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Donovan was out just to have fun. His week was over and there was money in his pocket. He wasn't out patrolling and he left the craziness with his costume where it belonged. Every superhero needed a good time once in a while, right? Clark Kent had Lois Lane. Peter Parker had MaryJane. Maybe it was time to find his own paramour, if only for the night. After all, the apartment was empty tonight. Jo and Frank were on vacation.

He walked into the little bar with little expectation. Bars were just a place to meet people and have booze. What they looked like didn't seem to matter so long as they sold stuff that got you lit. That's what he was looking for tonight.

Donovan sat at a bar stool and ordered a beer since ale wasn't exactly served there and raised his mug to the woman sitting opposite of him. She was pretty and he was definitely a fan of looking at lovely ladies, especially once he was tipsy.

"Here's to you, lass, for a good night ahead."

Donovan didn't actually offer to buy the young lady a drink, only offered a toast in her honor. He rarely needed to spend money on alcohol for ladies. While he believed in chivalry he also didn't think it was fair that men foot all the bills just to get to know a woman. If she was his gal, that'd be one thing, but she wasn't. she was just a girl that he liked the look of. She could be a serial killer for all he knew.

"Confident, yes. No matter what happens, Lass, I'll be true to myself."

And if he did that he was guaranteed to enjoy the night. That was Flynn's big secret: no matter if he won or lost at the game of courtship he still came out a winner because he always enjoyed himself. Rejection rolled off him like water off a duck. It was the sport of the thing, the time spent in a merry chase. Sometimes he managed to gain ground and sometimes he fell flat on his face. Either way, what fun!

"But you seem to be too pretty to be drinking alone. What brings you to this dive?"

Now, strictly speak, Flynn was not the one night stand kind of a guy. He was much too gentlemanly for that most of the time. Sometimes, though, when he was drunk it was certainly easy to get lost in the heat of the moment and do things he later regretted but usually he was a pretty good guy about it. Pappy drilled manners and morals into him his entire life before he man's untimely death a few years ago. Those life lessons stayed with him making him fun but sure to treat every woman he met with kindness, honor, and respect.

"I wouldn't say I'm out to spread my colors, no. And there's no lass trying to hang onto my coat tails, either. I do as I choose and answer to myself."

He grinned, not the least bit put off. He was one of the freest people he knew and worked very hard to stay that way. He went where he chose any time he chose with no impediments to black his path or drag him back. There were definitely good things about that life and about those choices but he suffered for it, too. Sometimes he got awfully lonely.

"So you've got a lad at home to hide from? That doesn't seem right."

He got up from his place and moved his mug closer to where she was so they could hold a proper conversation.

Donovan smiled and extended his hand. He took her hand in his and kissed the back of it lightly, as he'd been raised to do. Pappy would not tolerate anything less than him being a perfect gentleman to women and though his grandfather was not alive to see him in practice the man liked to believe the spirit of his beloved Pappy was still around to keep an eye on him nonetheless. So, he was always on his best behavior. Besides, he thought women rather liked being treated like the jewels they were. It was a rare line of thought in this day and age.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Nyasa. I must say the name fits your beauty."

Oddly enough, not a line. He meant it as much as he possibly could. Though he could be the playful sort and tended to joke way too much even in tense situations he tried to remain as genuine as he could be when speaking to the fairer sex. Genuine got him further than flattery in his experience.

"My name is Donovan but everyone tends to call me Flynn, by my last name."

Hearing about a lack of boyfriend made him perk immediately. He did not like pursuing women that were taken. He didn't even like giving the wrong appearance of pursuit. It was just...beneath him. But he could relate to the peacocking and general discontent of a landlord. He was staying with his cousin Tracy but she was young and vain and could be a pain. Still, couch surfers could not be choosers. At least Tracy was tolerant of his somewhat transient lifestyle.

"Well, let me say I'm glad you're out and about, then. His loss is my gain."

Donovan laughed. He didn't mean to but she was just so...cynical! He was only out to have fun and his goal wasn't to get into her pants. If he did, so be it he was fine with where the night took him, but that wasn't why he was there or why he was talking to her. He wasn't that kind of a guy. Sure, he didn't mind getting laid but it was never his goal. To have that be his only focus would just be...bad manners.

"I think you have entirely the wrong idea about me, Lass." He held up his hands in a gesture of peace, showing he had nothing to hide. "I don't know what sort of men you're used to but I can see more than just what's between your thighs."

And no matter how much he flirted or how hard he always kept his eye on that prize. Pappy taught him to value women, to treat them like the jewels they were. He was more interested in the chase, anyway, getting to know a woman. Most had no idea what they were really worth and it was a damn shame. He saw women dressed in next to nothing doing things he didn't think were sensible for anyone and just wanted to shake his head and sigh. It wasn't that he was a prude but, damn, where did pride go?

"Anyway, if a man loses a lady's interest he's either not working hard enough or it's not meant to be. Either way...things will still happen as they're meant to. If you and I left this bar right now and went our separate ways we'd still be the people we were meant to be. No harm, no foul. But if we should have some fun spending time together, what's the harm in that?"

To him it was all a game and he was already a winner just by playing.

Donovan was beginning to believe there was a thin line between regular cynicism and militant cynicism. Whoever had ******** this girl over in the past deserved a beating as she seemed to be the latter of the two options. Or maybe he was just reading too much into things. That had been known to happen before when he wasn't drunk enough. Still, he wasn't the type to be daunted by anything, much less someone thinking he was just interested in getting a girl into bed. Welcome as it was he had other life pursuits.

"You know, you'd be prettier if you just melted that block of ice around you every once in a while."

He didn't mean it as an insult, mind you, but more a simple observation to enhance the beauty of an already lovely woman. What a day an age to make such creatures, though? Maybe he was a little old fashioned but he liked the idea of ladies being, well, ladies. Sugar and spice and all of that stuff! Not that he didn't like an edge to a woman. Even cinnamon could burn the tongue but what a pleasant way to burn!

"My idea of fun..." Now that took some thinking. There were many nights he could name that had been fun but they were all different. "I guess fun depends on the company I keep. With the right person anything could be fun. Even something as simple as a conversation."

His mind cycled to nights of drinking and dancing or singing bawdy shanties to a crowded tavern of men and women. Of walking through jungles and snapping photographs of the wildlife there for the magazine. Of being the first to photograph something new. Of talking to women and men alike about anything of interest, sharing a drink over the dull roar of the crowd. All of those things were fun to him and all meant something.

"What do you consider fun, Nyasa?"

"Ah, lass, sorry to say but you're the only one that can do that. You create the ice, you have to thaw it on your own."

Flynn sat back for a moment and considered her words. He'd heard his Pappy say something similar plenty of times in his life. "Anything worth doing is worth doing well," he said. It wasn't exactly the same sentiment, but close. He was starting to get the idea that she was closed off, guarded, and maybe expected him to do all the work. As happy as he was to woo a woman proper he didn't want to be in it alone, he simply didn't care about much enough to do that. She wasn't going to be his girlfriend or anything. That would be much too much responsibility.

After hearing what she liked to do he got the distinct idea that she was kind of stuck up. He frowned. Hell, he liked just about anyone, no scrutinizing required.

"You seem like a nice enough girl, Nyasa, but my Pappy always said if you're going to do some work you should have someone working with you, makes the job easier. I guess I'm just not that person you're looking for. I do wish you a good night, though. It was fun talking to you for a while."