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“Bond, stop it, don’t make me clumsy.” Q muttered with agitation, his hands struggling to adjust the blond agent’s necktie while said agent enjoying pressing kisses against his naked shoulder. He inwardly shuddered by the warm breath close to his skin but suppressed the urge to kiss his lover. They were going to be late.
And it was all going to be James’ fault.
James laughed when Q pulled his necktie with a harsh tug, wanting him to stop moving or just stop molesting Q. Q didn’t even manage to wear his own full attire yet, still stuck in his white button up but James just have to be so frustrating. His lips made a mark against Q’s pale neck and Q had enough.
“We’re going to be late for the wedding!” Q hissed, his sight blurry because of his lack of glasses but James’ smirk was just too visible to be unseen.
“The wedding can wait. You are more interesting than that.” James chuckled, pushing a strand of Q’s black hair behind his ear and Q swore he didn’t blush.
No, he didn’t.
Q glared up at him, mentally cursing their height difference and Q’s lanky form that definitely wouldn’t be able to drag James’ muscular and bigger body out from the apartment on time.
“James, I can assure you very well that this wedding is much more important at the time, regardless how uninterested you are with it,” he pulled on James’ lapels to emphasis his point and the bastard had the nerve to give him a smirk, “Because he sent three invitations to me, hoping very much that I, as his superior, would come. Since you agree to follow, you must agree to be quick.”
It seemed to finally down in the blond agent when he gave a heavy sigh that caused Q to roll his eyes.
“Yes, dear, whatever you say. I just don’t get it why we have to be there so early.” James wondered outloud, at the same time starting to help Q wear his black slacks and jacket suit. Q poked him on his stomach, knowing very well his weak spot and James sent him a sharp glare.
“It’s a wedding, James. It’s not good to come in late to a wedding. Don’t tell me you never been to one.” Q couldn’t help but smirked, turning around to find his own necktie on their bed – James must have thrown it there when he undid Q’s necktie – but at the silence that followed his words, Q froze for a second. He hesitated to turn around and face James, quite worried that his face would reveal his shock.
But then the blond wrapped his arm around his waist from behind, his lips touching Q’s earlobe.
“No, I am not. But I am hoping that the next wedding will be ours.”
Q’s eyes widened as he quickly turned to look at his lover. James was wearing this kind of expression that Q had come to know well, and had come to love.
It was the same expression when he first tried to ask Q’s out, when he first kissed Q inside of Q’s office, having just returned from a mission with half body part tainted with blood and wounds, when he first asked Q whether he wanted to stay the night, and when he first asked Q whether he would want to be with someone broken like him, whether Q would ever want to accept someone ruined like him.
His impossible blue eyes looked at Q’s with so much hope, yet hidden, because he was afraid of rejection, his hands trembled but unseen, tight holding on Q’s waist and his face softened, like he was giving away his life and knowing that he would never, ever, regret it.
Q didn’t know how long time stretched as James waited for his response but what he knew that this thing that James left unsaid, was something that mean so much more than what they have now. It mean something that too much to ask for, but something that both of them would never stop giving.
“James…” Q whispered, his eyes searching his lover’s face for any kind of indication that maybe the blond was just trying him, testing him or making joke of it. James didn’t reply him, just looking at Q and his hold on Q’s waist tightened and lessened in turn. Q bit his lower him, his own fingers almost trembling as they reached out to touch James’ face but then Q’s phone ringing.
Q wavered between killing the caller and killing himself.
Or maybe he should just killed James Bond instead.
James groaned, pressing his face against Q’s nape as Q turned around again to reach his phone.
“Q.” he regarded and heard Eve asked him through the phone their location. Apparently many guests had come and it seemed that Q’s plan to come in early had failed.
Q sighed softly before he informed her that they were on their way. After he ended the call, James was smirking at him. All seriousness and implications of his previous confession disappeared.
Q wanted to strangle him.
“We’re late, Bond and it is your entire fault.”
The wedding went well. The groom and bride kissed and everyone was just so happy throwing confetti, and everything else followed. James was away doing whatever he wanted to do at the moment while Q took his time talking with his now married subordinate and his wife. He congratulated them on their wedding, smiling a little when the groom – perhaps few years older than Q – blushed and grinned in appreciation. Eve went to stand by his side and she nudged him with her hip.
“Where’s 007?” she grinned, causing Q to roll his eyes and turned to look at James who was terrorizing few guests that saw his gun – the one that he intentionally made visible to be seen by the guests–. Eve laughed and Q shook his head in resignation.
“He wanted to follow because he doesn’t want to be alone in the apartment. And now he’s making ruckus of the wedding.” Q sighed, torn between amusement and frustration. Eve winked at him and gave him a glass of champagne that she had brought along.
“But you love him.” The woman chirped and Q was at loss for a moment. He shook his head again and downed the champagne in one gulp. Eve wrapped her arm around his, pulling him closer to James but walking in a slow pace.
