CHAPTER TEN

( THE SET UP )

THE AIR WAS muggy in the spring morning at the Washington Monument, although the sun seemed to be failing to come out. The dark purple clouds from the dawn seemed to be blocking most of the morning rays. The ground is damp from a previous thunderstorm from the night before, causing the sneakers that anyone wore to squeak with each step.

Today seemed to be the first time in a while that Quinn actually struggled with keeping to the front of the group as they jogged through the park. It must've been the humidity in the air that made her feel like she was choking with each breath, however, she still continued to jog. She looked back to see Jo red in the face once again, taking up the rear of the group. Instead of racing to keep up with Maddox at the front of the group, she lagged behind, running the same pace as Jo as she started to huff and puff.

It had been almost a week since she had accidentally punched her date - Josh - in the face; usually the guy she was seeing would have given up on her now but instead, Josh has been hanging around all week. She, of course, had to tell him the obvious lie, about she's an I.T. for a law firm but she can't tell him whereas she'd be breaching her contract. Which was true, she would be - even though she works for S.H.I.E.L.D. instead.

As they came to their scheduled break her eyes scanned the area around the monument as Jo places her hands on her knees catching her breath. Quinn was looking for someone - Steve. She hadn't seen him since the day he left at the hangar, she hadn't seen Agent Barton around as well, she began to start worrying that something had gone wrong on their mission. She didn't know exactly what it was but he left abruptly, fast, and with Agent Barton - another member of the Avengers, she could only assume it was something dangerous.

Her heart begins to sink as she sees no sign of her friend, sitting down in the damp grass, not caring if her rear was getting damp from the leftover due on the grass. Jo joins her, sitting relatively close, still gasping for air as she waves a hand in front of herself, trying to cool down. "It's dreadful out," she gasps as she clenches her chest to breathe. The muggy air was seeming to suffocate nearly everyone today.

Quinn hums in response. "I have to keep looking good for Josh, I really think I have a connection with him," she states, her voice sounding tender. Quinn plays with her shoelaces as she listens to Jo talk about Josh. "You really think so?" she questions her friend. "Even after I knocked him out-"

"He forgave you for that," Jo points out nudging her shoulder, causing Quinn to roll her eyes. She remembers, she just doesn't know why. Jo wistfully looks out over the reflective pool a small smile playing on her lips as she stares out at the water.

She was smitten over her new boy-toy. This concerned Quinn, she wasn't ready to see Jo's heart get broken once again. She had seen it many time before. She's cautious about the newcomer. If Jo had her heart broken once again, she may break for good. That couldn't happen. She couldn't lose her like that.

"You shouldn't worry too much," a voice cautions her from behind. Her heart thumps at the suddenness of someone's presence beside her. She half expecting to see Steve sitting next to her since he always found a way to surprise her, but instead she sees Maddox as he runs his fingers through his copper hair. Never has anyone made her feel flustered yet irritated at the same time, but Maddox found a way to push all the right buttons at the same time.

He smirks as he offers a water bottle to her. She grasps it, her eyes not leaving his as he passes a bottle to Jo. "Does it look like I'm worrying?" Quinn questions the instructor, taking a sip of water. Maddox shrugs his shoulders. "You always have this scrunched up face, and you're looking out at nothing-"

"My eyes are squinting because of the light hitting the water,"

"The sun's barely out. So your argument is invalid. Just like whatever excuse you're going to use to explain why you're running was sub-par today,"

Quinn whips her head to glare at the instructor, the bottom half of her golden ponytail just barely grazing his face. "Whoa," Jo gasps, raising up from the grass. "That was uncalled for,"

Quinn nods her head in agreement, her jaw clenching as she continued to glare at the smug instructor who was smirking at the two girls. A cloud seems to make the park darker, causing her to look up to end the staring contest between them. It looked like it was about to rain soon. She shook her head and returned her attention back to her friend.

"I wonder where Cap is at today," she heard Jo mumble under her breath. Quinn's shoulders tense up at the mention of Steve and his absence. She hadn't forgotten about him being gone, she grew even more worried with each passing second. "Well, looks like I'm the fastest man in D.C.," Maddox replies with a curt smile of satisfaction.

It irked her to her core that they could just take his absence lightly, yet at the same time they didn't personally know Steve nor did they know she knew Steve and that he was on a mission. "Wouldn't hold your breath to it. He'll be here eventually," Jo responds to Maddox before she lightly taps her on the shoulder at the same time.

"Speaking of Captain America. Josh and I were going to go to the natural history museum," she informs her friend who still wore a worried expression on her face. Quinn nods in acknowledgment and clears her throat. "Well, that's nice. So you're going to the Captain America exhibit then?" Quinn asks, earning a happy nod from Jo.

