In time, sitting outside with Isaac as he proceeded with the incredibly boring-to-watch task of taking the scratch off his truck grew annoying when other henchmen joined them outside for cigarettes. Eventually, Jenna grew sick of the snide comments and glares directed firmly at her, and seeing as how her and Isaac's conversation had died down long ago, she figured it was time to face her fears and go back inside.
She had stepped through the exit door cautiously, peering down the stairs before she slowly descended them. She had glanced around the corner, her eyes instantly searching for Bane, but when she noticed he was nowhere in sight and his door was closed, she quickly scurried toward the chair room and closed and locked the door with a record speed. Her heart immediately started to pound out of pure nervousness once thoughts of what Bane had done entered her mind, and with a small whimper she had collapsed onto the cot to close her eyes and try to clear her mind.
The day passed quickly, and during the time not one second was gracious enough to offer her something else to think about. As Jenna went from sitting alone in the chair room to sneaking back outside for a smoke, she could still clearly picture the moment between her and Bane. She could recall the look in his eyes with pure accuracy, they way her heart had been racing, and she remembered the feel of his fingers on her skin so well, it felt as though they were still lingering gently on her face. Just these thoughts alone caused her heart to pound, shocks to run up and down her spine, and more often than not she caught herself biting her bottom lip as she thought back to it.
"The fuck are you thinking about?" Isaac had asked the third time Jenna had gone outside for a cigarette. It was nearly five o' clock by then. Isaac had finished with his own truck and had gone back to working on the black car with the removed flat tire, which Jenna had learned was a 2012 Dodge Challenger... whatever the fuck that means, she had sourly thought to herself after Isaac informed her.
"Nothing," she had replied quickly –too quickly– and Isaac caught the way she had swiftly glanced away to take a long drag from her cigarette.
"Okay..." he started slowly, and Jenna glanced back at him, staring at the grease stains that covered his face. "That's bullshit. What's the truth?"
"The truth is you have no business knowing," Jenna retorted, glaring into his eyes. Isaac immediately grinned, and he shook his head as he glanced away.
"Well, I can tell whatever it is, it's eating you inside. It's funny to watch," he added, glancing back up at her, and his grin widened when he noticed Jenna had glanced down, and was yet again biting her bottom lip. She had quickly released her lip as she glanced back up at him, and with a roll of her eyes she put her half finished cigarette out and turned to storm back to the door. He's wrong, she thought to herself.
But yet, he was so right. Her thoughts were beginning to drive her crazy. Between thinking back to the moment and dealing with her own sick desires to touch him, Jenna knew she had to make herself stop. She felt the oddest combination of emotions the more she thought of it: fear, nervousness, confusion, curiosity, and dare she admit, the want for it to happen again?
Ugh, fuck no! She thought angrily to herself now as she stretched her legs out, her shoes scraping against the pavement outside in front of the garage. Isaac, who had just finished with replacing the last, brand new tire on the Challenger, glanced over to her, but once he caught site of her frustrated face –the expression she had been wearing the entire half hour she had been out there– he uninterestedly glanced away. Jenna had made it clear a while ago she was not going to share what was on her mind, and since the majority of Isaac really didn't care anyway, he let the issue go and ignored her as he continued to work on the car.
Jenna took a long, angry drag from her third cigarette as she shook her head, completely furious, disappointed and disgusted with herself for not only feeling that way, but admitting it as well. She wanted that moment to happen again? The fuck was wrong with her! It was immoral, it was horrid, and it was so wrong. Bane was not a person in which she should be feeling this way with. He was a heartless, giant monster who cared about nothing other than himself and his own operations... wasn't he? Yes, Jenna confirmed sourly to herself. He had put her in a horrible position to aid with a crime, he had lied to her, he had kidnapped her, and he had killed everything she had ever known in a matter of twenty-four hours. He left her alone and cold in the unfamiliar and unpredictable, and she knew he couldn't care less. He enjoyed it, and he wanted nothing more than to make her even more miserable. Maybe death wouldn't be so bad at this point...
Jenna closed her eyes tightly as she shook her head again. She didn't know what to believe anymore. A simple action that hadn't lasted more than a minute had her mind going at a million miles an hour and questioning her sanity. But yet, the lingering thoughts of her wanting to return the action never went away, and with a deep breath she allowed her mind to try and picture herself touching him. She sat there for a minute, trying to picture the images as the moment unfolded, but she just couldn't. All she could see was Bane standing there, in that black t-shirt, and her standing in front of him, staring into his eyes, but the scene never started playing. She wanted to do it, that she could no longer deny, but she could not imagine it. The scene in her mind was on pause.
Maybe that's a good thing, she thought to herself. Perhaps her inability to picture herself performing the desire was a sign that it wasn't meant to happen, and it shouldn't happen. But on the other hand, not being able to picture it only made her want to do it more. So what did she go with? Her logic, or her gut instinct...?
