Richard Grayson was sweet.

He was sweeter than the chocolate bar he had given her and it made her wonder how such a pure soul had been able to survive in Gotham, the city known for devouring innocents akin to a relentless monster.

The way he treated the people around him indicated that he was one of the very few people who were pleasant inside and out. She hadn't interacted as much with him to ascertain whether her assumption about him was right or not. But the way he talked to her and his little gestures such as holding the door open for her was enough to tell that he was quite a gentleman.

It was rare to see that people like Richard still existed in that materialistic world where most humans were selfish and shallow.

And god, was he beautiful...

His eyes were the shade of clear sky and his smile could easily light up the whole room. He had one of those very few faces that she hesitated to sketch because she was uncertain that she might not be able to do them justice with her skill.

There were some things in nature that couldn't be trapped on paper and Richard seemed to be one of those rare beings with his striking blue eyes and perfectly kissable lips.

The bar of chocolate had ended and it shook her out of her brief train of thought about Richard as well. And she paused, surprised at the direction those thoughts had taken.

She shouldn't be thinking about him in that light, she reminded herself. The curiosity of an artist and the intrigue of an admirer had a very thin line in between, she couldn't let that line fade.

Besides, he was young and very courteous, there was a high chance he might already have a lover back in Gotham or perhaps in that city even.

And even if he didn't, it wasn't her place to think about it.

He was just an acquaintance to her, nothing more. But as she repeated that in her head, it felt slightly odd.

Was he really nothing more than an acquaintance to her?

She could tell herself a hundred times that he wasn't but there was something in the way he looked at her that denied it altogether. 

She shook her head slightly, rooting herself to the present as she stood up to leave the cafe. The clock was ticking and she had to go home.

She would get absolutely nothing from thinking about Richard Grayson. He was like a perfectly chiseled sculpture that an artist could only admire from afar but not dare to capture. 

The only problem was that the aforementioned sculpture smiled too often and each time that smile was directed toward her, she would surprisingly feel the same way she did when she was young and new to the concept of love.

Over the years she had learned that love was not to be confused with attraction. A person could be attracted to anyone but to love someone requires sacrifice and trust. Two things that she had had enough of oversharing with others.

Maybe someday, Richard would also learn the things she did and think the same way. Maybe he would have a very different perspective about it all.

But of course, it would have no benefit for her to keep thinking about him. She didn't even know why her thoughts were still drifting that way.

She had to make herself think about something or someone else instead. 

Probably for the first time in her life, Erica Leslie needed a distraction.

***

"You're in love."

"Excuse me, what?" Richard laughed, almost choking on the cup of coffee Gary had given him from their department's barely working coffee maker.

"Okay if not in love then you certainly have a crush on her," Gary remarked, pouring himself another cup.

"On who?"

"Our sketch artist." Gary stated with full confirmation, "who else? You always look happy to see her."

Richard shrugged, "you say that as if I look grumpy seeing everybody else. I think I am a naturally cheerful person."

"Yes but you're more so when Miss Leslie's around," he remarked as if he had personally observed that. "And if you didn't know it earlier, now you do."

"Gary, I asked you to focus on the case and you're bringing up something so unrelated at the moment," he shook his head, masking the slight tinge of nervousness that had struck him, "be serious for once."

"I am serious. About both my assumptions," he shrugged, "I think we should go on a raid at the warehouse of that store. And I think you definitely have a crush on Miss Leslie."

"Okay enough, the Captain will fire you if he hears this," Richard tried to use that as a warning for Gary to be silent.

"The Captain has left," he reminded him, "like an hour ago. Besides, the Captain is so fond of you that he treats you as his family, I doubt he would have an issue if he hears."

"And you forget that she is actually part of his family. Don't bring this up again. However the Captain may treat me, I can't overstep my boundaries."

They were both staying overtime and completing their paperwork while discussing the recent case as well. But somehow in the middle of it, Gary had just sprung up his so-called assumptions and now Richard didn't know how to bring the topic back to work.

"Well, who doesn't like a workplace romance..." The young man sighed softly as if lamenting the fact that Richard had stopped him from teasing him about his crush, "the last exciting thing that happened in this department was Samuel's wedding. The poor guy got divorced a month later. Now we don't mention weddings around him."

Richard didn't know what to say to that. He knew his companion was talkative and one of those people who craved to have a new thrill every day.

That was the reason Gary had initially applied for a police detective's job. But then he must feel that he had gotten scammed by those police recruitment camps in high school that paint the profession as very exciting and noble.

Police work in real life was far from all that thrill and excitement.

"The only exciting thing we can think about is getting some sleep on our day off and that too happens very rarely," Richard added, sorting out the pile he had just reviewed.

"You overwork yourself," he remarked, pointing his pen at him, "you don't have to take up every other case the Captain gives you. Just because you're good at this work doesn't mean you have to do it all."

"I know..."

"You don't seem to act like you know," he shrugged, "sometimes I wonder what kind of things you've seen in Gotham that make you act like no case here is a big deal for you."

Richard stilled for a second but then resumed working, keeping his head down as he let Gary continue with his ramblings.

There was one slight problem with talkative people; they said whatever came to mind and sometimes their words would strike up a past that the other person didn't want to be brought up.

In that case, it was always better to stay silent and not respond immediately until the topic of conversation changed itself.

"Hey, it's almost time to leave. I have reviewed all these files and I am taking the rest home. What about you?"

Gary saw the time and then sighed, "nope, too tired. I will come tomorrow early."

"You better. See you tomorrow."

"See you," Gary nodded with a smile.

Gary's night must have ended there but Richard still had a lot to do before his night came to an end as well.

***