The Space Between | Quinn

[Kai Knightlock]

Early Noon
Mid – March

Kai had made enough trips to Diagon Alley, getting ready for the big opening of the school in summer. He had grown accustomed to the path that the main street took and the sights that the alley had to offer. Making his way towards Oil and Rain, the school owner was lost in his own thoughts.

The thoughts should have been about ordering safety harnesses for beginners, but kept drifting to something completely different, something that had been troubling him for days. The letter that he had written a few weeks back, the letter that he had accidentally displayed on the notice board, the letter that said – I miss you. I’m in Hogsmeade now. Not sure if that matters.
 
Kai had written the letter because he had to, he wasn’t going to be the man who hadn’t tried. It was better to try and fail than not to and regret. He had never expected a reply and knew that the hope of getting one was as low as him being picked by a Qilin. Kai’s heart skipped a beat at the thought.

Qilin. The word  was so similar, it felt eerily familiar.

Memories came rushing to him, new and recent memories. It had not been long since he had met Quinn McLaughlin, but now, he was unsure about who he had been thinking about more? The woman he had written to or the woman he worked for.

Kai had been working at the Spotted Owl for some time and with the late nights, the drinks behind the bar and silly banter, Quinn had become a constant presence in his life. The man shook his head, this was not how it was supposed to be, Quinn was just his boss, technically. Yet he found himself thinking about the woman who ran the bar, who made a good drink, who was always moving, always watching and always saying something that somehow got under his skin in a way he couldn’t quite understand.

Kai was caught between an uneasy space between his past and his present, a past that he didn’t think was possible to let go of and a present he could barely understand. He was stuck between what he had lost and what he had unexpectedly gained.

Overwhelmed with his thoughts, Kai continued walking, swaying and sliding to avoid the crowd. A flicker of recognition crossed his eyes, and he raised his head to look. There she was, there was Quinn. Kai stumbled a few steps forward at the sight of his boss, thrown completely off balance, mentally.

For a moment, Kai contemplated if he could avoid her and continue walking, but his being had other plans. The baffled man found himself being drawn to the lady. It was too late now. Kai forced a smile on his face and tried to hide his surprise.

“Didn’t expect to see you here”, he spoke, too fast, too loud, like a cannon that had been shot without thinking. He had been caught off guard.

“Cough….cough,” he cleared his throat.

Kai wanted to make the best of the situation; he directed his mind not to speak about salt or any other condiments that he would have been familiar with. “You, out for a walk? Too?” he said, trying to cover up the awkwardness. His brain had turned into pasta at the sight of Quinn, and he hoped it wasn’t painfully obvious that it was still scrambling to catch up.

[Quinn McLaughlin]

Quinn stepped out onto the street with a huff. “Piece of shit jerks,” she muttered and looked back at the building behind her. She muttered some four lettered words directed at Gringotts before sighing and looking down at the papers in her hand. She was running out of time, and if things didn’t change – well, she didn’t even want to think about what would happen.

She shook her head and folded the papers, stuck them in her purse angrily – not only had she not been told what she wanted to hear, but she also was up a lot earlier than she usually was. She then started in the direction of the Spotted Owl. She stuck her hand back in her bag just a moment later and when she pulled it out, it held a silver flask. She untwisted the top and downed some of the liquor that was inside. She then replaced the lid and tossed it back into her bag.

The only good thing she had going for her – well, two good things – was a roommate who helped her pay the bills and a new employee who (for some insane reason) didn’t mind working for free. Kai was actually owed twelve conversations at this point. Talking didn’t cost anything, and she could certainly afford to give him her time.

Not that she even minded.

The company was appreciated.

Quinn sighed and found herself zoning out, her arms crossed over her chest as she walked, trying to figure out what the hell she was going to do to make more money. She couldn’t afford to hire anyone else, because not everyone would be as selfless as her newest bartender, so she couldn’t get a second job.

Perhaps the book store that her parents had wanted her to open instead would be doing better than a pub.

“Didn’t expect to see you here.”

A familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts. Quinn looked up and saw that new employee standing before her. She smiled, despite how frustrated she was, because there was just something about him.

