0_0_7 | Q

Saturday morning was beautiful The sun was bright, the air chilly, and mist hovered on the surface of the water so it seemed as if the school was surrounded on all sides by a cloud.

Bond had gone for a run, first around campus and then into town. He was just emerging from the fog blanketing the bridge when he spotted Q. He slowed to a jog, then finally stopped near him.

"I can't believe you're awake this early," he said. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

He hardly wanted to admit it, but he rather liked Q in his bed at night. He liked the lad in his rooms all the time. He enjoyed chatting with him. Enjoyed spending time in silence. And he enjoyed waking up with the weight of Q's limbs on him.

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From:

0_0_7

"I do. Frequently. When it's appropriate, I'll bring you along," he said. He stood nearly chest to chest with Q and looked at his eyes, then his lips.

"I was going to invite you to Rome over the holidays. And since we're going into town I'll give you this now. We can call it a test run," he said, picking up the box to give to Q. Inside was a necklace. Barely more than a collar.

"I'd like you to wear that when we leave campus together. Every time we leave campus."

From:

cuppa_q

Q was silent for a beat, lifting the necklace from the box and examining it.

"Alright," he agreed. "It's lovely... Is it enchanted or charmed?" He asked as he moved to slip it around his throat.

From:

0_0_7

"No, pet. It's just a gift. The colour of the jade reminded me of your eyes," he said as he wandered away to the bedroom to undress and grab a towel.

From:

cuppa_q

Q was genuinely surprised to hear it- All of it. From the invite to Rome, to the comment about his eyes. He wasn't sure why, but he still assumed James didn't think of him often. That he must be little more than an amusement to the man.

The beads of the necklace were cool against his skin, and he touched them absently as he watched Bond walk away. Part of him wanted to follow, but he knew even a glimpse of the other man's skin would have him itching to be beneath him- And he was curious to see how a trip away from the school might go. No distractions, he decided. No temptations. Instead he sat at the table and waited.

From:

0_0_7

Bond hadn't invited him and didn't expect him, and yet found himself a bit disappointed to be alone as he washed up. It didn't take long, he mostly just washed off the sweat. After, he had a quick shave and dressed in his room. When he finally emerged he was in dark grey trousers and a rich green jumper made of only the finest wool.

"You've waited so patiently. I do hope you're not bored," he said, the scent of his cologne wafting to Q.

From:

cuppa_q

"I'm excited for our day trip," Q assured him, sitting up a bit straighter. "It'll be nice to go out for a change."

Though the way Bond looked just then... It was really hard to want to go anywhere but bed.

From:

0_0_7

"Then put on your shoes and your necklace. The car is in the garage across the bridge. Come along," he said, smiling just a little indulgently.

It was remarkable just how much his feelings had grown. Q had been little more than an amusement. A plaything that he enjoyed.

Except now, bit by bit, Q was no longer a pet. No longer on a cushion at the foot of the bed. Since they'd negotiated, Bond appreciated him for who he was rather than what he was. He was bright, quick, loyal, loving. He was a shit, but he could also be quite sweet.

Nothing good could come of feelings like this for a student so he tried to keep them tamped down. But Q still warmed him inside in a way he simply wouldn't let go of.

From:

cuppa_q

Q was already wearing the necklace, but slipped on his shoes and quickly followed along.

"I used to tinker with cars," he said as they walked. "I've never had my own though. I prefer to cycle."

From:

0_0_7

"I started driving when I was eleven. Snow cats and plows, bobcats...heavy equipment. And then the truck, and I bought my first car on my sixteenth birthday," he said, then reminisced a bit and continued.

"It was a 1977 Aston Martin. God, she was fast. I loved that car. I put her in storage when I joined the navy and, unfortunately, the facility burned to the ground. Car and all."

From:

cuppa_q

"That's awful," Q said. "You must have been terribly upset."

It was nice to hear Bond talk about himself though, to see the doors open just a little.

From:

0_0_7

"For a bit. Then I bought another," he chuckled. "And another. And another. I do keep up on maintenance, but I'm terribly hard on cars."

From:

cuppa_q

"...Oh," Q replied.

It hadn't really occurred to him, but it made sense that Bond came from money. Unlike himself. Q had nice things, well made clothes, high end tech- But it was all things he'd saved for. A carefully curated collection of high end goods. Pennies were never wasted.

Edited Date: 2021-11-13 03:14 pm (UTC)

From:

0_0_7

Their footsteps crushed on the sand sprinkled on the bridge to deter any icy patches. As they reached the opposite said and entered the town, Bond casually slipped his arm around Q and guided him through a car park to a garage where a lovely silver car sat there, begging to be opened wide up on the road.

Bond waved his hand and magic shivered in the air, removing the protections from the car.

"Get in," he invited and went to the driver's seat. Inside it smelled new, but also like Bond's cologne.

From:

cuppa_q

Something about this felt dangerous- Like he was crossing a line the moment he got in the car. Bond's home was one thing- It was private, unseen... This was different. People might see them together. They weren't just hiding away in bed, they were existing together in the world.

Slipping into the car, he buckled up and settled in.

"Are you a good driver?" he asked suddenly.

From:

0_0_7

"not remotely," he smiled at him, gave him a wink, the raced out of th garage and through town. To his credit, he didn't hit anything, but he was aggressive in everything he did.

From:

cuppa_q

Q gripped his seat tightly, a bit nervous as James flew down the roads.

"Can I ask something?" he said once they were on a fairly straight stretch of road.

From:

0_0_7

"Yes, you may," Bond answered. He was speeding along, but he was laser focused on the road, in total control.

From:

cuppa_q

"That spell you used the first night we slept together. ...Where did you learn it?" Q asked. "Just I mentioned it to someone, without connecting it to you, of course, and they seemed concerned."

From:

0_0_7

"I learned it from a lover I had when I finished my service and returned home," he said. "He was older. Brilliant mind. Exquisite magician."

From:

cuppa_q

"It's dark magic though, isn't it?" Q asked, perhaps a bit cautious.

From:

0_0_7

"According to the ministry," he replied. "Did it scare you?"

From:

cuppa_q

"Yes," Q replied, without hesitation, looking over at James and trying to look into those ice blue eyes- though it was impossible when the other man was so focused on the road.

A beat went by, and he wet his lips with a quick flick of his tongue before saying something more.

"...But I liked it," he admitted quietly.