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Four days. Four wonderful, peaceful days in Wales have gone by far too quickly. Four days of long walks to the local village and then back again once the pub closed. Four days of James getting to tend the garden while Q watched, and four days having very loud sex in every room of the cottage. The closest house is nearly a mile away, and the woods shield them from the worst of the winds from the cliffs. Even the constant rain can’t keep back some of the more tenacious plants. It’s turning quickly autumn, and the leaves are starting to shed their greenery for brighter reds, oranges, yellows.
Q’s weary from a long, chilly walk back from the pub for a weekend quiz night, and he and James are curled up in front of a crackling fire to warm up. Their clothes are scattered about the room, and they’re cuddled skin to skin beneath a dark blue throw. Q leans back against James to trade lazy kisses as they talk—well, as Q talks and James mostly listens. As much as he wants to enjoy the cottage a little longer, Q needs to start shifting back into his work headspace.
“No calls all weekend. I think R will be fine to take over. She’s been the best second in command I’ve had as Quartermaster, and she’ll be able to take the reins with ease. It helps that the other minions already respect her.”
James nuzzles Q and presses a gentle kiss to Q’s earlobe. Q groans and leans into the warmth of James’s mouth while his ear tingles from the kisses. “Do you like it here, Simon?”
“The cottage?” Q asks.
James hums a yes, still kissing Q’s ear.
“Yes, I do. Very much so.” Q squirms a little and presses back against James’s chest.
“Because I was thinking I might buy it.” James stops kissing him and sits up, letting Q turn to look at him.
Q’s blinks a few times and stares at James. “Buy the cottage?”
“The owners want to sell and move to be closer to their grandchildren. And I put down an offer today.”
Q’s hearing the words, but he’s barely processing them. James wants to move here. James wants to leave London… and Six.
James starts speaking a little faster, his lips hinting at a smile. “We could move in as early as May. Sell the flat, leave London. We’ll still travel several times a year, but it would be a chance to get away— And you’ve talked about passing the mantle to R for a few months now—”
“Yes.”
James stops speaking and meets Q’s gaze. “Yes?”
“I going to spend this week starting the process to retire. I think it’s time, and I want to spend the next however many years with you.” Q’s beaming now, and he nods. “I will move here with you.”
A slow grin spreads across James’ face, and suddenly he’s kissing Q, kissing him deeply and tenderly. Q shifts to straddle James’ hips, wraps his arms around James, and kisses back, . “Bloody hell, we’ll both be retired,” Q murmurs when they break for air. James presses warm kisses to the still slightly chilly skin of Q’s neck, making Q moan softly.
“Think they’ll give us watches to commemorate our tenure?” James says with a barely concealed chuckle as he nibbles Q’s ear before kissing back to his mouth.
Q snorts and shakes his head, pulling back to fix James with a resigned look.. “Knowing you, it’ll be a bloody exploding pen.”