"I.............." (Y/n) began, as she did her best to swallow down the boulder that had seemed to instantly form in her throat, as her boss had taken her chin in the palm of his large hand. As she did her best to calm her frantically beating heart, and the heated blush that had come over her cheeks.

There was something about his eyes at this moment, as they looked deep into hers. Something that spoke of the same loneliness that she felt. Of the same need, the same desire that she got whenever she looked at the big man. Gotham, even with the best of intentions, was not the easiest city in the world, to live; and even less to find someone to love. Or, that was at least how it always seemed to (Y/n). Part of it she put down to, as some might say, working with the criminal classes. It not rare that you would find out that someone you were acquainted with, had been shot, or found at the bottom of the river wearing a pair of cement shoes, by the Gotham Police, since you had last spoken to them. That kind of thing certainly putting you off sharing your heart with someone. The other part, she put down to the fact that most of her time was spent in the office and with her boss. The personal assistant not really doing anything after she had finished her work for the day, other than make her way home, change into comfortable clothes, and watch a re-run of an old movie on the TV, as her big ginger tom cat would curl up on her lap. Her routine only altered if she had to attend a function, at Mister Gilzean's request. (Y/n) suddenly realising that all that was because she didn't want to go out and spend her time looking for men at bars or nightclubs. That in all honesty, all she really wanted was in front of her now; all she wanted was her boss. All she wanted was Butch Gilzean.

                                                        >>--------------------------------<<

Butch couldn't help but feel his heart drop, as (Y/n) just looked at him. In her beautiful eyes, he was sure that he could see the same loneliness, that dwelled in his own. That he could see the same need, the same desire. Yet was any of that need, that desire for him? Since she had started to work for him, he had certainly not heard any mention of a man in her life. He had not seen anyone come to pick her up from the front of the building when she had finished work for the day. And, though he would never admit to this, especially to (Y/n), when he had had her checked up on, all reports had come back saying that she lived on her own, and that no gentlemen came calling. Butch even doing the math one time, where he had worked out that, that if this were the case, the only man that his personal assistant spent any real time with.........was him. Though whether that time, whether that familiarity had bred contempt or not............Butch not sure that he wanted to know, as (Y/n) finally continued.

"Well...........I think that you have a tough exterior, and can, if you don't mind me saying, seem a little rough around the edges; and perhaps come across as a little..........brutish at times. But you are in this position, because you have to ability to handle people that sometimes need a brutal hand. Therefore, that is not necessarily a bad thing, it is a means to an end. A way to keep people in line and not have them take advantage of you. And perhaps it only helps in a city like Gotham..........." (Y/n) began, biting down on her lips as she drifted back into her thoughts. Butch not sure whether any of this was making him feel better. The big man having a feeling that this might be her way of building up to letting him down gently. Though he did have to admit that she was right. That he was rough around the edges. It not unusual for (Y/n) to make sure that his tuxedo was just right when he had to be seen at a function; not unusual that he would get his personal assistant to go over his correspondence, as she just seemed to do all that so much better than he could. (Y/n) having a flair for words that he just didn't have. And ok, he could be brutish too. He had certainly done a number of brutish things over the years. But given the kinds of people that he had had to deal with, it wasn't necessarily the worst thing in the world...........

"But............." That one word capturing Butch's attention, as he looked to her again. That one word feeling as though her coup de grâce was about to come, and all hope he had, would be dashed.

"I think that despite that, you.............you are a good man with a good heart. That you are kind, compassionate and a bit of a sentimentalist, in your own way. You have never been anything but good to me, since I started to work for you. And............."

"And..............?" Butch interrupted, as he took her hand and gripped it gently. The big man not sure whether he might be building his hopes up too quickly, and he would find them dashed if this positive sounding 'and' was followed by something he didn't want to hear. But he was too far down the rabbit hole now; so, if he were to find a heavy landing at the end, so be it. One way or another he had to hear it. Yet instead of (Y/n) saying anything, she simply leaned over, and pressed a firm, but gentle kiss to his lips.