Title: an undeniable spark
Fandom: Marvel Comics (West Coast Avengers)
Pairing: Kate Bishop/Quentin Quire
Length: 2602 words
Rating: Teen
Warnings: fade to black - implied sex, something that could be construed as cheating, but really isn’t imo.
Notes: also written for 100ships  #04: spark
Summary: Team dance night takes an unexpected turn.



The whole team night out thing had been Kate’s idea and it really had seemed like a good one at the time. It seemed like the only time any one of them left headquarters lately was for a job or to do a food run. Super Hero stuff was very detrimental to one's social life. So, dressing up and going dancing seemed like an optimum solution. A fun night on the town with a side of team bonding? Yes, please!

It started out with all of them on the dance floor together. Kate was having a blast. The music selection was stellar and she'd worn this neat little dress she found at a second-hand store. It was a deep plum with spaghetti straps and all these cute tiers of fringe that swayed when she moved. It was really fun to dance in.

It wasn't until some of them started pairing off that it got less fun. Kate stayed on the dance floor for a while but when she saw Noh-Varr and Johnny making out a foot away from her she decided it was time for a drink.

She'd felt a sharp pang of jealousy when she first spotted the two of them, all wandering hands and lingering lips. It was dumb. Relationships ended all the time and she was fine. Really. They'd split up weeks ago. It had been a mutual and amicable decision. Both she and Johnny realized that they worked better as friends. It was cool. She just didn’t think he’d move on so quickly, that's all. Or with her other ex. Or you know, right in front of her. Whatever. It was fine.

Kate turned back to the bartender, ordered a Purple Cosmo, and sighed. She wished Clint hadn’t made some lame excuse about being too old to go clubbing. She could have really used his backup. At least it would have given her someone to talk to. It was fine though. She was fine. Totally fine. Everything was fine and maybe if she kept telling herself that it would somehow be true. Right?

“Yeah, no,” Quentin said. He leaned over the bar, ordered a drink, and turned to her with something that looked almost like empathy in his face.

“What?” Had she said that last bit out loud? She was so off her game that it took her a moment to remember that Quentin was a telepath. She hadn't even had a drink yet.

“You can tell yourself that you’re fine a million times." Quentin shrugged. "It’s not going to magically make it true.”

The bartender delivered both of their drinks. Kate's was a nice rich purple but devoid of any frills while the drink Quentin ordered was bright pink with slices of strawberries and lemons and topped with one of those frilly little umbrellas. It was very on-brand.

“What are you drinking?” Kate leaned in to get a closer look.

Quentin held the glass up and smiled, “Pink Moscato strawberry lemonade, want a taste?”

The scent was sweet and inviting, she leaned in a little closer and inhaled deeply. Yum. "Does it taste as pretentious as it sounds?"

"I haven't had a sip yet, but if history is anything to go by it tastes even more pretentious than it sounds." Quentin quirked an eyebrow and smiled.

Kate reached out to take the glass, their hands touched, and for a moment she thought she felt something. She shook her head, took a sip, and allowed the flavors of fresh lemons and sweet strawberries to wash over her tongue. "Mmm..." Oh wow, that was good. She licked her lips and handed him back his drink.

Quentin smiled at her as he raised the glass to his mouth and drank.

Kate had to fight the urge to take a step closer. It was the drink, it was really good and she just wanted another taste. Seriously, that was all. She stepped to the side and picked up her own glass.

Quentin put his glass down. "What did you get?"

"Um..." it took her a moment to remember. "Purple Cosmo."

He nodded. "Suits you."

"Did you want to try it?" Kate moved closer to offer him the drink and paused. Wait, what the hell was she doing? “Are you trying to influence me?”

Quentin laughed and put his hand on his chest. “What me?”

Quentin cleaned up nicely. He was wearing a dark pink button-down shirt paired with black jeans. The shirt looked soft. Probably silk. Her fingers itched to feel the fabric. Just to check. Kate took a step back and squinted at Quentin. “Where’s Gwen?”

He gestured behind him towards the dance floor. “We’re on a break." He took a drink and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "Apparently.”

Kate glanced behind her and saw Gwen grinding against some spiky-haired guy dressed in blue leather. “A break?” How had she not known this? Was she so wrapped up in her own drama that she stopped paying attention to her team members? Her friends? Quentin didn't seem all that torn up about the breakup but it was hard to tell with him. He had a tendency to hide his true feelings behind biting sarcasm and feigned nonchalance.

