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[not_the_s]

He wasn't sure what he was doing. Cassie was off doing...something. Someone. No, he didn't want to think about that. He was just having fun. He was just surfing. Just riding the waves. It didn't matter that it was dark. There was a party up on the beach, so that was light enough to see. Eventually, he'd join the party and things would be

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[pretty_canary]

She sees him come in, wet and looking decidedly unhappy. She debates letting him cool off a bit before talking to him, but decides against it. If he's in that bad of a mood, she'll find out soon enough.

"Hey, Handsome." She smiles at him in her usual semi-flirtatious manner. Well aware of the fact that it's inappropriate but not caring a bit. It's not like she has anybody here that can call her out about it. "Did anyone check your ID before giving you that drink?"

[not_the_s]

"Hey, Beautiful." Kon couldn't help but smile when he saw Dinah. She was one of a few people he felt really comfortable around. He was sure Tim or Bart would have something to say about the majority gender of that list, but he didn't exactly care at the moment. "Which ID? The one that says I'm three or the one that says I'm seventeen? Because I seem to have forgotten to bring either of them with me."

He winked at her. "Not going to report me to daddy dearest, are you?"

[pretty_canary]

Neither age makes her feel like any less of a dirty old woman, so she deliberately ignores the whole issue. Instead, crossing her arms, she bites her lip as she makes a show of considering how she's going to answer his question. "I suppose it depends. I might be willing to overlook it for now, but if you get drunk and rowdy I'm going to disavow any knowlege of this conversation."

Raising an eyebrow, she adds, "Not to mention the fact that I'll enjoy kicking your ass for it too."

[not_the_s]

"Dinah, dear, you always enjoy kicking my ass. Secretly, I think you just like looking at it and that's your excuse." Kon took a long sip of his drink, wincing a little and coughing. This wasn't anything like the juice that hadn't been juice. This you could actually taste and it was tasting foul. But as long as it made him not brooding drunk, he was fine with it.

"But don't worry. That's half of why I let you win."

[pretty_canary]

Dinah snorted at his reaction to the alcohol, secretly finding it a bit endearing and even more secretly finding that reaction totally pathetic. Dick would so kick her ass if he knew what she was thinking.

"Kon, darling, the only way you could ever beat me would be in your dreams. We both know you've got a lot to learn. Even if you do have a lot of natural talent." She squeezed his bicep with a wink and a laugh. "So, would you rather stand around here trying to get drunk, or come join the party with me?"

[not_the_s]

"I'm not trying to get drunk. I'm planning on succeeding." Kon wrapped an arm around her waist. "Which means that the answer isn't either or, it's both. And that's natural talent with a lot of training by Guardian when I lost my powers, thanks. I don't think that I'm that horrible of a student, whatever Tim seems to think."

He grinned and looked her over. "Although now that you mention dreams..."

[pretty_canary]

She's slightly taken aback when he grabs her, but she knows she could easily put a stop to this if, and when, she needs to. So she let's him get away with manhandling her a bit and just goes with it. Something's obviously going on with him and she needs to find out what it is.

"I never said you were a bad student. You're an excellent student. But I'm still the teacher, Handsome. And you best not be forgetting that any time soon." She gives him a challenging look before placing a hand on his chest and gently pushing him away. "As for your dreams, I don't think either of us is drunk enough for that conversation."

[not_the_s]

Kon's flirt-sensor - rusty, but still active - perked up at that. "Drink up, then, Beautiful." He managed not to gag at the next few sips even if he wasn't sure his stomach was going to be pleased with him. He put his glass down and took a step back. "Because I'm going out to dance. You can follow me if you're up for it."

He determinedly did not look for Cassie as he left Dinah behind and worked his way into the crowd. The alcohol dulled the edges just a little and made it easier for him to blend in with what everyone else was doing.

He wasn't sure who he was dancing with, but he didn't care.

[pretty_canary]

Her mouth drops open as he walks away from her. She can't believe how he's acting, and there's no way she is going to leave him alone to do whatever insane, adolescent, self-destructive crap he has in mind. And if she has any other motive for following him into the crowd, she's certainly not going to pay it any heed.

