Sveta had no problems with talking about her vigilante past. There were other parts of that past - the neural bomb, being on the payroll of Sam's shadow-X-team - that she definitely did not bring up, ever, if she could help it. But going around in a costume beating up criminals? That was nothing to be ashamed of, in her book. Not in New York City.

>>”As someone whose mutation requires a skintight outfit, I might argue that point.”

Sveta chuckled. Her red vigilante outfit had been more irony than anything else. But it was pretty tight, too. For safety reasons.

>>”You do have to be pretty particular when it comes to mutants, don’t you? Have you ever ventured to the other ends of the gene pools? Plenty of humans floating around. Hell, adapteds, too, if that’s your thing.”

"Not really..." Sveta shrugged "Somehow it was always mutants... some easier than others." she paused, thinking of Jude, then shook her head "I mean, adapteds are great. I'm all for adapteds. I can not only touch them, they also cancel the coffee buzz... But they are kinda rare, and it is even rarer to find one that's my type. And he's got himself a girlfriend now." she smirked. "I'm not generally girlfriend material. Or wife, as it turns out..." she added with a chuckle "How about you? Ever date an adapted?"

Svetlana was evidently fine with tempting fate, because according to her, most of her romantic entanglements came with mutants. Not every power had the potential to be a nuisance or catastrophe, so there would be some she could be around without complications. It would be tragic, he thought, to feel a true connection for someone whose power could become devastating. He would not wish that on anyone, let alone Svetlana, who had been through more than enough up to that point.

There was at least one adapted, based on Svetlana’s response, but he was taken. Nate grinned, replying, ”Isn’t that always the way? All the good adapted men have been snatched up.”

As they walked under the shade of a large tree rooted next to the path, Svetlana turned the tables and asked about Nate’s dating career which earned a chuckle. ”I mean, my dating history only extends about six years,” he admitted. ”Haven’t happened upon an adapted besides Gemma, and she’s far, far off the market. I’ve dated all of one mutant and one human, though I guess I’ve had a habit of involving myself with more mutants along the way.” Nate was recalling some of his more recent exploits, surprised at how consistent the trend was. Well, almost. ”Oh, except the cop at the bar. Pretty sure he was a human.” Sometimes a little shake-up was good, and Will was certainly a shake-up.

>>”Isn’t that always the way? All the good adapted men have been snatched up.”

Sveta chuckled at that. Honestly, the only good adapted man she knew was Booker, and indeed he had been snatched up (as far as she knew), so that was a 100% success rate on the theory. Not that she had been emotionally attached to Booker all that much. He was the one one-night-stand that she remembered fondly, however. So, once again, that was 100% for adapteds.
Maybe she should find another one?...

>>”I mean, my dating history only extends about six years. Haven’t happened upon an adapted besides Gemma, and she’s far, far off the market. I’ve dated all of one mutant and one human, though I guess I’ve had a habit of involving myself with more mutants along the way... Oh, except the cop at the bar. Pretty sure he was a human.”

Sveta arched an eyebrow.

"You had a bar fling with a cop?" she grinned "Compensating for your past there, Robin Hood? Or did you just like the uniform?"

Okay, so she was being cheeky. She could afford that, with Nate. Worst came to worst... he could just send her back to her room.

"No judgment" she added, holding up her hands "I mean, I have dated mutants I should have never touched... literally"

Some people could have been weird about Nate slipping a guy into his sexual history. Bisexuality had its own stigmas, particularly when it came to bisexual men. It was refreshing to be around someone who was more prepared to poke fun at him for hooking up with a cop after his long, illustrious history as a professional criminal.

The irony was not lost on Nate, who was willing to laugh at his decision making. ”I mean, it’s not like I’m seeking out cops! I’m apparently just a magnet for the men and women in blue,” he claimed, half-heartedly defending himself. ”Will was just a guy at the bar who happened to be a cop, and Quin was just a cute redhead in the park who ended up working for the MRC. If anything, you can blame that on some higher power with a wicked sense of humor.”

