A/N: As prompted by my best friend, Sarcastic-Bones:

Superhero

"So if you're thinking of watching Marvel, you've got Daredevil, Elektra, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Spider-man, Spider-man 2 and Spider-man 3, X-Men, X2 and X-Men: the Last Stand, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America: the First Avenger, Ghostrider…" Connor told them, checking off the films on his fingers. "That's not forgetting about DC where there's the Superman and Batman films…" Connor continued. "And of course there's always the comics too…"

"I think we get the picture, Connor," Matt interrupted whilst Emily deliberated over the numerous DVDs and Blu-rays Connor had stacked on their coffee table.

"Righto."

"Thanks for the films, mate," Matt told him, steering Connor towards the door before he could influence Emily further. As much as he loved her and liked Connor, he didn't think he could cope with constantly being around two nerds.

"Not a problem," Connor replied, oblivious to Matt's aim of pushing him out the front door. "Just can't believe neither of you haven't seen a superhero movie-" Before he could finish his sentence, Matt had firmly shut the door and leaned against it to stop the science genius getting back in.

Whilst Matt pressed his ear against the door to make sure Connor had gone, Emily silently mused which of the films they ought to watch first. Obviously they didn't want to watch Spider-Man 2 without having already seen the first one, but that still left at least nine films to choose from and they all looked equally odd.

She just couldn't get her head around why these men wanted to wear tights. It wasn't particularly becoming, really. And why did one person have a red skull? It wasn't very realistic, was it?

"I think he's gone," Matt murmured, although he might as well have been talking to himself for all Emily heard.

"Nope, still here," Connor called loudly from the other side of the door.

"Damn," Matt hissed. Sighing, he simply bolted the door and returned to the sofa, lounging with his feet on the coffee table.

Finally, Emily resorted to randomly picking a film by closing her eyes and having Matt rearrange them. Then she pointed at one and they wound up watching Captain America in the end.

Despite his inhibitions, Matt found himself actually enjoying the film. The fact that it was set during World War II added to his enthrallment and he knew that he could convince Becker to watch it just by telling him about the weaponry the Nazis had developed, rather than, as Connor had done, talking about military experiments.

Emily couldn't help but root for Peggy and Steve's romance but gasped aloud when the British woman fired her gun at Captain Rogers, although dimly, in the back of her mind, she couldn't stop thinking that perhaps he deserved it after kissing another woman.

By the end of the film, her tears were flowing thickly and Matt had pulled her into his side, an arm wrapped protectively about her shoulders. For the fate that had befallen Steve and Peggy was something that could happen to them at any time. Freezing in a block of ice was unlikely, but living in different time periods after being separated by an anomaly was entirely possible.

Later that night, when they had gone to bed Emily found herself dreaming. Of course, she wasn't aware of that until she woke up, but Matt knew from the way she sighed and burrowed her head deeper into the gap between his shoulder blades.

In her mind, Emily had found herself falling fast through the air after jumping, or perhaps being pushed from a skyscraper. Her scream was endless as the pavement rushed up to meet her. Her eyes were closed awaiting the impact, but it never came. Instead, she could feel the solid arms of someone underneath her, the ripples of muscle of a large chest against her side.

Opening her eyes, she found herself face to face with Matt.

"Matt?"

"Sorry?" he asked, grinning down at her with shining teeth. "I think you must have me mistaken for someone else. My name is Tree Man, here to rescue you from the evil Bombardier Torch!"

Emily widened her eyes and looked down, for the first time taking in his green tights and tight-fitting black shirt. Behind him fluttered a forest green cape, and his face was obscured by a black mask bearing the initials TM, but Emily would have recognised Matt's eyes anywhere.

As the tree that had suddenly sprung up underneath her shrank back into the earth, leaving a crack in the pavement, Emily felt Matt's hands tighten around her knees and back. He was careful to set her on the ground and then stand in front of her as a shield to the fireball that was soaring towards them.

"Bombardier Torch! Show yourself," Matt called bravely, puffing out his chest.

The apparent field of invisibility dropped, revealing what looked like an actual person on fire floating in the sky on a metal disc. Emily gasped and grabbed Matt's hand, fearing for him.

Despite his obvious ability to grow plants whenever and wherever he wanted, he seemed so outmatched by Bombardier Torch.

He shrugged out of her grip and reassured her with a grin.

"You will never kill Miss Merchant – I will always be here to stop you," he declared.

"On the Mayor's payroll now, are you?" Bombardier Torch leered.

Glaring, Matt/Tree Man caused another large tree – an oak this time – to sprout in the middle of the road. As agile as a monkey, he scrambled up wards and along one of the boughs towards the villainous fire man.

"Leave before I make you!"

"What are you going to do? Uproot me?" joked Bombardier Torch.

Without a word, Tree Man closed his eyes and concentrated hard. A single bird began to tweet and then the tune was taken up by five more, then ten, then twenty, until over one hundred birds had flocked to the centre of London, circling the tree. With Tree Man's whistle, they all turned in mid-flight and shot towards Bombardier Torch, releasing hoards of seeds from their beaks and pecking his flesh.

Under the barrage, Bombardier Torch could no longer control his levitation disc and it's flight stuttered, dropping three feet, stabilising for a few moments and then falling again. Finally it crashed into the ground, steam pirouetting out of it and sparks skittering across the tarmac from it. Flames soon followed and Bombardier Torch was forced to retreat, running to evade the police that drove down the road with blaring sirens before skidding to a stop.

Emily watched from afar as the police cuffed his against one of the cars and unceremoniously shoved him into the backseat, his flaming suit doused. Before she knew it Tree Man was standing in front of her.

"I should get you back to your father…" he muttered.

Emily allowed him to pick her up again and then climbed back up the tree, just as dextrously as before. She lurched as one of the long roots came through the ground and then slammed down again a pace ahead. She could hardly believe her eyes – the tree was moving.

It wasn't long before they were back at the city hall.

Tree Man helped Emily climb down and then escorted her to her father's office where they both knew he would be hard at work.

"Well…this is it," Tree Man murmured.

She nodded, suddenly aware of their proximity. He looked down at her, his eyes intense as though he too realised how close together they were.

Inexplicably shy, Emily quietly said goodbye and turned to enter the office. Before she could, Tree Man reached out to her, his fingers gripping her wrist and spinning her around. Her fingers splayed over his pectorals and his arm came about her waist holding her to him as his lips met hers.

Emily woke with a gasp, blushing furiously.

Matt turned to her. "Nice dream?"

"I suppose…"

"Tell me about it," he requested.

Embarrassed, Emily shook her head in refusal. There was no way she would ever willingly reveal to Matt what she had dreamt about. Although it had been pleasant, he would never cease mocking her over it, even if he was her hero in real life anyway.

A/N: And now my secret is out. Yeah, if you hadn't guessed from this chapter, I'm a massive superhero nerd… :P Apologies if you don't like that kind of thing, but this will be the only chapter like this anyway. I hope you liked it. Just remember to let me know what you thought. Also if anyone wanted to see Captain America and hasn't yet, I apologise for any spoilers that may be here.