Her cigarette had burnt out before she could finish it, and with a sigh she tossed it away from herself. The air around her had grown incredibly cold, and as she stood up a freezing gust of wind blew past her, lifting her hair to be blown in her face, and she angrily grabbed it before gathering it behind her head to hold it behind her at the base of her neck. She clenched her teeth together –both in frustration over her feelings and her sudden freezing state– and she jogged up the stairs quickly before throwing open the exit door to step inside. It was warm on the main level, but the temperature decreased noticeably as she descended further into the basement, and before she knew it was freezing again. She hugged her arms around herself as she headed toward the chair room, able to hear someone talking in the distance.
"...unknown, underground warehouse of artillery was robbed today, leaving over thirty people dead and five wounded."
She realized finally it was a TV, the channel on the news covering the events at her father's dealership that day, but she remained uninterested as she continued on to her room. She had actually witnessed everything, there was no need to hear about it.
"Donna Dales, the receptionist at the dealership, managed to escape the horrific robbery, getting away unharmed, but she quotes 'the emotional toll left her hurting more than any gunshot wound ever could have'. Here's what she had to say about the situation..."
Jenna hadn't even noticed Bane's door was wide open until after she started to walk past it. When she heard Donna's voice come through the speakers, she casually glanced into Bane's room at the giant TV above an old, wooden desk, but just before she could completely walk past the room her breath hitched in her throat, and the room began to spin as she stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes refused to tear away from Bane's form on the ground as he proceeded with doing push-ups, and her heart dropped to her stomach when she finally realized he was shirtless and wearing a pair of baggy, black sweat pants low on his hips...
She watched him push himself up and down easily, his muscles flexed fully, and her vision blurred slightly as her eyes roamed down his muscular back. A shock ran up her spine when her eyes caught sight of a terrifying looking, raised scar that traveled all the way down his spine, but before she could even confirm what she had seen, Bane started to stand from the ground. His eyes caught sight of her just as she forced her eyes to look back up at his face, her aqua orbs catching site of the faint outline of a six pack on his stomach, and she swallowed as he stared at her. Her face instantly began to redden, and suddenly she felt as though she could not move, though she desperately wanted nothing more than to run away and just cry at the moment. It wasn't fair.
Hundreds of things Bane could say to her at that moment formed in his head, but with a mindless decision he picked something that completely strayed off topic of what Jenna had just seen, and the emotion that was clear on her face.
"You were mentioned on the news," Bane said in a higher-pitched mumble, and Jenna blinked as she glanced down to the ground, completely thrown off by his comment.
"G-guess I dyed my hair for nothing," she returned, and she closed her eyes tightly. How dumber could she have sounded?
"Then I guess we'll have to take it a step further," Bane said as he turned around to head over to his desk. Jenna glanced up at him again, a freezing cold shock running up her spine when her eyes found the thick muscles on his back and that horrid scar again, and without thinking she took a step closer to the room to stand under the door frame.
"Like what, plastic surgery?" She offered with a cocked eyebrow, trying to make her mind focus on the topic at hand. But what she couldn't understand was why was she still standing there talking to him.
"N-oo," Bane answered in that muffled, accented voice, and he turned back around to glance at her. "I was thinking something more like... a hammer to the face." At this point, that didn't sound like a bad idea. But at the same time, Bane felt like taking a hammer to his own face due to the ridiculous shocks that were running up his own spine. He let out a large breath as he turned to face his bed, and he picked up a folder filled with papers on it before he started to turn to place them on his desk.
"At this point that would be pretty welcoming," Jenna mumbled, thinking it had only been to herself, but Bane had heard, and when Jenna heard the folder slam down onto the desk, she quickly looked up to see that he was staring at her. It was evident that he had heard, and though Jenna swallowed nervously, she held her ground, only to let out the breath she had been holding when Bane merely grinned before turning back around. Her eyes naturally wandered down his back again, taking in the dips and curves of the muscles that covered it, and she absentmindedly found herself biting her lip again, her teeth sinking into the skin harder and harder until the pain finally caused her to snap out of her daze. Emotions swelled up inside of her, threatening to burst in a horrific action of expressing truth, and Jenna swallowed her words back. The desire to touch and feel his own skin had suddenly increased by a thousand percent, and Jenna fought with herself as she continued to lamely stand there. Her mind was furiously shouting at her, saying she should turn around right now and head into the chair room and force herself to leave her feelings at Bane's door, but her body would not let her move. It was frozen where it stood, and Jenna knew that until she did what she so desperately wanted to do, it would not listen to her mind. It was always body over mind with Jenna, never mind over body.
"I have a question," Jenna suddenly said, her words surprising not only herself, but Bane as well, and he raised his eyebrows as he glanced over his shoulder at her.
"I don't have an answer," he replied, his tone careless, though his curiosity grew. The last thing he saw was Jenna frown before he turned around, and he grew even more surprised when he heard her step into his room, her shoe scrapping against the concrete.
"That's not fair," Jenna spoke quickly without thinking, and she forced her eyes to remain focused on the back of his mask. "You expect an answer from me for your stupid questions, so you can answer mine."
