Work Text:
~*~
James Bond felt ready to vibrate out of his skin. He’d always dismissed what most people said about soulmates. Never thought they could really be such a big deal.
Then he met Alec Treveylan.
Now he thinks most people undersell the impact of a soulmate.
That even their numbers were side by side, 006 and 007, just made it all feel even more…perfect. As sappy and ridiculous as that sounded even in James’ own head. But it was true.
From the moment their soulbond snapped into place, James couldn’t fathom how he’d managed this long without Alec. Both of them were damn good at what they did on their own, but together they were unstoppable. Even M had to admit that MI6 had never had a team like them before. The job sometimes meant being apart for weeks, even months and James hated it. It was the one part of the job he didn’t like. A few weeks apart and James felt like a live wire.
Shaking himself and trying to focus, James mentally reviewed the mission brief as he waited for his plane to land. Alec was better at infiltration and maintaining a cover. James marveled at just how easily Alec could become someone else. James’ missions never required going that deep into a cover. His usual businessman front or high rolling gambler personas weren’t exactly high effort. Though on their last mission together in Monte Carlo, he had very much enjoyed letting Alec peel him out of his suit at the end of the night. He knew Alec had too.
Alas, there was nothing quite so…fashionable on this mission.
Alec had already been undercover in this pharmaceuticals company’s headquarters complex for nearly three weeks. He’d found confirmation of what their sources had indicated to M. This company was beginning to dabble in this that no legitimate company ought to be dabbling in. With the information Alec sent back, M put together a mission brief and Q packaged up some gadgets. They packed James off with a suitcase of gear and very vague instructions for the safe zone Alec had created for them. He’d meet Alec there and fill his soulmate in on the final details of the plan.
His soulmate. Part of James still couldn’t believe they’d found each other. But he was damned grateful for it.
~*~
The safe zone was an office in a disused part of the building that was closed off pending refurbishment. It held a desk, several filing cabinets and a chair, and nothing else, not even a functioning light.
“Love what you’ve done with the place. You have excellent taste, love,” James declared as he looked at the maps and notes Alec had dotted about the space that Alec’s portable lamp illuminated only barely enough to be useful.
Alec’s usual tactical vest sat on the chair along with a black duffel bag.
Alec snorted. “Couldn’t risk taking too much out with me before, but no one is coming into this area right now. I could shove anything I wanted in these cabinets with no one the wiser. I’ll be bringing some of this along now, which is what the bag is for. I found maps and plans of several of their facilities. Might be useful in the future. The gaps in the security cameras are absurdly large. Getting in here wasn’t that hard even the first time. Setting up your infiltration through that side door took me less than fifteen minutes. Honestly, if not for the fact that it would have taken weeks to establish a reason I’d need to disappear for a few days to get the equipment from Q and then return without it looking suspicious, I could have handled the rest of this mission on my own.”
James shrugged and reeled Alec in for a kiss.
“But this also gave us an excuse to see each other for more than five minutes. And we’ll have two whole days at the safehouse before we’re cleared to fly back,” James pointed out. “So, I’m not going to complain.”
Lips quirking into a wry grin, Alec replied, “You make a good point, 007.”
Grinning, James teased, “I do, occasionally, do that, 006.”
“Honestly, for what these people are trying to do, they’re not going about it with even a passing semblance of intelligence,” Alec muttered. “It’s no surprise we heard about it before they’d even gotten this enterprise off the ground.”
James nudged Alec’s side. “Them not being very good at it makes our job easier. I’m not going to complain too much about that either.”
Alec shrugged.
“A fair point, James,” Alec allowed. “Still. With just a few improvements, they might have actually succeeded.”
Raising a brow, James asked, “Do we want them to?”
With a huff, Alec replied, “No, I suppose not. But where are their standards?”
Shaking off whatever he was clearly thinking, Alec stole another kiss.
“Anyway. Unless M decided to overrule me, we have two hours to kill before we can make use of those toys from Q,” Alec murmured.
James ran a hand down the front of Alec’s shirt, wishing he could put his hand over Alec’s soulmark. He hadn’t gotten to touch it in weeks.
“M agreed with your plan,” James told him. “His only additional request was any information on the company’s other activities while we…shut this one down. But you have that well in hand, so I think we’re set there. I wish we really had time to make up for not seeing each other for weeks. But something tells me this safe zone isn’t quite that safe.”
Alec chuckled. “While I’ve secured it better than they ever bothered with, you’re right. It’s not that secure.” Alec reached to unbutton his shirt, surprising James a little. “But I know you, James. And we’re safe enough for this at least.”
As soon as Alec’s shirt was unbuttoned all the way, James pushed it down Alec’s arms, baring his soulmark. James couldn’t help himself. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Alec’s mark before settling his hand over it while he turned back to kiss Alec again.
“You love that mark so much,” Alec murmured as James’ thumb stroked over their soulmark.
James grinned. “I love that you’re mine.”
Alec lazily grinned back.
“And just think, you’ll have two days at the safe house to pay all the attention to the mark you want,” Alec teased.
Glancing at his watch, James asked, “How long do we have to sit here again?”
Alec chuckled, fond and teasing and perfect.
~*~
(Years later, James will recall that conversation and ask himself if Alec was already thinking about a criminal empire of his own that day.)