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Fandom: James Bond
Characters: James Bond, Q, Gareth Mallory
Pairing: Mallory/Q
Rating: G
Word count: c.510
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine.
A/N: For the trope bingo prompt "fake relationship".
***
“Keep touching me and I’ll have M shoot you,” Q says. “Don’t think for a second that we wouldn’t make it look like an accident.”
“Don’t we need to be convincing, darling?” Bond leers, but he moves his hand away from Q’s waist anyway. M is firm but fair, commanding but generally mild mannered -- until someone gives him a reason not to be, and then the veteran soldier comes out. Bond remembers very clearly the incident where Q was kidnapped, and decides that he doesn’t want to get on that man’s bad side.
“Was this really necessary?” Q complains, for about the fourth time. It’s probably excessive, and he knows rationally that this was the most effective cover, but that doesn’t mean it was the only option, or that he has to like it.
Bond gives him an exasperated look. “If you’d prefer, I could have told them that you work with me in the British intelligence and are currently sleeping with our boss.”
Q definitely does not sulk at that, although if you’d ask Bond, that’s exactly what he’s doing.
“I didn’t think that was M was the jealous type,” Bond says. Protective, perhaps, but not petty.
“He’s not,” Q admits.
Bond raises an eyebrow. “So that’s just you, then?”
Q bristles. “No, I’d just rather not be pretending to be in a relationship with you. I’d much prefer 004.”
Bond laughs at that. His and Q’s relationship is complicated -- they’re not particularly close like Eve and Q, and perhaps not as friendly as Tanner and Q are, but they respect each other. It’s a working relationship, and maybe a strange one, built on jibes and teasing, a little strained at times, but it works for them. It’s mostly habit now to bait one another, and Q complains about Bond so much that nobody really pays attention anymore.
M, for his part, mostly just finds it amusing.
When the mission is over, they run into Eve in the foyer of the MI6 building, and by the time Q makes it up to M’s office, M already knows what’s happened.
“You and Eve gossip far too much,” Q tuts, and M laughs and presses a kiss into his hair.
“It’s work related,” M says. “Do feel free to fill me in on all the details.”
Q tries to look put out, but it’s not nearly as effective when he’s half wrapped around M in his office. “Apparently it was the only excuse he could think up on the spot when the target approached us.”
“Well, I’m sure it was necessary,” M says, not sounding like he believes that at all, but also not sounding like he really cares. “The two of you pretending that you don’t like each other is wearing thin.”
“I don’t like him,” Q protests. “I tolerate him.” M just rolls his eyes. “Shouldn’t you be more concerned about Bond groping me in public?”
“He didn’t grope you,” M says.
“Well, no,” Q admits. “But probably only because I threatened to have you shoot him.”
Characters: James Bond, Q, Gareth Mallory
Pairing: Mallory/Q
Rating: G
Word count: c.510
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine.
A/N: For the trope bingo prompt "fake relationship".
***
“Keep touching me and I’ll have M shoot you,” Q says. “Don’t think for a second that we wouldn’t make it look like an accident.”
“Don’t we need to be convincing, darling?” Bond leers, but he moves his hand away from Q’s waist anyway. M is firm but fair, commanding but generally mild mannered -- until someone gives him a reason not to be, and then the veteran soldier comes out. Bond remembers very clearly the incident where Q was kidnapped, and decides that he doesn’t want to get on that man’s bad side.
“Was this really necessary?” Q complains, for about the fourth time. It’s probably excessive, and he knows rationally that this was the most effective cover, but that doesn’t mean it was the only option, or that he has to like it.
Bond gives him an exasperated look. “If you’d prefer, I could have told them that you work with me in the British intelligence and are currently sleeping with our boss.”
Q definitely does not sulk at that, although if you’d ask Bond, that’s exactly what he’s doing.
“I didn’t think that was M was the jealous type,” Bond says. Protective, perhaps, but not petty.
“He’s not,” Q admits.
Bond raises an eyebrow. “So that’s just you, then?”
Q bristles. “No, I’d just rather not be pretending to be in a relationship with you. I’d much prefer 004.”
Bond laughs at that. His and Q’s relationship is complicated -- they’re not particularly close like Eve and Q, and perhaps not as friendly as Tanner and Q are, but they respect each other. It’s a working relationship, and maybe a strange one, built on jibes and teasing, a little strained at times, but it works for them. It’s mostly habit now to bait one another, and Q complains about Bond so much that nobody really pays attention anymore.
M, for his part, mostly just finds it amusing.
When the mission is over, they run into Eve in the foyer of the MI6 building, and by the time Q makes it up to M’s office, M already knows what’s happened.
“You and Eve gossip far too much,” Q tuts, and M laughs and presses a kiss into his hair.
“It’s work related,” M says. “Do feel free to fill me in on all the details.”
Q tries to look put out, but it’s not nearly as effective when he’s half wrapped around M in his office. “Apparently it was the only excuse he could think up on the spot when the target approached us.”
“Well, I’m sure it was necessary,” M says, not sounding like he believes that at all, but also not sounding like he really cares. “The two of you pretending that you don’t like each other is wearing thin.”
“I don’t like him,” Q protests. “I tolerate him.” M just rolls his eyes. “Shouldn’t you be more concerned about Bond groping me in public?”
“He didn’t grope you,” M says.
“Well, no,” Q admits. “But probably only because I threatened to have you shoot him.”