“Yeah, she doesn’t think I’m all that great for her longevity or something. She claims I'm more of a...“ Quentin made air quotes. “...background character.” He shrugged. “I guess she’s looking for a lead to hook herself to or something. Don't know, don't care.”

Kate reached out and put her hand on his shoulder.“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Didn’t see much point, besides you have your own thing going on. It’s not a big deal, she’ll probably change her mind in a few days, you know how Gwen is.”

“Yeah, probably.” Kate downed half her Cosmo to push away the awkwardness of the situation. It was nice but not as tasty as Quentin's concoction. In the warm buzz of the alcohol, an idea came together. “How about we be each other’s wingman - err - wing-person.” She tilted her head. "Wing people?"

Quentin put down his drink. “What in the world are you talking about?”

“I’ll help you find someone to hook up with while you help me find someone that I can hook up with.” This was a bad idea but she'd gotten all dressed up and she didn't want it to be for nothing.

Quentin picked his drink back up and sipped. Was he stalling? Kate caught herself staring. At Quentin. What the hell? No, it was just the cocktail she craved, nothing more. She grabbed the glass out of his hand, took a big swallow, and placed it back down on the bar.

It wasn't the drink. It was a damn tasty beverage but it but wasn't to blame. It was her, she was having these very unprofessional thoughts about her friend and teammate and she really wasn't sure what to do about it.

Or, maybe it was Quentin. Maybe he was doing this with his mind powers. He could have planted sexy thoughts of him in her brain.

Quentin moved his glass away from her. “It’s not my fault you're horny, Bishop.”

Shit. She really needed to learn to shield better. “You’ve mind whammied me, I know it.”

He shook his head and laughed. “I really haven’t, but if it makes it easier for you to deal with your wanton urges - sure blame me. I can take it.”

“I'm not having urges, wonton or otherwise,” Kate lied. She totally was and it wasn't the first time.

“I’ll admit to reading your thoughts a bit - though in my defense you are projecting pretty hard right now.” Quentin leaned against the bar. “Can I influence thoughts? Yeah, I'm an omega-level telepath, of course, I can. Do I avoid it? Totally. Do you really think I’d limit myself to this west coast rinky-dink little team if I was willing to use my telepathic influence with abandon?”

She really didn't. She knew he had some dark moments in his past but the truth was, she trusted Quentin. He'd had her back on countless missions and over the past year and a half, they'd even become something close to friends.

What Kate needed was a diversion. Something to help her forget about Noh-Varr and Johnny hooking up and to make her forget how hot Quentin looked when he wasn't being an ass.

“Okay, hook me up,” Kate said.

“Excuse me?”

“You know - wingman me. Find me someone for a night of wild abandon.”

“Now you’re talking.” Quentin rubbed his hands together and grinned.

+++

His name was Dave. He had hazel eyes and a mess of curly black hair that he had to keep brushing away from his face. He seemed nice enough if you didn't mind bland and boring. He wore olive green corduroys and a mustard yellow t-shirt. The kind with the useless little pocket in front. He danced well enough, but it felt forced and empty. All she felt between them was a complete and total lack of spark.

Kate just wanted a nice little all-consuming distraction, was that so much to ask for? Something to take the edge off her heartbreak and possibly obliterate her feelings of attraction toward a certain telepath. A simple no-strings-attached diversion. Unfortunately, Dave wasn't it.

+++

The perky blond girl Kate had picked out for Quentin was named Lisa and she seemed to have a thing for mutants. Lisa seemed sweet and energetic even if she was wearing way too much baby blue glittery eyeshadow. Whatever. There were worse flaws to have and she seemed to be Quentin's type. As much as Quentin seemed to have a type. Then again maybe Kate didn't really know Quentin that well at all because when she returned to the bar he was already there. He sat alone sipping another one of those delicious strawberry lemonade concoctions.

Kate leaned in and snatched Quentin's drink from him. As their hands connected she felt a tiny little zing sprout into a full-blown spark. She almost dropped the glass. Oh no. She really hoped he wasn't listening in on her thoughts right then because her thoughts were doing their own thing and that thing was very much concentrated on what it might be like getting Quentin out of those clothes. She downed half the drink and put the glass down on the bar. She didn't want to risk touching him and feeling another spark.