Her tone was biting, and it caused Bane to instantly turn around and glare into her eyes. "Oh really?" He asked as he took a step closer to her, watching as Jenna backed down slightly, and he proceeded with approaching her. "So you think that's how it works?"
"What happened?" She finally forced herself to ask as she lowered her gaze to stare at his left hand that hung down by his thigh. "Back in my room today... What was that?"
She couldn't believe she had so bravely and firmly asked that question, and Bane couldn't help but to be just as surprised. She was more bold than he had calculated, and suddenly he had no idea what to say as he stared down at her. From behind his mask, his lips parted as he went slightly lightheaded, and suddenly he had no idea how to answer that question. He didn't even know what that had been all about. It was nothing more than curiosity getting the best of him. He blinked a long moment later when he finally realized he had his answer.
"That was nothing more than curiosity getting the best of me," he answered, and although he spoke the truth, Jenna could tell his tone carried another hidden meaning, though she knew he would never speak these words, whatever they were. She watched as his hand clenched into a lose fist, and she sucked in a sharp breath as she lifted her head to look up at him. He was staring at her, and after her eyes had met his, they slowly roamed down his thick neck to stare at his shoulder before wandering down his upper arm. He watched her eye movements, knowing very well what she was staring at, and suddenly she started to do something he had never, ever, anticipated her to do. But her body's desires had gotten the best of her, the emotions dissolving any logic left in her mind for the moment, reminding her that not only would these feelings go away until she did it, but it was also now or never. They were alone in the vast, cold, dark basement, and Jenna's body had reached a breaking point of curious desperation.
"What are you doing?" Bane questioned slowly, his eyes instantly dropping down to her hand as she began to lift it, and when his eyes found her face again he noticed she was still firmly staring at his arm.
"Feeding my own curiosity." The truth slipped out in a low whisper, her voice unable to speak any louder, and her heart raced and pounded against her chest so hard and fast she was sure she would experience a heart attack at any moment. But the second her own fingertips made contact with his skin, she sucked in a sharp, surprised breath as a strong shock ran up her back, and the lightheaded feeling she had been experiencing previously grew stronger. Normally, she would have been surprised over her confidence, but at the moment she could fathom nothing more than the feel of his skin. Her eyes remained focused on her hand, and her eyes followed her fingers movements as they gently slid down his upper arm and onto the top of his forearm. She had barely been able to feel any muscle, but his skin was soft and warm, something she had not been expecting, and her body froze again, not allowing her to take back her hand.
Her fingertips were cold, and they sent electrifying shocks from where her fingers had touched all the way throughout his body. The unwanted and unpredictable feeling caught Bane by intense surprise, and his mind shut down as he took a small step closer to her while he lifted his right hand to place it on her exposed hip. Jenna jumped at the impact, his hand hot, like fire, and more shocks ran up her spine as the room continued to spin. She felt Bane tighten his hold on her hip slightly, and suddenly a few found fire burned inside her, pushing her to feel his arm the way she had originally wanted. She flattened her hand on his forearm before she slowly roamed it upward, and a small sigh escaped past her newly parted lips as her palm and fingers wandered slowly up his arm, moving into the curves and dips of the muscles there. His arm felt even better than she had been expecting, and this scared her more than anything else had up until that point.
As her hand approached his shoulder, Bane curled his fingers back toward his palm, Jenna's skin on her hip just as smooth as her face had been, and just as cold at her hand. He felt Jenna sway forward slightly due to this action before she quickly caught her balance, and as her hand wandered closer to his shoulder he moved his own hand up, and his eyes slid closed when it wandered into the deep curve of her waist.
It seemed as though nothing else existed at that point, and Jenna felt as though her hand was glued to Bane's arm. She could feel his hand on her waist, his fingers just barely under the bottom of her shirt, and she couldn't tell if she had stopped breathing or not. She couldn't believe she had so easily fed her curiosity, so bravely at that, and she was sickened and upset over the emotions that took over her upon doing so. But Bane's actions in return only confirmed her theory: whatever these emotions she had been feeling and were experiencing now were, Bane was feeling them too. But how was that possible, and even more important, what did that mean?
Jenna's hand had just reached his large, round shoulder when suddenly loud laughter and voices in the distance instantly broke through the thick tension, and as Bane's eyes snapped open they both took their hands back before Jenna jumped backwards, away from him. Her eyes instantly found his own, and they widened as reality and realization suddenly sunk in. She was still frozen as she stared at him, and Donna's voice on the news and Bane's henchmen's laughter all morphed into one noise.
"I-I couldn't tell it was her at first, but it was definitely Mr. Silvera's daughter, I caught glimpse of her eyes. I...I knew something was wrong when she walked in, but I never expected any of that. Never."
Jenna took in a sharp breath as her lips parted, the henchmen in the basement now behind her in the main area, and she listened as someone started to walk up behind her. Bane watched her lips close before parting again, her breath coming out in stuttering spurts. It seemed as though she wanted to say something, and he waited, unsure of what to say or expect himself, but after her face had started to redden again she immediately turned around, nearly bumping into Isaac who now stood in the doorway, and like a flash of lighting she had disappeared out of his view, the door to the chair room slamming shut a short second later.
