartened her that Bane had given her a lavish room at the top. She was left to her own devices outside Bane's door and stood frozen before it, her back was so stiff she thought her spine might actually snap but she squared her shoulders and took a breath before she gently rapped the door.

"Come in,"

Came Bane's voice from within and Lily entered quietly. When she poked her head through the door, she saw Bane was standing with his back to her; he was on the phone, his voice was low, gruff and oddly exasperated,

"Yes, okht; everything is proceeding as planned – you have no need to fret."

Lily saw him nod and let his head fall back as he listened to the person at the other end of the phone; she shuffled her feet, there was a nip in Bane's room and she almost felt foolish for wearing a dress. While he was otherwise incapacitated by a faceless speaker on the phone, Lily peeked around his room; it was bare and uncompromising as a room – a bit like its occupant, it gave nothing away. The walls were adorned with oblique pieces of art which caught Lily's attention, there was nothing gaudy about them and they were interesting.

She didn't realise Bane had stopped talking when she returned her attention to him and he still hadn't turned around but she knew that he knew who it was who had entered. Lily watched him nervously as he placed the phone down on a little table that was laden with a scarlet vase filled with beautifully assorted orchids. He squared his shoulders and blatantly ignored Lily which only irritated her and she cleared her throat a little.

Bane's head was bowed as he stood at the opposite end of the room; Lily stood rigidly by the door one hand on the back of a chair to steady herself. His shoulders were trembling, shaking with fury. She was scared, not of him personally, but if he didn't rein his temper...

"Why are you here?"

He asked and Lily felt a shiver, like someone had pressed a bitterly cold finger up against the nape of her neck to hear him ask her that. Was he about to crush her windpipe too? She shrugged shortly and moved back,

"Barsad told me you wanted me...Should I leave?" She asked,

"No." His reply was swift. He knew she'd ask that she realised. "You're an upstart."

He spat suddenly and rounded on her, "Barsad...He was right about you."

Lily's brows quirked. To hear Bane say that Barsad was right about her made her fearful, Bane was her meal ticket in a sense, if he stopped backing her then she'd surely be killed faster than a fat cat. She moved closer, the moment her face was bathed in the soft light, Bane looked away;

"Why do you never look at me?" Lily asked mildly.

"You and your questions..." He grumbled and peered at her; "Why should I look at you?"

"Because you want to." Lily responded tartly, her eyebrow raised defiantly.

"Do I?" He challenged and Lily accepted; squaring her shoulders.

She was no longer a nobody, she had influence; she had power now that she could wield. Power which he'd given her, well it was his power – but it wasn't like anybody else knew that. She wouldn't be shoved aside by this mammoth warlord; was it not he who saw fit to lift Lily from the gutter? His eyes trailed over her with her new empowered expression; her eyes were positively flinty as she stood there before him, chin in the air; an impertinent little cock of her eyebrow and the rigidness of her spine made him want to break her into the broken mess she had been before. Lily standing before him, not needing him was like a thorn in his paw.

Being a lousy mouse; Lily would never remove it. Power was rare; and one had to grasp at what they could get.

"Yes." She stated simply, "...you do."

He turned; all his masculinity was crushed into that imposing moment as he made his way across the room with that same, familiar easy swagger that told Lily that his sentimentality for her truly did hang by a fraying thread. She could see the warning lights behind him; she could hear the alarm bells ringing in her own brain, and yet still she felt she could taunt this beast of a man and get away with it.

An upstart indeed...

"I gave Gotham to the people, and you may be one of us but if you so much as open your mouth one more time; believe me when I say, Miss Bell, I'll raze Crane from his very bed if I have to, to see you punished."

Lily felt a fluttering of fear then, but she hauled it away and drew herself up to her unimpressive height.

"Such a big king, not even ruling his own little kingdom...Death by ice? It didn't kill me before..."

"I rule!" He barked, slamming a hand into the wall behind Lily's shoulder. She flinched, but eyed him confidently,

"I rule as I see fit. You are here at my discretion. You and you're stock are easily come by, so don't test me-"

"Then I think myself lucky that I had to do so little to have so much of your discretion."

She reiterated to him what he had said to her down in the sewers and she saw his fury at her using his own words against him. With that she turned on her heel but felt Bane's fingers clamp around her arm and twist her round to face him. She met his eyes; her throat contracting in the face of his rage; she was perfectly terrified standing there before him swaying in his grip but she frowned when his grasp slackened and his eyes slid away.

"No..." She pleaded so softly, he didn't even look back.

Gingerly touching his face, she felt him tense and stiffen before her; his body as rigid as a boulder, she had never touched him of her own volition before. Slowly, she coerced him gently round till his face was at least pointed in her direction; her eyes were soft, big and dark like a doe's and Bane sighed through his vicious-looking mask. He returned the caress, laboriously as though he was scorched at the mere touch of her and placed a big hand on her supple cheek; the tips of his fingers gently ghosted her hair.

