A/N: Hey guys! This account is a collaboration between a couple of friends, who saw a need in the community of Gotham for more Gotham. Because, I mean, who doesn't want more Gotham. Anyway! Please enjoy, review, and get ready for more stories to come! Thanks everyone!
We do not own the characters in this story, unless specifically stated otherwise. All credit goes to the Gotham writers, directors, and cast.
The old butler was doing the evening chores - much to his master's objection - and still had many other things to do. Even if it was three days before Christmas, there's no rest for a butler.
Laundry, dishes, dusting, cleaning, sweeping, all of the chores fell upon him, but he never minded. That was his duty after all. So while his master is off buried into his obsession, the butler will quietly do the chores, and fix the food, and wrap the presents, and sign the cards, without any objections. That is, until he heard the footstep, the tiniest creak in the wood, and as he turned his head to look at the culprit, he knew.
"Good evening Miss Kyle, lovely weather out isn't it?" The butler said clearly, obviously proud that he had caught the cat before the cat caught him.
"Right old man, because a blizzard is the perfect time to go out on a picnic" Selena, the girl better known on the streets as Cat, said. The butler knew so much but so little of this girl, with her wild curly hair and mischievous eyes. He knew better than to question her arrival. As much as he disapproved of her, he had to admit that he was somewhat fond of her. Only because she had made his master laugh and smile, which was rare these days.
"A bit cheeky tonight are we? Might I ask what exactly you're doing showing up in a snowstorm?" The butler turned and went back to sweeping, hiding his provoking smile.
"This place is warm, why else would I be here?"
And with that, Miss Kyle shook the snow off of her and proceeded to leave the room. As the butler look down the hall, watching her, he noticed that she was clutching something in her hands. The butler smiled, and went back to the chores.
The chores were done, and the butler gratefully walked to the old master's office. Bruce was always in there, buried deep into his obsession, a lot of times forgetting to even eat. So when the butler walked in to see Bruce deep into files, it didn't surprise him at all. What did surprise him, however, was Miss Kyle relaxing on the couch, under a mistletoe.
The butler, who immediately realized what Miss Kyle was trying to do, gave a questioning look towards her. Which was, in turn, met with a hateful glare of Selina's, a touch of redness to her face.
"Excuse me Master Bruce, would you like to have dinner?" Bruce didn't look up from his flies. This didn't surprise the butler either. The butler cleared his throat loudly, Bruce looked up from his files, glanced at his butler then noticed Miss Kyle.
"Oh Selina, I'm sorry I didn't," He paused, looking for the right words, "I didn't notice you coming in. Are you staying for dinner?"
The butler looked between the two, who were chatting. Well, chatting as in Miss Kyle making clever but rude remarks to Bruce and Bruce not noticing what was actually going on. Bruce sent his butler away, completely entranced with the street cat per usual.
Alfred was not above spying, although he liked to think of it as 'parental concern'. His parental concern found him close to that room, listening, and peeking in at times. Nothing that he could tell was happening, except that he knew there was a mistletoe hanging above Miss Kyle, and that Bruce was oblivious to it.
He found himself once again listening in through the cracked door, and probably was as apprehensive about the mistletoe as Miss Kyle was cunning. Although it seemed that her cleverness wasn't shining through at the moment.
"Kid, why not take a break looking through those old papers," that was Miss Kyle talking.
"In a bit Selina, I just want to finish this one." Bruce responded
"You said that ten minutes ago, I'm getting bored."
Bruce didn't respond and Miss Kyle sighed, obviously annoyed.
Alfred came back twenty minutes later, secretly wishing his master would quit being so hard-headed.
"Kid," That was Miss Kyle, "if I give you gummy bears will you give up on those stupid files?"
"Yea, yea, just give me a few minutes," Bruce replied absent minded.
The butler almost felt pity for the street cat; she was probably getting impatient with master Bruce.
The butler came back ten minutes later, this time with some earl gray tea. He thought that if he was spying on a puppy romance, might as well have a drink to compliment it.
This time he peeked inside the room. Bruce was still neck deep into the files, while Miss Kyle was standing under the mistletoe, her arms crossed.
"So do you wanna kiss?" Miss Kyle said in an almost hostile voice.
Alfred held his breath, half wishing for Bruce to reply positively, half wishing he kept ignoring her advances.
He didn't even acknowledge her.
"Kid," She tried again.
"Kid," Once again, no response.
"Bruce!" She yelled, Bruce jumped in surprise. He looked at Miss Kyle, questioning and oblivious. She pursed her lips and gave a long, hard look at him. Bruce, confused, looked like a puppy who had just been caught in the wrapping paper.
"Put down those papers and come over here, now." Bruce sat down the files, and slowly stood up, and shuffled his way to Miss Kyle.
Alfred cupped a hand over his mouth to stop from chuckling.
"What is it Selina?" Bruce asked, utterly oblivious.
"Oh nothing, it's not like I've been sitting here forever trying to get your attention."
"Sorry... But you have my attention now..." Bruce looked ashamed, the poor, poor child.
"Look up." Miss Kyle pointed towards the ceiling, right at the mistletoe she had hung above almost an hour ago. Bruce looked, his eyes slightly widening and looked back at Miss Kyle. His face immediately flushed a cherry red. He gulped.
"Merry early Christmas kid." She leaned in, eyes closed.
Alfred would be having none of this. He burst through the door, trying to act as if he had never seen anything.
"Master Bruce, I um," Alfred paused, trying to think of an excuse to get them away from each other, "I believe it's time to turn it. We have much to do tomorrow."
The two children, who had quickly tore away when the butler came in, looked at him, then at each other. Bruce nodded, his face showing all signs of what had almost happened.
"R-Right Alfred, I agree." Bruce looked at Miss Kyle, "You're welcome to stay here tonight, and maybe for Christmas?"
Selina didn't respond, instead she was glaring at Alfred. Alfred returned the look.
Master Bruce sheepishly got ready to retire for the night. It was just the butler and Miss Kyle in the room, the mistletoe still hanging above.
"Thanks a lot old man." She walked to her usual room, defeated.
"Always a pleasure Miss Kyle," the butler smirked. Quietly, he took down the floral, and held it in his hands, looking at it for awhile. He didn't throw it away; instead, he hung it somewhere different, and whistled a Christmas tune, smiling to himself the whole way back to his room.