#gmanwhore

Alex realizes that she’s in love with Selina over a can of cat food. 

The two of them have been dating for a while. They’ve moved past the awkward getting to know you phase, one that took longer than usual for the two of them to make their way through considering the layers of personas each of them wear on a daily basis. But they’ve started to slip into a familiar routine, spending time at each other’s apartments, going on dates like they’re two normal people and not vigilantes living double lives. 

Alex is sitting on the couch in Selina’s apartment one night, watching a movie while mindlessly scrolling through pictures on her phone. She doesn’t have a ton of pictures she’s taken on it— most of her photo reel is made up of screenshots and pieces of art people have done online. A lot of the screenshots are ones that she doesn’t need, with her current goal being to check what all of them are so she can delete them and clear up space. But as she looks through, the pictures she’s taken stand out from the rest of her gallery. 

She has a lot of pictures of Selina’s cats. Alex tries not to have a favorite, but she tends to take the most pictures of Artemis. She’s a beautiful Maine Coon mix with vibrant green eyes, and her fur is so soft. There are plenty of other pictures on her phone of the other cats too, each of them representing a range of cat breeds and coat colors, all of which are adorable. It can be hard on Alex’s allergies sometimes to be around them, but it’s worth it for the cats. 

And, of course, it’s worth it for Selina. Alex has a lot of pictures of her on her phone too. Some of them are ones she took, others are ones Selina sent her. She likes to send Alex pictures from time to time, showing off her outfit or some of the new jewelry she got. She looks stunning in every picture she’s sent, just like she does in all of the pictures Alex has taken of her on their dates. 

Selina comes to join Alex on the couch after she’s done feeding the cats. It’s always a time consuming process— there are so many of them that she has to take her time getting everything prepared for them. 

“Are all the children fed?” Alex asks, half joking.

“They’re all attended to. Don’t let them convince you that you’re starving,” Selina replies. She sighs, stretching. Alex thinks that it’s cute how she stretches a little like a cat too. “We’re out of wet food, though.”

“Damn,” she says.

“It’ll be fine. I’ll just have to get some from the store tomorrow.”

“I could always grab some on my way home from work,” Alex says. Her office isn’t far from one of the pet stores that the two of them like to frequent. She doesn’t mind stopping by to get some, especially since she knows that Selina and the cats could use it. 

She’d be happy to do anything she can for Selina.

“Thanks, beautiful.”

Alex’s heart skips a beat in her chest at that. Selina’s gorgeous, and it’s always nice getting compliments from her. There are few people that can make Alex feel so special, and every kind word from Selina is one she cherishes. Being with her is unlike anything else she’s ever experienced.

“I think I love you,” Alex says. It's a relief to say outloud, like it's something she's been holding in.

Selina smiles, a bit of the playful edge that’s usually there shining through but more genuine than usual. Less like she’s performing, and more like she’s completely self assured. That’s always something that Alex has admired about her. 

But as Selina leans closer to Alex, perching herself on her lap, all Alex can think of is just how close she is and how soft her lips look. 

“Well, I know that I love you, Alley,” Selina says. 

Alex’s heart skips a beat in her chest, and a warm feeling washes over her as Selina closes the distance between them, kissing her. Her lips are soft, but she kisses so passionately that Alex can’t think of anything but Selina. 

By the time their lips break apart, Alex is breathing heavily and feeling giddy. She smiles at Selina, liking the way her lipstick’s been smudged. 

She loves Selina. She knows she does, it’s just harder for her to verbalize. But she loves every second she spends with her, and she loves watching the way Selina looks at her, proud at having gotten her to lower her guard. 

“Can I offer you kisses in exchange for the cat food?” Selina asks teasingly.

Alex laughs. “Seems like a fair trade.”

“Agreed.” Selina gives her another quick kiss. “You’re very cute.”

“So are you,” Alex says.