Selina was a terrible fucking human being.

      Enough said.

      Hell, she didn't even feel like a human anymore.

      When she saw Freddy on the streets, with a new crutch, she quickly turned around and ran and hoped he hadn't seen her.

      She thought this would be easy, ignoring and avoiding him, getting over her stupid feelings.

      But it didn't. It seemed to make her feel so much worse.

      Selina barely ate now because of it. She tried to eat a cheesesteak but thought about how Freddy constantly brought her those and the guilt inside her caused her to throw it back up.

      So she stuck with just drinking water.

      Even looking at their-her cat, Superman, made her heart twist. She wondered if he missed Freddy almost as much as she did. Judging by how Supes often looked around the warehouse like someone was missing, she wouldn't be surprised.

      Ten days have passed since she started avoiding Freddy, and those were the longest ten days of her life. God, she missed him so much. His stupid jokes, his rambles about superheroes, how excited he got when he talked and his hands moved around, his eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree over the smallest of things Selina would do.

      But she needed to do this. They just wouldn't work out. He was pure good and she...was nothing. Nothing.

      He deserved someone better than her.

       She poured some milk from a carton into the small bowl, petting the grey cat gently as he began drinking it.

      This would normally bring a smile to her face, the calmness in the air, but she couldn't. She had never felt so down, so low, just because she was ignoring someone.

      Why did everything have to be so difficult? Why couldn't she just have one good day? Well, she had good days, and they were all with Freddy.

       He was making her weak. That's the problem. He made her weak and she would be strong again if she didn't have him by her side.

      She could do this. She could do this. She could—

      "Glad to see nothing changed 'round here."

      Selina froze and she spun around quickly, her green eyes wide as she stared at the boy before her.

      "Freddy...wh-what are you doing here?" God, was she stuttering? She really was growing weak, damnit.

      Freddy looked around, a tiny smile on his face when Superman got up and nuzzled himself against his leg and then walked off again.

      She knew that Freddy would've been ecstatic by this affection from the cat. But he could barely smile. Looks like this was hurting him too. He seemed paler and there were dark circles under his eyes, almost as bad as hers.

      "I've been looking for you." He said but she wasn't looking at him, keeping her eyes trained on the comics on the ground.

      "I didn't know that." Was all she could say.

      "Yeah. I wish I could believe that. Except for the fact that you stopped showing up by my school, at the comic book store, through my window too." She knew that he was staring at her, but she couldn't look up.

      "Things came up. Been busy, okay?"

      "Busy? So busy that you can't even look at me?"

      It took every ounce of strength she had to finally look up at him again. "Relax, Freddy. I've been busy, okay? It's not a big deal."

      He made eye contact with her, taking her in before shaking his head. "No...why are you doing this? You don't think I've noticed you avoiding me? Making sure we don't run into each other?" He took an uneven step forward, an almost hurt look in his eyes. "What's going on, Selina?"

       She looked back down. If the thief kept looking at him, she'd break. She couldn't. If she pushed him away, then all will be good.

      "God, it's nothing! Why can't you leave it alone?" She asked, looking at her cat until Freddy stepped into her line of view.

      "I can't leave it alone because I know you're lying. Selina, you live in an abandoned warehouse by yourself and you don't go to school. I know you're not busy! I want to know what's going on with you because I'm worried!" He did sound worried, but also upset.

      Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

      "Just-just leave it alone!" She stood up, fairly prepared to walk away from him and leave because her patience was wearing thin.

       But his footsteps were right behind her. "No. I'm not going to. Selina, just tell me what's going on with you! Please, I just want to help! Don't push me away!"

      Selina suddenly turned angrily towards him. "Ugh! You know what, you—!" Stupid, pathetic, worthless, cripple, a waste of my time, a pain in my ass, pathetic, annoying, freak...all those words threatened to spill from her lips.

       But they never did.

      She couldn't.

      As much as she didn't mean those words but knew she needed to say so she couldn't get hurt...she couldn't.

      Her vision was starting to blur and she wasn't sure why until she heard Freddy's soft voice ask while taking a step toward her, "Lina...are you crying?"