"We were going to go on Saturday. I know that's your day off, do you want to go too?" The question seems to take Quinn back as Jo says it. She turns to give her a questioning look, her brows raised, and her eyes confused. "You want me to go on your date with you?" Quinn repeats, almost sounding insulted at the fact that they feel as if they need to include her on this. She wasn't that lonely. Jo nods her head as she takes a drink of water. "I think it'd be fun-"

"I'd be a third wheel," she contests, shaking her head. She hated being drug into things that made her feel uncomfortable. Being on dates with Jo was one of them. She had done it before, she was ignored the whole time even after Jo insisted that she would pay attention to her the whole time. It was the last time she even considered doing another one.

"I could go," Maddox speaks up, catching both of their attention: Jo's being curious yet excited while Quinn's was more serious and agitated. "If you'll let me,"

"Of course you're welcome to," Jo accepts while at the same time Quinn says, "No thanks,"

Their answers confuse each other and they ended up looking towards one another bewildered. "What do you mean yes?" Quinn asks. She couldn't just make dates for her.

"What do you mean no?" Jo retorts, crossing her arms, giving Quinn the same insulting look.

Her lips pressed into a firm frown as she glares at Jo and then turns to look at the dewy grass between her legs. "I think it'd be good for you," Jo tries to convince, gripping her wrist in comfort. She rolls her eyes before she glances over to Maddox who is sitting awkwardly with a nervous expression on his face. He had been rejected yet accepted at the same time. This would be confusing yet awkward to her as well if she was in his place.

She feels a twinge of guilt as she peers into his eyes, she didn't want anyone to feel unwelcome or uncomfortable around her or by her. She groans to herself as she returns her gaze to Jo - who in turn looks at her pleadingly. Quinn then turned towards Maddox, who gave her a shamefully bashful look, it made him look like an adorable lost puppy. She felt the guilt course through her veins as she looked at him.

They did have a nice time alone the other weekend as they drank coffee, he wasn't as cocky as he appeared to be. Plus she wouldn't have to go on the date with Jo and Josh alone - although she could easily say no to her friend, it wouldn't be easy to especially if Jo decided to guilt trip her into going.

Maddox gazed into her eyes with the same pleading look Jo had given her. She felt herself become flustered as her cheeks turned a shade of pink. "Fine," she hisses out in defeat, gazing out again at the reflective pool. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Maddox's fist pump the air in excitement, she didn't know he had wanted to go so badly.

"It's not a date for us," Quinn clarifies as she looked towards him as he stuck out his hand behind her back. There was an audible smack that caught her off guard, she peered over to see Jo reeling her hand back from the high five she had given him. She had turned into Maddox's wing-man. Maddox flashes her a blindingly beautiful yet cocky grin, "Of course it isn't. But I'm still bringing you flowers."

"Absolutely not," she protests.

"Carnations are her favorites. I get them for her every year for her birthday," Jo supplies Maddox with information, leaving Quinn sputtering in protest and asking what's wrong with her. She watches helplessly as Maddox takes out his phone and starts typing in the information that Jo has provided him.

A couple of women from the group call over for Maddox, a sign that Quinn rejoices in, that he has to leave immediately. He tells them to give him a minute as he asks for the date and the time that she and Josh planned on going. "We can carpool together if you just wanted to stop by our place," Jo offers before giving out their home address. Something that annoys her roommate, and causes her to catch a glare from Quinn before Maddox speaks up. "I have to see what these ladies want but, I'll catch you guys on Saturday," he speaks up.

Quinn opens her mouth to protest any gifts he planned on getting her but he cuts her off before she gets a chance. "'No flowers', I hear you," he quotes as he begins to hoist himself to his feet. "You really need to relax, Cruise," Maddox offers her a hand to help her up, which she takes. She hums out before stopping herself from making a rude comment back to him. Instead, she flashes him a forced smile.

"See you Saturday," she bids him in farewell, watching him bite his bottom lip as he closes the distance between them. "See you Saturday," he repeats, before planting a peck on her cheek. Her face immediately begins to heat up at the action, she watches a smirk appear on his face as he looks over her bright red face.

She's unsure if it's from the embarrassment or from the flattery. He chuckles before her jogs off to see what the women from before wanted from him, leaving Quinn with a fluttering feeling within her chest as she absentmindedly presses her hand where he pecked her. "Damn, I'm good," Jo says with a feeling of accomplishment, as she clasps on to Quinn's shoulder. For the first time in a long time, Quinn feels as twitterpated as Jo.