Avery didn’t develop a crush on Mercury until about nine months ago but obviously she knew him before then. Somehow he always managed to find her when she was breaking in or out of a place.

Her father had complained about him more than once so she had been curious about the infamous hero the first time she met him. She hadn’t given him much thought at all because he was merely an obstacle in her path at the time.

But seeing someone pretty much every week for over a year makes you take note of them. Nox wasn’t the only villain he fought and he did more than simply fight villains. He did a lot of other do-gooder stuff too that she saw on the news or in videos his fans posted online.

Avery knew he was a genuinely nice person who believed he was doing the right thing so she couldn’t hate him even if his constant disruptions and occasional foiling of her heists were annoying. She didn’t have a beef with him personally so she did her best not to hurt him when they fought.

All those little things she saw in Mercury piled up but didn’t result in a crush until the day he saved her from nearly being assaulted by a creep that had apparently been stalking her and waiting for his chance to find her alone in the alley behind the bakery. She tried fighting back as best she could but she was nothing without the suit.

It gave her increased speed, strength, and reflexes. Without it she was simply an ordinary woman who knew basic fight moves.

If Avery wasn’t so freaked out that she would lose this very important fight for her own safety she would have been able to appreciate the irony that she same person who regularly beat actual superpowered hero Mercury was losing to a common thug. She may have been thinking of him in passing but she didn’t expect him to show up.

In the blink of an eye her attacker was screaming like a little girl about being dangled upside down and she heard a rather familiar, surprisingly angry voice from above. “You know, I hate creeps like you the most.”

“Let me go!” her attacker screeched.

“I will but not yet. You deserve to be upside down for a while,” Mercury said in disdain before looking down at Avery. “Do you mind calling 911 for me? We need to get this creep in cuffs and for someone to take your statement in case you want to press charges. Do you?”

She blinked up at him in a daze for a moment. The sun shone on him in a way that made him look like he had a halo.

When she came to her senses she took out her phone. “Yeah. He shouldn’t get away scot free. He’s been casing me out for a while; I’ve seen him around before. This was definitely premeditated.”

Mercury mumbled something under his breath but didn’t answer when she asked him if he could repeat what he said. Instead he smiled reassuringly at her. “Don’t worry. He won’t bother you again. Are you okay? Did he hurt you anywhere?”

“I’ll let you know when the adrenaline wears off.”

He surprised her by laughing. “That’s fair. Most of the time I don’t even know I’ve been hurt until that happens.”

Avery had been stunned. She had never heard him laugh before. It was a nice laugh; the kind that made you want to laugh along with it. Then she chastised herself for being stupid. Why would he laugh around her? He was actively trying to throw her in jail!

She stood there kind of stupidly in shock for a moment before making the call and stayed quiet until they arrived. Mercury kept her attacker upside down until the police came and unceremoniously dumped him on the ground. He groaned miserably, suffering from the blood rushing to his head, and didn’t even protest when they put him in handcuffs.

She had to explain what happened, give her statement, and let them know she wanted to press charges. It took so long that her boss came out to see what was happening and was horrified, telling her to go home and rest rather than come back to work.

Avery would have protested that she was fine if not for the fact that she probably looked really out of it based on the reactions of everyone present. They seemed to think she was in shock.

Maybe she was but it wasn’t from being attacked. It was from the jarring experience of seeing someone she normally brawled with on Saturday nights in a different context. They had never interacted without her being in the suit before and it was a totally weird experience.

Mercury was treating her like he would any other victim without knowing the truth. If he did he wouldn’t be nearly so gentle.

“Has the adrenaline worn off yet?” he asked her as the police drove away.

Avery let out a sort of strangled laugh. “Yeah. I’m a little sore where he grabbed me but I should be fine.”

That was what she said but when she tried taking a step back toward the bakery to grab her purse and go home her knees buckled and she pitched forward. Maybe that took more out of her than she thought.

Mercury caught and steadied her very carefully with concern shining in his eyes. “I don’t think you’re in any condition to go off on your own. Do you mind if I take you home? If I fly us we can get there quickly.”

While it would be terrible for her nemesis to find out where she lived he wasn’t aware of her identity. She didn’t have to tell him which apartment either. Her building had dozens and she lived on one of the higher floors where it was a bit safer. He was right that she probably wouldn’t make it home on her own any time soon and she didn’t want to bother Angelo. He would freak out on her.

“Thanks. I’d appreciate that,” Avery admitted.

She opened the door and Vanessa brought her purse over, giving her a look that they would definitely talk about this later. Mercury was very polite, being sure to ask her if it was okay to pick her up and when. He ended up carrying her princess style and flew her home in less than ten minutes.

Her heart raced the entire time she was in the air and she wasn’t sure if it was because she was flying or because she was being held this closely by a man. A man she had noticed smelled really nice while she was burying her face in his neck so she didn’t have to look down.

Jumping from building to building wearing an indestructible super suit was entirely different than flying while holding onto someone else. If he dropped her she was dead!

When they arrived at her building she staggered and he made sure she was alright before letting go of her. He frowned at her in concern. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright? You seem shaky. Wait here! I’ll be right back with something for you.”

Bewildered, Avery was rooted to the spot. What was he going to get?

She got her answer a few minutes later when he came back with a hot dog obviously purchased from a street vendor. “Here. You need something to regain your strength. You aren’t a vegetarian, are you?”

“No,” she said as she accepted the hot dog in confusion. It had ketchup, mustard, and onions on it. Exactly the way she liked it. “But why are you doing this for me?”

Mercury shrugged. “You had a rough day. Why not?”

“You don’t even know me.”

“That doesn’t matter. Everyone deserves niceness when they’re having a hard time. Anyway, eat that and take it easy for the rest of the day. I need to get going. Bye, Avery!” he called before flying away.

He knew her name. That was a stupid thing to acknowledge because obviously he had been there as she filed the police report. She supposed she hadn’t expected him to remember. He probably wouldn’t a few days from now considering all the people he saved. But for one brief moment he knew who she was. Avery West. The woman behind the suit.

That stuck with her long after they parted ways and after a few more encounters with him on Saturday nights she realized she liked him. Which was the worst thing that could have possibly happened. Unfortunately, you can’t control your feelings.