      Selina paused, putting a hand to her cheeks and sure enough, there was water on her fingertips.

      She was crying.

      The girl hadn't cried since she was at least five or six years old. She had been through hell over the past several years but stopped crying and grew incapable of shedding tears.

      But here she was, crying over cruel and harsh words she didn't mean and couldn't even bare to say. Crying because she promised to protect Freddy and keep him safe and broke that promise by pushing him away and hurting him. Crying more now because he was now holding her hand, looking so concerned and worried to see her tears.

      How weak and pathetic she was being, truly.

      "Lina, Lina, what's wrong? Please tell me, please." He begged her but she could barely speak. She was shaking, panicking now as she sucked in shaky breaths. She hadn't cried in so long, her body wasn't used to what was happening.

      Her brain could barely process the fact that he was leading her to one of the crate boxes, having her sit down as he sat down on another beside her. He never let go of her hand and he started to gently wipe away her tears with his other hand. She started to cry harder because of this. Damnit, she didn't deserve his kindness, his generosity. She doesn't fucking deserve this! Why couldn't he understand that?!

      "Breathe, okay? Just breathe, take deep breaths with me. Relax and breathe. You're gonna be okay." Freddy's soft voice reassured her, taking a deep and slow breath as if to demonstrate how she should be breathing.

      She struggled for a moment, choking on her own sobs but he was patient as he started to stroke her unruly curls. His touch started relaxing her and she found herself instinctively leaning closer to the hand on her head.

      It felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, until her breathing had returned to normal and her tears lessened.

      God, what the hell just happened to her? This was mortifying. Not crying for over eight years and suddenly bawling like a baby and having to be coaxed out of having a panic attack?

      What the fuck?

      "Damn you..." she managed to whispered, looking down at her lap. "Wuh-why can't you make th-this easy for me? Why can't yuh-you let me go?"

      "What do you mean? Cat, please tell me what's going on. I can help!" God, he sounded so sure, so enthusiastic despite his concern.

      Selina bit her lip roughly before forcing herself to look at him. "Y-you're this...amazing and-and good person. And I'm...not. I'm gutter trash who constantly steals and has d-done...terrible things just to survive. You d-deserve better than that."

      He gently squeezed her hand, wiping away a stray tear from her cheek as he smiled a little. "I'm gonna say something a very special person said to me over a week ago," he started, "you're not trash. Not at all. People hurt you back in Gotham for no reason...they're trash, not you. You steal to keep yourself alive and I don't judge you for that. But...is this why you ran away from me?"

      "Not...all the way." She muttered, starting to feel warm again and nervous. She had to let him in, let him know what was going on through her chaotic mind. Freddy kept holding her hand, as if he was reassuring her that he was supporting her no matter what. "W-when you live on the streets...you learn to block basic emotions. You learn to never trust anyone and to...never have...you know...feelings for someone..." her voice dropped at the last three words, looking everywhere but at him.

      The brunette went quiet until he squeezed her hand again, causing her to look at him. His cheeks were turning pink and he was smiling. "Cat...do you have a crush on me?"

      "No!" She said quickly before shaking her head. "I-I mean...I don't know! Maybe? I'm not used to feelings, to liking someone or-or trusting them!" She exclaimed, rubbing her face with her free hand in exasperation.

      He was still smiling, something that confused Selina before moving a little bit closer. "Lina...you're honestly the best friend I've ever had. Really. You fought the Breyer Brothers willingly for me twice. Even accused their mother of having herpes." She giggled softly, remembering herself saying that and he giggled too. "So...would you feel better if I said I have a crush on you too?"

      She paused, slowly looking at Freddy. "You're bullshitting me. Trying to make me feel better."

      He quickly shook his head. "No! I wouldn't ever do that! Selina, I fell for you months ago. I just didn't wanna say anything in case it ruined our friendship. I didn't want you running off...but you did anyway when you realized you had feelings for me."

      She felt shame rise inside of her, looking back down at her lap. "I...I'm really sorry for that, Freds. I'm-I'm not good with these whole...feelings thing. And it's hard to believe that someone like you could like...someone like me."

