A few weeks had passed, and to your pleasant surprise things had seemingly returned to normal. Or almost normal, as James was still noticeably more invested in your safety at all times than he was pre-kidnapping- which you felt was already an excessive amount. You supposed it was somewhat warranted, but seeing how Rowan refrained from showing up at the shop or attempting to kidnap you again, no superheroes crashed in through your now-repaired window., you thought it would be safe for your friend to ease up on you just a bit.

Now, while Angel hadn't returned to the shop since your inopportune first meeting, the winged sidekick had reportedly been insistent that James, or 'Megistos' to him, would let him see you again. James told you that he had firmly restricted the younger man from interacting with you to respect your wish not to be hit on incessantly. He framed the restriction to Angel saying that it wasn't safe for you to be involved closely with more heroes- something he admittedly did believe to be true- and for a while it worked. That was about to end today, it seemed, when you received some very cryptic texts from your James as you prepared to open up shop.

6:47 - the greatest!!!

- I'm sorry

- He's coming

- Tried to stop him but he wouldn't back down

- Forgive me (y/n)

Your first thought was that he was referring to Rowan, and that scared you a small amount, but it mostly just caused you to feel annoyed in advance at the prospect of dealing with that asshole again. After the vexation you thought to feel concerned for James' safety, mostly because the lack of punctuation at the ends of his texts partnered with his usage of lowercase when typing your name had to mean he was incredibly distressed. The man didn't mess around with grammar in his texts.

Your annoyance and concern dissipated quickly when your shop door opened in a blur of white feathers and yellow latex, being replaced with surprise by the way the shop seemed to light up.

"(Y/n)!" Angel cried out excitedly, lips pulled in a beaming grin, "Megistos finally let me come visit you today and I even learned your coffee order! How romantic of me to know my girl's favorite drink, right? Are you crushing on me yet?"

You didn't know how to react as you took in the sight before you. The blond's appearance was slightly disheveled, like he was in some sort of tousle on the way over. Your eyes quickly zeroed in on the drinks in his hands: what was presumably your aforementioned normal-sized drink, as well as an extra-large, blended one that was a shade of blue you doubted could be found in nature. You hoped wasn't for him, because he certainly did not need the sugar with the way he was practically bouncing up and down with energy.

You only tore your eyes away at the sound of panting coming from behind the man. It was James, who was very frantically trying to shove past Angel's large wings with little success. Angel stepped to the side a few seconds later, finally taking note of his superior's humorous plight with a bashful smile.

"I am so sorry, (Y/n)!" James heaved. "He... ambushed me! At the.... coffee shop! Grabbed your coffee... and flew! I tried to catch him but... so... fast... I'm sorry..."

You'd never seen your best friend be bested by anyone before, and although you'd always root for him, the sight of him trying to catch his breath with his hands on his knees was pretty amusing. Angel must have been really fast.

Deciding to address the coffee-bearing man first, you sent Angel a tiny wave and a small smile that he was quick to reciprocate.

"Hi, Angel. It's nice to see you again. Well, mostly just nice to see you holding my coffee, 'cause I don't love the way you had my buddy over there panicking," you corrected yourself, earning a pretty cute pout from the sidekick. "But! I will forgive you. Only because you're holding my coffee."

He immediately perked up and closed the distance between your bodies to hand you your drink, asking enthusiastically if you'd like to try his. Everything he did seemed to be oozing enthusiasm when you thought about it, and you giggled at his eagerness to share in his joy with you. You politely declined his offer as you began to sip contentedly on your own beverage, zoning out as you felt the caffeine injecting itself into your veins. To you, this was pure bliss- sipping on a beverage that you couldn't afford yourself often, content and at perfect, caffeinated peace.

"Hey!" James' shouted in your face indignantly, startling you.

You would've been annoyed by the intrusion if it was anyone else, but it was James, so he'd pretty much only removed you from one happy place and brought you to another. That happy place was within the few inches of proximity to his handsome facial features, of course, and you felt warmth flood your cheeks as you felt his breath fanning over your lips. He was so close, glaring at you playfully, and a dopey grin couldn't stop itself from pulling at your lips.

