CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
( GRADUATION )
THE ITCHY MATERIAL clung around her neck like a chokehold. She ran her fingers along the collar of the dark gown trying to relive the discomfort. She knew her neck was going to be red after this. All she had to do was sit through the ceremony and then she was in the clear. Clear to go home, clear to see her mother, clear to see Steve.Her body filled with warmth as excitement seeped through her body. Her hands trembled as she sat in her chair, waiting for the calm of the auditorium to come to a hush. She awkwardly shifted in the metallic seat underneath her, as her peers boasted about finally being here after their long academic career at the academy and how excited they were that they were leaving in time for the holiday season.
She didn't have the longevity of the other cadet's stay at the academy but the past couple of months have been hard on her. Constantly being monitored by agents, living her academic world in solitude, and having to be targeted by Rome's ruthless training drills didn't exactly give her the best experience here unlike the other cadets. She sat alone. Sitting in silence as she looked forward, trying her best to keep focused on what was happening at the moment.
Currently, no one stood on the stage, but soon she knew she could count on Suyin being up there. Her eyes glanced around the auditorium, as they did a few moments before, searching for her loved ones mixed in with everyone else's. She didn't feel the need to be panic by not seeing their appearance. She only had a few moments to invite them all during her lockdown at the academy. That was the price she paid for ditching and bringing people down with her.
Actually, she knew for a fact Rome, Lena, and Linnea was in the audience - attended with supervision. She owed it to them to at least be there to see her graduate from the academy, they had helped push her to be where she was. Especially Rome.
No matter how degrading or relentless Rome was when helping her with her training, she had to give him props. Without him, she wouldn't be here. There were many times where he could've turned his back on her, where she thought he was going to backstab her, but in the end, he kept loyal to whatever friendship they had formed.
She winced as the excitable graduate - Cadet Dawson she believed his name was - rammed his elbow into her upper arm, laughing with his friends as he apologized to her, stating it was an honest mistake. She shrugged him off and told him it was fine, as he turned his attention back towards his friends, she rubbed her arm where she had been knocked. Whether it was deliberate because most of the cadets here didn't like her, was unknown, but what she did know what that due to Rome's training the simple nudge felt like a full-blown punch.
All her muscles were unbelievably sore after the rigorous training in firearms and practice drills she had done. Not only had she participated during the regularly scheduled time for them to train outside, on study days, but Rome would also force her to wake up at the break of dawn and run laps with him alongside going through the obstacle course she had once bested him in. Each day she would see her name promptly placed at ninth, even though she had yet to compete with the other cadets in what was her class.
She quickly made herself busy by picking at her freshly painted nails. She despised how bright they were. However, bright red seemed to be her only choice as that was the only nail polish Lena had let her borrow. Scarlet nail polish and a gown the color of the night sky; not completely black but a blue, the color you'd see when the day was just beginning and the sun had yet to peek through causing streams of orange and pink.
The comforting blue color that assured everyone who had a rough night that a new day was starting, that comes with the promise that it could be better than the last. The volume of the auditorium arose as more people started to flood in through the entrances. New faces that she'd never see again, all trying to find the graduate that they were here to see. People were pointing, people were waving, others were talking loudly towards the cadet that they called their loved one.
It would be nice if she could find the ones she invited. If they actually came. She only had a brief moment to invite those important to her - due to her arrangements at the academy. She had gone with the most obvious choices: Steve - her lover who had pushed her where she needed to be, supported her and filled her thoughts throughout the weeks she was away from him, Jo - her best friend who she had known for years and considered her sibling, seeing her for the first time in months would be a plus of she came, and Robin - her roommate, while their time together was brief before she came to the academy she felt as though they developed a strong bond and if it not for her words of encouragement, she may have not taken Yvette up on her offer to come back.
The only person she may regret not inviting was her own mother. However, due to her condition, she deemed it wasn't best for her to fly down to see her. She'd be confused, it could trigger an episode, something she couldn't deal with today.
She scanned the crowd once again, the seats were becoming more and more populated, and yet, no sign of them. Her eyes lingered over towards the front of the right-hand side of the auditorium, finally resting on a few familiar faces; Rome, Lena, Linnea, and what appeared to be two agents sitting on the opposite sides of them to monitor them.
Lena was sporting a floral cream-colored dress that made her almost look like she was from a different time, while her partner wore a white jumper with gold accented jewelry that made her pop out like she was a wealthy businesswoman. Then there was Rome. Clad in a blue dress shirt and a skinny black tie. Minimalistic. Something that she didn't peg him for.
He sat with his head resting on his elbow, his expression vacant, almost bored. He gave her a quick wave, but when she squinted her eyes she noticed it wasn't a wave, he was holding his index and middle fingers up in a peace sign, like a quirky girl posing for a selfie. She rolls her eyes while laughing a little, mouthing the word "idiot" before shaking her head and looking around.
If she stared at him for any longer she worried that the agents sitting with them may start to think she's giving some kind of code to them. Or maybe she was overthinking like always. As the minutes drone on she tries to push everything out of her mind. In less than an hour she would be walking across the stage to receive her certification to be an agent; something she didn't realize she wanted until recently. Something she didn't realize until she met Steve.
She bit her lip. The thought of him was enough to provoke her into taking another peak to see if anyone else had arrived for her.
She swiveled in her seat towards the left to see Jo and Robin, sitting in a row next to each other, shoulder to shoulder. It looked like they had been trying to get her attention as Robin is sitting halfway off her chair with her arms outstretched like a child. They both exchanged a quick wave to her - Jo going the extra mile to add in a kiss to her palm before waving it out to her.
Quinn smiled widely, laughing a little to herself as she pretended to catch the kiss and making a surprised face as she tapped it to her cheek. Even though the motion was small and silly, the amount of time she hadn't seen Jo in person dwelled on her, making a few tears prick at her eyes. She had never been this excited to see a group of people that weren't her family.
