Ever since the first time Bane saw you, all he could think about is how... Small you are.

Not small and cute like a puppy, but small and scrawny, like a light breeze could topple you over, and just a tap from a normal person could snap you in half like a twig.

Bane's aware that he's a lot bigger and stronger than most people, but you're tiny and weak even by normal person standards.

But, he doesn't find it cute or endearing how you struggle to open the bottles without your teeth, or how you have to push open glass doors by throwing your entire body weight at them. It's more... Pity, perhaps might be the closest thing to it.

And then, while carefully taking mental notes to see if you're just pretending (you can never be too careful in Gotham), it hits him.

It all makes sense, the way you scrunch your nose up at food that isn't up to standard, the way he sees you go hungry more often than not, the way that every time he crosses paths with you, you look thinner, more skeletal.

Now, Bane is many things, but a doctor isn't one of them, so he doesn't bring anything up to you. It's not his place, after all.

But, something that almost nobody knows about Bane, is that when he very young, he wanted to open a restaurant, and got pretty good at cooking if he says so himself.

And he knows a thing or two about healthy eating, which most people seem surprised by. Odd, considering the fact that Bane didn't get all his muscles purely from working out and Venom. It's a delicate balance of exercise and making good food choices (and cheat days).

So instead, whenever Bane runs into you at a safehouse as you run around after Edward or Jonathan or Darius or whoever it is you work as an assistant for (despite the fact that running in your state is highly inadvisable), he makes a point of cooking something that he knows will make the entire safehouse smell divine, and invites you to help him cook.

It's his discreet little way of gauging your likes and dislikes when it comes to food, and getting you to try new things.

"Have I ever made you Picadillo con Papas?" Bane asks, looking down at you as you look up at him. You have to crane your neck to look him in the eye, but most people do as well.

"No? Well, you're in for a treat tonight!" He grins down at you, placing a large hand on your head and spinning you around, away from him. "You can help if you'd like, but first I want you to get me a bottle of Jarrito's, any flavour that's in the fridge will do."

Bane watches you from the corner of his eye, noticing that you don't struggle to use the bottle opener this time.

"Thank you," he nods and takes a swig. You picked the green one this time, and he can't tell if that's your attempt to make joke about the Venom.

"Alright, first things first, wash your hands and get the beef mince. Not the lean mince that Joker put in there months ago, the good stuff." At your slight pause, Bane taps the countertop to get your attention. "How are you going to get big and strong like me if you only eat the lean stuff?"