Her breathing was shallow and her body shook as Jenna raised her hands to hold her head, trying to calm her nerves, and she stopped in the middle of the room, closing her eyes. Many thoughts vigorously fought to be the prominent topic, but Jenna's body would not allow her to focus on any one of them. How had that just so easily happened? Where did that confidence to actually do it come from? Why did Bane touch her back, again, and why did she... enjoy it?
With a whimper Jenna lowered her hands and turned around to plop down on the cot. She leaned over, placing her elbows on her knees so she could hold her head in her hands. While a small fraction of her felt satisfied over finally doing what she had been so desperate to too, she never expected the majority of her to be left feeling so confused and nearly desperate to do it again. This was ridiculous, and it was unfair. It wasn't right. She took in a deep breath through her nose. Her situation was already shitty as is, and she didn't need more reasons to make it even more so. She decided right there and then that she was through with letting herself think these thoughts and feel these emotions, and from here on out she would do everything in her power to avoid Bane. She couldn't think of anything else that would help...
In Bane's room, Isaac remained at the doorway, staring at Bane after he had turned around, and only after he stepped up to his desk did Isaac take a step into the room and open his mouth to speak.
"Mike confirmed the location of–"
"What am I going to do with the girl, Barsad?" Bane interrupted, his voice low and muffled, and his question caught Isaac off guard. Bane wasn't completely sure why he had asked Isaac that question, he knew the answer, or lack thereof, he would receive, but the girl's actions had him feeling more confused than ever. Isaac's eyebrows furrowed. It had been clear to him that something had been going down between the two when he had approached the room, and now, whatever it had been was making Bane unable to focus on what was really important. Isaac cleared his throat.
"Uh, kill her," he suggested easily, though both he and Bane knew he wouldn't do that. But Bane knew he should. Killing her would easy, it would be quick, and it would immediately make all these stupid feelings shatter away. But he just couldn't. A bigger part of him still didn't want to. He couldn't help but to still feel as though Jenna could be useful to him, and aside from that she was rather entertaining. She was a puzzle left for Bane to figure out during downtime at the warehouse, and he enjoyed her answers to his questions. It wasn't that she was a complex person; Bane had no idea what Jenna was about or desired, and what made her interesting was Jenna had no clue either. In simplicity, Jenna was pure human, and she carried qualities that Bane hadn't encountered with anyone in a long time. The past two years were filled with nothing but 'unique' people, even Isaac was unique in his own way. Jenna wasn't unique. She was average. And that made her undoubtedly interesting.
Bane never said anything to Isaac's suggestion, and he continued to stare down at his desk, wondering what Jenna was doing right now. It doesn't matter, Bane thought to himself. He was not going to kill her, but he was going to put an end to these unwanted feelings between the both of them. He would not avoid her – no, he was the bigger person here, he was in charge, therefore it was up to him to force an end to it all.
He took in a deep breath before speaking, still not bothering to look at Isaac. "We'll discuss this later," he said simply, and without another word Isaac turned around to leave the room.
–
Around seven o' clock Jenna had wandered out of her room and stealthily moved up the stairs to pull open the exit door. She had kept her eyes fixed firmly on the ground, and hadn't even noticed if Bane's door was open or closed as she rushed to the stairs. The biting cold air instantly sent her into a fit of shivers as she stepped down the stairs while taking out her cigarette pack and lighter. She stared at the light that flooded onto the pavement from the garage, and she knew Isaac would be out there before she even rounded the corner. The passenger side door to the Challenger was open, and Isaac sat on the seat, his right leg hanging out of the car as he replaced a light bulb on the ceiling of the car, and he hadn't even noticed Jenna had stepped outside until after he gotten out. She kept her arm clutched around her body while she took a hit of her cigarette from the other, and she kept her eyes focused on the ground as she openly shivered.
"Don't you have a coat?" Isaac asked her, Jenna glancing up to him once he spoke, and with that same freezing scowl on her face she shook her head. Isaac remained staring at her a moment longer after Jenna had glanced down, but when she noticed him moving in the corner of her eye she glanced up again to watch as he shrugged off his coat before taking a step forward to hold it out to her. She instantly started to shake her head, and right when she was about to speak up and claim she didn't need it, Isaac took another step closer to her. "Take it," he ordered. "You look pathetic."
"Don't you need it?"
"No."
Jenna frowned, but reached out with her free hand nonetheless to take the coat, for she knew this was a pending battle that she would lose. She stuck her cigarette in between her lips as she turned the jacket over to put her arms in it, and the warm, black material engulfed her body completely. The bottom hung down past the middle of her thighs, and she pushed her hands free out of the sleeves before folding the unzipped halves around her, like a robe. Her body started to warm instantly as she took another drag from her cigarette, and she lifted her eyes to watch as Isaac turned around to grab a tool from the work bench, his arms bare under his t-shirt.
"Thank you," Jenna grumbled as she exhaled the smoke, but Isaac didn't say anything as he turned back around to face the car.