However, there was one face she failed to pick out from the crowd. Her brows furrowed. She figured Steve would've sat next to Jo and Robin, but perhaps he was somewhere else due to safety concerns. Or maybe he couldn't make it due to a sudden mission. Her heart sank in her chest, her ego feeling deflated as she turns back towards the stage.
She hadn't been able to get an actual answer from anyone to see if they could come, it was pure luck that Robin and Jo could come on such short notice. Steve on the other hand wasn't as lucky it appeared.
Overhead the lights flickered on and off several times, causing the audience to fall to a hush. A couple of cadets ahead of her jabbed each other with their elbows and snickered about something. She tries her best to not roll her eyes at them. It seemed like once everyone got into a cap and gown they began acting younger and more youthful than they were. It was just like being back in high school - except without the awkwardness of pubescence filling each room.
When the lights finally dimmed, a round of applause came from the audience as Suyin, approached a single podium on the stage, clutching onto the sides of it with a vice-like grip, her nails the color of ripe plums. As the applause died down Suyin leaned into the microphone and began speaking.
"Welcome," her voice booms throughout the auditorium, frightening a few babies that had started to cry due to the sudden loud noise - despite Suyin's voice is rather soothing. "Welcome all to tonight's ceremony. And thank you for joining you beloved cadets on this important day." Her eye shifted across the rows of cadets lined up next to each other in a neat seating arrangement.
"Cadets. Today is a special day." She could tell that Suyin had done this before a thousand times, yet somehow with her bored, cat-like eyes, came some sort of electricity. As if she was actually excited to be at the commencement ceremony. She was probably happy to get her out of the academy, they hadn't exactly seen eye to eye in the past weeks. "You did it, you are here with your friends, family, colleagues, spouses, children, parents, people who you haven't seen in a year, are all gathered here to celebrate your achievement and your service to this country."
The speech was becoming long-winded, The more she droned on the more disheartened she began to feel. It was true, most of the ones she held dear to her heart were watching the ceremony along with her but, the only person she wanted to see was Steve.
"Along with your loved ones, the faculty of this academy is here along with a special guest presenter," Suyin announces, her palm waving over towards the left side of the stage where an empty seat had been left open beside, who she could only assume, was a person of the board of trustees.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your guest speaker of the night will be none other than Steven Grant Rogers, formally known as, Captain America." Suyin's voice was trill at the end but Quinn couldn't care at that moment. At the moment, all she could do was put her hands together over and over again, while Steve appears from the side of the stage, one hand in the air to greet everyone.
She tried to suppress her smile as she watches Steve cross the stage and take a seat next to another higher up, wearing his star-spangled Captain America outfit. She clapped her hands with everyone else, as they applauded him for being here to celebrate the commencement ceremony. People held his presence as a great honor, but, she couldn't help but smile, knowing his true purpose here was to see her.
He placed himself next to a man in a suit that she hadn't recognized. The audience seemed to be murmuring in excitement even after he sat down. She glanced around the auditorium to see everyone's eyes glued on to Steve, including Jo and Robin's. Her eyes lingered over to him, leaving him for last as she knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything else once she caught his eye.
The small smile he displayed made her heart melt. It was as though it were made from infatuation and pride and it was just for her. Even being across an auditorium from him, she could feel her cheeks start to blaze under his stare. Because she knew that he wasn't here on Avengers business like half of the auditorium thought he was, he was here for her and he would be here for her even if he wasn't a guest speaker.
It wasn't until there was feedback from the microphone, that made everyone wince, that she realized she had been staring at him for too long. Instead, she refocused her attention on Suyin, who would no longer be considered a dean of some sort but would be more considered as one of her superiors after graduation.
She tuned in to the last half of Suyin's speech. "Graduates, in a world full of the unknown, in a world full of surprises, you will be tasked to protect it. Not only from alien invaders -" This made half of the auditorium whistle out with low laughter at the slight jab at The Avengers. Her eyes locked on Steve again who's face was pleasantly amused with a tight-lipped smile as he nodded his head. "But from the world itself. It's up to us to find the cruelties of this world and stop them from surfacing. Or at least try to. And that's all we, as humans, can do. Try. Try to see the good in the world, try to see the good in each other, no matter the background that they came from. With each person in our custody, try to remember that they're human, just like you and just like me. I ask of each cadet, to remember where they came from and to treat everyone with dignity and respect."
As she bows her head and purses her thin lips, the audience begins to clap, causing Quinn to begin clapping alongside her classmates. She watched as Suyin sopped up the attention, her skin glowing underneath the stage lights. It began to become more annoying the longer she had to clap, it was like she was clapping for a play.
"I will now hand over the podium to America's greatest treasure, Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America," Suyin announces, her one hand reaching out towards Steve as he raised from his chair. Quinn beamed at him, her hands clapping harder than she previously had, to the point where it almost stung. He bows his head and gives the auditorium a quick wave with his trademark small smile that made her, along with a dozen other people's, heart melt.
He glanced towards her for a brief moment, his smile growing bigger and his cheeks flaring red before he clears his throat into the microphone. She was baffled, she didn't realize she had that effect on him. After a few stale moments of him fidgeting with the sides of the podium, while a few audience members still clapped, she realized that he was actually nervous. Something she had never thought she'd see from him, aside from their first date. It humanized him even more for her.
"I-" his voice cut off as soon as he heard the feedback of the microphone echo throughout the auditorium, forcing him to apologize to the crowd. She stifles a small chuckle. "I would like to thank Suyin for the invitation to speak to this class, and I extend my thanks to the faculty, the agents, the friends and family members that are all gathered, and most importantly I would like to congratulate the graduates; as I once have been in your shoes, wanting to volunteer to keep this country safe, a very long time ago." His eyes involuntarily flicker towards her once again, causing her to give him an encouraging smile.
