As it turns out, James Bond actually has rather good taste in furniture and the store is 100% legitimate. The building is large, two stories, split into sections but otherwise set up more like a warehouse. Unlike the box stores, the furniture sold there is sometimes old, but definitely solid wood and not particle board. Which is definitely something Q can appreciate. "Well. Aren't you full of surprises, Bond." He says before he pulls up the pictures of the house on his tablet and they make their way through the warehouse. MI6 most of the time will provide furnishings for a new house, or at least a budget for said furnishings, and Q gets paid rather well besides all that, so he has some money put aside.

By the time they finish going through the warehouse, they've chosen everything they could need for the new house. For most items, Bond allows Q to choose whatever he wants with no input, just trailing behind a little like a bodyguard, but he does make a few selections of his own, mostly when it comes to the bedroom furniture and the couch in the living room. Afterall, most of the time Q will be there by himself so he sees no reason to interfere.

During this shopping trip they are told that the house should be ready to move into in 72 hours, so they are able to give the place a delivery date and Q already puts in that he'll need that day off. Of course, he's informed, it may take a bit longer if they want to change the paint colors of the rooms, which Q knows he does, and that just makes him sigh. Oh well, he muses to himself, the delivery people will just have to put things in vaguely the right room and he will rearrange later.

Unfortunately all does not go to plan, because as they return to MI6 to sign the papers for the house, there's an international crisis that means Bond needs to fly off to Japan as soon as possible, and it brings Q back to his office in order to equip the double-oh and send him off on his merry way.

The morning after leaves Q in a grumpier mood since the couch decided to be lumpy and now he's got a crick in his neck that echoes all the way down over his shoulder. It makes typing annoying to say the least. Still, when his agent checks in, Q is there to answer the comms.

"Q, here." The young brunette here says as he hears Bond on the other line.

"Ah, there's those posh tones I was hoping for." Bond says with his usual mix of condescension and flirtatiousness that Q has become well accustomed with. "I'm next to the door you told me to go to, be a dear and open it, before I have to knock. I wouldn't want to have to lose any of your equipment again."

With a long-suffering sigh, Q frowns at his screens. "I am not your 'dear' or anything else, 007. Stay on mission." he scolds for what must be the millionth time. "And give us a sec, you should have contacted me sooner, I would have been ready for you." he says as he easily hacks into the building's security systems to unlock the palm-print coded door.

"I am on mission. I do like to keep you on your toes, Q." Bond says in a softer tone as he slips inside the building and heads along the corridors, following the directions that Q had given him previously.

Just to make sure that Bond is in no danger, Q hacks the security system, the cameras now following Bond down the corridor while the video feed just reflects the same empty hallway from the last hour. "Honestly, Bond, only you go on missions like these in a three piece suit." He says with an amazed sound to his voice, shaking his head again and sighing. "Wait. Stop right there, flat against the wall if you please, there's a guard coming. I would suggest disabling him quietly if you're able. He's not due to check in for another few hours, enough time for you to get in and out." He says casually as he hits a few more keys, looking at the five different screens that are up in front of him on the wall, the biggest of them showing Bond.

When the guard comes around the corner, Bond is exactly where Q told him to be, and he waits, then steps forward and gets the man in a choke hold, firm and fast enough that he doesn't have time to fight back, lowering him slowly to the ground. After making sure the guard is, indeed, still alive, 007 glances at the camera and smiles, giving it a wink. "Ah, I do so hate to rush my insertions." he says before he chuckles in a low tone.

"Oh, very good, 007. Your ability to turn everything in to a sexual innuendo continues to amaze me." Q says with a roll of his eyes, sounding relatively unamused as he keeps an eye on the screens, glad that he's at least not blushing. "Try to keep focused. I know it's difficult, but you need all the blood flow to your brain you can get, Bond." he says with a small shake of his head.

"I aim to impress, Q." Bond says, shifting his hold on his Walther as he turns a corner.

"Mmm. I doubt it. Otherwise you would bring home my tech." Q points out in a slightly scolding tone, before he pauses. "Take your next right, up the flight of stairs, then your second left. I'll have the door open for you when you get there, and then you'll need to use that USB drive that I gave you." He says as he keeps an eye on all of the other security officers to make sure they don't get near Bond, and he opens the door when Bond gets close.

Slipping through the door silently, Bond does as he's told and goes to the computer to insert the USB drive. "This is almost too easy." He says as he leans against the desk, watching the door just in case. "Well, while we wait.. how is the house coming?" he asks, glancing at the camera with a small smile.