"That's seriously all it takes to forgive him for traumatizing me? You're awful," he chided teasingly, earning a light chuckle from your lips. "Don't laugh, (Y/n)! I'm hurt. And after I've been so good at keeping him away for you, too."

"What!?" Angel gasped. "(Y/n), you're the reason Megistos has been keeping us apart? I knew the whole safety schmafety thing was a lie!"

"You're so whiny, Angel," you laughed. "Most people aren't too into that."

"Aw, you're so innocent it's precious!" he cooed. "You'd be surprised at the things people are into!"

"Oh," you blinked widely, not yet accustomed to Angel's forward attitude and unsure how to respond to such words. Thankfully, James came to your rescue when you couldn't find anything else to say.

"She's not innocent so much as she is clueless," he began with a wry grin. "She's never even been on a date!"

Okay, maybe he was in fact not coming to your rescue. You sent him a glare, but Angel spoke up before you could go in on the hero for airing out your business so casually.

"Oh my God, you're lying!" he cried, pushing James to the side so he could take his spot in front of you and clasping his hands on your shoulders. "(Y/n), is it true? You've never been on a single date? I can't believe a girl like you- awwww! Don't be embarrassed, it only makes you cuter! I could just eat you up!"

You wrinkled up your nose in slight discomfort as he pinched your cheeks affectionately. People had called you cute plenty of times before, but you had never given someone cuteness aggression- at least not to this extent. You grabbed his hands gently and pulled them from your face, before letting them go and taking a step back.

"...he's not lying. You guys are superheroes, I am super single," you joked lamely.

Angel was the only one to laugh, you and James opting to share a look that conveyed both of your regrets that the words ever left your mouth.

"You're so not funny," James sighed over the sound of Angel's laughter.

"Yeah, yeah."

"(Y/n)- wheeze- you're so- wheeze- funny!" the blond choked out.

"Thanks," you replied despondently, somehow only feeling less funny after his compliment. "Okay well you both stopped by, so you should probably be on your way. 'Crime never waits' or whatever, right? Thanks for the coffee, though. And for harassing me about my love life. Totally cool and not at all an overwhelming way to start the day."

You shot the two men a very dispirited double thumbs up hoping they got the message. You felt bad- mostly for James- that you were trying to get them to leave, but you had a shop to run. Plus, excluding your best friend, whenever superhumans had entered the shop recently, your life derailed a bit too much for your liking. James got the hint immediately and began to say his 'goodbyes' as well as a few apologies, but Angel seemed a bit less aware of the fact that he had overstayed his welcome.

"But I wanna spend more time with you!" he pleaded. "You still never told me if you would go on that date with me! I'm all healed from my concussion now so you can't blame my liking you on bonking my head!"

James scoffed and rolled his eyes at the man before dragging him firmly by the arm out of your shop. Angel may have somehow had speed on him, but he couldn't match Megistos' super strength. Although, Angel was a match for his super speed earlier, so maybe you misjudged the man.

"I told you she's not interested, Angel. So sorry again, (Y/n)! I'll call you tonight!"

"Wait (Y/n)- answer me!" Angel begged, but even if you wanted to respond, he was already out the door and being dragged through the air. Well, guess you had judged his strength correctly- no one could outmatch James' ability there.

You let out a deep breath, trying to recenter yourself after yet another bizarre encounter. You decided not to dwell on it and continued your day. You checked the schedule to see that Tony was working today, and you chuckled as you began to wonder what ways he would manage to artfully critique your very being during his shift.

You were about halfway through the day helping Tony fine-tune a bouquet when the bell alerted you to a customer. Your backs were both to the door, so you were surprised to hear the newcomer's suave, low voice so close to you so quickly. "Good morning. Lovely place you've got."

Startled, you and Tony both jumped and turned around, both of your jaws going slightly slack when you took in the man at the counter's appearance. This man was abnormally fine and grinning at you both like he was well aware of the fact. Of course, no one held a candle to James in your opinion, but Angel and this mystery man came pretty close.