"I want all of you to know that there is no difference between you and I. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn who doesn't like bullies, who had greatness thrust upon me, just like you will have your moment of greatness given to you." he takes in a deep breath to calm his nerves, before continuing. "Almost seventy years ago I was injected with the super-soldier serum, and I remember it like it was yesterday. I was small, my head throbbed due to the pent-up nerves I had given myself the night prior. I didn't sleep a wink that night, but I do remember my old friend came to give me a few words of advice. He told me before the procedure that I shouldn't let it change who I am on the inside, that I was to remain not a perfect soldier but a good man."
Quinn had remembered seeing something along the lines of this somewhere as she scoured the internet for information about him after she had been released from the hospital after her incident. It tugged at her heartstrings. "I'm now imparting that wisdom off to you, graduates. It is important to remain humble and not let the power you now hold get to your head. You may find yourself in a situation where you think it's best to display that power you hold, to show your badge, to unleash the gun from your holster. Protecting people isn't about power. It's about understanding people. Understanding the reason behind their actions."
A round of excited applause breaks out around the auditorium, giving him enough pause to clear his thoughts before he begins speaking again. "There is no black and white, there is no good and there's no evil. There are only the selfless and the selfish. No one is born with greatness. No one is born a perfect person, they can only achieve greatness through their goodwill and good heart." he licks his lips before looking out towards the group of graduates before him, trying his best to avoid eye contact with Quinn, or else he knew he'd forget the rest of his speech.
He waves his index finger towards them as he wraps up his speech. "Each one of you will one day face something that needs you to be great, to be fearless as you stare into the eye of danger, will you be up to it?"
"Sir, yessir!" A smartass cadet yells, causing a wave of laughter to erupt from the auditorium. Even Steve can't help but let out a small chuckle as he releases his grip from the podium, and returns to his seat, earning a pat on the arm from Suyin as she passes him.
It seemed like an eternity with all the faculty coming up to deliver half-hearted speeches. Each moment drags on longer than last. Quinn had already sat through two graduation ceremonies, she knew eventually she'd have to go through another with her degree but she didn't realize the extent of the ceremony. She figured she could walk in, grab her badge and leave in a half-hour tops.
She looks over to where Rome was seated, watching him yawn as he relaxes into his seat. That was something she didn't want to see, as she began to yawn shortly after he did. When Suyin finally announced that the graduates needed to line up, it was long-awaited.
She felt weak, tired, and bored as she stood up she could feel her knees pop and her muscles tighten from sitting down for too long. She wanted to stretch her arms out but felt it was too risky to make herself look like a fool in front of a thousand people looking at her class.
She couldn't bear to even think about walking across the stage in the heels she was wearing. What if she tripped against the silk material of her gown while she was blinded by the stage lights? What if she missed a handshake from one of the faculty members? What if something worse happens? She felt her confidence shrinking more inside her as she slowly approached the stage, waiting for her turn for her name to be called.
A thin stream of light caught her vision from the corner of her eye. Curiously she looked for the source, only to find it was somebody sticking their head through one of the many doors of the auditorium. Not just somebody. Agent Sawyer - dickhead extreme.
She narrows her eyes at him suspiciously as she sees him nodding towards the direction of the stage. She follows his gaze only to see Steve, putting on a fraud smile at first as he shook hands with a graduate but then he peers back at Sawyer and nods. Once he gains his approval, Sawyer vanishes behind the door once again. Confused, Quinn wonders what they could be doing. It could've just been a simple hello, but why interrupt a graduation ceremony for a head nod, why not wait until Steve wasn't busy. Something was going on.
"Quinn Cruise," Suyin's voice comes booming across the auditorium, bringing her back into reality. She had gained few whoops and hollers from the crowd, that she was able to distinguish as Jo and Jo alone; only she would have enough gusto to shout amongst the sea of applause.
She could feel the bright stage lights on her making her sweat underneath her gown. Her heartbeat felt like it could shatter her chest. She nervously stuck her hand out towards Suyin, who engulfed it in a weak shake, then placed a plaque and a black pouch in her hands while whispering out congratulations.
Quinn numbly nods her head, a broad smile across her face, and she strokes the black pouch only to realize it was wallet-like. It dawns on her almost immediately that there is a tiny gold emblem on the inside. It was her badge. The sudden realization that she had finally achieved a dream that she had always wanted but never thought she would be able to obtain due to her own restrictions.
The swarm of emotions felt overwhelming, however, she couldn't let it show. She was not going to cry in front of these people. She composes herself, placing a broad smile on her face once again before leaving the podium where Suyin stood.
As she made her way across the stage towards the faculty and trustees, her very first stop was Steve. His large hand engulfed her own, instead of being firm and taut like his other handshakes with the cadets, this was tender. It was the first time in months where they were finally able to touch and it was just a handshake for the public.
She bit the inside of her cheek as she thought of what she'd do to him if they weren't in public, it began to pool in the pit of her stomach as she gazed into his eyes a little longer than usual. It was as if time had stopped - or at least droned on - as they were connected by the hand. "Congratulations, Cadet," he coyly smirks, absolutely knowing the effect he was having on her, and if he was being honest, he was having the same thoughts as her.
"Thank you, Captain," she replied in a small voice that made his knees want to buckle. The tone that she had when she addressed his title stroked his ego giving him a feeling like he hadn't had since he first gotten injected with the serum. The feverish blush on his cheeks seemed to spread to his whole face, making his appearance more pinkish than usual, which caused Quinn to let out a small chuckle before moving on to the next scholar waiting to shake her hand.
Even as she shook the other faculty members' hands, she managed to catch a glimpse of Steve in between, each time with a new cadet, shaking their hand and congratulating them. She wonders if they saw what she saw if Steve knows she saw him communicate with Sawyer. Most of all she wonders what it could've been about. For the first time, she felt an uneasy ball of nerves flow through her veins, and it was all caused by Steve.
