Achilles

"So, the inhaler?"

"Venom, as I'm sure you picked up on." Roslyne raised an eyebrow as she drove, Bane in the seat next to her. "It discharges a concentrated dose, one that stays in my system longer."

"So that the mask is unnecessary."

"For a short period of time, yes."

"And, this is so you can go out in public?"

He nodded. "I think the mask leaves a bit of an impression, do you not?"

She laughed, remembering being nine years old and gawking at the man in terror as he loomed over her. If only she had known.

The two were on the way to the apartment, an idea that Roslyne wasn't quite sure of, but there wasn't really anywhere else to go save for the sewers. It was late, anyway, and Henry would more than likely be asleep. She didn't really want to see the look that he'd wear on his face once she walked in with Bane.

"How are you liking your internship?"

They made small talk on the ride, as it seemed like the natural thing to do, but it was kind of unbearable, just because Roslyne knew well that his brain was meant for so much more than idle conversation.

"It's fine. I like it well enough. Dr. Crane can be kind of shady at times, but he's been nothing but kind to me."

"He is a brilliant man."

Roslyne raised her eyebrows. "I take it my working for him isn't just a coincidence."

Bane showed a small smile, looking out of the window and answering her question adequately with his silence.

There were so many things she wanted to say to him, now that they were alone. So many things she wanted to do, and it took all of the self-control that he had taught her to stay seated, calm, and quiet.

She was almost relieved when they arrived at the apartment building, pulling in and walking upstairs. Ros unlocked the door, holding a hand out to stop Bane from entering so that she could poke her head in and look around for any signs of Henry.

"He's not very fond of you," she muttered, as if talking to herself. "I think it's a jealousy thing, actually." The man followed her in once she motioned him to, taking a sharp breath from his inhaler before pocketing it again. "Shouldn't have any loyalty issues, though," she continued. "I think he might be a little more difficult now that he hasn't had to take orders for a few years, but don't hurt him, okay?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Bane said quietly, taking a look around the small living space from where he stood. His hands were in his pockets, and his body seemed to curl into itself only slightly, maybe just because he felt so large in such a tiny area.

"It's not much," she shrugged. "But, it's home." It wasn't, really. Home was at the compound, or just wherever the hulking man was, if Roslyne was being honest. "Did you want anything to eat? I'm famished."

Bane shook his head and walked further into the apartment, surveying the light blue walls, the small entertainment system, the gray couch and messy coffee table. He picked up a copy of Washington Irving short stories and flipped through the pages idly as Roslyne moved about the kitchen, pouring herself some cereal and taking the bowl with her into her bedroom. "You comin'?" The book was immediately placed back on the table, and Bane followed quietly-- a very odd sight.

Roslyne sat cross-legged on her bed, eating quickly and picking the remote to her television up, turning on one of the many late night shows, an obnoxious host interviewing one of the hottest celebrities, just like every night.

Bane walked around slowly, examining the walls and shelves, thumbing through the books on display and taking a hit of his inhaler once. Roslyne tried to act like she wasn't paying close attention to him, but she was. She hadn't seen him up close in years, and now, he was in her room.

"Have you kept up your training?" He asked out of nowhere, and Roslyne laughed.

"Yes, boss. Thought you may have caught that when you were stalking me outside of the gym I frequent."

The hulking man turned, pressing his full lips together to prevent himself from smiling, but she could see it in his eyes. She could always see it in his eyes.

"And, I can easily assume that you've kept yours up as well, judging by the little sewer brat you've got now." She didn't bother hiding the bitterness in her voice.

"You don't plan on letting this go anytime soon, do you?"

She shook her head. "Not a chance. Heads up, though, you should definitely work with her on her defense, 'cause it was all too easy to floor her with a left-hook."

"In her defense, your appearance deceives your actual strength."

"That's the entire point, isn't it?"

Just talking about the girl was getting Roslyne irritated. She had heard it from Bane's mouth. She wasn't a replacement. She was nothing like Roslyne, and still it hurt that someone was getting to spend such quality time with him.

"Well, in that case, maybe you should train her, Roslyne."

The girl almost spit out her cereal at this suggestion and shook her head. "No way. She'd be dead within the day. I've got too much pent up rage." She smiled again, and Bane rolled his eyes, walking toward the bed until he was standing directly in front of Roslyne. "You, on the other hand," she grinned, taking her last bite of cereal as she looked up at him. "I wouldn't mind training with again."

His full lips pulled up on one side in a way that made Roslyne's heart stutter, and he took the bowl still half full of milk out of her hands, placing it on the bedside table.