She nodded slightly, agreeing that yes she had just been out for a walk. Quinn didn’t want to unload her burdens on him, not when he already did so much to help her. “Yeah. Are you going anywhere specific?” she asked, not wanting to linger on her own reasons for too long.

[Kai Knightlock]

Kai looked at Quinn, his eyes narrowing for a fraction of a second. Either she hadn’t really noticed the awkwardness radiating off him, or she’d been too busy with her own thoughts to care. He relaxed his shoulders and smiled at her.

“Nowhere specific,” he said. There was no reason for Quinn to know he was actually out running errands, all that mattered was that he could spend time with her. He was amused at himself; he would see her in a few hours at work, yet he had still decided to make the most of the opportunity. And if, by the end of it, he got the chance to walk her home for more than three steps, he wasn’t going to miss it. The harnesses could wait.

“I was just here looking for something to decorate my office at Speedy’s,” he said, eyes twinkling as he glanced at her. “Maybe you could help?”

Kai wasn’t sure if he was asking too much, Quinn might have other things to do. But he added quickly, “I really love what you’ve done with The Spotted Owl.” He paused just for a second before continuing, letting the compliment settle. “I clearly don’t have a handle on this. You’re the one with the skills.”

Kai watched her, waiting for a reaction. If she shot him down, he was already bracing himself. He could hear it now, some offhanded quip about how she wasn’t an interior designer or how he should just slap some Quidditch posters on the wall and call it a day. And if that happened? He’d roll with it, maybe pretend to be deeply offended by her lack of faith in his ability to make good decisions.

But if she actually gave him an idea, Kai realized, to his own mild surprise, that he’d probably take it. It hit him then, how easy it was to talk to her, to fall into these conversations where he didn’t have to think too hard about what came next. And maybe that was dangerous. Maybe standing here like he wasn’t supposed to be anywhere else was a mistake.

He should have said something about heading off. But he didn’t. Instead, he just stood there, waiting for her answer. Because against all better judgment, he kind of wanted to see where this went. And more than that, he wanted to figure out where he wanted this to go.

[Quinn McLaughlin]

Quinn nodded and shifted her weight momentarily, watching Kai despite knowing she should not stare. But she just couldn’t help herself.

“I was just here looking for something to decorate my office at Speedy’s. Maybe you could help?”

She raised her brow, tilting her head to the side. Quinn thought she knew what looked good, however she was far from a designer of literally any kind.

“I really love what you’ve done with The Spotted Owl. I clearly don’t have a handle on this. You’re the one with the skills.”

Quinn laughed lightly and shook her head. “I… don’t think I have any real skill either, if I’m honest,” she admitted. “I can’t even draw a straight line with a ruler.”

It was true, as she had already told her friend Maria who had painted the mural on the wall of her pub.

“I might be able to help? I think I know what looks good, anyways… maybe…” Quinn said, laughing again as she peered up at Kai.

For some strange reason that she couldn’t nail down, she felt completely comfortable around Kai. Despite only knowing him for a short time. The thought of spending time with him outside of the pub was actually a nice one.

Maybe the day was salvageable after all. At least she hoped so.

[Kai Knightlock]

This was going well, despite the doubts that Kai had in his head, this was going really well.The man had tackled the encounter without bringing up salt and he was feeling fine.

And then, she tilted her head. He nearly sighed. Again?

As the ex pro quidditch player had introspected multiple times before, there weren’t a lot of things that threw him off, but this? This was starting to feel like a pattern, the tilting of the head, the flutter in his chest and the absurd reactions that followed. The movement was so small, so casual, but it still hit like a stray bludger. He felt himself straighten just slightly, shifting his stance like he could somehow shake off the effect.

Quinn was laughing now, saying something about how she wasn’t skilled at decorating, something about not being able to draw a straight line with a ruler. Kai focused on that instead of the fact that his brain had momentarily short-circuited.

"See, that’s what worries me," he said, tilting his head this time, on purpose, exaggerating the motion just enough to make a point. "You say you ‘think’ you know what looks good, but what if I end up with an office full of bad decisions?"

Kai took a deep breath, it had to be done, there was no way that he was going to survive any more of this.