"What was your problem today?" He asked her. "After the dealership?" He had every reason to believe that her problems began and ended with Bane, for after Bane's odd question to him, he knew something was going on, and because of that his curiosity on the situation had only heightened.
Jenna rolled her eyes as she glanced away. "It was nothing. Why do you care?"
"I don't know," Isaac returned as he turned his body to face her. "You looked more upset and pissed off than ever before. What's wrong now?" He asked a moment later once he noticed the new found scowl on her face as she stared at the ground.
"I'm hungry," she answered. Isaac grinned.
"There's some beef jerky inside," he offered, but let out a sigh when Jenna instantly started to shake her head. "Vegetarian?"
"No, starving," Jenna returned. "Jerky will make it fucking worse."
Isaac rolled his eyes, getting slightly annoyed with her attitude, but at the same time he couldn't shake off desires of wanting to help her. He paused once he turned to face the car, and the second a new idea formed in his mind he turned back toward her.
"You wanna go get something to eat?"
Jenna glanced up to him. "Are we allowed?"
"The fuck that does mean? Of course we are," Isaac replied.
"Just us?" Jenna confirmed quickly, and Isaac smiled slightly.
"Just us," he repeated, understanding that Jenna didn't want to be around the others, though at the same time he knew that would turn out to be nothing but trouble. "Here's the catch though," he went on, and Jenna's frown deepened as she stared into his eyes, hating the snide grin that slid onto his lips. "You gotta drive."
"No," Jenna said instantly as she leaned down to put her cigarette out. Isaac watched as she tossed the butt away from herself before she turned to start toward the stairs.
"Fine, go inside," Isaac called. "But whatever problem you were having before is only fifteen feet away from your door."
Jenna stopped suddenly, her body going cold again, and she turned to glare into his eyes. Isaac knew her problems all stemmed from Bane? But how? There's no way he knows... unless.. he saw...
The thought instantly caused Jenna's face to redden, and Isaac's grin grew as he took a step toward her.
"I know a diner right around the corner," he went on. "Driving is not a big deal, Jenna, you can do it."
Jenna was still frowning, and she sighed as she took a step closer to him. "Can't you just drive? Please?"
"Nope," Isaac replied in a louder tone. "Let's go!"
Her shoulders hunched under Isaac's coat, Jenna stood her ground as she watched him turn around to grab the keys to the Challenger off of the work bench, and he tossed them at her, only to frown when they landed lamely on the ground. Jenna had not bothered to try and catch them, and now, as Issac waited, Jenna bent down to pick them up off the cold ground. Isaac took a step back toward the car, and with a large frown Jenna started over to the driver side. She opened the door and got in just as Isaac did, only to pause and scowl at the interior –or, lack thereof– of the car. The gauges behind the steering wheel were missing, as well as the consoles, radio, heat and air conditioning controls, carpet, and the surrounding hard material that held it all together. Instead, nothing but the metal skeleton existed all around, and that scowl never leaving her face Jenna turned around to glance in the back, realizing quickly there was no back seat, and the back interior matched the front.
"Where is everything?" Jenna asked when she turned back to Isaac, and she saw he was already rolling his eyes. "It's gross in here."
"Of course, if it doesn't look like the interior of a limo is just simply won't do," Isaac retorted, and he grinned when he noticed Jenna was glaring at him. "Start the car."
"I don't have a license, I can't just-"
"Start. The. Car, Jenna," Isaac repeated slowly, starting to lose his patience. Jenna realized this, and with a frustrated huff she stuck the key into the ignition and turned it. The car roared to life, the sound near deafening, and Jenna jumped.
"Can we drive something else?" She tried as she turned to Isaac, and she grew more frustrated when Isaac laughed.
"You make no sense!" He exclaimed as Jenna turned away from him again. "What- the sound of the car scares you? You're turning this into such a big deal. You want some advice?"
"No."
"You act like this around Bane next time he tells you to do something, and I can guarantee he'll kill you on spot."
"Act like what?" Jenna asked, offense in her voice as she turned her head to glare at him again.
"Like this!" Isaac repeated, gesturing toward her. "Disgusted, frightened with a lack of confidence... that's intolerable around here, and I know you're better than that, so just stop. Put the car in reverse."
"...how?"
Isaac let out a loud breath from his nose as he grabbed her hand from the wheel and placed it on the shifter next to her. "Press down on the brake," he commanded. Keeping his hand on top of her hers, he forced the knob back, and Jenna watched a small red 'R' became illuminated next to it. Isaac let go of her hand and lifted his eyes to look at her.
"Is this automatic?" Jenna asked now, growing confused when Isaac laughed again, and he closed his eyes as he lifted his hand to head in frustration.
"Yes, stupid-ass, it is," he said. "Now back the fucking car up."
"I'm not stupid," Jenna mumbled as she fixed her hands on the wheel before she lifted her shaking foot from the brake, but as soon as the car started to roll backward, Jenna instantly slammed her foot back on the brake. Issac jerked forward along with her before he turned to glare at her.