"Tomorrow perhaps. You should sleep for now. It's very late, and I believe you've had an emotionally trying day."

Ros peered up at him with narrowed eyes. It was so hard to keep from smiling because seeing him again just made her heart soar. Still, she set her jaw and cocked her head. "Please, it wasn't that bad. Not like I missed you, or anything."

He eyed her knowingly, and she bit the inside of her bottom lip in an attempt to keep it from curling upward. He was so close, and all she really wanted to do was lay her head-- level with his stomach--against him and wrap her arms around his waist. She just wanted to be close to him again.

Tearing her gaze away, she moved to the foot of the bed and kicked her shoes off, stripping herself of her jacket, then twisted her head to look at Bane, who was watching her still.

"Okay, I'm about to, like, take my clothes off, so you can either be a gentleman and look away, or I don't know... Receive a very disappointing strip-tease."

He laughed, a short bark of sorts that left Roslyne grinning from ear to ear before she turned back around. Bane raised a hand to cover his eyes, and she slid out of her shorts, stepping out of them and kicking them toward the dirty clothes hamper in the corner of her room. She couldn't shake the feeling of him still watching her, and she exhaled slowly through her mouth as she reached behind her back and up her shirt to unclasp her bra, pulling it out and tossing it in the same direction. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, which she knew was ridiculous. She had changed in front of Bane so many times, wearing next to nothing when they used to spar, but this time, it felt a little different.

Maybe it was because she was with him again for the first time in years, or maybe it was because she was older and more mature. Maybe she thought that he'd finally find her attractive the same way that she found him, and standing there, at the foot of her bed, Roslyne imagined him slinking up behind her, resting his hands on her bare hips, pulling her body against his. She imagined him getting aroused at the sight of her close-to bare body, and then she squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head, and turned back around to face the real Bane in her tank-top and boy-cut panties.

He was staring at her, unblinking, and she wondered when he had lowered his hand. She wondered when it had started to matter to her, and with an almost nervous smile she held up a finger and slipped out of the room and into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.

She missed him. That was all. She missed him, and her hormones were going crazy because the last person she had fooled around with was Barsad, and that was a good eight months ago and was a story for another day, and now Bane was there in her fucking bedroom, and she hadn't been in that situation since she was about seventeen, but she was just a child then. Things had changed since then, or she felt like they had.

After splashing her face with water and doing a few breathing exercises, Roslyne walked back into her bedroom to find Bane lying on the bed, hands behind his head. He showed a small smile at her entrance, and Roslyne shut the door behind her, turning off the main light so that only the TV illuminated the room.

She crawled onto the mattress, settling next to Bane without touching him and blinked a few times. It was still a little surreal.

"You seem tense," he murmured, suddenly turning on his side so that his face was mere inches from hers.

"Do I?" She asked, smirking.

He nodded his head, and Roslyne couldn't resist reaching up and running a hand over his barely stubbled scalp, giggling to herself.

"I'm just thinking, I guess," she sighed.

He lifted an eyebrow, the scarred one, and somehow shifted closer to her. "About what."

You, she thought. Seeing you, being with you again, what it was like in the past, what it's like now, the different feelings, the different desires. Roslyne shook her head and snorted, "How I'm gonna kick Richardson's ass one of these days."

Bane chuckled and slung a large arm around her, his hand landing on the small of her back so he could push her frame closer to him. She smiled, content, as she let her head loll forward and rest on his collarbone. Her hands snaked their way up to his chest, fingers bunching up his shirt, and she felt Bane lean down to rest his head against hers.

"I'd really rather you didn't, but if you insist." They both laughed lightly, and Roslyne felt her eyes grow heavy. He hadn't lied when he said she'd had an emotionally trying day. She just denied it. "Go to sleep, my little one."

The name brought forth a plethora of feelings, the strongest being great comfort and the need to rebel, so in a tired voice, Roslyne mumbled, "Ugh, you make it sound like I'm nine again. Can we please switch up the pet name?"

She felt his chest rumbled with amusement, and the large hand on the her back stroked at the soft skin there, making her toes curl in delight.

"Very well. Just get to sleep, my love. Tomorrow is sure to be full of excitement."

Roslyne grinned, pressing herself closer to him and feeling something close to euphoria at his new choice. Tomorrow could go to hell in a handbasket for all she cared because right now, she was with Bane, her Bane, who had called her his love, and even if he didn't actually mean it romantically, it was still so lovely.