It was not like Nate thought Svetlana was seriously judging him. If the Russian blonde had managed to prove one thing to him, it was her open-mindedness. She understood what it was like to attract complicated situations. ”I guess it’s a lot easier than we think to end up finding the wrong people and… well, touching them,” he finished, borrowing the appropriate verbiage from her.

It was kinda funny that someone like Nate would date... or have a fling... with a cop. Sveta was amused. She knew that it was probably not a matter of preference, but life could be funny sometimes. Or ironic. Like that time when she fell in love with a power mimic...

>>”I mean, it’s not like I’m seeking out cops! I’m apparently just a magnet for the men and women in blue. Will was just a guy at the bar who happened to be a cop, and Quin was just a cute redhead in the park who ended up working for the MRC. If anything, you can blame that on some higher power with a wicked sense of humor.”

"Yeah. Humor." Sveta smirked, breathing deeply the clearer air of the park. Wicked, definitely, humor, she was not sure about... but it tended to happen, and he was right, there was not much anyone could do about it, other than trying to mitigate the impending disaster.

>>”I guess it’s a lot easier than we think to end up finding the wrong people and… well, touching them,”

"It really is" Sveta chuckled, shaking her head "Maybe dere should be a dating service. Matches for Mutants?... Even the matchmaker that sent me to America forgot to check if my husband was one..."

Svetlana questioned Nate’s word choice, but he would stand by it; the twisted irony of fate definitely had a sense of humor. The problem was it was not a particularly funny one to those living out the punchlines. Life was not always easy for Nate, but most of his problems were the result of his own decisions. It could be argued that his personal tragedies and lack of love and support as a child could have played a role in everything that came afterward, but Nate was too conscious of his shortcomings to blame them all on the past. Svetlana’s struggles with romance seemed rooted in a mutation that limited her ability to touch others, and that was cosmically unfair.

Through it all, Svetlana still had a sense of humor and a million-dollar idea for a mutant dating website. The notion of “Matches for Mutants” got a laugh out of him. ”I love it. ‘Meet John! You two have a seventy-eight percent romantic compatibility match and a forty-four percent mutation synergy score.’ That’d be popular,” he said with a grin, before adding, ”Though hopefully whoever runs it has more foresight than your matchmaker.” It seemed like a lack of due diligence in Nate’s opinion, which was unacceptable from any professional, regardless of how shady their practices were.

”Really, I don’t know if I’d have time for any real dating anyway,” Nate admitted, taking a moment with his eyes closed to enjoy the breeze as it ruffled his short hair. ”Work aside, I’ve been more occupied with spending time with my daughter whenever I can these days.” After so much missed time, with Norah, Nate was doing his best to step up as a father so he could start making up for everything he missed out on.

The idea of a mutant matchmaking site was both amusing and totally unrealistic. Every mutation was unique in its own way, so creating a system that matched them would have to be extremely complex... Plus putting all that information out in public was just asking for trouble. Still, it was funny to joke about it. In a better world, it could have been great to know in advance who was safe to touch. Both for mutants and non-mmutants.

>>”I love it. ‘Meet John! You two have a seventy-eight percent romantic compatibility match and a forty-four percent mutation synergy score.’ That’d be popular. Though hopefully whoever runs it has more foresight than your matchmaker.”

"More like, 'Beet John! He is guaranteed to not blow up the city if you kiss.'" Sveta smirked. she would have settled for basic things like that.

>>”Really, I don’t know if I’d have time for any real dating anyway. Work aside, I’ve been more occupied with spending time with my daughter whenever I can these days.”

Sveta arched an eyebrow.

"Daughter? You're a dad?!"

This was too much fun to be true.

Norah was such a normal part of Nate’s life over the past few months, it slipped his mind that people in his life would be unaware of her. He could have chalked it up to keeping his work and home life separate, but Devon was aware of the daughter Nate and Natalie shared. Noel, as his memory-stealing best friend, found out as well. And now Quin was joining Haven. And obviously, there was Natalie. Needless to say, if Nate was trying to keep his two lives separate, he was doing a terrible job.