"You do that a lot, you know." He didn’t mean to say it outright, but the words were already out before he could stop them. "The head tilt thing. It’s, almost..." Dangerous? No. He exhaled, shaking his head at himself before covering it up with an easy grin. "distracting."


Kai had no idea what reaction he was hoping for. Maybe she’d tease him, or maybe she wouldn’t even think twice about it. Either way, he still wasn’t leaving. Kai then stepped aside and spoke without daring to look at the lady, "Which way?"

[Quinn McLaughlin]

Quinn couldn’t believe that Kai was wondering what would happen if he ended up in an office full of bad decisions. She feigned offense and almost whacked him on his arm but held herself back. Would that be crossing a line? Possibly.

Honestly, she had a hard time seeing him as her employee. Professionalism? Who really cared? Still – she wasn’t going to cross that line. Nope. Not her.

"You do that a lot, you know."

Quinn watched him, not smiling but also not frowning. What’d she do a lot?

"The head tilt thing. It’s, almost..."

She raised her brows, a slight smirk beginning to appear on her lips, amused by whatever it was his brain was doing.

"...distracting."

She nodded slightly, watching him as his admission made its way into her head, completely amused. She would remember that forever, whether he liked it or not.

He stepped to the side and didn’t look at her. Quinn tried not to laugh as she pointed in the direction of the shop he had mentioned. “It’s this way,” she said, her voice light, nodding to one side of the street.

She’d all but forgotten about the infuriating meeting she’d had at the bank just moments ago.

[Kai Knightlock]

Kai had forgotten all about the harnesses, this afternoon that has started to be an errand driven affair was turning out to be something completely different and Kai loved it. He just stared at her beady eyed as he saw a rainbow of emotions flicker on her face.

Quinn seemed to be enjoying herself at the cost of Kai's awkwardness and there was nothing he could do about it, in fact, there was nothing that he wanted to do about it.

"It's this way."

Kai nodded and started walking towards the direction that Quinn had indicated. He looked back to make sure that she was there. Kai had been a professional Quidditch player and dealt with hundreds if not thousands of fans. He had always known how to talk to people, how to play a crowd, how to get himself a date without even trying. But now, Kai was about to take a chance.

"You know," he said, his voice dipping just slightly as he glanced sideways at her, "I used to have people lined up for a chance to talk to me." He paused, Kai let the silence stretch just a second too long before he bumped his shoulder lightly against hers, like it wasn’t even a thing.

"And yet, somehow, you’re the one making me work for it."

[Quinn McLaughlin]

Silence enveloped the pair for a moment as they walked in the direction of the shop. Quinn bit her lip slightly, trying to think only about their errand and the kinds of things he could use as decor at his flying school.

As he began speaking again, she looked over and up at him. Her heart sped up a bit when he lightly bumped his shoulder against hers, though she was able to keep acting cool and like that hadn’t thrown her off for a second. Why was she reacting like this? It was stupid. (No it wasn’t, but she would continue telling herself that it was.)

“Hey, do I need to remind you that you are the one who offered to work for conversations?” Quinn asked, a smirk gracing her lips. “I can’t make it too easy,” she added.

Though, honestly, conversing with Kai was unusually easy. Their conversation always seemed to flow naturally, never growing completely uncomfortable. Even the pauses in their chatter felt natural.

Just like this one. She found herself lost in thought, but not wanting to run away.

She knew that she liked him, but – again – she was his boss. She had to remain professional.

Her shoulder was still tingling where he’d bumped her, and she was having a hell of a time not thinking about it.

[Kai Knightlock]

Kai smiled, feeling a lightness he hadn’t experienced in a while. He sighed, realizing he had been holding onto the past too long. It was time to let go.

“Right, right. The infamous deal,” he said with a sly grin. “Remind me, was there a clause about you actively making my life difficult?”

He glanced down at her, and suddenly, something in his chest stirred, a bit too quickly, a bit too intensely.

“Because if so, I feel like I should’ve asked for better terms,” he said, the words coming easily. But there was something too easy about this, about being with her.

In that moment, Kai knew he was smitten, grinning idiotically, he added, “Although, if this is your idea of difficult, I think I’m doing just fine.” He was definitely going bringing the game now.