“He just doesn’t want to leave you alone.” Eve murmured, smiling when Q looked down at her with a questioned face. She giggled and pressed her lips close against his cheek, the action looked like she was kissing him but words were whispered into his ear.
“You should have seen his face when the bride walked in. He was looking at you instead, like nothing else is mattered to him now. That only you matters to him now. His expression revealed too much that I got distracted and missed the whole ceremony.” She softly said and giggled again, causing Q to blush and promptly looked away.
“Can I have my Quatermaster back?” James’ voice broke their conversation and Eve grinned as she pushed Q toward James. “Here, he’s all yours.”
James chuckled when Q walked closer to him and kissed him under his chin. The docile part of Q didn’t fancy attraction from other people but whenever he was close to his lover and know something nice that the blond refused to show him, he just couldn’t help it to show his affection in public. It was a good thing that not many people were surrounding their location and Eve was one of the people that support their relationship so far.
James wrapped an arm around Q’s waist, pulling him close to his side and kissed him on his messy hair that James always called a bird nest. Eve walked close to them and smiled.
“So how was it?” she asked them and James shrugged, looking bored at the surrounding.
“It’s good. Nothing explosive.” Q rolled his eyes at the answer and felt James’ hand rubbed the small of his back. Eve laughed and shook her head, her hand that was holding her own glass of champagne careful placed the glass on a table next to her.
“I believe you can’t wait to leave, 007.”
“But I must give credit that the decoration is quite lovely. How expensive you think it is?”
Q felt his blood ran cold when Eve gave a confused smile but responded nevertheless.
“It depends on the shops. Sometimes it comes in package. Why?” Eve asked and James just chuckled, holding Q even closer to his body.
“Nothing.”
“Hey, bouquet toss!” they were startled by the girls calling their friends and Eve turned to walk to the direction.
“I hope I’ll catch it,” Eve winked at them before she left and to Q’s surprise, James also followed her. He turned when Q refused to budge and Q gave a small, hesitated smile.
“I’m just going to make a call to M for a moment. He asked for something just now.” Q lied smoothly but he was sure James could see it in his eyes. The blond went silent for a second and then smiled back, nodding his head and turned to follow Eve. When they disappeared into the crowd of guests, Q took a deep, heavy breath and pressed a palm against his face.
‘What was it with the sudden urge for a marriage?’ Q wondered.
Is James really even thought about marrying him?
He stood there for a while; mind putting puzzles from all the incidents happened that might have messed up with his lover’s mind and he was surprised when a startled roar was heard not far from him. He raised an eyebrow and quietly walked to the place.
What greeted him there was James holding a bouquet of flowers. Q’s eyes widened as he stopped and stared at his lover.
Flowers.
From the bouquet toss.
And when James’ surprised eyes met his, Q knew he’s into something dangerously deep.
The drive back to Q’s apartment was quiet and maybe, a little bit tense. James had given the bouquet that accidently fell on his lap to Eve and Eve had laughed, and laughed, and laughed at the scene. The blond pulled down his car to the parking lot and both of them remained in their seats, both unable to start any conversation.
Then Q found that this thing could not be drag into their home – since when it was home? – and it needed to be solved here and now. He turned to look at James and saw that James was rolling something in his hand with his fingers. The blond looked down at it for a while before he also turned to look at Q. Their eyes stared into each other for how long they didn’t know and then James smiled a little.
“This is my mother’s.” he stated, showing Q the plain, pale gold ring he was holding and Q’s breath stuck in his throat.
“It also belonged to my grandmother and before that. It’s like a family heirloom.” James explained more, causing Q to stare at the ring as well and wondered where this would bring them. The blond gripped the ring into his fist and placed it on his lap, his eyes closed and he sighed softly.
Q refused to say a word, perhaps because he knew he couldn’t even form a word.
“I’ve been thinking about this for months. And maybe this wedding that triggered the bullet. But then … I remember that I’m ruined. I’ve killed so many people and most of the time I can’t even feel the sympathy. I’ve passed the point of no return and I can’t promise you anything wonderful,” James continued after a while – his voice soft and tone slow, so unlikely James that Q knows, yet so close to the James that Q loves – only hesitated to look at Q with the same expression he did in the morning, “But if this happen…”
‘If we happen,’
“I can promise you that as long as I am here,”
‘I can promise you that as long as I survive,’
“I will love you till the end.”
‘I will love you till the day I forgot what love is.’
So many things remained unsaid but Q can see them through his eyes, it laced with uncertainty, with hurt came from previous broken relationship and Q wondered when they had come to this.
James opened his palm against and offered the ring to Q, his blue eyes determined and strong – masked very well but Q always know him, he always do – and Q could felt the atmosphere drowned in something beautiful.
“Quinn, Q… will you marry me?”