Title: Good Publicity

Description: Bruce Wayne attends another charity ball thinking it'll be the same old boring routine of meeting, complimenting, and gossiping with people. Although it isn't just a boring night until he comes upon Selina, "working." [Mid Season 4]

Bruce Wayne had seen this scene before. Billionaires gathered together schmoozing, gossiping, and admiring the guest of honor—him.

The party was being held by one of Gotham's rich and famous family. By this point, Bruce had already forgotten the family's name. There were so many names and people he had to remember because they had all helped the Wayne family at one point in time either during the last generation or the current one.

Bruce was learning how to build up his public persona. Being a vigilante also meant he had to make sure no one suspected him as the, "Crazed Crime Fighter of Gotham," like the Gotham Gazette labeled him as.

This meant putting on a believable show.

Almost every day the news reported that the billionaire was seen taking a walk through the park with a brunette girl. Then the next day they said he was caught giving a red headed girl a kiss on the cheeks. The reports were true, no doubt about it. The girls were a good distraction for the media, and kind of… for himself.

"Bruce Wayne! How nice of you to join us today." Bruce turned around. It was Mrs. Ellington, a woman who used to be close friends with his mother, Martha Wayne.

He smiled, and extended his hand towards her. She shook it. "It's nice to see you too, Mrs. Ellington. How do you do this fine evening?"

"Excellent, thank you for asking. I see your butler isn't accompanying you tonight. Oh, what was his name? Alfred Pen—"

"Pennyworth. Alfred Pennyworth. And no, he isn't with me tonight. Although he did tell me to send his regards to everyone at the party tonight."

Mrs. Ellington screeched in laughter. Bruce gave a subtle wince. Her laugh always annoyed him.

Taking a quick glance over Mrs. Ellington's shoulders, he noticed a familiar sight of curled up blond hair walking past people, acting completely inconspicuous to the normal eye. Although Bruce already knew what she was doing. She was "working," as she liked to call it. How many months had it been since he's saw Selina?

"It was wonderful speaking with you, Mrs. Ellington. If you'll please excuse me, I think there is someone who wants to speak with me." He began to walk away. Mrs. Ellington was still laughing.

Music began to play from the speakers. Bruce squeezed and excused himself through the masses of dancing couples. As he came closer, he saw a tall woman with tanned skin and black hair talking to Selina. She was saying something which sounded like, "Here… comes… take… his." The tall woman walked away.

Wait, wasn't she Theo Galavan's sister?

After Bruce pressed himself past all the other people, he came face to face with her. She was wearing a black dress. Her shoulders and back was left bare. The only thing which was holding the dress in place were the strings on her back. She seemed taller too… Bruce looked down and saw her wearing high heels. She looked good.

Bruce broke the silence first and said, "Hey."

"What do you want?" She asked with a slight annoyance in her voice.

Oh, he almost forgot—she's still angry with him. The last time they met didn't end well.

He thought about her question. What did he want from her? He stayed silent.

Selina sighed. "That's what I thought." She walked past Bruce and reacting out of instinct, he grabbed her wrist.

Looking back at Bruce, she tried to pull her arm away. "Bruce, what is it?—"

"Will you dance with me, Selina?" He asked.

Selina looked stunned. Out of all the things he could've told her, she probably wasn't expecting him to ask her to dance. After a few seconds, she stopped pulling away and sighed again in defeat.

"Fine."

He led her to the dance floor and grabbed her hand and hip. Selina grasped his hand in return and rested her other hand on his arm. A slow song began playing.

Her green eyes were examining his face with curiosity. She was staring at him with such intensity it was making even Bruce uncomfortable. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and said, "What is it?"

It's funny how he has been out with a good number of girls and never felt any nervousness at all. Yet, when Selina stared at him, his heart feels like it's going to pound out of his body.

She snorted. "Whoever did your makeup did a crappy job. Why is there a whole bunch of cuts on your face?"

She noticed? Nobody noticed his cuts at all tonight. Or were they just keeping quiet about it?

Well, it didn't matter. He had to think of a lie. He couldn't tell Selina he was out fighting armed thugs while wearing a ski mask and a raincoat and the thugs got a few good jabs into him. Imagine how she'll react?

"Alfred and I were training." He said.

She furrowed her eyebrows. She obviously saw through his lie.

"How do you even have time to train when you're always with that red head? Or blond… or brunette— whichever is the pick of the day." Bruce felt her tense up.

Bruce didn't think Selina was one to keep up with the news. Apparently he was wrong. Selina often reminded him a lot of a fire. Once the tiny sparks light up, there was no way of stopping it. This wasn't going to end well.

"Selina, it's not what you think—"

She raised her voice. "Then what is it?"

He looked away from her. What could he tell her? That she didn't understand? He has already told her that more than once. What was the point of trying? She was going to push him away regardless of what he said.

"Publicity." Bruce said. It was true to some extent. He did hang around those girls just to gain media attention. But what he said could be interpreted in a narcissistic way as if he loved the attention. Selina would probably believe the latter… or she'll believe he's hiding something.

Selina shot back and said, "Oh, so I'm publicity." She tightened her grip on him. "All this," she raised her hand, gesturing at their dancing. "is publicity."

It was too late to backtrack but Bruce still tried. "No, I didn't mean it like that, Selina."

"Shut up, will you?" Selina, out of nowhere, pulled Bruce forward and kissed him. It was nothing like their previous kisses. The kiss was aggressive and rough. There was nothing warm and fuzzy about it. She was angry, and it seemed to Bruce she was trying to get even with him by doing it. But still, a kiss is a kiss.

After a few seconds Selina pulled away, still mad as ever. Bruce's lips were still parted; his eyes were gazing into hers.

"Why did you do that?" Bruce asked in a hoarse whisper.

"It's good publicity." She let go of Bruce and walked away.

The next day, Bruce realized two things. First, his wallet was missing; second, the headlines of the Gotham Gazette got him red handed:

"Bruce Wayne Caught Kissing at a Charity Ball!"