~ACT TWO: AGE OF ULTRON~
AFTER THE CEREMONY she was finallyable to get the chance to walk around and try to find the friends who had come to see her. She was eager to see Jo the most as she hadn't seen her since the beginning of summer when she moved to Florida with her boyfriend Josh.
It was nerve-wracking to say the least, as the move from D.C. to Miami had been abrupt for her since she had lost half of her memories of the months before the compromisation of S.H.I.E.L.D. To Jo, her move had been a month or two in the making but to Quinn, she had only a few days left with Jo and barely got to spend any time with her as she had been busy packing and going to physical therapy for her damaged mind.
Not to mention Jo hadn't been around as much thanks to her relationship with Josh, as she wanted to move on with her life and spend time with the man she loved. She hadn't realized at the time that Jo was also doing the same for her. By not being there she freed up a little time to spend with Steve.
Although she had been wary of him at first, and the conversations felt off as if he were holding back something from her. Turns out he was. He was holding back the feelings he had felt for her and was negating on telling her the jarring information of when they had kissed in the mall and had several moments where they thought the world consisted of only them and them alone.
She twists and turns, in search of finding her friends, however, in a sea of random faces of other cadet's loved ones it was hard. Even when she reached to her tiptoes she still couldn't see anyone she knew and with Jo being five-three, she wouldn't be easy to spot in a crowd of people who most were well above that height.
Instead, her eyes catch someone approaching her from her peripheral vision. She whips her head around, almost losing her cap, to see Yvette, Kat, and Suyin approaching her, after what looks like they had a group laugh between each other. She straightens her posture and places a smile upon her lips as she gazes into the dark eyes of the Director of the New York precinct.
"Director Brown, Director Lee, Agent Salazar," she greets all of them with a head nod, noticing Kat's once smiling face falter into a look that was a mix of boredom and discontent. Of course, Yvette had to drag her all the way down to the graduation ceremony, although it appeared that most of the directors were there to witness the event.
"Agent Cruise," Yvette replies with a firm handshake. Quinn hums at the suffix in front of her name. It would take some getting used to. "Congratulations on your graduation."
"Thank you, ma'am," Quinn replies shortly, her eyes shifting between Yvette and to the crowd around them still searching for her friends. "I was just telling Director Brown that she's gaining one hell of an agent," Suyin states, causing Quinn to draw her attention back to the conversation at hand with her newfound boss. She gives a half-hearted laugh. "I wouldn't go that far."
"I didn't disagree." Yvette quickly adds, causing Quinn to look at her in shock. "You do have what it takes to be an agent. Your courage and your ability to take matters into your own hands speak a lot, especially in a predominantly male environment." Yvette's eyes glanced over her stature and for the first time, Quinn feels a bit nervous to be in her presence.
Rome's words of being a pencil pusher were still ringing fresh in her ears, although he had said it the very first time they had met. "We need more people like you," Yvette states, causing Quinn to be even more confused. After she snuck out she figured she'd be behind a desk for the rest of her life. But the context she was reading from Yvette seemed to say otherwise. "So I take it I won't be sitting behind a desk, filing paper?" Quinn confidently questions, only to earn a bit of a scoff from both Yvette and Kat. Her smile fell.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, agent," Yvette says, causing her heart to break inside her chest. Her disappointment must've been visible because Yvette quickly reaches out to touch her shoulder in reassurance. "You'll have to spend some time behind a desk, but I think your talents would be best suited for Dontai's division. Don't you agree, Salazar?"
"I do."
This surprises Quinn. Her eyes shift over to Kat, who held her gaze in an almost endearing way. "I have to admit, you even impressed me," she states after clearing her throat. "But it'll take a lot more than graduating ahead of time to reel me in."
Quinn nods her head. At least she had gained some respect from Kat. Maybe she didn't blindly hate her after all. She would have to work on her relationship with Kat. After all, she has been an agent for years, she wasn't that superior to her. Perhaps they could even be friends. Especially if it's as much as a sausage fest as Yvette says it is. "You'll start in Dontai's division after the holidays. He's always up for a good challenge." Yvette informs her.
Quinn's brows furrow. "What division am I going to?" she asks, only to receive a chuckle from her superior. "You couldn't tell? Maybe you're not suited for the investigations division then," she hums. Quinn's eyes widen.
The investigations division? It would make sense since she had EDGE and she had taken the initiative to find Blair when no one else could. She just couldn't believe it. Before she can even utter out the words, thank you, Yvette has already cut her off. "Seven am, January second."
"Yes, ma'am." she curtly responds, suppressing the urge to smile until Yvette has fully turned away to speak to what looked like another director. She shook her fists in excitement, it was as if she had gotten just what she wanted for the holidays. If only Jo and Robin were with her to celebrate. Steve would be even better but she had to face it that they wouldn't be caught in public together at this time, especially in his uniform. She didn't want all attention focused on both of them.
That's when she hears a high-pitch squeal coming from behind her, then a pair of arms wrap around her for a tight embrace. When she looks back, she sees the top of Jo's head buried into her mid-back. Unable to think straight, Quinn quickly bursts out of the hug, surprising Jo, only to give her another bear hug, pressing her cheek against hers as tight as she can.
She can feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes. Over the years, Jo has become more of a family member than anyone else in her life. "Are you serious!" Jo shouts as Quinn lets go of her, a wide smile on her lips. Jo bats her with the program in her hand. "Look at you!"
Quinn chuckles for a brief moment, before plucking at Jo's bicep as if she were a bodybuilder. "Look at me? Look at you. When did you get so tan?" she teases. Jo gives her a playful push. "Since I get to sit out by the pool every Saturday," she states in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Must be nice." Quinn muses.
"Eh, well it's cold now, and even when it's not cold there's usually a thunderstorm around three in the afternoon every day." Jo shrugs.