"You're ruining everything..." He said at last and Lily frowned,

"I'll ask you again...do you want me to go?"

She waited with baited breath, she had calmed the monster; replaced his red-hot anger with a dwindling grey melancholy which he usually bore with good cheer, but tonight he seemed to resent her giving him grey.

"Yes."

He ruled and turned away. Sucking in a breath, Lily tried not to tremble as she made her way over to the door. Her hand on the handle, she stopped a moment. Silence. Lily sighed again and opened the door; but she gasped in fright when a hand slammed down on the wood of the door; closing it indefinitely. She whipped round and her eyes fell on Bane; his arm slung up over her head still pressed on the door and his mammoth height towering, she sighed back against the door and felt his hand trace her arm and leave her skin a prickled mess by the time his hand had journeyed to her neck. His hand lingered there and Lily thought for a crazy moment that he would just end it here; snap her vulnerably slim neck and rid himself of this thorn, but he didn't.

Slowly as if he was testing the water, he moved in and Lily wondered what he would do. The confines of his mask barred her lips from his and she ached for him to kiss her. She thought she had maybe found him attractive since the day he plucked her from the dark, then she brushed that thought away; of course she hadn't. His presence, his nature and his sheer assuredness were what attracted Lily to him and she'd only realised it when she'd got back to the surface. Bane was a man with a plan, but he was forsaking it slightly in even being this close to her; he had done more for her than anybody in her life. He had taken care of her, he had comforted her; she had given him next to no repayment for all he had done for her.

"What do you want from me?" She breathed as his mask pressed up against the base of her neck,

She could see his shoulders twitching with the effort to either keep himself pressed up against the door so he didn't squash her, or he was trying to restrain himself from something else. Bane was a very physically strong man. Lily's eyes closed as she felt the whoosh of air from his mask, but she made no move to touch him. Bane was a prideful man, masculine, and uncompromising, not sentimental, either. If he wanted to do this; then he would need to instigate it fully, Lily would not be held responsible for what she'd wanted him to do since...God-knows-when Lily's brain had just utterly broke and coveted his touch.

Her breath caught and she found herself wringing her hands between them both; he leaned out and looked down thoughtfully. He stood back and Lily was thankful; when he wasn't so close she could think. As delicate as ever, Bane took Lily's hands and gazed at them,

"I still can't weep..." Lily offered almost sadly and Bane peered at her, his slit brow cocked. Lily smiled softly,

"I can still only count my dead on that finger." She said nodding to her right index finger and Bane chuckled.

"No, you can't...Lily, why did I take you down to the sewers that night?"

"I don't know..." Lily shook her head and rubbed his hand with her thumb. "Do you wish you hadn't?"

"Yes...sometimes I wish that. Then my task would be a simpler one. A mission I could revel in before I laid eyes on you. You're an upstart who barely deserves anything, but your determination to survive moves me."

He said quietly while Lily frowned at his veiled insults. Her pique died when he touched her cheek and ran a finger down her face till he traced her chin,

"It moves me more than anything else I've ever seen...And I think sometimes I hate you for it...but the fault's my own. You don't deserve agony..."

Bane's voice was saddened, mournful; it made Lily's brows quirk up at him and she dislodged her hands from his and reached up meekly; he watched her carefully, not coming forward nor drawing back. He just eyed her with that same mixture of curiosity and oddity. Was she really the weirdest woman he'd ever met? He who had been all around the world? Who was learned and far above an insignificant person like Lillian Bell? He observed coolly, Lily reach up and graze her slim fingers over the twisted tubes of his mask. He heard her sigh; she wanted that thing off his face.

Stepping onto his steel-toed boots, Lily smiled – dimples flashing – when he frowned and gripped her waist, she assumed to throw her away from him, but seeing her smile, his suspicions quelled somewhat and he let her get on with whatever it was that she was doing. Lily's face grew sober as she concentrated on his strangely attractive face; those dark eyes blazing above a dangerous-looking mask. He was a striking man, the most striking she had ever met or saw to be honest and she would be a liar if she said that she didn't melt when he pressed his big hands into her waist to keep her slim body pressed against the sheer mass of him. It was intoxicatingly safe, warm and erotic. Still standing on his boots, Lily frowned and bit her lip only slightly, nothing bawdy, and placed a hand on Bane's face and lightly pressed a kiss against the gnarled metal of his mask.

"I don't know what to do with you..." Lily whispered against the metal confessionally.

