Chapter Text
Everyone was depressed after M’s death, it was simply a given. She had been their leader, the one who represented them all and defended them from whoever might question the workings of MI6. The fact that she was dead…it was a blow to them all.
So no one really noticed at first how Q wouldn’t speak unless someone asked him a question, how he never looked up from his work or even so much as left Q branch whenever he was MI6.
The Minions noticed first; they were the ones who spent the most time with him after all. They noticed how Q wasn’t returning to his usual self in the months following M’s death. If anything, he was getting worse.
They voiced their concerns to Eve. That was when Eve noticed that Q didn’t have any witty comments to make whenever she came to check on him.
It was then that Eve told James about her concerns. James had been struggling with his own demons since M’s death (he had held her in his arms as she drew her last breath, after all), but he was hardly going to ignore concerns about Q’s own wellbeing.
Though in the back of James’s mind, he had a vague idea what might be upsetting Q. Most likely because it was along the same lines of what haunted him at night.
So when James decided to make his move, he waited until Q branch wasn’t very crowded. None of the minions paid him any mind as he made his way to Q’s office. None of them even noticed that James had shut and locked the office door behind him.
Q was hunched over his desk, like he usually was, tinkering with some fancy gadget. When he saw James, he stood slowly, assuming the 00 agent was in his office for a mission of some sort.
James crossed the office without a word and, before the Quartermaster could inquire what might be wrong, James had him in a tight embrace, holding him in his arms.
Q stiffened at first, not used to anyone, let alone a 00 agent, displaying such affection with him.
“It wasn’t your fault.”
James could hear the hitch in Q’s breath as he spoke, “It wasn’t your fault…” He repeated, “It wasn’t anyone’s fault…”
There were several tense moments when nothing happened. Then James could feel Q’s muscles relax under his touch as the smaller man rested his head against James’s chest.
“M gave you this position for a reason; she trusted that you were the man for the job.” James continued, “You are the man for this job.”
Q didn’t say anything. Then again, James didn’t expect him to. Q didn’t need to say anything, he just needed to listen to James and believe that it was the truth.