Gabriella returned to Metropolis with her father soon after she was discharged from the hospital. As a result, Charlize's house was back to being silent and lonely.

The days at Arkham felt longer than usual. Even though she was used to the silence of her house, she thought about the days it was alive in Ella's presence. She often stayed late at work, returning only to go to bed and be rejuvenated enough to continue her hectic routine.

Once or twice, Miguel had sent her home himself, warning her that overworking never ended up well for the people employed at Arkham. 

Charlize stayed late again that day. The weight of solitude pressed down on her as she went through some patient files, oblivious to the ticking time. 

Just then, a knock shook her out of her thoughts.

Looking up at the clock, she assumed it would be Miguel dropping by for tea. "Come in."

The pine door shifted, revealing a much familiar face. Jonathan Crane stepped in, wearing that distinct brown trench coat and holding his briefcase. 

"I hope I am not disturbing you," he remarked, closing the door behind him.

"Of course not," a smile graced her features at last, "it's always good to see you."

"Shouldn't you be packing up by now?" He asked, putting his briefcase aside and walking off to the corner to make tea for both of them.

She looked tired and he knew a cup of tea could work wonders in making all the exhaustion disappear.

"I didn't notice the time," she replied, putting the file aside, "Jonathan, you don't have to..."

"I want to," he put water to boil in the electric kettle, fetching the cups from the small cabinet.

She watched him work, noticing how comfortable he was in his surroundings. After all, that room had been his office for a considerable amount of time such that even then, he seemed like an extension of the space as he walked around.

The clink of the cup on the table in front of her shook her out of her thoughts and she managed a soft smile, "Thanks."

He took a seat across from her, his eyes observing her from behind the thick lens of his spectacles carefully. It seemed he was also observing what she was feeling at the present moment and if anything was weighing her down aside from work.

"How's Gabriella?" He broke the silence between them.

"She's much better now. She has an appointment with her doctor next week."

"Will you go?"

"Yes. Robert asked me to come too," she told him, "so I will take an off from Arkham for a few days."

He nodded, a thoughtful look crossing his face, "I see..."

"What have you been up to these days? I see you're coming straight from work," she mildly changed the topic, her eyes sweeping over him in that gentle look.

"I have been busy. Found a new project to invest my time in," he replied, deciding to tell her later what exactly he was researching on.

"That's nice," she mumbled, "things here have been quite slow but dragging."

A brief silence engulfed them until he spoke up, "What about now? Do you have any pending tasks?"

She shook her head, "Not really, I was just... Whiling my time away."

He hesitated but eventually asked, "Then... Would you like to go on a walk with me?"

She paused, "On a walk? Where?"

"Out in the courtyard or... We could go to a park," he suggested, suddenly finding the idea too absurd soon as it left his lips.

He was about to take back the suggestion when he saw that a soft smile creased her features. "A park sounds nice," she accepted, "just give me a moment."

His cheeks colored faintly, the simple act of a suggestion being agreed upon sending a wave of warmth through him. "I will wait outside then."

When she came out to the reception desk, Miguel was at the main gate, waiting for her to step out so he could lock up the asylum. The bunch of silver keys gleamed in the waning sunlight and he nodded in Jonathan's direction as she stepped closer.

Following his gaze, she found the man standing by the oak tree, observing something silently. Seeing her approach, he turned to her, his hands buried in his pockets.

Together, they left for a nearby park, crossing the crowded streets. The soft light engulfing them was getting weaker by every passing minute, lilac clouds announcing the onset of dusk.

"The weather is unexpectedly pleasant today," she remarked, her hand linked through his arm. "I had almost forgotten that these are the few days we might not have to deal with the dreary rainfall."

He nodded, "It rains all the time, save for the summer."

"Do you like summer, Jonathan?" 

He paused, thinking about it, "All the seasons are more or less the same to me. Though I do appreciate not having to worry about puddles when the weather is mild."

She nodded, letting go of the tension that held her in its grasp earlier. 

A gentle breeze was blowing, engulfing them in a comfortable warmth. Her fingers brushed through the soft green leaves as they walked in the vibrant greenery of the park.

"Thank you for suggesting this," her voice softened as she glanced at him. "I almost forgot how lovely these evenings can be."

He met her gaze, a flicker of understanding passing between them. "You're welcome."

They found an empty bench, close to which some children were playing catch. Jonathan noticed her attention flicker to the group, playing and laughing together. 

He could see that she missed Gabriella so while she was slightly distracted, he gently pulled her close, his arm draping around her back.

She relaxed in that embrace, her head resting against his shoulder. At that precise moment, she had no words but Jonathan didn't press further.

However, his presence and the peaceful park surroundings made Charlize feel much better than earlier. Sometimes, little things like a loved one's presence, a comfortable silence, and a steady shoulder to rest on went a long way to take away the sorrow and pain in one's heart.

She tilted her head up to look at him, seeing him staring ahead at the children who were playing another game. Reaching up, she placed a very light kiss on his jaw, knowing full well that his face would turn red shortly after, then rested her head back on his shoulder.

Blue met brown for the briefest of seconds, a very slight smile gracing his lips, followed shortly by a red tint dusting over his sharp cheekbones. 

His grip tightened on her waist, pulling her closer. In that moment, he could also see what she had felt a few minutes ago.

It were the little things associated with a very special person that made life worth living. 

He wasn't going to make haste in calling it love but it certainly was something similar to the supreme emotion poets carved in their hearts and writers bled ink for on paper.

***