"I am now being bothered at least once every two hours by an interior designer who has decided to argue with me over paint colors. I don't even know how she learned I had a house, I certainly didn't hire her. I suspect Miss Moneypenny is involved. I am very close to ruining the designer's credit score if she does not leave me to my work and do what I have told her and the workers." He pauses, then sighs. "While I have you on the line, you forgot to tell me what color you wanted your bedroom, if you wanted to paint it a different color, that is." Q tries to keep his voice quieter on this part to keep the minions from hearing that question. Or at least that's the hope. But the Q-branch employees are highly intelligent and they always pay close attention, curiously, when Q and Bond are on the comms together.

"Mmm. Something in the brown spectrum, natural. White walls remind me of hotel rooms." He explains with a little shrug. "Hotel rooms remind me of work." He finishes the thought before he turns to look back at the computer, waiting for Q's program to do its work. "Wait. You slept in your office last night again, didn't you? That's why you're so irritable today." He says before he frowns up at the camera. "Please tell me you've at least had a decent meal today." he says, checking his watch.

"I had a muffin at breakfast.." Q says slowly, clearing his throat. "And yes, I stayed in my office, I hardly saw the point in moving all my things to a hotel room when I'll be moving into a house in the next few days." Of course, he's hoping that Bond doesn't look too closely at the fact that it's now after noon. "Ah. There we are, we are receiving the data now." He says as he shunts off different parts to his minion's workstations, and Q-branch is suddenly filled with the clattering of fingers on keyboards. "You can take the USB out now, Bond. We'll take it from here. Off you go, back the way you came." He says in a happier sounding tone, though it's a little forced.

"Bloody hell, Q.. tell one of your minions to get you something to eat if you won't leave the office." Bond scolds, and then he heads out the way he came, not running into any guards. At least on the inside of the building. Once he slips out, it seems to be a different matter.

"Well, it seems you'll get to put your gun to good use afterall, 007." Q says coolly, ignoring the comments about the food, sipping his earl grey slowly. "Between you and the fence where you came in there are now four guards. I don't see a way around without alerting them, so it seems you'll have to go through them. Try not to get shot. The first two are ten meters ahead, at your 11 o'clock and one o'clock." He says in clipped tones.

Bond sighs a little and shakes his head. "Get some food." He growls before he heads forward, taking out the two guards efficiently before he heads forward, shooting the last two at Q's direction before he gets back to his car and speeds away. "Well, that got the blood pumping." He says as he continues to drive. "Rather sedate in the scheme of things. Hardly worth sending me." He says in a slightly bored tone. "Well, thankfully the hotel has an excellent bar. I think a drink is in order."

Making a small noise in the back of his throat, Q shakes his head. "You always think a drink is in order." He notes dryly. "Seeing as I have absolutely no desire to listen to you seduce whatever attractive girl you find at the bar, I think I will sign off." He says with a touch more annoyance than is strictly necessary. He just doesn't understand why Bond feels the need to inform him of his upcoming sexual conquest. He's not jealous. He has no reason to be jealous. Whoever Bond spends time with is his own business and Q hardly wants any sort of relationship right now, especially when his mind drifts back to the man he spent so much time invested in, only to be betrayed. "I'll see you when you get back. Equipment in one piece, if you please." He says, trying to disguise the slight hitch to his tone, and keep his composure,

But Bond is nothing if not observant, and he sighs a little. "Get yourself something to eat. Don't make me call Moneypenny. You will get all your equipment back, Q." He reassures, realizing it may not have been the best idea to talk about relationships in such a cavalier way when Q is going through his own pain. "I'll bring you back a souvenir, something nice, for the house." He offers, then he smiles. "See you in a few days, Q." He says before the comms turn off.

Leaning forward on his desk, Q drops his head and he sighs. "Start going through this information." He orders the minions on his left. "And would someone mind terribly, getting me something to eat from the cafeteria? I'd like to sit down for a while." He says as he glances around the room.

A younger girl from the back of the room pops up and she nods. "I will." She chirps, blushing before she turns to hurry out.

Q can't help but smile a little and he nods. "Alright, back to work!" He orders, then smiles a little when they obey, turning and heading into his office, feeling a little sleepy at the moment, so he sits in his chair and leans back a little, closing his eyes, not even realizing he fell asleep until the girl comes in with a tray of food and he jerks awake, smiling a little at her. "Thank you." he says as he runs a hand through his hair, having no idea how he might look, though apparently the girl appreciates what she sees because she stares for a moment, blushing and then turning to scurry out.

"Well, that was rather odd." Q says thoughtfully as he stares at the door, then looks down at the food in front of him, starting to eat and trying not to think about what a certain double-oh will be doing halfway across the world.


My first time writing mission banter, I hope it's ok! This is just sort of filler and to have an excuse for Bond to bring back a souvenir for Q. :D The ex may be making an appearance in the next few chapters... because really, who would let Q get away if they thought they could have him back? He's too adorable!

Thanks for the reviews so far, very encouraging, I hope you continue to enjoy it! Let me know what you think.