      "Cat, you're beautiful. Don't make that face, you are." He said quickly when she had scoffed silently and rolled her eyes. "You're my first friend. I care about you so much and I want to make this work...if-if you're willing, of course."

      She bit her lip again, looking at him. Her face felt flushed, almost like she was having a fever but she didn't understand why. She slowly smiled a little at him before nodding. "I'm really not good with these kind of things but...m-maybe we can try...see where it goes?"

      He was grinning now, still touching her curls which had her relax again. "I've never been with anyone either, Cat. So we can work through this together. Just...don't push me away again, please?"

      The curly-haired girl knew this wouldn't be easy. Her internal conflicts would constantly battle her. But being away from Freddy hurt her deeply...she couldn't do that again.

      "I'll try my hardest. I promise." She said and this was a promise she would be certain not to break ever.

      He smiled more, brushing aside a dirty blonde curl from her eye. "I probably should've said this the third time we met, when you called your curls a curse but...they're gorgeous." She looked down, biting down a smile. "And your blush is super cute too."

      She snapped her head up, looking at him. "I'm not blushing! I do not blush!" She insisted and he started laughing softly before he looked at her again.

      "You're skinny, Cat." He said, concern back in his voice.

      "I'm always skinny."

      "Skinnier than usual. Have you been eating at all the last several days?"

      He was rewarded with silence and sighed quietly, letting go of her hair and hand to shrug his backpack off his shoulders. "I-I brought cheesesteaks. Just in case me confronting you went well. They're probably cold by now, but..."

      Freddy pulled out the two cheesesteaks, making the catlike teenager smile a little more as she took the one he handed her. "I've literally eaten from the trash. I'll take a cold cheesesteak any day." She said before sinking her teeth into it.

      It was cold, not like Selina minded. Because Freddy reached for her hand again and she felt whole as they ate their sandwiches in serene silence.

      This was the first meal she was able to keep down in days.

      "I have to head home." He said a few minutes after they finished the cheesesteaks, sighing sadly.

      "I can walk with you if you'd like." Selina offered and smiled when his face lit up happily while nodding.

      And so they walked back to his house, hand in hand. It was weird holding hands but she didn't really want to let go, even intertwining their fingers together as they walked. Freddy turned a bright red when she did this but they kept on walking in the peaceful quietness around them.

       He sighed again, a little frown on his face once they reached his house. She should go in to be polite and meet his family...but not yet. Just a little bit more time.

      "I wish you didn't have to go. My house is more comfortable than the warehouse, Sel." A new nickname. How cute.

      She chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "I'll be okay, trust me." She reassured him.

      Neither of them let go of each other's hands, just staring at each other. Her eyes fell on his pink lips again, biting her own for a moment before sighing loudly.

       "Fuck it." Was all Selina said and before Freddy could ask what she was talking about, she leaned down slightly and dove forward, planting her lips on his.

      He let out a startled squeak when she did this, neither of them moving before he kissed her back and cupped her cheek. The movement was clumsy for the both of them, neither of them truly knowing what they were doing but trying their best.

      And it still felt like fireworks to her.

      Selina eventually pulled away, her face flushed but smirked slyly at him before patting his shoulder. "Meet me behind your house tomorrow. Six o'clock. I'm taking you out."

      Freddy was a bright red and looked like his head was spinning, trying to process what just happened and the words she was saying. "I-uhh-wha-okay, but...w-where are we going?"

      "On our date, of course." She pulled her hand away from his, still smirking to keep up her act despite how giddy she felt inside. "Now, your parents probably miss you. So go in."

      He nodded, a dopey smile on his face as he nearly stumbled over his own feet to reach the door. "Okay, okay...that-that's fine! Perfect! Six o'clock! Y-you got it!" He hit the door, making the both of them giggle as he blushed even more before finally walking inside.

       She made sure that Freddy was inside before jumping up and down quickly and squealing as quietly as she could under her breath before running all the way back to the warehouse.

      The thief didn't know if this could work, whatever this relationship was now. But she was going to fight for it just as she had fought to keep herself alive. She wouldn't run away from this again.

      Now all Selina needed to do was make sure everything was prepared for their first date.