And then, just because he could, because he wanted to see what she’d do, he let his shoulder brush against hers again, this time a bit slower. Would she call him out? Pretend not to notice?

Hell, he wasn’t sure which answer he wanted.

[Quinn McLaughlin]

“No, no, not a clause…” Quinn responded. “Think of it more as an… implied challenge,” she added, her eyes drawn to his sly grin. She’d been so focused on the pub the past few years that she hadn’t really taken care of herself.

“Hmm…” she responded, continuing to walk with him. The head tilt, which she now knew was a thing for him, wouldn’t do much when they were walking. Which was unfortunate. Still, she considered his words.

“You think so? You really think you’re doing fine?” she teased, smirking.

Why was it so easy with him? Why was there no pressure or awkwardness? It was so strange. She usually felt pretty awkward.

“I suppose I could give you a gold star,” Quinn finally quipped, making a mental note to buy some star stickers. Why? They’d be nice to have on hand for moments like this. And would be a great way to let him know how his job performance was.

“You really think you deserve one?” she asked, raising her brow up at him, looking at him sideways, her head tilted just slightly.

[Kai Knightlock]

Kai's eyes sparkled as Quinn spoke. He had always been competitive and was not the one to back down from a challenge, "Are you sure that you want to make it a challenge?" he blinked twice, amused, "Now I feel like I have to win something." He chuckled, "And I always win."

Kai knew that he was doing fine, he was here talking to her wasn't he? Outside of work, on a completely random walk, completely out of the blue. But was he really doing fine? Quinn had shown no reaction to their shoulders touching. No startled glance, no playful shove—nothing. Kai wasn’t sure why that threw him more than if she had.

“I suppose I could give you a gold star,” - “You really think you deserve one?”

Kai had trained for high-pressure situations. He had faced off against the best fliers in the league, handled interviews and press junkets without breaking a sweat. And yet, somehow, this woman with her gold star threats and barely-there head tilt was throwing him completely off his game.

He shook his head and chuckled, trying to keep his wits about him, "I mean," he paused , "I think I deserve at least one star." Then, to get the upper hand on what had now officially been declared as a challenge, he took a big step, turned around and stopped in front of her.

"If we’re talking stars, I could probably decorate my walls with all the stars that I would get from you," he smirked.

[Quinn McLaughlin]

"I think I deserve at least one star."

Quinn smirked, pretending to be deep in thought about this statement – as if he wasn’t really doing a good job. This game they were playing was incredibly enjoyable, if she were totally honest with herself. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was clearly something between them – some unmistakable chemistry that she hoped went deeper than just the physical.

Surely it did though; the way that he looked at her, smiled at her, talked to her. Everything told her that whatever it was went much further than surface level. And she was totally fine exploring that with him.

"If we’re talking stars, I could probably decorate my walls with all the stars that I would get from you."

Kai had stepped forward and now was standing in front of her, towering over her. The smirk was still present on her face as she peered up at him, close enough to reach out and touch him but she didn’t dare.

“Quite confident,” she responded, her eyes moving around his face and taking in all of his features. “Stars would… be good – for the school, I mean,” she said, clearing her throat. They could stay on task, right?

“Perhaps you hang one up every time you earn one,” she added, biting her lip. She wanted to stay focused on thinking about Speedy’s but… it was hard to.

[Kai Knightlock]

The harnesses could definitely wait. For a day that Kai had thought would involve running an errand followed by a quick lunch, things were turning out to be different. Good different.

He looked at Quinn, reciprocating the intensity in her eyes. His smirk turned into a grin, "Stars, huh?", Kai took half a step closer to the barkeep, his heart beating so loud he was sure everyone around could hear it. "So what you’re saying is… you want my office to look like a child’s reward chart?" He let out a tiny chuckle trying to diffuse the tension.

Kai could feel his cheeks flush as he continued speaking tho Quinn, "I mean, I’m not opposed," he continued, forcing himself to keep it light, "But if I have to hang one up every time I earn it, that means you’d have to personally approve each star." The school-keep was barely keeping his head together, may be stepping closer to someone who made him feel giddy hadn't been a good idea.

