Chapter Text
It was for the best. For both of their best. Especially for Jean-Lucs best even though he knew that his capitaine would likely disagree with that statement right now if Q had not done what he had to do. Which was only understandable because as much as Q liked to praise him in front of the other Qs who were now all very jealous (disturbed yet mildly entertained) Picard was still very much a human and therefore had a very limited perspective on things.
So it was only right for Q as the higher being to .. correct a few things if necessary. And it was not like Q had not tried to solve their problem, the problem of Picard refusing to see that they belonged together and that Q was the best thing to ever happen to him, in a more humane way.
Offering up a close partnership in a private setting. An offer that was, unfortunally, not taken very seriously since there seemed to be quite a few misunderstandings between them. Yes, Q liked to play with and get a reaction out of him but that was only another proof of just how much Q liked (loved, obsessed over) him since Q seldom bothered to play with the same toy twice. Somehow that explanation had made Picard even less agreeable to what according to Qs research of human culture should be grand romantic gestures that were guarenteed to work.
Despite his continued efforts to prove his sincerity, Jean-Luc at first still treated all of Qs words and gifts as if Q was just playing some sort of game or joke on him. Well, and as much as Q hated to admit it, Picard may have some small justification on that suspicion. While Q did make quite an impressive first impression on his human their first meetings had not exactly put him in a kind of light that would make it easy for Jean-Luc to see what they could be, what they could have together. Such an unnecessarily cruel picture Picard must have of him.
But Q had changed. Not towards the overall rest of the universe but Q had changed for him. There is no need to fear that he is only a toy to Q when Picard means more to the entity than his human mind could ever even comprehend (It had hurt to see Jean-Luc take just a slight, unconscious step backwards in an effort to get some distance between them when Q had finally decided that his only chance was to do the unimaginable and lay all of his proverbial cards on the table)
When even his uncharacteristic show of vulnerability still had not the desired effect and still only left Q to be faced with a Picards who demanded Q to leave him alone, seemingly uncaring about breaking the heart of a god (but that was not it, that couldn't have been it. In retrospect, Q would tell himself, Picard had just been afraid of the way he felt about Q which was only understandable because Q had been positively appalled and terrified when he found out that he really couldn't bear the thought of a universe without Jean-Luc Picard in it), Q had decided that perhaps showing Picard what Qs offer (demand) of 'us' (just us, forget the rest) meant would be helpful.
And so Q showed his human how happy they could be together, that Q, if only Picard was his, could make sure that nothing bad would ever happen to him again, showed him their eternity together and the places they would see. And Q saw (had liked to see, had hoped to see and wanted to see) that at least for a short few moments Picard was tempted (how could a man, an explorer at heart at that, not be at least a bit tempted when the universe was put to his feet as a mere object for him to uncover, time and space meaning nothing and the promise of an eternity without pain if only he would be willing to indulge the obsession of a godlike being), which made Picard turning around and calling Qs vision nothing but delusions that he should forget about only that much worse.
Q was angry and so full of emotions (if they could even be called that) that organics simply lacked the words and understanding of (Why couldn't Jean-Luc see the obvious? Why was Picard still rejecting him when Q had by now proven time and time again that he was only doing and offering what was best for him? How dare Picard treat him like this after everything Q has done for him? Why was he denying both of them a chance, a promise, an assurance even .. )
"Tell me what it is you want and I'll do it" (just be mine), if Q were of a calmer mindset right now he might have been more than slightly embarrassed at how desperate his voice sounded.
"Just leave me alone, Q. That's all I want"
This stubborn, stubborn human. If only there was a way for Q to make him see that they..
There was a way to make Picard see. A rather simple one at that. To make Picard see and understand (and want and love) that being with Q, that being Qs, was really the only right decision to make (even though it no longer would be a decision at all).
It would.. only be temporary of course (at least Q told himself that in the beginning). Maybe just a few days, weeks or even months (or years or even an eternity) in order for Jean-Luc to realize how happy Q can make him (literally) and that Q is the best partner, the best lover and friend, that he could (also literally) ever ask for (There was no going back from this and a part of Q knew this, accepted it even. Because how could Picard even look at him after..)
Their first kiss, their beginning, in the end (despite what Q had done, despite how Q had calmed down the last bit of internal protest from Picard by means that were more in the legally grey area in the Continuum) still had felt wonderful (and Q forgot why he shouldn't be so happy as he held his human tight so very tight with only the sentiment of 'finally you are mine, all mine' filling his own consciousness)
Everything after this was (given what Q had done) unsurprisingly easy and perfect. Well, not perfectly perfect, since the only thing Q had changed in Picard were just a few small, barely important chemical reactions and just a few tweeks on some neurological connection and so even though Q could now pride himself in being very high up Picards list of priorities and favorite things he still had not fully surpassed the Enterprise, its crew and his missions (they were all just temporary anyway. Q was gracious enough to still share Picard with the rest of his crew and Starfleet at least for a few hours in what humans considered a day. After all, Q had him for the rest of timr and then some and would continue to have him, to be loved by him, long after his retirement party. And had Guinan not thrown a bottle after him when he told her that)
Still, even these brief hours of separation were starting to bother Q now that he knew what it was like to hold his Jean-Luc, to kiss him and be kissed by him return. Now that he knew what it was like to be the object of Picards undivided attention and affection (It was intoxicating).
So who could blame Q if he decided to brighten up some of Picards dullest shifts on the Bridge (he couldn't help but smile almost triumphantly at some of the other crew members present if he bothered to notice their general existence at all. 'See, I make him happy. I take better care of him than any of you could ever even hope to')
However, all of that attention, affection and (forced) love that Picard gave him was starting to spoil the entity so much so that he was more than slightly bothered when his capitaines (son chouchou, son armour, son minou) attention was called elsewhere or to someone else when Q was right there.
Even if that someone was another diplomat, a high ranking official from Starfleet or even (especially) when it was a potential enemy to the Federation (Q loved to more or less subtly make clear to them just what he was, making a show through gestures and words alone that Jean-Luc Picard was now his and that they - whoever 'they' were Q couldn't care less - couldn't take him from Q, couldn't hurt him anymore).
Nights, also the time where Picard would be asleep on the ship even though there was no clear difference like day and night in space, had also become something that Q was starting to look forward to. After all, Q had reasoned with himself, he had already made both of their lifes so much better once with a slight change and so there would be no harm done if he continued to improve Picards (and his own, Q never thought that human bodies were good for anything after he had been caged in one but holding his human close, feeling that warmth and knowing that all of Picard was.. ) life. Q had not liked sleep when he had been a mortal and he had found out that he liked watching Picard experience nightmares, night terrors even, even less.
Which were problems that Q, coming to another brilliantly easy solution, also now got rid of. He simply would be the one having a staring role in Picards dreams instead of the Borg, the Cardassian or anyone else.
"I love you.", a confession said in the darkness of a room and followed by a slight kiss on the neck.
"I love you too, now please let me sleep", hearing those words said back never ceased to make Q feel anything les than utter elation.
"Of course, mon armour."
And so they both drifted off to sleep and share a dream (even here Picard wasn't alone, even here he couldn't escape something he he couldn't even want to escape from)