XIII

Family

It was too cold to do anything outside of the covers.

James turned over, feeling pleasantly warm despite the cold temperature outside. Propping himself up on his side, he looked fondly down at Q, who had wrapped himself up in the extra throw blanket at some point in the night while remaining under the duvet with James. The other man was facing James, looking younger than James would have ever guessed as the stress lines melted away in sleep. James reached out, gently brushing some of Q's fringe away from his face. He smiled softly when Q scrunched his face up in his sleep before rolling away from James, taking the covers with him a little. He settled down after a few moments, a bit of bare shoulder slipping past the edge of blanket and duvet.

James sighed, breathing through his nose to calm down the twinge of piqued interest. Reminding himself that Q had gotten in late the night before after a string of successive crises, he propped himself up on an elbow to better reach the boffin and gently reach around his waist and tug him backwards enough to give the other man a hint.

Q let out a soft mewl, but did not move except to reach back and pat the blankets as though to reach for something. James chuckled softly but allowed Q to clasp his hand, squeezing it gently before letting go and lifting the covers to reach over and gently tug Q closer. The quartermaster let out a grunt of complaint but scooted backwards regardless, shivering slightly as James wrapped his hand around Q's waist. Pressing Q up against him so that Q's back was up against his chest, James leaned forward to bury his nose into the other's thick black hair, nuzzling it softly as he tried to get over the slight irritation that Q was wrapped up in a bloody blanket.

He'd begun nibbling on the back of Q's neck, unable to resist the pale skin in front of him, when Q squirmed and then melted against James' back. "James, what are you doing?" he asked sleepily, bowing his head so James could access his neck better.

James didn't answer, just continued to gently drag teeth across the pale skin as his nose brushed against the clean skin. Leaning forward, he gently nosed the pulse points underneath Q's jaw, feeling the satisfaction coiling in his stomach at the faint mewl. Brushing his lips against Q's ear, he whispered in a rough voice, "Face me, Alex."

Q let out a soft whimper at the use of his real name, and obediently leaned back so that James could see his stunning eyes, not obscured for once with glasses. James smirked, feeling the other's pulse speed up slightly as his fingers danced across warm skin underneath Q's jaw before they reached the junction of his neck and jaw. "How much do you trust me?" James asked softly, his fingers skimming lightly down Q's throat.

"With my life," Q said without hesitation, calmly watching James.

For a moment, even though he'd asked the question, James still found himself caught off guard at the amount of trust that Q had in him. Both men knew that James could kill him in a moment and never leave a trace, yet Q knew that James could caress all of his weak points and never hurt him. Gently cupping Q's face, James kissed the other man before leaning down and gently kissing the pulse point, lips brushing against the warm skin and curving into a smile as he felt the gentle vibrations of Q humming in pleasure.

Mraow.

James silently groaned as he felt Q's territorial calico jump onto his hip, her claws sinking briefly into his skin as she used him to pull herself up the rest of the way. James had been dealing with occasional shredded clothing, knocked over mugs, and the shedding ever since he'd all but unofficially moved into Q's flat. James twisted slightly to glare at Missy, who blinked innocently back at him. "Q, it's your cat," he said finally.

"Mm. Missy, c'mere girl," Q called, twisting a little more to get a better look at the animal. "Come here…"

Missy walked contentedly up James' side, pausing long enough to unexpectedly smack her forehead and rub her side against his face, causing the 00 agent to stiffen further while Q chuckled softly in amusement. "See? She likes you, I don't know what you were so worried about," he said as Missy stepped delicately from James to Q before jumping down onto the bed.

"I'll agree once the dead mice stop appearing," James grumbled as he buried his face into Q's neck.

Q hummed thoughtfully as Missy curled up into the curl of his body, purring. "James, remember when she whacked your head just now?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes. Apparently I'm not the only one in the room with a thick skull," James said, unconsciously rubbing his jaw. That one had surprisingly hurt.

"That was just Missy's way of bringing you into the family," Q said, tucking his head underneath James' jaw as he continued scratching Missy. "You smell different to her. She's just making sure that you smell like her so that she can feel more comfortable around you and that other cats realize that you're no longer available for the taking."

James paused. "She's scent-marking me?" he asked, resisting the urge to bolt from the bed to wash his face.

"Just so no other cat can claim you, it's a territorial thing," Q replied as Missy nudged her head underneath his resting hand, tail thumping audibly against the duvet. He smiled before leaning back to kiss James' jaw. "Welcome to the family."

James quietly regarded him as Q turned back to coo at Missy. For so long, a family had consisted of only Alec and wherever they happened to be at the time. He'd never thought he would be able to find a partner with whom there were no secrets to hide, someone who would not shy away once James revealed his real occupation. He just didn't think it would ever happen, even more so after Vesper.

The prospect that he would one day die alone on the field was suddenly a frightening one, and he unconsciously tightened his arm around Q's waist, kissing the back of Q's neck before making a silent vow to protect and love this extraordinary man he had been fortunate to find.