"Really now?" He asked sarcastically. "You are in total control of the car. The car isn't going to roll backward into anything if you don't let it. That wall is over twenty feet behind you; you're not going to hit it. Now back the car out of the garage."
Jenna wanted to cry. Not because she was scared, but because she was frustrated with Isaac, and even herself. She remembered years ago wanting to learn how to drive, but her parents never had the time of day to teach her, and nobody else around her wanted to help. A part of her could understand Isaac's frustration, but at the same time Jenna wished he'd have more patience. She took her hands from the steering wheel, and while still keeping her foot pressed on the brake, she leaned forward to shrug off his coat, and after she tossed it onto his lap she leaned back and attempted to try again. She eased her foot off the brake, and waited nervously as the car rolled out of the garage. Once the front was out, she began to turn the wheel, only to quickly start turning it the opposite direction when she felt the car turning the wrong way.
"When you're backing out, always turn the wheel in the opposite direction you wanna go. If you gotta head left, turn the wheel right. If you wanna head right-"
"-turn it left," Jenna mumbled once the car was facing forward again, and he watched as she reached down to pull the shifter down to drive, and after she placed her other hand on the wheel she slowly pressed down on the gas pedal. "I don't know where I'm going."
"That's fine," Isaac said as he glanced out of the windshield. "At that sign up there, turn left."
Jenna braked the car once they approached the sign, coming to a complete stop, and she glanced back and forth out of the windows a few times before she finally turned the car. Issac was shaking his head with a grin.
"There's nobody around here. You don't need to come to a complete stop there. And if you dare fucking tell me it was because it was a stop sign-"
"Isaac, please," Jenna complained. "I've never done this before! Lay off."
Isaac let out a sigh. "Turn left at the light."
"Onto a main road?" Jenna asked, nervousness laced throughout her voice.
"There's nobody around, not even on the main road," Isaac assured. "You can run the red light too, if you want."
But just as they both knew, Jenna didn't, and instead sat at the red light, waiting for it to turn green. Isaac was ready to bash his head into the window, wondering what he had gotten himself into, but as soon as the light turned green, Jenna took the turn too hard, the tires skidding across the pavement, and she slammed her foot down on the break and corrected the wheel before they could hit the curb.
"Nice turn," Isaac mumbled, but Jenna ignored him, and once the car was straight she pressed her foot on the gas again to start down the barren, two-lane road.
The ride to the diner, a trip that should have only taken ten minutes, turned into a trip that took nearly twenty. Jenna had grown frantic when they had approached some traffic, but Isaac kept his cool and helped to pass it on to Jenna. Finally, once they had reached the diner and Jenna pulled into the parking lot, he helped her to park, and he couldn't help but to grin and shake his head once he realized Jenna had parked directly over the white line, taking up two spaces.
"You need work," he commented once Jenna had stepped out of the car.
"Yeah, no shit," Jenna retorted as she stepped up onto the sidewalk.
"Lock it," Isaac said suddenly, and Jenna rolled her eyes as she turned around to press the lock button on the keys.
"It may look like a piece of shit now, but trust me. It'll be looking brand new once I'm done with it."
"What happened to it?" Jenna asked as she pocketed the keys in her sweatpants, and she walked next to Isaac once he started to walk toward the entrance.
"Crash," he answered simply with no other desires to explain further.
Jenna dropped the subject, honestly not that interested or motivated to talk about cars, but as they neared the door, a worrisome thought popped into her head.
"Are you sure we should be here?" She asked. "Won't you get recognized?"
"I may be the second in command around here," Isaac began as he glanced down at her. "But I'm still just one of the guys in the background that no one notices."
"But, I was on the news," Jenna went on, only to grow annoyed when Isaac shrugged.
"Keep your head down then," he suggested, and without another word he reached out to open the door. Jenna glanced over her shoulder before she stepped inside. The parking lot held only four cars, including Isaac's, and the small diner was located literally in the middle of nowhere. Though she hoped it wouldn't happen, she knew if anyone was to recognize them, Isaac could shoot up the entire diner and they'd get out unharmed and safe. But once she stepped inside, she knew it wouldn't be a problem, for besides the one busboy who was vacuuming and two other people sitting at the same table, the building was empty. A sign that read 'Please Seat Yourself' was in front of a small podium, and Jenna followed Isaac as he turned to the left to head right over to the same spot he always sat in. His favorite booth was in the furthest and darkest corner of the diner, and Jenna couldn't help but to make a face as she sat down slowly on the opposite side of him.
Not even a minute later, an older waitress with her brown hair piled messily on top of her head approached the table, and before she could even speak or place down two menus Isaac was already ordering his drink.
"Pepsi, please," he said smoothly, and Jenna furrowed her eyebrows as the waitress silently wrote the order down on her notepad. She turned to Jenna, popping her gum as she did so, and she cocked an eyebrow, waiting for her drink order as well.
"Um, Sprite," Jenna ordered, glancing away when the waitress wrote this down.
"You need a minute or you know what you want?"