"So with your sleep schedule, you get like an hour's worth of tan time?"
"You read my mind."
Quinn presses her lips together in a tight smile, glancing at Jo's features. Seeing her healthy and in the flesh is more rewarding and better than just hearing her voice. She wraps her arms around the back of her neck, pulling her into another hug. This time it's soft as if this was the last time they were going to be together. "I've missed you." Quinn sniffs out, trying to hold back the sorrow in her voice.
If there was one constant in her life it was Jo, and the past few months without her have been hard, it feels like she's been all over the place without Jo to ground her. "Not as much as I've missed you. God, it feels like it's been forever." Jo replies, her voice wavering as well, it causes Quinn to hold on to her tighter. "Sorry I missed your Halloween party." she jokes, causing Jo to give out a breathless laugh, one that hurt her gut even though it wasn't that funny.
"It's okay. You had a good excuse to." Jo responds, pulling away from her best friend. Her blue eyes scan Quinn's features. From her blonde hair pulled up into a tight updo, to the ruby lipstick she had thrown on to match her nails. She remembered when Quinn never wore makeup or got dressed up. That was most of their relationship, it was nice to see her trying for a change.
She cups her friend's cheek, deflecting the small, single tear that dropped from her eye, with her thumb. "My little Quinn, growing up. Becoming official both with your big girl job and your relationship."
Quinn throws her head back and scoffs, pushing away from Jo, causing her to laugh again. Jo grabs ahold of her arm to stop her from walking away from her. "Oh, stop. I'm amazed you were able to pick the pieces back up after the incident." Jo comments, causing Quinn to roll her eyes.
It wasn't just her who put the pieces back together. It was also Steve. He offered to help her when Jo couldn't. He was the missing piece that held her together while she was away from Jo and trying to figure out her new life. "You can thank Steve for that," she states, causing Jo to scoff a little. "For what? Being cute? Girl, done." she jokes. Quinn pushes her arm playfully. "Knock it off," she warns.
Someone clears their throat from beside them. At first, Quinn thinks it's Steve, she hopes it's him, but instead she's greeted with Robin's large eyes lingering on her. "Hey. Still here. Your roommate." she greets, her arms extending out to her. Quinn runs into them, wrapping her own arms around her. "I didn't forget about you," she mumbles into the hug, burying her face into the thick chocolate locks of her roommate. "Felt like it," Robin mutters out. "Stop." Quinn hisses out in a monotone voice, before pulling back to look at Robin.
She presses her lips into a thin line before patting her on the shoulder in an endearing way. "Thank you. For putting the pieces together after I fell apart when I came home. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I owe a lot of this to you."
Robin's cheeks light up in a pink hue as she clutches her free arm nervously, like a kid who was too bashful to take a compliment. "It was nothing. I just don't like to see people sad, you know. Especially good friends of mine."
During the short time that she had known Robin, it seemed that Robin had taken her under her wing. Even though Robin was hurting from her recent breakup, she had always been a major backbone for Quinn. Encouraging her to express herself to Steve. Something that even Jo couldn't get out of her. She wished she could do more for Robin, to show her appreciation for her. But for now, hugs were her only way to express how she felt to both Jo and Robin. She hadn't embraced her true friends in months. It felt nice to be surrounded by the people she loved.
"Well look who graduated on time." A familiar voice chimes in from behind her, causing her to turn around once again. She scoffs as she looks at Rome with his hands on his hips, all cleaned up for her graduation. Along with Lena and Linnea, who seemed to be buzzing between each other.
Quinn scoffs as she brings her two friends over to the cadets. "Jo, Robin this is Rome, Lena, and Linnea. These are my fellow cadets and some of my good friends." she introduces as she slings her arms around Lena and Linnea's shoulder. "Ride or die, baby!" Lena shouts, planting a kiss on Quinn's cheek as she clings on to her. She chuckles as she pushes Lena off of her.
Jo crosses her arms, glaring at Rome. "Rome? This is the guy? Why are you here?" she questions in a heated tone. Quinn's cheeks easily turn red as she watches Jo become visibly annoyed by Rome's presence. Rome's brow furrow at the accusatory tone that Jo had taken with him. "What's with the tone? Who are you?" he questions, his tone sounding just as insulting as Jo's.
"Your worst nightmare," Jo, dramatically, states.
"I don't even know you!" Rome shouts.
Quinn steps in between the two of them, pressing her hand firmly against Jo's upper chest, pushing her a couple of inches back so she wasn't in range of Rome. However, Jo continued to glare at the cadet. "She knows you. Well, she knows of you. I told her about you being mean to me my first few weeks -"
"You punched her in the face!" Jo shouts, pushing forward, pointing her finger in Rome's face.
"She hit me first!" Rome argues back, telling the truth.
"I don't care!" Jo responds. This time Quinn pushes her at least a foot back, despite Jo's annoyed protest of a growl. "But he helped me sneak out to go on a top-secret mission...that stays between the four of us," Quinn states, trying to convey that Rome was no longer an enemy. Jo quizzically perks a brow at this. "Keeping secrets now, huh?"
"Unfortunately, that's my job now," Quinn responds with a light blush creeping to her face. She didn't like keeping secrets from Jo, but she was rather good at it. She was able to hide that she worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. all those years without Jo even batting an eye of suspicion towards her.
"Right. The job I helped her prepare for so I think that should give me a clean bill on your end," Rome adds in, before puffing out his chest and adding a visible smolder to his face. Quinn had become accustomed to this look, as he had used it many times on Lena before he found out she and Linnea were an item. Knowing it was directed at her best friend made her want to gag, but at the same time, she wanted to see the rejection.
Rome confidently raises his hand out for her to shake, watching Jo's brow perk up in question by this action. "Hi, I'm Rome. Nice to meet you. Can I buy you a drink some time?" he attempts to flirt, his sauce charm getting the better of him and coming off as too cocky.