“You think you’re up for that added responsibility?” Kai asked, his voice filled with pretend concern. But then, suddenly, everything changed. Kai’s mind went blank, just like it had during the salt fiasco, and he felt like a puppet, his hand moving on its own. It reached up and gently ruffled Quin’s hair.

Kai didn't know how to react, he let his hand rest on her head.

[Quinn McLaughlin]

Quinn nodded as Kai stepped closer, internally freaking out a bit, but she couldn’t let him know that. She stood her ground, still looking up at him, pretending (hopefully successfully) that she wasn’t bothered by the closer proximity.

"But if I have to hang one up every time I earn it, that means you’d have to personally approve each star. You think you’re up for that added responsibility?”

When she was just about to respond, his hand moved towards her. Closer, closer… was he going to touch her face?

No.

No – he was ruffling her hair. And then his hand stayed there on her head. Awkwardly.

Amusement crossed Quinn’s face as she looked up at Kai, almost laughing, wondering what he planned on doing with his hand then. After a moment, she finally reached up and grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand down from the top of her head. Once free, her head tilted to the side slightly – without even thinking about it. She held his wrist in front of her.

“You get stars and I get… what, head pats?” Quinn responded, laughing lightly. “That hardly seems fair.” She let go of his wrist once she realized she was still holding it, her fingers immediately missing the contact.

[Kai Knightlock]

Kai barely had time to process what had happened before Quinn’s fingers wrapped around his wrist and pulled his hand down. His brain had stopped functioning at her touch and as he saw it, he had two choices—panic and make it weirder… or double down.

So he doubled down.

"What? You’ve never received a well-earned gesture of appreciation before?" His tone was smooth, effortless, like this was a completely normal thing. "It’s a well-documented motivational technique. Encouragement is key to workplace morale."

The way he said it—so absurdly confident, so matter-of-fact—if someone had overheard, they might have actually believed him. Then Quinn laughed. And tilted her head. Again. Kai nearly rolled his eyes. Now she was definitely doing it on purpose.

Just as Quinn had released his wrist, Kai felt a tinge of sadness. It was now evidently clear to him that he was completely falling for the girl. "Relax, I’m keeping them where you can see them," he teased, smirking. "But if you’re still worried, feel free to grab my wrist again. Seems to be working out well for you."

With that, he shifted, stepping to the side, hands loose at his sides, ready to start walking again.

[Quinn McLaughlin]

Quinn rolled her eyes as Kai spoke about the importance of head pats. She wasn’t a damn dog. Still – despite being unable to believe he was defending his super awkward choice of action – she laughed anyway. He was awkward, but in a really cute way. And the teasing just made it worse.

"Relax, I’m keeping them where you can see them. But if you’re still worried, feel free to grab my wrist again. Seems to be working out well for you."

Quirked eyebrow, Quinn peered up at Kai, the laughter stopping, as she considered his words. Was she worried that he would pat her on the head again? Yeah. Considering he was quite tall compared to her, she realized how convenient that was for him.

He stepped to the side and she continued considering her options. Quinn missed the physical touch, however simple it had been, when she was holding his wrist. But she never walked wrist-in-hand before, just hand-in-hand.

Honestly, as Quinn stood there momentarily, she had completely forgotten what errand they were running. Or rather, what errand he had been running before they saw each other.

She bit her lip, almost nervously. “I can also… introduce you to my artist friend, the one who did the mural at the pub. I’m sure she’d love to do something at Speedy’s too,” she commented, trying to be nonchalant.

Right. This direction, Quinn thought to herself as she began walking forward. She reached out and took his hand in hers, pulling him along with her.

There, she did it.

[Kai Knightlock]

Kai had been ready to walk, he had stepped aside, he had even surrendered control. HIs mind raced through the possible scenarios about to unfold, has he said too much? had he lost his chance because he as too eager?

Kai looked at Quinn waiting for her to leave. But she didn’t. She just stood there, thinking, making the decision that would affect the rest of his life. And then, after what felt like eons, she bit her lip, said something about an artist friend, and then...

