Q

[0_0_7]

[Continued form here for length]

"I will," he swore. They drove on a bit and Bond checked the GPS again. "How bloody far is this place? We've got to be almost there. Zoom that out and see..."

He hated the countryside in the dark. But thank god for technology. It wasn't all that long ago he would have been relatively blind.

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[quartermaster_q]

Q removed the cuffs, and when they fell, he kicked them away.

He was silent as he stood, arms wrapped around himself defensively. He looked more shaken now then he had when Bond had rescued him.

"What we have- It's fragile. We're fragile."

[0_0_7]

He didn't speak because he hadn't been given leave to, but he nodded.His eyes never looked anywhere but at Q. What they had was so incredibly fragile. They were balanced on the edge of a blade and anything, even a whisper, could cut them down.

[quartermaster_q]

Q swallowed hard, looking away.

"Speak. Say something. I need you to say something now, Bond."

[0_0_7]

"I love you, Q. I trust you implicitly and I apologize for doing that to you. I'll never do it again," he said. He'd needed to know, yet he couldn't lie to Q, couldn't say it was on M's orders. It had been his decision.

"And you're right. What we have, you and I, it is terribly fragile. I trust no one the way I trust you." He paused. "I should say...I trust no one but you."

[quartermaster_q]

Q exhaled with a shudder, nodding once and leaving it there. No arguments, no anger. Just a nod, and like that it was pushed aside and forgotten- At least for now.

"Finish your run, I'm going to return to the cottage and make contact with M," he decided.

[0_0_7]

"I'll be in shortly," Bond promised, then he turned and headed for the perimeter of the compound, soon gone from sight.

[quartermaster_q]

Q made his way back to the cottage, surprised to find a sealed letter taped to the door.

Taking it inside with him, he tore it open, mouth going dry at the sight of familiar handwriting.

You can't run. You can't hide.
I'll give you this week though.
Enjoy the false security their little hound gives you.
Sleep soundly.
Sleep well.
When I finally come for you, you wont be running anymore- You'll be begging me to take you.
Not tomorrow, not the day after, but eventually, love.
Eventually you'll be desperate to come back.

Q read it once, then again- Then did something he knew he shouldn't. Walking over to the shredder, he fed the paper in. There was no reason for Bond to worry about this. Not when there wasn't anything he could do.

[0_0_7]

Bond made the circuit five times, until his chest was heaving and he felt as if he had done something good with himself. He'd burned off his guilt, burned off his doubt. He felt clear by the time he got back to the cabin and sauntered in.

He smiled at Q fondly.

"That's done," he announced.

[quartermaster_q]

Q offered a smile in return, mask carefully in place.

"Better?" he asked.

[0_0_7]

"Much," he said, nodding. Then Bond moved in with all the strength and grace of a large predator and he took hold of Q. There was no hesitation as he kissed him, the smell of fresh air and clean sweat strong on him.

[quartermaster_q]

Bond kissed him, and Q could taste the lies and secrets on his own lips- He only hoped the other man couldn't taste them as well. That just this once Bond would accept what was on the surface and not what lurked beneath.

[0_0_7]

Bond was utterly oblivious to any deception. His trust made him impossibly blind. He smiled against Q's lips before pulling away.

"I need a shower," he said. "And then I think I'm going to drag you back to bed..."

[quartermaster_q]

Easing into the deception, Q smiled, faint but flirtatious as he pulled out his tablet from his bag and sat down.

"Don't spoil the surprised," he tutted. "The surprise is the best part," he teased.

[0_0_7]

Bond snorted softly at that, sure that now that Q had his tech he had plenty of time to shower and have and primp and dress. Maybe even make new tea.

"I'll be back," he told Q, sure that couldn't be a surprise, and he ducked into the bathroom to clean up.

[quartermaster_q]

Settling in on his stomach, Q tapped away at his tablet, replying to emails, and then calming his nerves with a few rounds of his new favourite game.

Like this he could almost pretend that everything was fine.

[0_0_7]

He took his time, letting the hot water beat on his back. But eventually he did emerge, towel round his waist, and he padded to the kettle to put on some water.

"You're caught up," he noted, watching Q for a second. "What are you doing?"

[quartermaster_q]

With a pillow tucked beneath him as he lay on the bed, Q barely glanced up from his game.

"Just a game. Nothing interesting," he assured the double-o- only then glancing over to steal a glimpse of Bond, damp and wearing only a towel.

He really was a stunning man.

[0_0_7]

Bond came back to where Q lay and descended upon him, kissing the back of his neck while smoothing a hand over his as.

"You look like you're invested," he murmured. He fully intended to change that.

[quartermaster_q]

Q smiled a little, Bond's attempts working well as he messed up his next round.

"Oi!" he laughed.

[0_0_7]

His own laugh was a low rumble. Bond put a knee between Q's legs and braced himself over the man, the began to kiss his back. It didn't matter that the man's shirt was in the way. He loved breathing in the scent of him.

"What's the point of it?" he asked. "A score? Real money?"

[quartermaster_q]

"It's just fun, James. You know what fun is, don't you?" he teased, turning off his game and rolling over onto his back beneath the other man.

"It's what we could have had earlier- If you hadn't decided to be an utter bastard," he added, making it clear that while Bond was forgiven, his actions weren't yet forgotten.

[0_0_7]

Bond backed away and looked a bit sly as he began to push Q's shirt up.

"Well," he drawled, "I've always been a bastard. What can I say in my defense? Nothing."

He sounded glib but he looked genuinely apologetic as he ducked low to kiss Q's chest.

[quartermaster_q]

Q moaned softly, enjoying the soft brush of Bond's lips, and stretching out lazily beneath him.

"Mmm, you are my favourite bastard, for whatever that's worth," he murmured.

[0_0_7]

"I intend to keep it that way," Bond said softly as he swept back and forth, a kiss just under Q's nipple a slow drag of lips and nose as he passed over his heart, then a light suckle on the other side.

"I want to be your favourite...always. Because I adore you. Adore you," he added, intent on making Q's skin light up.

[quartermaster_q]

"It's endearing that you think there might be competition. Flattering, even," Q purred, raking his nails over Bond's scalp as he squirmed beneath him.

The other man's lips felt like fire, each kiss burning and branding his skin. It was a divine sensation, one that his memory would gladly hold onto, ready to be replayed the next time he took himself in hand under the hot spray of the shower.