0_0_7 | (no subject)

There was a sharp crack of gunfire that made the comm squeal in Q branch. The Double-0 in the field grunted, then began to pant, and continued making familiar sounds of effort as he ran full bore.

"Report," M barked in his ear.

"He ran," Bond replied, as if that should be obvious.

"Can you catch him?"

There was no answer. For a few tense moments there was only measured breathing, Bond's rhythm driving him on. On Q's screen, the small dot that indicated the agent moved north, then northwest, then vanished entirely in the middle of an intersection.

"I'm in the sewer," he said simply.

The announcement gave Q time to find him.

A moment later, there was an explosion and the comm cut out entirely.

M looked at Tanner and Q, Moneypenny...only looked at Q.

"Get me satellite," Tanner barked at Q's underling and a moment later there was an image of a smoking crater where Bond's signal had been. The smartblood monitor blinked OFFLINE. That didn't mean dead, but it certainly wasn't good.

"Bond?" M said. "Report."

Silence.

"Double-0-Seven, report," M repeated.

Silence.

"Keep the comm open," M finally said, then stalked out of the room.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"You should go home, Q. You should rest," Eve said gently.

Moneypenny didn't generally spend much time in Q branch, but over the last 48 hours she'd been in and out several times. She'd brought him tea at least twice, and when Q had pointed out it wasn't her job to play secretary for him, she'd ignored him and just carried on as she saw fit. This was the first time she'd lingered.

"R's been to my flat to feed the cats," Q said absently, still working on reestablishing contact, between checking various feeds for a sign of the double-o.

"I'm not worried about Glitch and Beta, I'm worried about you. Go home, Q, get some sleep. ...He does this all the time. Could be months before we see him again," she reminded him.

"And what if we don't this time? What if this time he's actually in danger, or..." He trailed off, unwilling to even say it. His voice was calm as ever, but it was obvious that beneath the surface Q was beginning to flail a little.

Eve was quiet for a moment, then put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "Go home. Go to bed, Q. I'll see you first thing tomorrow."

And so he had. Because for whatever reason Q wasn't very good at arguing with Eve. She had a way of just always seeming right about things... A lingering talent from being in the field no doubt.

The tube ride home felt longer than usual, and to be fair it was longer than it had once been. Since that incident with his ex, Q had relocated, giving up his flat in favour of a narrow two story home nearer the edge of the city. He hadn't been looking to take on a mortgage, but, well, it wasn't as though he intended to leave the city anytime soon. Why not settle down?

Tonight he was regretting it though, as everything suddenly seemed far less stable than it once had been.

The cats greeted him at the door, both vocal about his absence. Q soothed them both with treats, and by settling in on the settee with them both for a few hours before finally dragging himself off to bed.

From:

0_0_7

Shortly after 3am, both cats began to meow. They were quite vocal...until they weren't. At all.

Bond stood in Q's kitchen, lit by the refrigerator. He had given the cats cheese and was searching for something decent to drink.

"Your cats are better security than your system," he said into the fridge when he heard Q shuffle out.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

Q stood in silent shock for a moment, then picked up a sponge of the kitchen counter and pelted it at Bond's back, causing Glitch to jump away from the pair and Beta to let out an unimpressed 'merr'.

"I thought you were dead!" Q snapped, picking up a kitchen towel and pelting that next- Though it didn't quite make it across the kitchen.

From:

0_0_7

The impact instantly grew cold as the water soaked his shirt and chilled his skin. The towel fell short and he offered Q a smile.

"I'm not," he clarified, in case there was confusion.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"Clearly," Q replied dryly. "Why are you in my home?"

He reached for something else to throw, but there wasn't much left on the counter.

"Your com went dead! There was a bloody crater in the earth! And I sat at that bloody desk for two days, because I just wanted to catch a glimpse of you, to -"

He trailed off, not wanting to get more emotional than he already was.

"I really hate you sometimes, do you know that?"

From:

0_0_7

Bond closed the refrigerator and turned to move to him.

"I'm sure you do," he nodded, slowly taking him in his arms.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

Q wanted to tell him to fuck off, but only settled against him, holding him in return.

"...I'm very glad you're not dead," he said quietly. "I would have missed you terribly."

From:

0_0_7

"I'm sorry I didn't call," he apologized softly. "The phone didn't make it..."

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

Q groaned, thinking of all the paperwork that awaited him tomorrow, then sighed.

"It's very late," he said finally.

And they weren't doing this- They'd decided to try and keep it professional, but Bond was here, he was alive, and Q didn't want him to go. Wanted to know he was still breathing, wanted to see him in daylight when the sun finally crept back up over the horizon.

"...Come to bed, get some sleep," he finished quietly.

From:

0_0_7

"I was hoping you'd say that," je smiled.

He didn't seem injured, or even particu;larly upset. The explosion was simply routine.

He followed Q, unsure of the layout.

"I like your new home," he said. "Why a house?"

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"I suppose it just felt like the right time to put some roots down finally," Q said, leading them up to the bedroom. "Besides, now there's no one complaining about my cats," he added cheerfully.

From:

0_0_7

"I see. Bad tenants, are they?" he asked, the question soft, full of warmth and amusement.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"They're angels, some people are just mean," Q tutted. "You never answered my question. Why are you here? I thought we decided we were going to be cautious."

From:

0_0_7

"I assumed my flat would be packed up," he said as he began to unbutton his shirt.

"They do that when you die, I found out," he added with a cocky smirk.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"It's not," Q said quietly. "...I made sure."

From:

0_0_7

Shirt discarded, it was obvious it had been no small blast. Bruised, but not broken, Bond sat on the edge of the bed to take his shoes off.

""I really gave you a fright, didn't I?" he asked.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"No, I thought you got blown up and went and got a Nandos," Q said flatly. "...If something happened to you on my watch, I would never forgive myself, James."

Not bond.

Not double-o seven.

James.

From:

0_0_7

The name on Q's lips was an enchantment, almost, the way it captured Bond's attention. He moved in close, and pulled Q closer than that.

"Courage, Q," he said. "I won't do that to you."

He sealed the promise- one he could not truly make- with a kiss that made it believable.

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

Q went still, but after a moment started to return the kiss, pulling Bond closer and holding him so tight it had to hurt- He wasn't thinking though. He was just thankful that James was here. James was safe. ...Safe as he ever was, anyway.

From:

0_0_7

Bond returned the kiss, not as hard, but with just as much feeling. He'd come to Q first for a reason.

"It's alright," he whispered against his lips. "I'm home."

From:

qu4r73rm4573r

"You really shouldn't be here, Q said quietly. "I'm thankful you're back, but we talked about this. We discussed how it's... Not good to see one another outside of work."