Something exploded in his head, Kai had been seeing the world in black and white, and suddenly everything was like looking at a rainbow. He could feel Quinn's hand in his as she tugged him along, for a moment he felt petrified by the weight of it all, however, Kai moved along, hand in hand with this girl who had begun to mean a lot more to him than the owner of the pub he worked at.

Kai shuddered, for all his teasing, all his confidence, he hadn’t actually expected that. Her fingers wrapped around his, a light pull urging him forward. She wasn’t looking at him, wasn’t making a thing of it, but Kai felt it. The warmth of her hand, the surety in the movement, everything made him melt.

He could’ve made a joke. Should’ve, probably. Something easy, something humorous, "Oh, so this is how you seal a business deal?" or "Didn’t realize this was part of the challenge." But he didn’t. Instead, Kai let himself be pulled along, his fingers tightening around hers just slightly, just enough to tell her he wasn’t letting go first.

“That mural’s great,” he said finally, his voice a little quieter, a little steadier than he expected. “I think I like this idea better.” And yeah—he wasn’t talking about the artist.

[Quinn McLaughlin]

Very briefly, Kai didn’t move. It was a small hesitation on his part, but then he fell in step with her. She’d been momentarily worried that he might pull his hand from hers – that despite how obvious he had seemed to be, maybe she had completely misread him wrong.

Or maybe she was delusional.

But no, tightened his grip just enough that reassured her. She hadn’t misread the signs. The thought of him actually agreeing – nonverbally at least – that they were on the same page… her stomach burst into butterflies.

Quinn couldn’t help but to smile as he spoke, his voice quieter.

“I think I like this idea better.”

“Me too…” she responded, glancing briefly up at him before turning her attention to Diagon Alley. What were they doing? Where were they going?

Honestly, did it even matter? Did he even remember?

“Um…” Quinn began after a moment of continued walking. “I don’t… – where are we going?”

[Kai Knightlock]

"Me too..."

She like it too, she actually liked the idea. Kai's face turned red and the biggest grin appeared on his face, his reaction mirroring a toddler discovering their reflection in a mirror for the first time.

It didn't stop there, it was too much for him to take, after years of being lonely and having lost a particular someone, things had finally changed. His brain turned into mush and the rest of him into a beautiful meadow filled with brightness and rainbows and butterflies.

Kai wasn't even sure which idea Quinn had talked about, hell, he didn't know which idea he had talked about. But something, everything what was happening was right. Kai wouldn't have changed a thing. His hand had squeezed hers tighter as she spoke, the action had been gentle but it conned the intensity of the turmoil inside him, there was no way he was letting go.

“I don’t… – where are we going?”

Kai was brought back to Merlin's Earth when Quinn spoke again, he had been so lost in the moment that he too had completely forgotten the task at hand. Hand. He sighed. The hand was all that mattered to him right now. Trying to respond to the situation Kai spoke, "Were we going to?..." he drew a blank, "I think we need to walk that way," he jerked his head in no particular direction, "and I think we had a lot of walking to do." He nodded with determination, they had to be at the pub in a couple hours and he figured they could spend all the time available holding hands.

He truly had transformed into a hormone loaded teen having his first crush, and somehow that felt perfect.

[Quinn McLaughlin]

Quinn stopped walking, furrowing her brow. She couldn’t believe how lost in the moment she had allowed herself to forget. She had always been a very logical person, not someone who led by her heart, and yet… she had lost her head.

As Kai stumbled over trying to remember what they were doing, she looked up at him. He jerked his head in a specific direction – the direction they’d just been walking in, but was that right?

"...and I think we had a lot of walking to do."

Right. Walking. Hand holding is what he had meant to say, Quinn knew that much. Her hand fit perfectly inside of his and now she couldn’t imagine a time when they hadn’t crossed that line.

Was it a line? Okay, but. Was it a bad line?

No. It couldn’t be. Quinn blushed and nodded, agreeing that he must be right.

Right?

Quinn began walking again, her hand still comfortably in his. “Yeah… that sounds right…” she agreed, though she still was utterly confused.

What time was it? Surely the pub would have to open soon… What time had her meeting at Gringotts been? Really – she had no idea.

Someone could ask her if it was Halloween and she wouldn’t know the correct answer.