“You’re projecting again, drink thief.” Quentin used the little beverage umbrella to stab a slice of strawberry and slipped it into his mouth.

Kate really needed to leave before she did something irrevocably stupid. She sat down at the bar, flagged down the bartender, and ordered another drink. "I'll have what he's having."

“What happened to Lisa?” Kate asked.

“She left.” Quentin shrugged.“Said she was hoping for a real X-Man.”

“Ouch.”

He smiled. “Yeah, well, you get used to that kind of thing after a while.”

"You don't seem all that upset about it," she pointed out.

"There wasn't any spark." Quentin finished his drink and pushed his glass away.

“So, is that it? You're calling it a night?” Kate bit her lip.

Quentin ran his fingers through his mohawk. “I think we're both calling it a night.”

Oh no, no, no. She was not doing this. “Yeah, I think we are.”

Quentin stood up. “Let me walk you home.”

“We live at the same place, Quentin.” Kate fidgeted with the fringe on her dress.

“Even more reason for you to let me walk you home.”

Kate looked around. “Where did the others go?”

“Ramone and America left about an hour ago, said they were gonna see a movie."

“And Gwen?” She wanted to ask about Johnny and Noh-Varr but she was pretty sure she didn't want to know.

Quentin’s smile faltered for a moment. “She left with blue leather guy.”

“I'm sorry.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “It's fine.”

“Okay, you can walk me home,” Kate said.

The night air was cooler than she expected, not east coast cold but there was a chill. She slipped her fingers into Quentin’s hand and told herself it was because she wanted the warmth. He entwined his fingers with hers and it felt somehow right.

It wasn't a long walk but the anticipation had her on edge. Were they really going to do this or was she misreading the situation?

As soon as they got in the door Kate pushed Quentin against the wall and pressed herself against him. She didn't even wait until the door was closed. She didn't want to second guess herself. Quentin wrapped his arms around her, a smug look on his face and Kate knew she hadn't misread a thing. They kissed. It was electric and he tasted like strawberries. When they came up for air the smug look was gone and there was something else in his eyes. Something hungry. Kate no longer cared if this was a bad idea or not.

"Your bedroom or mine?" Quentin asked.

"Yours." Kate wanted to be able to end this and go back to her room if she needed to. He didn't comment on her choice, and instead just led the way.

His room was a mess which was neither new nor a surprise.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he cleared a path to the unmade bed.

"You don't need to apologize, I already knew you were a slob."

He huffed a laugh. Kate looked him in the eyes and said, "I know you, Quentin Quire. The good, the bad, the occasionally disgusting." Kate smiled and touched his cheek. "I'm still here."

+++

They were naked and in his bed when Kate told herself for the second time that night that she was going to go back to her bed any minute now, but then Quentin was kissing her again and those thoughts disappeared.

It wasn’t until dawn's early light started hitting the skies that Kate found herself back in her own bed feeling pleasantly sated and only slightly guilty as she drifted off to sleep.

It was almost noon when she finally managed to drag herself out of bed. The coffee pot was empty and cold. She had just set preparations in motion for a fresh pot when Clint wandered into the kitchen.

“Rough night?” Clint asked. There was a weird twinkle in his eye that Kate did not like.

“What makes you say that?” She rested her head on the counter. She was still so tired.

Clint laughed. “That good, huh?” He reached around her to grab a mug out of the cabinet. “Or was it that bad?”

Kate groaned. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Clint laughed. “Fair enough, but you do realize that you’re wearing one of Quire’s shirts, right?”

Kate looked down and groaned. The shirt was blue and said "Quire Happens." Oh no. She could not deal with this before coffee. After coffee, she could think up a perfectly good excuse. Probably.

“Before you make up some kind of lie about last night you should probably know that the two of you were loud. Really loud. I could still hear you after I took my hearing aids out. That did take it down a notch though, thankfully.” Clint gave her a thumbs up and Kate shook her head.

The coffee machine gurgled. Clint filled both of their mugs and ruffled her hair. “Honestly I wouldn’t have thought the kid had that kind of stamina in him." He blew on his coffee. "Who knew?”