"We'll take a minute, thank you," Isaac replied with an emotionless grin, and with a slight roll of her eyes the waitress turned around to head back into the kitchen to retrieve the drinks. Jenna was staring as Isaac as he pushed forth a menu to her before he interlocked his fingers on the table, and he grinned at her, this grin actually reaching his eyes.
"Why do you come here?" Jenna asked, glancing out to the rest of the diner. "They're rude here."
"It's great," Isaac said. "They're mean, they don't care about you, and they leave you the fuck alone. There's no room for that small-talk bullshit."
"Is that why you can come here and not be recognized?" Jenna asked as she opened up the menu finally, and she lifted her eyes to stare into Isaac's from behind it.
"I told you," he said, leaning back with that same grin. "I'm nothing but the guy in the background."
Jenna didn't reply to this as she lowered her eyes back to the menu, her aqua orbs wandering all over the pages. Her eyes focused on the top of the third page, and feeling satisfied that they served breakfast twenty-four hours a day, she folded her menu and placed it on top of Isaac's, knowing what she wanted.
"What you getting?"
"Pancakes," Jenna answered, only to frown along with Isaac when his grin fell.
"Pancakes? I thought you said you were hungry."
"I am," Jenna replied easily before leaning back in her booth. Isaac let the issue go as their waitress returned back to the table, asking if they were ready to order as she placed down their drinks in front of the incorrect person.
"I'll have a cheeseburger –no onions, easy on the pickles– and the lady will have pancakes."
Meanwhile, Jenna had been busy switching their drinks around, and once she had her hands on her own she opened up her straw, stuck it in, and took a big sip, realizing this soda was the first thing she had to drink in a long time. Isaac had repeated her actions, and as he took a sip of his Pepsi Jenna lifted her eyes to stare at him once the waitress left the table.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked, and when Isaac glanced at her he noticed her eyebrows to be furrowed in true confusion.
"Doing what?" He asked as he leaned over toward the table while sliding his drink to the side.
"Being nice to me," Jenna answered.
"Because I like you, like I told you."
"That's not an answer," Jenna replied, never breaking eye contact with him. "Everyone else hates me there, they have since day one. You saved me from that guy, you actually talk to me... I don't get it."
"What's not to get, Jenna?" Isaac returned. "I like you. I think you have potential. You're smart, and a welcoming change to the warehouse."
"You're the only one who thinks so," Jenna mumbled as she leaned back.
"No," Isaac returned slowly, his mind instantly flashing him images of Bane and Jenna standing awfully close to each other in his room, Bane staring down at her while Jenna stared else where, and he blinked before glancing back at her. "I know someone else who'd agree."
"If you even fucking say his name, I'll-"
"See? That...What the fuck is that? Just the guy's name alone pisses you off. Why?"
"Don't worry about it," Jenna mumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest while sinking down further into the booth's seat, frustrated for unintentionally bringing back the subject.
"Oh no, you asked me a serious question, I can ask you one. If you want a real answer from me you gotta truthfully answer mine."
Jenna had her head turned away from him, and she was staring at the tiled floor. She instantly thought back to her and Bane standing in his room, and chills ran through her body upon remembering how Bane's arm had felt underneath her hand. His skin had been so warm, his hand hot on her hip, and it felt as though his fingers were burning right through her flesh. Not only was her confidence shocking, but also Bane's tolerance with her actions. She had been so sure that he would push her away, maybe even kill her right then, but he had touched her right back. What did that mean?
"...Jenna," Isaac was mumbling, drawing out each sound of her name. "You're thinking about it."
Jenna sighed. "Isaac, please, just... it's nothing."
"It's everything," he corrected, and when Jenna looked back into his eyes she was sure he could see right into her mind. "It's consuming you. You sure as fuck weren't like this when we took you. You had a little more fight. Now you're just... quiet, lost in your thoughts."
"Why do you care so much?" Jenna asked now, still staring into his striking blue eyes. Isaac shrugged.
"I wanna help you."
Jenna let out a small laugh as she shook her head, and she leaned back again as she glanced away. Isaac wanted to help her? Like he could. But even more important, why did he want to help her? Jenna figured she would make this question verbal.
"Because I just do," Isaac said. "Look, you remind me a lot of myself, when I was in your... situation."
Jenna made a face. "Kidnapped and confused?" She confirmed, strong doubt laced throughout her voice.
"Yup," Isaac replied. "I had it worse, though. And I didn't take the situation so lightly."
"Doubtful," Jenna replied with a roll of her eyes, finally glancing away. "And I don't take it lightly, either."
Isaac ignored her last comment. "Alright, I answered your question better, now answer mine."
He stared at her for a long, silent moment, waiting for her to respond, and finally, when Jenna couldn't ignore his staring at her any longer, she finally sighed as she glanced back to him.
"I guess I'm just confused about why I'm still alive. About why Bane... hasn't killed me yet." Her head began to spin, but she realized that her answer not only expressed truth, but also carried her real, hidden questions within. Issac sighed slightly as he leaned back himself.
"Same reasons I said before," he replied smoothly. "You've got potential, you're smart, you're a welcoming change."