"Don't you even turn your back on me like that," she says as she grabs his arm, forcing him to face her. "If you're so interested in dancing, you'll be doing it with me." She's pissed, sure. She's also concerned, though, because she might not have known him for long, but this seems pretty out of character. Pulling him closer, she wraps one arm around his waist and the other around his neck. "You gonna tell me what this is all about or do I have to guess?"

[not_the_s]

Kon sighed and looked around. Once he was looking for her, it wasn't hard to find her. Find her very friendly with that girl. He cupped Dinah's chin and turned her head until she was looking at the two of them. "Think you can guess, yet? I'll give you a hint. It's every guy's fantasy except when they're left out."

He didn't realize he was stroking her chin with his thumb until he stopped speaking and he dropped his hand.

"Satisfied? Can I stop paying attention to them and start having a little fun?"

[pretty_canary]

"Oh. I see. So, what...I'm payback?" Dinah leans into his touch for a second before he takes his hand away, then turns them so his back is to Cassie and the other girl.

"You're going to spend the night flirting with me and drowning your sorrows in alcohol because your girlfriend decided to try batting for the other team? That's pretty sad, Kon. Not to mention insulting." She's not angry, not really. But she doesn't want him to think he can get away with treating women like that. "I'm more than happy to be there for you as a friend, but don't try to use me to make her jealous. It's unfair to both of us."

[not_the_s]

Kon's eyes flared. "Shows how little you think of me that you think I'd do that. I flirt with you because I like you, Dinah. Same as I always have. Not because I want to get back at her. But sure. If you want to use her as the excuse for the entire time I've known you, go ahead." And there was the Kon that most people didn't see. He could be sour and get mad just as well as anyone. He just tried not to most of the time.

"Don't worry. If you're so worried that I'm going to use you, I'll go 'use' someone else. I'll bet I could get Dairine or someone to dance with me."

[pretty_canary]

God, she feels so stupid. Here she is, a grown woman, and she's letting herself me emotionally manipulated by a three-year old teenager. And the worst part is, she has no idea how she's going to get out of this mess.

"Don't you dare do this, Kon. Don't treat me this way because you're angry." She holds onto him tightly so he can't push her away or avoid this conversation. "I can be a lot of things to you, but I won't be this. I won't play these games. If you want to dance with Dairine, I won't stop you. But don't try and force my hand here. You know exactly what I think of you. What I've thought of you since I met you. If you're angry at Cassie I'll be here for you. But never as a game."

[not_the_s]

Kon's jaw clenched. "No, I guess I don't know what you think of me. Because you think I'd do that. I'm not taking my anger at Cassie out on you, I'm angry at you because you're assuming I am! I'm not playing a game." A horrible thought crossed his mind and he paled momentarily before his cheeks flushed with anger. "I'm not him, Dinah. I'm not Luthor. Just because I'm related to him doesn't mean I calculate."

He took a breath, trying to calm himself down. "I wanted to dance and have a little fun, not drown myself in the first woman who came along. And even if, if, I might, it wouldn't be you." His voice finally managed to soften a little at the end of that sentence. Dinah was...Dinah. One of the handful of people he really gave a damn about as opposed to just liking.

[pretty_canary]

Her eyes widen in shock and she actually gasps before clenching him that much tighter. "What? What does any of this have to do with Luthor? He's...he's a monster and you're one of the best people I know. I would never, never believe you could be anything like him." She feels her eyes welling up at the thought that he could for one second believe she'd hold some accident of genetics against him. And because, for the first time, she understands what it is he's really afraid of.

"Kon, you're nothing like him." She eases her grip a bit but gets that much closer to him, reestablishing the connection. "If you want to dance and have fun, let's do that. Forget the rest of this crap, ok?"

[not_the_s]

Kon sucked in a breath when her grip tightened, but didn't say anything. It hurt, but not enough to say anything. If anything, it was almost embarrassing the way it did make him feel. So definitely not saying anything.

"I just want to dance," he said softly. "Before Tim finds out what happens and I go through his version of therapy. That usually involves a large amount of bruises before I'm done." There might have been a part, a small part, that was looking forward to it, but that was beside the point.

"Forgetting is what I'm after."