Quinn stifles a laugh between her lips as she watches the scowl on Jo's face become more prominent. "I'm taken." Jo denies with an eye roll, rejecting his handshake by crossing her arms against her torso once again. The awkwardness from the very public rejection was palpable.
Quinn decides to interject, making her presence known by stepping in between them as Robin takes ahold of Jo's shoulders to settle her down.
"Thank you Rome and you guys too," she quickly blurts out, trying to change the subject as fast as she could. "I literally wouldn't be standing here if you guys hadn't helped me pass with flying colors."
Linnea is the first to break into a heartfelt smile. "It's no big deal." she humbly shrugs off, triggering Lena to respond. "Yeah, you're like part of the family now."
Quinn's brows rise at the word. "Family huh?" she repeats, her voice coming off as shaky. "Yeah, you, me, Linnea, and Rome. We're like a little family." Lena pipes in. She had no idea that Lena felt that way about them and wondered if it extended to the other parts of the group. As she thought about it further, they had been through so much over the past few months and had spent so much time together that it seemed natural to call them and see them as a family. She never thought she'd think of anyone besides Jo as her family. It came as a shock. Lena began pointing her fingers at each one of them. "You're the mom, Rome is the brother, and Linnea and I -"
"Are related in this scenario? Because that's twisted." Quinn smirks, earning a playful scoff from Lena. "You're horrible."
"And I'm starving." she quickly interjects, feeling her stomach starting to rumble, latching her arms around her torso to stop the quake going through her body. In an attempt to not embarrass herself by possibly puking everywhere during her graduation due to nerves, she hadn't eaten that day. It was well going on nineteen hundred and her stomach was starting to betray her.
She could feel her short temper being connected to this issue. Robin places a firm hand on her back to calm her, as she was the peacekeeper during this time it felt like. "Don't worry. We've got a celebration dinner all planned out for you," she reassures her with a smile. "Yeah, it's at this place in town. Lenny's I think it's called?" Jo announces going from visibly excited to confused in a matter of seconds. Only she had the capability to do that.
Quinn's brows rise at the name. It sounded familiar. She wasn't allowed off-campus, except for her only excursion resulting in her isolation from the rest of the class. "Lenny's? Is that the place we got the car from?" she questions Linnea who idly shrugs. "It was on the street. It's fair game," she states trying to justify her actions.
Quinn's head swivels from right to left, trying to find the tall and broad shoulders of Steve. She figured he'd have found them by now if he wasn't hiding out backstage. However, she couldn't see him not making his presence known to her aside from being the guest speaker. He'd want to congratulate her and embrace her. At least that's what she thought.
"Right. Well, I'd love to go but I have to find Steve first," she informs the group, still swiveling her head around in an attempt to find Steve.
"You haven't seen him yet?" Jo questions, her voice sounding mildly high as if she were hiding something. Quinn narrows her eyes at her friend. "No. Have you?"
Jo purses her lips, debating on whether or not she should even tell her but decides to as this was her best friend's lover and would want her to tell her if Josh was acting weird. "Briefly," she finally huffs out, watching her friend's face become concerned. "When we were coming out of the auditorium. We got separated when we were trying to find you."
Quinn's eyes flicker around in the crowd, in search of the Avenger, however, the dense volume of people made it almost impossible to find him, even if he would stand out against the crowd. It wasn't like he was six foot seven and towered amongst the regular crowd of people. He was average, which made it difficult to locate. If it was almost impossible to find Jo, then finding him wouldn't be any better.
A small hand wraps around her, drawing her attention towards Jo who held a small but understanding smile on her face. A smile that said, "I feel what you're going through but let's be positive" even though Quinn felt like she was going through hell at the time. "Why don't I text him and we'll have him meet at the restaurant?" Jo suggests, trying to be optimistic during this time.
"Probably the best option. He's probably getting swarmed by people wanting photos." Robin also agrees with the statement. Quinn absentmindedly nods her head. Although she did want to see him, she didn't want thousands of pictures taken of them together.
She was still trying to cope with the fact that she was seen out in public with him and their relationship had gone public when they didn't want it to. By now the rumors must've died down. They hadn't been with each other in months. For people to see them together and start snapping pictures again and posting them...she couldn't go through with it.
"Right and I want to stay out of the eye of the public while I'm here, for now." she sighs, crossing her arms across her chest and shuffling her feet against the linoleum floor. "Although it'd be nice to see him," she mumbles out under her breath. Rome slings his arm around her shoulders, tugging her back and forth in an endearing but teasing manner. The sudden movements made Quinn let out a small giggle. "Cheer up. Shots are on me!" Jo suddenly lets out an annoyed cough, reminding Rome that he needed to learn his place.
It was obvious that Jo had meant just the four of them at the restaurant. Rome smiles sheepishly. "That is if we're allowed to come?"
Jo opens her mouth to protest, however, Robin interjects and beats her to the punch. "The more the merrier!" she says in a delightful tone, tugging at Jo's forearm, and earning a glare from her. "But I've got my eye on you." Jo snarls, pointing two of her fingers at her eyes and then back to Rome, who merely chuckles at the antic. "I wouldn't have it any other way, darling."
As the group ushers their way out of the auditorium lobby, Quinn glances around once more, in search of her beloved. She frowns as she has no success, even while standing on her tiptoes and spinning around in a circle like a trained circus dog. She huffs out an exaggerated sigh before slumping her shoulders.
Perhaps he was hustled back to New York, the tiny glimpse she caught of him earlier was the only time she'd be able to see him for the night. Due to Stark's controlling nature of the Avengers she hadn't expected him to stay by her side for very long tonight, but she got her hopes up, thinking she could see him and throw her arms around him and thank him for being a drivable force for her. Plus, he had been watching Rudolph while she was away, she needed to thank him for that.
She internalizes the moment, making a note for herself to get some much-needed alone time with Steve when she returns home.
