Chapter Text
The now former captains first feelings of regret regarding his decision on weither he wanted to die and stay with Q or live as a nobody came when he saw the grin on Qs face.
Picards second feelings of regret came when Q decided that a sort of 're-introduction' was needed. After all, now that neither the Trial nor Picards little ship were in the way, they finally could get to know each other better.
Well, Picard could get to know Q, Q as he really was. Q, evidently, already knew everything about Picard although Q was already excited to see if there was more to Picard and how Picard would change over the span of eternity.
Besides, as useful as this human form was for interacting Q really did not plan on spending the rest of eternity in it.
And before Picard could get his own say about any of this in, he was suddenly in space. Or, maybe not really 'in space'. He did not really know where he was but all around him was a strange sort of darkness and then there were strange lights, otherworldly like the ones a wanderer would see as he would walk through the forest. Lights that would beckon him to come closer only to be just as distant when the walker approached them. Leading him further and further to his doom. Wil-o'-wisps. And Jean-Luc Picard was surrounded by them from all sides.
In another situation and in another context Picard might have felt something like awe at this. A lesser man would have been afraid.
But the ex-Captain, even though he did not stand on any stable ground, tried his best to have a straight posture and stared at one of the lights opposite to him as if they were Qs eyes.
The reaction to this came instantly. All of the lights flickered and even the very ground he was on shook just a bit and Picard could feel the amusement around him. The unwelcome image of a hamster trying to stare down an old human king was brought into his mind by the being surrounding him and Picard realized that Q was laughing. Which in turn angered the former Starfleet diplomat quite a bit.
"Listen here Q, despite what I have agreed to I am not your .."
He couldn't say anything more as he felt everything from the tip of his toes to his neck being covered by .. something. A careful look down, well as much as he could look down with something (Q) having taken a hold of him, confirmed this suspicion. The darkness and the lights that now holding him tight almost as if to show him that the days where Q was merely invading his personal space but rarely touching him were now over.
"Yes, you are." came from the entity all around him. "You were, you are and you always will be just that."
The hold around him wasn't exactly unpleasant. Well to Picards mind it very much was unpleasant especially with all of the implications it and Qs affirmations held. But to Picards body.. however strange it all felt to him Q did not hold him too tight and instead was even trying to provide some warmth in such a way that Picard felt his body very unvoluntarily relax.
"Let go off me, Q. "
Much to his surprise, he was free again (well, as free as he could currently be considering his overall situation).
Still, the lights flickered once again and Picard definitely did not enjoy the fondness and the mirth he could hear and feel in Qs voice.
"So very stubborn, mon capitaine. Oh wait, you are no longer captain of anything. I will have to get you a new nickname."
"I'd rather you don't."
"Now, now, Jean-Luc." Picard could feel his cheek being slightly squished in a similar to how a certain Betazed Ambassador had liked to do. "I know how much of your own identity used to hang on your captaincy but you need to accept that all of this now lies behind us. And what lies ahead of you is what you agreed to and that is 'a little time' with moi."
"Still, I'd rather not have you treat me like some kind of.." he really did not want to give voice to it now that he could feel how, despite his demeanour, serious Q was about this. "toy."
"But that's what you are, mon jouet préféré.
Besides, you'll get used to it."
The sensation of being held was there once again, this time just a bit too tight for his comfort but now he could feel the second-hand emotions of amusement, childish joy and adoration. As if Q was trying to make it clear to him that this, that a promised eternity of being Qs plaything, was not something to be terrified of. That Picard needn't be worried since Q would never break something he adored so much.
Something Picard very much disagreed with.
Because even though Picard would never admit it, right about now he was for the first time in a long time afraid of the entity. Afraid of what Qs hold, of what the adoration and even more so what Qs favoritism of him might mean for him.
"You will get used to a whole lot of things.
Now, how about you and I have a little fun together?"