They were like a pair of absolute idiots just plodding along, unable to know what the other wanted, unwilling to come any closer should they dislike what they found, but tonight Lily thought she had it figured out; she would lead him, Bane didn't seem like he knew how to approach a woman like Lily (and to be honest, Lily didn't even know how one would approach a woman like herself.)

She ran her fingers along his cheek and leant back, his fingers pressed firmly but softly against her waist and she felt his strength radiate, held back; Lily knew he could snap her willowy frame like a toothpick if he so desired, but he never did, no matter how annoying or inquisitive, disrespectful or ungrateful she could seem or be...

"Now you share my burden," He retorted almost playfully and Lily blushed.

"You asked why I couldn't look at you...I could, I could look at you all day – you are such a small thing. So thoroughly dispirited by this city, that alone almost makes this revolution justified."

"So...you actually care?" Lily asked quietly and he nodded,

"Of course. The moment I looked down and nearly tripped over you're lifeless body I knew I had to pick you up...The chapters of my life are colourful-"

"I'll bet." Lily interjected and he went on,

"They are colourful; death, misery, corruption and pain, fighting, breaking and hurting all take precedence as the things which took place the most frequently, and I revel in all of them. However, the one thing I could never allow or condone is the mistreatment or murder of a woman."

"That's very...noble," Lily said thoughtfully and she snaked her hands round his huge shoulders.

"Sometimes...I saved a woman once; I did it for a noble cause, redemption...The second..."

Lily's heart hammered in her chest, so hard she thought Bane could probably feel it thumping against his own chest. She gazed up at him expectantly; when he was silent she prodded,

"Why did you save the other woman?"

He looked down squarely into her face and ran a hand along one of Lily's angled cheeks and said softly,

"I had hoped for repayment when she was willing."

Lily arched an eyebrow and said grandly,

"You couldn't have that much foresight. But she'll accept that excuse for now."

Her response made him lean back to look at her; an eyebrow rose,

"Inquisitive and insightful, I was right to save you then."

Lily smiled and gave a little start as he bundled her up in his arms and turned, making his way over to the sprawling made-up bed, he gently placed Lily down on it like she was a delicate china doll. Her breath was tattered, and Bane's eyes narrowed; his big hand slid slowly up Lily's neck, her pulse quickened at his seemingly always warm touch and she closed her eyes enjoying his hand on her sensitive neck. She breathed in and the raggedness had disappeared; opening her eyes, they locked with Bane's equally dark ones as they roved over her features, welcoming and soft, he looked like he had waited a long time for Lily's face to mirror his own want.

Bane knelt before her, his show of grace amazed Lily as it always did for such an Olympic man, Bane certainly had the finesse of a jungle cat. He was as tall as Lily, kneeling before her as she sat on the edge of the bed, he gently parted her legs and pulled her closer against his body; making her sigh at the closeness. His hands were huge and soft, like padded paws it was intriguing to feel his touch, Lily marvelled at his demonstration of gentleness; she had never been with a man like Bane, her liaisons were few and far between but she knew enough through osmosis alone but timidly touched Bane's chest, feeling the warmth of him seep through his black t-shirt and into her palms while his hands cascaded her lithe body.

His hands made their journey back up while Lily's head almost lolled at his trace, they stopped at her shoulders and hovered over the dress straps; Lily looked into his eyes, they were on her face awaiting her assent to flick off the little strips of material; she nodded slowly and he complied very easily with one motion, his two wrists twirled and the fabric was off her shoulders dismissively and slipping down her pale, creamy arms. A growl in his throat made Lily wish to move closer, she did so, her mouth connected with Bane's throat as his hands pressed against her back which was quickly being revealed to him at the imminent loss of her dress. Standing, she was only a head taller than Bane; she smiled warmly down on him and allowed her dress to fall away from her.

The mercenary's eyes remained on her face even at the loss of her dress; it was a moment before he registered it and took advantage of it. He got to his feet smoothly, towering over Lily; she blinked at his mass and her throat contracted. In all her life she had never been with a man and never kissed, she thought that it would be rather dry without the constant contact of mouths, but Bane's very touch seemed to ignite her in ways she didn't think possible as he pressed a hand to her thudding chest and cupped her breast, his warm hand tracing the soft flesh making Lily mewl and close her eyes as his other pressed her close to him by the small of her back. She could feel his arousal for her and it made her sigh, she tilted her head to the side as Bane leant down and pressed the cold tubes of his mask against her neck sending shivers down her spin. Reaching towards his waistline, Lily tentatively nipped the fabric of his shirt free and loosened it with wry smile up at him;

He looked down warily, cocking an eyebrow he saw her bite her lip – this time she was being bawdy. He inclined his head that she could remove his shirt and he knelt before her again, his hands encasing her hips as she pulled the shirt over his head and he got back up allowing Lily to fully admire his torso. Scars vandalised the hard flesh, not as mutilated as his scalp which was literally covered in small white marks. Lily traced a hand across one which ran along the length of his chest and Bane watched her with his usual idleness as she earnestly examined his battered, then healed, body. Only it wasn't healed. Lily looked up and her eyes rested on the mask;

"Why do you wear it?" She asked softly.