And now an incredulous Svetlana wanted an explanation for his nonchalant claim to paternity. Nate smirked at her curiosity, replying, ”Indeed, I am. You know Natalie, the other member of our Inner Echelon, right?” It was possible the two women had not yet crossed paths, but Nate found it unlikely her name would not have been overheard at some point. ”We crossed paths earlier this year and she dropped the bomb that we had a daughter six years ago.” Nate could still remember standing in a conference room at Natalie’s firm, stunned by the raven-haired woman changing his life forever.

Grabbing his phone, Nate opened his photo gallery and located a selfie. Atop the pictured Nate’s shoulders sat a little girl with grey eyes to match her father. ”Her name is Norah. She’s seven now and yeah. I’m definitely a father.” It was becoming a regular part of his life, but Nate still lit up every time he reaffirmed that he was, indeed, a father.

So, Nate was a dad, and Sveta was amused. She could see he was too, if for nothing else than for the fact that he kind of forgot to mention it earlier, while talking about all the dating stuff.

>>”Indeed, I am. You know Natalie, the other member of our Inner Echelon, right?”

"I know of her." Sveta nodded. She seemed like a strong woman, and very dedicated to Haven.

And also, apparently involved with Nate. Nate did seem to have a type.

>>”We crossed paths earlier this year and she dropped the bomb that we had a daughter six years ago.”

Sveta could not help but laugh. Just a little. Leave it to Nate to have a kid and not find out about it for years... that was a story that definitely fit into the rogue's profile.

"That must have been quite the news..."

>>”Her name is Norah. She’s seven now and yeah. I’m definitely a father.”

"D'awww, she's cute" Sveta grinned, looking at the photo. She did look like a darling. "Yeah, she totally has your eyes. You're not getting out of that one."

It made sense that Natalie and Svetlana had not yet crossed paths. From what Nate could tell, Natalie’s leadership style was more hands-off than his own. She worked on the higher-level matters of Haven and dealt directly with the membership when it was necessary. Natalie was not a bad person, but she was never going to be heralded as “a woman of the people.”

The story of Nate finding out about his daughter was absurd and fit so clearly with his old life, he could not blame Svetlana for the quick laughter that escaped her. ”Definitely quite the news. I’m not often left speechless, but that definitely shut me up.”

Norah’s picture was a great example of how adorable the girl was, with her toothy grin and her long, braided brown hair. And, of course, the eyes. ”Yeah, those eyes are like a de facto paternity test. Luckily, I wouldn’t want out anyway. I love that little girl something fierce,” he admitted proudly. ”Life gave me a chance to really be in her life. I’m a lucky man.”

Thinking about his daughter always put a warm smile on Nate’s face, but it was often followed by the more complicated relationship between himself and Natalie. ”Even if I can’t make heads or tails of where I stand with her mother half the time,” he grumbled.

>>”Definitely quite the news. I’m not often left speechless, but that definitely shut me up.”

Sveta chuckled at the admission. As a woman, she could not exactly imagine what it would be like to find out she had a kid five years after the fact... but she did not need much imagination to know that she would be speechless, too. Nate was lucky, in a way, that Natalie told him at all (go figure, Sveta would not have guessed she'd go for his type either) (or that she was a mom), because otherwise Nate would have never found out what a cute kid he had.

>>”Yeah, those eyes are like a de facto paternity test. Luckily, I wouldn’t want out anyway. I love that little girl something fierce. Life gave me a chance to really be in her life. I’m a lucky man.”

Sveta could tell Nate was honest. He really loved his daughter. She looked like a cute kid, and most definitely his.

>>”Even if I can’t make heads or tails of where I stand with her mother half the time,”

Sveta arched an eyebrow. She could imagine parenting with Natalie was already strange... but not being clear on the rest? Ouch.

"So... it's not just a co-parenting situation then?" she ventured "You still like her?"

Natalie was not going to like Nate talking about their business with a member of Haven, but Nate and Svetlana were having a real, unguarded discussion and the blonde would hear any bull**** from him a mile away. ”You’re implying I liked her before. She was a hot girl at the bar with an attitude the first time,” he explained. It was surprising for Nate to even be in the position he found himself in, when Nat was just a fun memory for years.