His jet black hair was slicked back, a few rouge pieces dangling handsomely over his forehead. His face was all sharp lines and perfect symmetry, and his lips were a pretty pink shade as they curved into his little smirk. His eyes were a dark shade of brown that was almost familiar, and they twinkled with amusement as they locked with yours. His voice was also similarly familiar, you realized. Maybe he was a newer regular you couldn't quite place yet? You doubted it, but you did have a wide variety of patrons so you couldn't rule it out entirely.

"Smash," Tony asserted after a few seconds, and you whacked him in the arm.

"Tony! We do not 'smash or pass' real people, especially not when they can hear you!" you whispered harshly to the boy, managing to send the man an equal parts apologetic and embarrassed smile across the front counter. "So sorry about him- he's sort of new and also a bit insane. How can I help you today, sir?"

"I'm hoping to have a bouquet made. What's your name, miss?"

The grin never ceased overtaking his expression, and amusement danced in his eyes as he stared you down. You felt slightly unsettled, but the discomfort took a backseat as you found yourself transfixed by the perfect proportions of his face.

"Uh- (Y/n). I'm (Y/n)!" you chuckled a bit awkwardly as you pointed to the name tag clipped to your apron.

You didn't know what was wrong with you, because you hadn't acted this bashful around a guy since you were a tween coming to terms with what your feelings meant for James. How was this random stranger getting the same response from you at your grown age just with a sultry smile and voice? It was honestly embarrassing, and you really needed to pull yourself together. You could already see Tony having a field day with your behavior, and there was no need to give him more ammo.

"What's yours?" you asked. "And anything particular you want the bouquet to convey? Or- uh- any color preferences? Who is it for?"

"Just for me. Oakley," he replied. "What's your favorite color?"

"Mine? Okay, um... I like (f/c)."

"Something with that would be perfect then. Can you add black accents?"

You nodded with a smile, glad you were a high-end shop that could accommodate uncommon requests like his. You didn't particularly love the incorporation of black in many arrangements you'd crafted, but satisfying the client was far more rewarding to you than exclusively crafting bouquets that you personally would display.

"Tony and I will go work in the back where I've got a few exotic flowers, and we'll be back super quick with the arrangement!"

"Just a moment," Oakley called just as you and Tony began to move towards the back, stopping you both in your tracks. "As much as I'd love for your pretty hands to make me something equally gorgeous, why don't you send little Toby to the back and give me some company while he works."

Rather than getting flustered yet again, you laughed at the likely unintentionally slight to the teenager who was sending the man a chilling glare. His eyes then flicked to you and sobered your mood as you realized that Tony was not going to let your laughter slide.

"I do not understand why these hot men are falling over you. But trust, I will get my revenge on your pitifully single ass one day, Miss (Y/n). You can't keep luring these men in forever. Whatever. I'm gone."

He flipped you off as he moved to the back, not dropping his hand until he was out of your line of sight. You were shocked and also extremely tickled by the blatant disrespect from your employee, but it didn't really bother you all that much. The type of professionalism you cultivated in your shop was never quite conventional, and the fact that your younger employees felt safe enough to make fun of you made you feel accomplished as a boss and closer to Gran Gran, who dealt with your similar antics when you were Tony's age just like you had to now.

Also, in a way, his little insult brought you down from your strange starstruck response to your client, so you you were endlessly thankful to the boy. You turned back to the man with a light laugh, and his smile shifted slightly from something sensual to something slightly softer.

"Sorry for being all weird earlier. You probably already know this- and not just because Tony openly objectified you- sorry again- but you're really pretty. It made me a bit nervous, but I'm fine now. He really grounded me there," you chuckled.

Your words weren't at all flirtatious with the man, and you hoped that was clear. Due to your deep affection for James, you didn't often shy away from handing out compliments casually. It was strictly platonic to you, so you really had no reason to feel at all like the shy schoolgirl you were a few minutes ago. That was extremely abnormal for you, but you were definitely back to normal now. God bless hateful Tony.

"Oh, so you find me attractive?" Oakley grinned wolfishly. "Well then I'll admit it- I think you're quite beautiful yourself."

"Thank you, you're sweet. But to be upfront I'm not looking to flirt or anything," you said gently now that you understood where things were going. You wanted to turn him down before things got out of hand. "Besides, I think your friendly vibe is a bit... um, less intimidating than this one."