He looked away, his hands still absently caressing her almost nervously. Did he think he was losing her because of her question? Lily quelled that thought if he had it and went up on the balls of her feet, kissing his collar bone delicately she heard him sigh before she pulled back and smiled tenderly;

"I wear it because the pain is too great to bear." His tone was maudlin and made Lily sad.

She wasn't sure if he was being allegorical or not, so she shrugged and abandoned her inquisition about the mask and returned her gaze to his chest. Bane seemed surprised by this and enquired,

"You're giving up?"

Lily peered up, her face perfectly serious and she shook her head, her hands running along his warm flesh,

"You never tell me what I want to know...This doesn't seem like the time to chase you for answers."

His eyes crinkled on either side and he appeared to be amused with her answer,

"You're learning."

Was all he said before he hefted Lily up, his hands gripping her firmly; she twisted her short legs round his fit waist and smiled at him. Her mouth was centimetres from his mask and she planted another soft kiss on it and he frowned slightly,

"Nobody's ever done that before..."

Lily's brow knitted together at the oddity of him, it made her smile slightly and she touched his cheek affectionately and said,

"It's about time you had a first, since you've been everywhere and done everything...I've had so many 'firsts' these last few months, it's fitting for you to get a taste of your own medicine."

One of his brows rose challengingly and Lily held her breath as she felt his arms clench around her tiny body, swooping smoothly down onto the bed, Bane lay her down so suddenly and without any break or jar, Lily found herself laid back with Bane draped over her, one of his powerful arms keeping him aloft above her whilst the other ran along her ribcage, teasing her breasts; Lily let out another sigh as he rubbed them until they peaked, her arousal was evident by her squirming and the heat she could feel between her legs which were wrapped around Bane's maddeningly clothed waist.

His eyes were blazing hungrily as he eyed her, writhing as she was in her excitement, she watched blearily as he reached down between her thighs and felt her sex; she gasped and bucked her hips willing him to impale her, to have her and take her until she fell into the darkness of slumber. She gripped his shoulders and lifted herself up towards his body, pressing her erect nipples against his solid chest which made him groan and without preamble he slid his fingers inside her making her gasp. Their rhythm was founded easily and quickly, Bane watched almost curiously as Lily took on a bold new light, holding his gaze while he pleasured her, only looking away when he hit a particularly sweet spot and she had to throw her head back exposing her kissable throat to him which he was at a loath to be unable to.

When he retracted his fingers from her core it was to disrobe himself of his trousers, which Lily watched with good humour, him already seeing her naked on more than one occasion it only seemed fair that she should see him too. She sighed audibly when he flung away his clothes and gently pulled her towards him, his forearms locked around the crook of her knees. Lily's dark eyes only grew darker as he impaled her, the sudden sensation made Lily arch her back and press herself against him deeper; he groaned tightly and ran both of his hands along Lily's torso, enjoying the smoothness of her pale skin, revelling in the soft sighs her lips allowed to pass as he thrust up into her making her moan in satisfaction. Again, their rhythm was quick to find and easy to keep, Bane was strong enough to keep a good pace and Lily was so tiny he could easily move her about to his whim. He lifted her off of the bed, his strong arms groped roughly at her back making her close her eyes and grit her teeth; she sat astride him as he sat up on his ankles; keeping her aloft with his immense strength; that alone drove Lily nearly over the edge.

A fine layer of sweat began to glisten on Lily after a while, while Bane remained dry and smooth; although this was due to Lily's ailments, as it was with her dwindling pneumonia; Bane still wondered at the shining contours of her body, which was as light as a child's and had the look of a child's when embedded under layers upon layers of ugly coat-jackets. Now as she rolled her hips, panting alongside him as their bodies rocked in unison; she took on a new image, one of sensual desire, one which Bane had only dreamed at as she clenched her body in a way which made him reach his climax; his body enfolded hers as she released too and they lay there for a long moment breathing hard before Bane looked up from the groove in Lily's neck he was panting in.

"Are you alright?" He asked oddly.

Lily smiled lazily and absently raked her fingers through her hair to cool herself and placed both her hands on his face; his eyes were intense as he watched her;

"I'm fine...Better than fine. Can I sleep here tonight?"

"Yes." He replied, allowing Lily to run her fingers over his mask.

"I still haven't forgotten about that mask, y'know."

"I'd be disappointed if you had; I expect a lot of questions from you before I find rest."