”But now, I guess maybe?” He sounded exasperated because figuring out the Natalie situation had taken a lot out of him. ”I don’t know, it’s complicated. We were just having fun. Casual, sexy fun. Except now she’s pissed at me. So I’m pretty sure the rules there changed at some point.”

Nate was still navigating his own feelings on the matter. Of course he had feelings for Natalie; he figured that part out a while ago. The question was whether they were willing to take the risk of things going sour. ”Not exactly sure where to go from here. We don’t exactly have the luxury of avoiding each other if things go wrong.”

>>”You’re implying I liked her before. She was a hot girl at the bar with an attitude the first time,”

"Uh-huh" Sveta smirked, walking along. Hot person at bar. She had been there. Even as a mutant with a potentially fatal mutation, she had been there. Of course, it ended very differently from Nate's story. But the hot and the attitude... heart of gold or not, he seemed like the guy who would go for that.

>>”But now, I guess maybe? I don’t know, it’s complicated. We were just having fun. Casual, sexy fun. Except now she’s pissed at me. So I’m pretty sure the rules there changed at some point.”

"Probably around the time she pushed a baby out." Sveta noted with a deadpan look. Romance or not, a kid was a connection, and it certainly did not ever simplify anything in the history of human relationships.

>>”Not exactly sure where to go from here. We don’t exactly have the luxury of avoiding each other if things go wrong.”

"Look, I'm the very last person that should be giving out relationship advice" Sveta shrugged "And I don't know Natalie personally, so I don't have much to go on. But I'll tell you what's definitely not on the table: Casual and sexy. That ship's sailed."

At least Svetlana was taking Nate’s predicament with some good humor. His original run in with Natalie was the classic formula of two strangers who were young and reckless, but Nate was gone long before consequences came about. When he thought too much about it, he was sickened by the comparison he could draw between himself and his father.

Returning his head to the present, Svetlana was explicitly clear that not only did casual and sexy not belong on the table, it never should have been there at all. Nate and Natalie thought it was something they could handle; they had a daughter, but they never had an emotional connection. The last thing Nate expected was for one to develop along the way.

”Next time I’m deciding to sleep with the mother of my child for the first time, I’ll be sure to run it by you so you can remind me not to be an idiot.” It could be argued that hindsight was twenty-twenty, but foresight really should have been a clear picture.

”In my defense, it just started... happening. We would argue, we’d get heated, and then bam! Clothes scattered all over the,” Nate started before his voice trailed. Probably best not to admit to a member of Haven how two of the Inner Echelon decided to use company furniture. ”Doesn’t matter where. The point is: it seemed unavoidable, so we just leaned into it. On paper, it was never supposed to get emotional.” Natalie was supposed to be the cold, heartless harpy she always acted like and Nate was supposed to be too jaded for feelings. The script was very clear, yet they both failed their parts and they were both at odds with each other and their feelings. ”I can see how that was naïve now that I’m working and co-parenting with a woman who refuses to talk to me.”

>>”Next time I’m deciding to sleep with the mother of my child for the first time, I’ll be sure to run it by you so you can remind me not to be an idiot.”

It was already too late. Sveta chuckled, shaking her head; go figure, she was giving advice on a situation that was in full swing. She should have kept her mouth shut, but then again, Nate did display a remarkable level of self-awareness.

"You are an idiot." she confirmed.

>>”In my defense, it just started... happening. We would argue, we’d get heated, and then bam! Clothes scattered all over the... Doesn’t matter where. The point is: it seemed unavoidable, so we just leaned into it. On paper, it was never supposed to get emotional. I can see how that was naïve now that I’m working and co-parenting with a woman who refuses to talk to me.”

Sveta sighed. It really sounded like a complicated situation. Actually, it sounded like a situation that was way, way beyond complicated. They left complicated behind the moment they had an accidental child together. Also, apparently not everyone at Haven was so professional and goal-oriented as Devon would have liked to believe...

"Soooo... you're sleeping with her again. Tell me at least the kid doesn't know that?"