His lips parted ever so slightly and his eyes widened just a bit at your words, and for a moment you feared your rejection had offended him or hurt his pride. You opened your mouth to apologize when his face shifted into a more genuine grin, ten times wider and brighter than his smirk.

"You're a strange little thing. I think I do like you."

"Oh... okay? Just said I don't see you that way, man..." you grumbled, quickly growing irritated with the man's persistence and beginning to fear he was an anything-but-no-means-yes type. Gross.

His word choice was strange as well. Did he think every person he flirted with would always accept his advances? Kind of an arrogant belief. And what did he mean 'actually' like you? Was he the type to just flirt with whoever he set his sights on baselessly like feelings were some sort of a game? Not unheard of, but still- he was losing your favor rather quickly.

"You're right, I suppose," he mused. "I shouldn't get too ahead of myself- not before I ask you this: what do you think of villains? Do you think that society is fair in their assessment of them? And what about superhumans in general? Do you think we are equal to those who possess gifts?"

This guy was so strange.

"Um... why are you asking?"

"Please- just indulge a customer in a simple question?"

You wouldn't say his interrogation was a simple question, but you still obliged his request and attempted to answer.

"Okay... I guess that I think that a lot of villains are labeled too hastily. It can't be right to say that simply living and using one's natural-born abilities is a crime. Oh, and people shouldn't only be able to use them to be a machine for the government either. As for us non-supers? Yeah, I'd say we're equal to people with powers. Maybe we're not physically equivalent, but that doesn't make superhumans better people automatically. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, so it's not right to say that having more strength in any specific area makes someone superior. Does that make sense?"

"Sensational. You're just as lovely and authentic as I had hoped," he simpered. "Although you should be more cautious in your regard for supers, (Y/n). One could just snatch an adorable thing like you up, and we wouldn't want that, hmm? One final question- have you interacted with any villains lately?"

Alright, this guy was really starting to piss you off. What was he getting at with the continual flirting? You told him you weren't interested, yet he still seemed to be hitting on you. And you definitely didn't love how yet another person in your life was lecturing you on your safety.

"I did, actually. He was a lot like you- a persistent asshole who was a bit too mouthy for his own good. I told you I'm not interested."

He chuckled at your words but before he could say anything that was sure to anger you further, the bell in the shop alerted you of a new customer, thank God. Taking a glance towards the door, you saw it was Angel, actually, which was just as good a distraction.

"(Y/n)! Megistos gave me a half day so I had to come and see you again to get my answer- wait, what's going on here?" His smile faded slightly as he saw your irate expression, brows furrowing in confusion. "Who is this guy? Is he bothering you?"

"Hero," Oakley addressed Angel disdainfully. "I recognize you. You're that brunette brat's new little sidekick. I'd rather not be around the likes of you, so I'll take my leave." He turned back to you with a large smirk again. "Goodbye, darling (Y/n)! I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of each other, yes? I've grown quite attached to you already."

You watched the man exit the shop, something about his last words making your heart stall. They were strikingly similar to the warning that Rowan had given you a few weeks ago. 'You don't want me growing too attached to you...' or some freaky ass villain speak. Honestly, this man's behavior was somewhat similar to the villain's, but you couldn't tell if his face was the same due to Rowan's mask. He also had you feeling similarly irritated, but that wasn't a great argument since most men were capable of angering you. More convincing of your theory was his interest in your beliefs pertaining to superhumans, but it wasn't like Rowan was the only person who took an interest in the ethics surrounding the topic.

Oakley couldn't be Rowan, right? Why would he show his face to you? Why wouldn't he just come take you as 'Rowan' to get money or a fight out of James? It didn't make sense, but you figured you should probably talk about this later with your friend when he called. He'd probably go into an even more insane version of protective mode, but if this was the supervillain, then he needed to know sooner rather than later.

"Was that guy bothering you, (Y/n)?" Angel asked, drawing you from your thoughts. "I'm a hero now so I can go find him and defend your honor! That would be super romantic, right?"

"No, Angel," you replied softly. "He's not a problem right now. Thank you, though, that's very sweet."

He practically melted at your praise, but before he could gush over you Tony reentered the storefront with an endearingly sloppy black and (f/c) themed bouquet and a sneer.