As they make their way out of the lobby area, Quinn is immediately hit with the humidity of Virginia once again. She wasn't going to miss the humid weather for long. In New York, she wouldn't be surprised if it had started to snow already. It was December. The thought of finally being free of the academy was too thrilling for her. Being back in New York in time for the holidays was a blessing.
She had never spent the holidays in New York but she had spent multiple holiday seasons in D.C. with Jo, watching Hallmark movies about the women who worked too hard to have a love for the holidays only to find it in New York or a hometown that was close to New York.
Perhaps she could go to Rockefeller Center and go ice skating with Steve, or even visit the large tree in the middle of the plaza. Surely the holiday lights were up in every intersection of the city. Then it hit her. She was going to have to quickly come up with a way to get gifts for all the people she cares about in less than a week.
A thousand thoughts about how fast the postal service could deliver presents ran through her mind. As she sat there waiting to get into the car, she didn't even realize she was having an internal crisis, until Rome got in the backseat, patting the spot next to him for her to sit. How am I going to get gifts for Lena, Linnea, and Rome? she thought as she places a hesitant smile on her face.
She removes her cap from her head, in an attempt to cool herself down from the humidity and from the stress she was inducing herself with when a familiar voice chimes in from behind her. "Room for one more?"
When she spun on her heel she was greeted by the warm smile of Steve, as he stood slightly behind her. His uniform was gone, replaced by pants, a teal undershirt, and his leather jacket that would occasionally find its way to her from time to time.
She slightly frowns at the presence of the jacket but Steve being in front of her in the flesh was giving her more excitement than anxiety. She didn't even get a chance to say hello before she heard the door behind her shut with a solid thump, leaving her confused as she turned around to see Rome sliding into her spot, shrugging his shoulders.
The mechanic whir of a window being rolled down brought her attention to the driver's side of the car. Jo had begun backing out of the spot, her eyes never leaving Quinn and Steve. Quinn narrows her eyes, trying to judge what she was doing, only for Jo to flit her eyes away for a moment towards Steve.
"Maybe you guys should take your own car. Give you some privacy," she suggests, her expression seems warm and friendly but her tone sounded concerned as if she knew that Quinn was struggling to hold in her excitement yet it almost felt as if she knew that her friend's worries would come through. Jo holds her hand out towards Quinn, and she absentmindedly takes her hand, leaving her graduation cap in it.
Jo offers her a quick smile of reassurance before letting her hand slip away. She quickly put the cap on her own head, beaming with a smile at Steve and Quinn. "I'll see you at the restaurant, I love you!" she announces as she starts back out once again, letting the music blast to get the car in a happy mood. The car abruptly stops, brakes squeaking, and several annoyed shouts come from the passengers as Jo rolls down her window once again.
"Wait I forgot!" Jo shouts, sticking her head out of the window, being careful not to mess with the cap on her head. "Steve, I say this because you're now a thing with my best friend and I feel obligated to say this for her safety," she gestures her hand over to the both of them. Quinn places her lips into a thin line across her face, anticipating what stupidities were going to fall from her best friend's mouth. "I want you to know that I will be at her wedding. One hundred percent. Right by her side. You on the other hand may not be at her wedding."
Steve absently responds with a firm, okay, letting out a soft chuckle as Quinn solemnly shakes her head, her face going red with embarrassment. She figured her mother would be the one to embarrass her in front of Steve, not her best friend. Jo gives a quick honk, before speeding off to join the flow of traffic from the ceremony.
"I didn't know Jo could get that intense." Steve musters out, trying to break the silence with a joke as Quinn's face is covered by her hands to hide how bright her cheeks were. "Yeah...me neither," she responds, her voice muffled underneath her palms, causing Steve to laugh before slinging his arm around her shoulders in one swift motion.
He leads them away from the crowded parking lot, towards the other entrance of the academy where they must've given him a vehicle. She couldn't imagine him driving all the way down here from New York.
After a bit of silence, and from him harboring his face from the leftover people from the ceremony who had formed a small crowd on the outside area in front of the auditorium so he wouldn't get recognized, Quinn starts to warm up to his presence.
She leans in closer to him, wrapping her arm around his torso, or at least attempting to. "I didn't think you'd come," she admits, causing him to rub the silk of the gown that covers her upper arm. "And miss this big achievement for you? Not a chance," he replies, giving the top of her head a swift but tender peck, swiveling his head around to see if anyone had noticed this. Thankfully no one was around.
"I didn't expect you to be the guest of honor, though," she adds, almost as if it were a jab at his status causing him to let out yet another breathless chuckle. "Well, they asked and I couldn't say no," he says, stopping at a black car and unlocking it.
He opens the passenger door for her, drips of water fall to the ground from the leftover rain that was on top of the car. "How long did it take you to write that speech?" she asks coyly, as she grabs on to the top of the doorframe.
"Would you believe me if I said most of it was me free-balling?" he asks, raising his brows. Quinn narrows her eyes at him with a smirk on her lips. It was easy to see that she didn't believe him.
"Every time I started to write a speech all it turned into was a big love letter to you so, I had to use very little base points and go from there," he admits, earning a peck on the cheek from her. She quickly climbs into the passenger seat, sliding a bit from the leather interior.
Her nose bunches up as she attempts to suppress a sneeze. Something about the smell of a new car always set off her allergies. She hides her newfound dislike of the sleek-looking car as Steve slides into the driver's seat. He hesitates for a moment as he plays with the key fob, noticing the lack of the ignition key.
Quinn lets out a huff of a laugh as she leans over and presses the start button by the steering wheel, jolting the car to life. Steve lets out a small cough as if he were clearing his throat to cover the fact that he was dumbfounded at the little effort it took to start cars nowadays. "I knew that." he jokes under his breath, causing her to giggle.
