I'm sorry. I had to. Sorry if it's a bit silly or sappy, but I just had to write it. That said, I tried not to make it too silly or sappy. I've just never written anything romancey before, and I don't really read anything much romancey either (other than various amazing fanfictions). Let me know if you like it, and if you hate it you can let me know too (but please say why so I might be able to improve it)! I own no characters or settings apart from my OC and her family. Q's thoughts are in underlined italics, while those of my OC are just in italics. I hope Q's in character, but let me know if he isn't.

On with the story:

Chapter One: I…er…well…um…nevermind.

Jessica Oakdale was pretty. Very pretty. Most people didn't really think so, but she was. And clever. And really quite funny–Q mentally kicked himself. He was being pathetic about this. It wasn't affecting his work or anything, but still. He wasn't a blooming confused teenager anymore. He shouldn't be feeling like this about some girl who worked in his department. And if he had to feel like this, shouldn't he know how to at least say something to the girl? Then again, whatever God had given him in computer skills, He had most definitely taken away in people skills. Especially the romantic kind. Q banged his head against the computer keyboard, then deleted the line of gobbledegook he'd accidentally typed.

Maybe I should ask for advice.But who would he ask? The only person the young Quartermaster knew who might actually be able to help was Bond, but there was no way Q was asking him for advice about girls. It would seem so childish, and Bond had already been very clear about his thoughts on the Quartermaster's age. There is no possible way this can be as hard as I'm imagining it will be. I'll just ask her out for lunch. Simple. I'm not the sort to be reduced to 'I…er…well…um…nevermindimgoingnow'. At least, I hope not.

Oh, snap out of it, Jess. You're being stupid. Jessica Oakdale chided herself. She'd been thinking about him again. Not that it was likely he'd ever fall for her. After all, he was the Quartermaster. She was just some random techie. Not particularly pretty (her eyes were a boring colour, her hair was boring, she was too pale, her mouth was too big, her lips too thin, she could go on for days about her shortcomings, and that would just cover her looks). She would admit that she was intelligent, but at MI6 that wasn't exactly an unusual trait and besides, she'd never be as clever as he was. She doubted he actually remembered she existed apart from when she brought him some information he had to organise in one of the MI6 databases, or when she said 'hi' to him in the hallway. He was always polite to her, but she didn't actually know how he was with other people, so she didn't know whether to be encouraged by this or not. Jessica mostly just accepted that her crush on Q was just that: a crush. A silly-schoolgirl crush that wouldn't come to anything. But those eyes… no. Forget it, Jess. He's way out of your league, and you know it.

"Jessica, could you take these to the Quartermaster? I'm a bit busy right now." A coworker held out some bits of paper with writing on them. Probably important.

"Of course. I've got nothing else to do."

"You never do when it comes to him." The coworker smirked. Is it really that blooming obvious?

"You shut up." Jessica snorted. She took the papers and started walking to Q's office.

Someone knocked on his office door. Q looked up from his work.

"Come in." Jessica came in and handed him some bits of paper with sums and coordinates on them.

"I was sent to give these to you, sir."

"Thank you." He nodded at her and smiled slightly. Here's your chance! Say something! "Is that all?" You idiot.Jessica nodded, and turned to walk away. NOW!The voice in Q's head commanded.

"Um, Jessica?" He tried to sound casual. The girl turned around.

"Yes sir?"

"I was wondering if you might like to have lunch with me today?" Took you long enough. Jessica looked quite surprised. Her green-grey eyes widened slightly, and her mouth formed a huge smile.

"Of course! I'd love to!"

"So, I'll meet you outside the building at twelve? Is that a good time?"

"Yes, yes it's fine! I'll be there!" She left the room. There,the boy thought to himself, that wasn't so painful, was it?He gave a satisfied smile and started working on the information Jessica had given him. It was definitely a good thing that he only needed half of his brain to do so. Halfway down the hall, a certain techie was thanking her lucky stars she didn't have anything important to do, because for some reason her brain had turned to mush.