"Here's a weird ass (f/c) and black bouquet for your inexplicable lover boy, Miss (Y/n)." His eyes fell on Angel in confusion. "He's the wrong inexplicable lover boy.... so the new guy left you? Finally, one man you didn't lure into your trap. Well, I'll put these back then, anyways," he sighed as he returned from where he came.

"Hey- what does he mean 'lover boy'? Do I have competition for your heart? Do you already have another person you're with?"

His smile didn't quite fall at his words, but you saw something in it crack a bit- a rare break in his cheeriness.

"No, I didn't get a partner in the few hours since I last saw you," you chuckled, his demeanor shifting back into its usual, upbeat self again. The quick oscillation did cause you to think back to your call with James, though, and how he speculated that Angel wasn't as happy as he presented. Being a slight pessimist, he'd assumed it was for some sinister reason, whereas you preferred to simply ask the man himself before making assumptions."I don't wanna be intrusive, Angel, but what's going on with the mask?"

"I don't wear a mask, silly! With huge wings like mine, there's no use trying to hide my identity. I think we need to get those pretty eyes checked..."

"That's not what I meant, silly," you teased, the earnesty of the man's misunderstanding endearing. "I mean that it's okay if you don't want to smile all the time. At least around me, you can just be. No expectations, you know?"

"What?" he asked, his face falling flat for a moment. The expression reminded you of one a lost child might make, innocent and almost afraid.

You mustered up your warmest smile, not wanting to make him feel embarrassed or judged by your words.

"I don't wanna assume anything! Maybe you are that happy all the time, and that's great. But if you aren't, that's great too! What's best is for you to be able to feel safe to be authentic, yeah?"

"Megistos was right. You are the most empathetic person ever, (Y/n)!" he beamed, smile present again and the brightest you'd seen it yet. It was soft and sweet, and you liked how warm it felt and how it even seemed to make him glow. "One day I'll tell you about my smile, but I don't wanna scare you away just yet. I will tell you, though- every time I've smiled at you I've meant it!"

You felt warmth rise to your cheeks at the genuine look in his eyes as he spoke such sweet words to you. If James wasn't there, maybe you would have considered the guy someone to pursue romantically. That wasn't your reality, though, and you got the feeling Angel needed a friend more than anything.

"So why did Megistos give you the day off?"

"Oh! He said I was being too annoying and giving him a headache by asking him about you nonstop so he told me to go home early. Pretty sure he specifically said to my home, but I decided I wanted to stop by yours first! Think he'll be mad?" he giggled deviously.

You wondered for a moment how he knew you lived above the shop, but you assumed James told him. It was a little strange, considering how tight-lipped James was concerning any information that could cause harm to come to you if it was in the wrong hands, but then again Angel was his new sidekick. It made enough sense to you to not dwell on it.

"So, the question still remains! Will you make me the happiest man alive and agree to go with me on a date?"

You laughed at how he phrased the question like a marriage proposal, but then steeled your facial expression so you could turn him down as kindly as possible. This was different than rejecting that dick from earlier. Angel seemed much more sensitive.

"Thank you for asking, Angel. I'm flattered someone as sweet as you is interested in me, but I'm not really looking to date right now." Not unless it was James. "You'll find the right person one day, but I doubt it'll be me. I'm sorry."

His face drooped a bit and your heart twinged with guilt for being the cause, but he brightened again shortly after, looking fiercely determined.

"It's okay! I can play the long game and win your heart! Besides, I really like you already!"

Before you could assure him that he wouldn't be winning your heart he was out of the door in a flash of white and yellow. You didn't love the recent trend of men not taking your 'no's for an answer, but you doubted you'd be seeing too much of the two men anyways so you dropped it.

You settled to continue working alongside Tony like things were normal, though the boy didn't fail to tease you incessantly for your two rough encounters. It did make the day go by faster. Soon enough you were wishing him safe travels home and locking up shop.

You subsequently walked up the stairs and rang James' phone once you entered your apartment, preparing yourself for the worst as you informed him of your day's events. When you began to prepare your dinner as the phone rang, you made enough to feed him as well; he would probably be coming over tonight when he heard the news.