Steve begins to fickle with his seat adjustments and learn how to put the seat warmers on. She watched with concern as he tried to figure out the features of the car, all while thinking back to the small interaction he had with Sawyer that she witnessed. She bit her lip anxiously. The thought of him disappearing after the ceremony for so long didn't settle well with her, even if he had gone to change.
However, she suppresses the urge to badger him with a million questions. She could only imagine that he has already been jumped with critiques about his speech and comments about his presence at the ceremony. She didn't want to add more stress on him.
Frankly, she didn't want to start an argument over something she didn't know anything about. "How's Rudolph?" she questions, as she thinks back to her home life that she gets to go back to tonight. Her heart swells at the simplest memory of Rudolph wagging his tail. "He's great," Steve chirps, suddenly relieved that the tension in the car hadn't boiled to a point. "He hasn't seen any snow yet, which is weird because it's December and it's New York," he adds on.
"Global warming's a thing, Steve," Quinn states, twisting her whole body to look at him, a small smirk placing itself on her lips. "Mm." Is all Steve can say with a slight chuckle as he focuses his sights on the pavement in front of them. "Seriously, how do you think you were found?" she asks, egging him on. For a brief moment, she notices there's a slight change in his eyes. They had gone from bright and playful to aloof and almost mournful.
"I wasn't questioning your statement. I just made a sound," he replies, his voice sounded warm and inviting, as if what she had pointed out was normal, however, how he rubbed his upper arm and how on edge he was behaving was obvious to her that she had struck a chord she hadn't before.
"Are you ready for Christmas?" he questions, trying to change the subject. She exaggeratedly rolls her eyes and sulks into the leather seat. "Ugh, don't even remind me. I have to do a mass shopping expedition to get everyone something."
"Well, don't stress about it, honey. There's still enough time." Steve coaxes her. "Except I'm not sure Jo will get her present on time," Quinn responds. "I don't even know what to get Robin." she huffs out thinking about her roommate.
Sure, she was artsy, had several yards worth of yarn in her room as is. It was a regular occurrence to come home to see Robin sitting on the couch cutting something out of construction paper to place in a rugged leather journal. She didn't want more glitter lying around the apartment. She couldn't think of a good present for her that she didn't already have.
Steve on the other hand was relatively easy to buy for. She just had to find the perfect style of running shoes for him and a couple of shirts. It was their first holiday season together so she would feel awkward if she went all out while he got her something for her computer.
"Just to let you know, Robin has been pretty busy with the symphony for the past couple of weeks. I have an invite on my fridge to go see her." Steve informs her. "Do you want to go with me?"
Quinn's brows knit together in confusion. "Were you going to go without me?" She playfully knocks him on the arm as he lets out a soft laugh while shaking his head. "Never, doll," he replies, watching her cheeks heat up at the nickname.
She absentmindedly twists the radio knob on the car out of pure nerve, filling the stagnant air with holiday music before leaning her head against the window to calm her racing mind and clearing all thoughts of her newfound nickname from him that made a cluster of butterflies erupt in her stomach.
She couldn't imagine it being the holidays without seeing any snow on the ground. Thinking of the holidays gave her a sentimental feeling as she remembers past Christmases that she spent in her childhood with her family.
Playing in the snow until her fingertips turned numb, drinking eggnog with her brother as they watched the holiday specials play on the television. Her favorite Christmas was the one spent in Michigan. She had never seen so much snow in her life. It came down in buckets of fluffy white flakes that were too big for her to even catch in her mouth.
Of course, Max and herself loved it. They had dozens of snow days. Their parents, on the other hand, being from the south, hated the snow. After that year they spent several holidays in warmer states where the snow would hardly fall if they even got any.
Now, she was an adult and creating her own holiday traditions with Jo; creating cookies together while blasting holiday music and watching cheesy Hallmark movies. Now, it was her time to make memories with Steve. The thought of it made her smile.
Steve notices this as he comes to a slow stop at a stoplight. He lifts his hand from the steering wheel, and combs the top of her head with the palm of his hand, gaining her attention. Her eyes were glazed with nostalgia and had a dream-filled glint to them that made his heart speed up.
"I've missed you," he states, his voice sounding hoarse for a moment as if he had just woken up. "I've missed your laugh, I've missed your voice, I've missed seeing you. I missed you." he moves his hand to caress her cheek, which she immediately leans into with a soft smile; her heart thumping wildly in her chest. "I just want to spend my days, counting the moments I've spent with you."
Quinn bashfully tries to hide her face with his hand that was resting in her cheek. She could feel her age starting to heat up in admiration from all the kind words from her lover. She wasn't used to all the compliments. It was like her heart was doing overtime with how fast it was beating. "And hugging me?" she questions, her voice muffled from behind his large hand. He lets out a soft laugh, "And hugging you."
"And kissing me?" she questions, leaning her cheek onto his hand once again to look at him under her lashes. "Oh definitely." he quickly adds. "I missed you too." she quietly admits, wrapping her arms around his shoulder the best that she could. The center console of the car was clearly in the way as she could feel herself and him strain to embrace each other.
She nuzzles her nose into the side of his neck, breathing in what she could only assume was aftershave. "Someday I'll have biceps as big as yours." she jokes, feeling up his upper arms as they break away from the hug, earning a laugh from him. "That'll be the day." he hums out, stroking her cheek with his thumb, endearingly.
He catches her lips with his and for a moment the world was lost to them. His lips were tender against hers, she tried to desperately hold on to her breath to stay in the kiss as long as she could. She couldn't remember why she had felt upset before. She let all her worries recede into the back of her mind as she fully commits to enjoying this moment.
She's the first to break the kiss, cursing the need for air as she was caught off guard by the kiss. She rests her forehead against his, as he continues to hold her face, caressing her cheeks lovingly as he touches the tip of her nose with his, smiling softly as they enjoy each other's presence. He's glad he's close to her because he would've missed her soft comment to him. "I could stay this happy forever."