Chapter Text
Present, Q
Q has been at work for the last three days, insomnia bothering him as always. He knew how to pretend to live a normal life better than most. It was his own business how long and often he worked or who he was seeing. For that he had several sets of clothes, shower gel, shampoo and towel in his locker. There were never any other people in MI6's showers in four A.M. to notice that he wasn´t sleeping in his own bed but on a coach in his office.
He had managed around six hours of sleep in the last three days. If it went like that another day or two, he wouldn´t be able to hide his fatigue from his co-workers anymore, even if they were quite unobservant for spies. He needed to go out and find someone to dominate him. Pills never helped with his sleeping problems but good sex, handcuffed, bound with rope and whipped did the trick most of the time. It was just so tiring to search for someone skilful. He has been trying to decide where to go while modifying new piece of code when Bond knocked and went through his office doors. The polite knocking was clear sign that the field agent wanted something. He was sometimes so transparent but at least he was one of the least boring field agents in MI6.
‘What do you need, 007?’ Q asked, tone neutral.
Bond sent him his most charming smile and asked ‘May I take you to dinner?’ Q wasn´t expecting this offer but he didn´t let anything show on his face. When Bond said dinner, it always meant sex. Any other time he would probably have declined the promiscuous man but in the moment he decided that he might find out what was so great about James Bond in bed that everyone wanted to have sex with him. And maybe he would get some sleep afterwards.
‘Why not, casual clothes or should I wear a suit?’ Bond stared at the Quartermaster for a moment, obviously suprised. Then he blinked and exhaled, ‘Suit would be good, would 7 o´clock suit you? Where can I pick you up?’
Q didn´t want anyone in MI6 to know the location of his flat that Mallory and Tanner knew was quite enough. ‘Seven is fine, I don´t live far from here so you can pick me up in front of the building.’ Bond frowned but instead of snooping said, ‘All right, I'll see you then.’ It was half past four so Q had almost two additional hours for work. It was his planning skills that always saved time for he had also one of his suits in his locker.
James picked him up and they rode to some luxury hotel with restaurant downstairs. They ate and conversation was flowing effortlessly. James ordered a bottle of red wine and they drank half of it before the food disappeared from their plates. They took the bottle with them to their room, undressed and started kissing. First impression was good, Bond was aesthetically pleasing and his arms were strong. However Q found himself soon thinking about the code he was working on earlier and that was bad. He studied Bond and found out exactly what the agent liked. There were several sensitive places on his neck and the agent made a low sound when Q licked one of his scars. Bond was soon groaning loudly but Q was starting to get bored. So far Bond hadn´t pushed any right button and Q had plenty of them. He had been told many times that he was actually very responsive.
The sex was progressing slowly and Bond´s hands were too gentle. Q just didn´t like vanilla sex, if it wasn´t his colleague he would have probably walked out ten minutes ago but because he didn´t want to hurt his feelings and damage their working relationship, he feigned interest. After Bond was done, Q had to get himself over the edge while he finished in his head the calculations on a gun he was working on and decided how to arrange his meetings the next day. Bond fell asleep quickly. Q waited fifteen minutes and wondered how Bond could be so famous with his conquests when he wasn´t even using his basic observing skills during sex. Maybe his charms worked only on women or he didn´t care about Q´s needs. When he was certain that Bond was not going to wake up, the Quartermaster dressed himself quickly and slipped out of the room.
He took cab home and filled his bath with hot water. He put on relaxation music that never worked and sank under the water. He held his breath and stayed there for 94 seconds. He was feeling little bit better after, the warm water calming his body if not the mind. He should have gone to his favourite club and paid for the quiet in his head that followed when he got into subspace. He decided to go there the next night. Q got out of the tub, dried himself with a towel and went to bed with his laptop. It was one A.M. so he decided to work from home, grab breakfast in his favourite bistro around six and then go to work.
When Q arrived into his office and checked the summaries of important information, one name stood out. Alec Trevelyan has been seen in Lyon, marked as possible future asset. He opened the file and saw that before she died his M put Alec on the asset list. He knew Alec´s file well. They haven´t seen each other for years but Alec was the only real friend he ever had, even if they had been in contact for just little more than six months. Q was twenty back then, just finishing his doctorate and selling his first security system and Alec was twenty-nine and knew a lot about the real world. He taught Q how to pick locks, how to fight, how to blend in and how to observe. He wouldn´t have been a field agent for five years if Alec hadn´t taught him the basics then. Q helped Alec with computers and posh English accent in return. They started to sleep together after three months and Alec was the first person who showed Q real pleasure. Later Q decided to disappear when CIA and NSA became interested in his work. It was the safest way.
He knew this was his only chance to get back into the field, have some fun and get MI6 a brilliant agent. Q looked into the file again and saw that Alec was recommended to be 006. He studied the file closely and started a wider research on Alec. When he was sure that there was nothing else to be found on his friend, he sent e-mail to Mallory with message that he needed to see him.
Half an hour later he stepped into Mallory´s office and handed him Alec´s file. When M finished reading, he said ‘You want to go the field, why?’
‘I am the best chance to persuade him to join us. We knew each other a while back.’
‘And how much did you know him?’ Mallory asked, he wasn´t excited to let his Quartermaster back to the field.
‘We had been friends for three months and then friends with benefits for another three.’ Mallory raised an eyebrow and Q just shrugged.
‘He would be a great asset but are you sure you want to do it? He is really dangerous. We could send someone else.’
‘I am quite sure that no one else is suitable, you read how the last three attempts to contact him failed, I can bring him on our side if you let me.’ The young man used his whole persuading skill set and it worked.
‘All right, who do you want on the comms, R?’
‘I would rather R was free for any possible emergency. I had worked with Tanner several times before I stopped going on missions.’ Mallory agreed and the Quartermaster presented his whole plan. He promised to get in touch with Alec and set up a meeting.
Alec agreed to meet Q in Lyon in two days. There was an emergency and the Quartermaster spent thirty-six hours handling it. There was no time for paid sex so when an airplane waited on him in four o´clock on Heathrow airport, he hadn´t really slept for five days.
Q checked in to French hotel at seven o´clock with an hour to make himself presentable. First he set up surveillance system in the room, three video cameras and five microphones and then helped to connect all of that to laptop in the next room where his back-up was waiting. Then he showered, brushed his hair and used fingers to make a few spikes. He worn the clothes he picked up before the flight, his tightest black trousers, lavender shirt and black jacket. He didn´t button his shirt the whole way up and when he exited the room, he was satisfied and excited to meet Alec again.
The older man was already waiting when Q arrived, five minutes earlier than they agreed on. While he approached Alec, he studied his old friend. He was even more handsome than the younger man remembered. When Q arrived at the table, he was grabbed by muscular arms as Alec hugged him.
‘Hello, gorgeous,’ Alec greeted him when they sat down.
‘Hello, Alec,’ Q smiled.
‘It is nice to see you again but first, I have to ask, business or pleasure?’ Q knew that he had to play his cards right. He was prepared for everything.
‘I would say business but I know how you like to mix those two.’ Alex smirked and they both knew that they were going to skip this dinner.