The playful smirk was taunt against his skin, and she was reminded of the old Earth tale of The Grinch with how the plump line of his lips curled into high cheekbones; a malleable band of tan flesh the unawares might call kissable. Even she could grant him that much -he had granted her that much.
"You're staring."
She snapped to. "What?"
His smile curved that much more, drawing her into eyes light enough to be made of flashes of darkness. A weathered, tan face with crowfeet and a prominent widows peak framed by brown curls and gray temples was the countenance that greeted her on breaking gaze. She wondered if he aged himself on purpose, and asked as much. His response was in the form of a masculine chuckle before her frown brought him to a mock pout.
"What's the matter, Kathy, can't I be nice?"
Her brows rose in mild astonishment, her mouth halfway at an awkward smile. "Purposely ageing yourself is your way of being nice?"
"Well, it wouldn't do now would it," he glanced at the flower in his hands for pause, "if I appeared to be half your age. What would people think? I'd be appalled if they got the wrong idea."
She shook her head and turned away. "With you, any idea is the wrong one."
"Madam Captain, you wound me!" Fist to his heart and pain on his face, he half fell off the kitchen counter, reappearing inches away from her ear. "I go out of my way to make you comfortable and this is the thanks I get?"
Janeway put one hand to his chest and separated herself from him. "Firstly, changing your appearance is not out of your way, and secondly, it's Admiral Janeway to you."
Q scoffed. "Revoking our first name basis? After all we've been through?"
"If you can't behave yourself, then yes." She strode through the doors to her study, a frowning Q hot on her tail.
"What about my son? He'll be devastated that we aren't getting along."
"He'll live."
Taking up a PADD she planted herself in an armchair, only to have Q replace the object with his hands in hers and the chair with a couch.
"You're the closest thing he has to a mother now."
Janeway let out a frustrated groan, depositing his hands in his own lap. "Q, what do you want? You can't possibly have come all the way to Earth to pester me about not getting along, especially since we were getting along just fine before."
"But I never see you!" He protested.
"Not my problem. Now if you had brought your son for a visit."
"We wouldn't have time for us." Her knuckles nearly found his lips before she pulled her hand back.
"Knock it off, Q."
The being sighed. "You're no fun. And Junior is here, he's just visiting the other side of the planet at the moment."
Janeway knit her brow. "I thought you had to stay with him?"
Q took on a heavily affronted air. "I am with him! I know right where he is. The Q aren't so limited as to strictly visual means to keep track of each other, you should know that by now. Besides, I really came to see how you were holding up."
She smiled, and gave his knee a friendly pat. "I'm fine, now if you're done."
"Oh, but Kathy, we're never done."
He was gone the moment his eyes met hers. Kathryn Janeway's small sigh of relief was short lived, Q hadn't returned her PADD nor her chair to normal. "Damn."
I adore John de Lancie's Q and I loved the playful chemistry he had with Kate Mulgrew, and this is what came of it; short and sweet. That they really are friends was icing. :)