"But how long will that all last?"
"I don't know," Isaac replied as he glanced away from her to watch as their waitress returned with their food. "Keep up the good work and there won't be any problems." He winked at her, and Jenna couldn't help but to smile slightly before the waitress set down their food, actually setting the plates in front of the correct person this time.
–
The two mainly ate in silence. Although the diner was dark and deserted, and the staff was less than friendly, Jenna's pancakes couldn't have been more perfect, and for the first time in a while she had grown incredibly full by the time she was finished. As she ate, she continued to steal a few glances at Isaac, and she couldn't help but to still wonder why he was being so friendly toward her. But the longer she thought about, the more she began to realize that perhaps she shouldn't think too much into it. Isaac was offering her a friendship, and regardless how shallow that friendship was or would be, Jenna figured she should just be grateful for it. Her life had taken such an unexpected turn, and while she was trapped in the darkness of confused and unwanted feelings, Bane, and various henchmen who wanted her dead, Isaac was that light at the end of that tunnel.
After Isaac had finished, and after he had paid the cheap bill, they stood from the table and exited the building to approach the car. Jenna knew she was expected to drive back, and Isaac was slightly surprised when Jenna pulled the keys out of her pocket before getting into the car to start it. But he kept his thoughts to himself as he closed his door, and he sat patiently as Jenna slowly backed the car off of the line to head in the wrong direction to circle the building to the exit.
This time around, however, Jenna felt as though their trip back to the warehouse went smoother than their trip to the diner. Not only did it take less time, but Jenna noticed a few improvements in her driving, such as keeping the car straight and not taking turns so hard. Isaac had only spoken up to give her quick directions, but he never gave her any praise, which Jenna couldn't help but to be slightly annoyed with. Was she doing better, or was she still doing terrible? Had anything been improved at all, or was it the same? But after a while Jenna decided to let the issue go, deciding that no praise was better than constant criticism. She would have to do all the judging herself.
After parking the car painstakingly slow back in the garage, Jenna took the key from the ignition, handed it to Isaac, and pushed open her door in unison with him.
"Thank you... for everything," Jenna said finally once she closed her door, and she rounded the back of the car while Isaac immediately headed toward the work bench to set down the keys. "Are you gonna be out here for a while?"
"For a little bit," he answered, ignoring her thank you, though it didn't go unrecognized. "You?"
"I'm going inside," she responded. "I'm uh... tired."
"Sounds good," Isaac replied as he finally glanced over at her. "Night."
"Goodnight." Jenna turned to start over toward the exit door, the cold wind flushing her skin while goosebumps covered her arms, and she pulled open the door to step quickly inside, the warm welcoming, though she knew it would disappear quickly once she reached the basement.
The warehouse seemed barren, and Bane hadn't even been on Jenna's mind for the first time that day as she descended the stairs, wondering where the rest of the henchmen were or where the hell Isaac even slept when he was inside, but just as she rounded the corner of the stairs to start toward her room, wanting nothing more than to curl up under the blanket, she jumped when she suddenly heard Bane's low voice come through that terrifying respirator.
"Where did you go?"
Jenna froze, a shock running her spine, and only a few feet from her door she turned around to finally notice Bane standing by his own closed door. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she noticed he was still shirtless and clad in those black sweat pants, and she swallowed as that same shock ran down her spine and tickled her lower back as memories instantly flooded her mind.
"Dinner," she forced herself to say, and she hated the squeaking, forced tone the word was delivered in. Bane had noticed this too, and he kept his eyes planted firmly on her, picking up on how stiff her body had become.
"With Barsad?"
It took Jenna a moment to realize he was referring to Isaac. "Yeah."
Bane's eyes slowly roamed down her body, and once he realized his absentminded action he quickly lifted them back up and forced himself to blink hard, clearing the image of her from his mind. "Alright then," he said finally, and without another word Jenna watched as he turned around to open his door and disappear inside.
It took a moment for feeling to come back to her body, and once she could feel her legs again she quickly turned around and disappeared into her own room. She didn't bother turning the light on, and instead she blindly made her way to the cot. Once she felt it beside her, she slid off her pants, not caring whether that was a good idea or not, though she knew she always slept better with them off, and she climbed into the cot, shivering as she pulled the blanket up to her chin. She closed her eyes and instantly began to wonder why Bane had been standing outside his door like that. Did she just have terrible timing, or had he been waiting for her? If he was waiting for her, what was the reason? All he had asked was where she had gone. He hadn't sounded angry, and he had been right in assuming she had gone out with Isaac. So why had he just been standing there like that?
Jenna let out a frustrated breath through her nose. Constantly trying to analyze Bane's actions and thoughts wore her out more than any physical action ever could, and she took a minute to wish she could just stop thinking about him and her stupid desires. Fortunately, sleep had found her sooner than she could have ever hoped, though unfortunately, her dreams were filled with nothing but the giant, masked man...
I appreciate the support this story is receiving, guys, thank you! If you love Isaac (and Bane and Jenna) please review, and tell me why! :D