Q was awake, lying in the middle of his bed–their bed, Scottie's and his. Or was it Alec's, James' and his, now? Alec was lying close beside him, his arm stretched out to meet James' on Q's abdomen. James was equally close at Q's other side, snoring slightly, his right leg pinning Q's legs down. Caged, not trapped, Q thought, a contented smile spreading over his face.
Q closed his eyes, and tried to piece together the events of the past days. Somehow, they had made it back to his place. Courtesy of Mother, Q guessed, since he most certainly hadn't asked for the cab, and much less would have given his own address as their destination. Probably for the best, though, Q thought wryly. He had felt worn out, but Alec and James were barely able to stand much less walk without Q supporting them. Story of my life, Q thought grimly.
They had made into the bedroom, before all three of them just passed out. Waking up the next morning, they were closely entangled in each other. A bit shy, Q had managed to extract himself without waking the two sleeping agents. He had cleaned himself up, prepared breakfast, and finished his first few cups of tea, before Alec and James had shown up in his kitchen, looking befuddled and exhausted. Q had insisted on a proper breakfast, and while Q cleaned up the dishes, Alec and James had taken a bath, and changed into clean clothes. Again, courtesy of Mother, Q realised grumpily.
The three of them hadn't spoken much that morning. Each seemingly embarrassed by the situation, and neither Alec nor James knowing how to proceed. A soulbond between two lovers was one thing, creating a bond between a sentinel and a guide involved not only sex, but blood and a basic, unconditional trust between the partners. Something, Alec and James had established over years, and they no doubt trusted Q by now. However, Q had to reciprocate this trust. He was the one, who would give himself to them, forging all three of them together. While a bond could be forced, what they would attempt needed to be given freely and willingly. And the timing would have to be right. Q smiled at that. That one part had been his main concern, making sure both sentinels biting and drawing blood from him at the exact same time during a frenzied coupling. As it turned out, that bit had been the easy part. It was the awkwardness of having sex with two new partners at the same time, which proved to be the largest obstacle for him. Q had sat them down and explained the process. How they were to have sex, no penetration needed, but all three of them had to climax at the same time, while Alec and James had to draw blood from biting into Q's shoulders. Alec had been horrified by the very idea, protesting the necessity of bloodletting. Q hadn't expected that kind of discussion, but he patiently explained the need for blood as the physical manifestation of the bond. During intercourse with a matching sentinel, a guide's blood would produce large amounts of conexilion, the hormone needed for a bond to form between them. More so, Alec and James would have to exchange Q's blood right after their bites by kissing each other. Alec had looked deeply appalled by the idea of physically assaulting the very person, who would make it possible to keep him and James together. In the end, James had taken Alec on a walk, explaining everything once more, using the notion of blood brothers as reference. That's when Q had realised his telepathic connection with James. Vice versa, that was, since James returned with Alec and immediately understood that he didn't need to explain anything. Q already knew.
He carded gently through Alec's hair. James was a Bond. A family who through generations had been able to hone the special relationships between sentinels and guides. Q wondered how much of that knowledge had been lost over the centuries. The Bond's never cared to collect or archive their vast experiences with the bonding process, much less describing how they maintained and developed a proper bonding relationship. Q grinned. So much to explore and understand, experiments they needed to conduct with each other.
James shifted beside him, without waking, his hand searched for contact with Alec's, sliding across Q's naked body. Q turned towards James placing a chaste kiss on his head, while he continued to caress Alec. No, the bonding had been the easy part. It turned out to be Q, who needed reassurance. He bit his lips. When the three of them had made it back into the bedroom, James and Alec undressed, standing stark naked in front of him, without a hint of embarrassment. And Q froze. Their bodies were perfectly sculpted, the light from the windows playing over well-formed muscles, both men well-endowed in every respect. They carried themselves with such a nonchalance, it took Q's breath away. He couldn't help but stare, the feeling of inadequacy creeping over him. He stood in front of two of MI6 finest agents, fighting, killing, and fucking their way through obstacles to obtain intel, saving Queen and country, all in a good day's work. Whatever had he to offer beside a bond that might not even be strong enough to keep all of them sane and sound?
James had been the one to pick up on Q's thoughts. He had taken a few steps forward, telegraphing his intend to undress Q, waiting for the smallest of nods, before getting even closer and leaning in for a first, tentative kiss. Q's mind had exploded into a barrage of sensations, barely registering the gasp from Alec, before Q could feel him at his back, helping James to gently divest Q from his clothes. In that moment, he lost himself to both. The tenderness of calloused fingers, softly spoken words of affirmation, falling, but being caught by strong hands, sure of their hold. They were leading him with a breath-taking certainty into a new world of emotions and perceptions. Yes, Scottie and he had sex, but nothing like James and Alec were able and willing to engage in. Taking him to new heights, wearing him out, building him up, and letting him tear them down in equal measures.
He was lying here, in bed with both men curled around him, his body and mind relaxed, even as the band aid on his shoulders covered two new bitemarks. It would be a new world for the three of them. Bonded, but stronger, much stronger than before. Not just Alec and James, but Q as well. He could feel it through their invisible connections. The telepathic bond with James, which they would need to get used to, and the deeply emotional connection with Alec. Initially, Q had been confused about Alec's reaction to the Hunt. By any means, he should have been lost in the void of the vanishing point, instead he became the dear, hunted through the woods. Q smiled. It explained so much about Alec. And the bond with James. How they had survived for so long. And it showed that the world never worked in either-or categories. Alec was both guide and sentinel. Q would have to teach him how to develop his guiding skills. How to properly embrace the possibilities and threats that came with those skills. Later. Much later. When they all had had time to adjust to their new reality.
Q sighed. Slowly he untangled himself and went to the bathroom. He'd better get up and brief Mother, M that was, on their new status. Giving James and Alec the all-clear for new missions. And finding a proper place for Q at MI6.
They walked into MI6 with Q in the middle, just a step ahead of Alec and James. Heads turned and surprised whispers followed them through the halls and corridors. Moneypenny gave them an appreciative nod, and with a knowing wink opened the door to M's office. M's look was priceless, and James would later complain that none of them thought about filming the moment. The stern glare was replaced by confusion, disbelief, maybe even a bit of fondness, before she settled on relief. She indicated the chairs and just moments later, Moneypenny entered with tea and coffee. She withdrew, closing the door. Before any of them could say something, M's eyes widened in astonishment. The two wolves entered, lying down at Q's feet, followed by a large, black panther. Its moves were slow, deliberate, as it greeted the wolves, before lying down at a small distance, keeping an eye on everyone in the room. Q could have sworn the eagle owl was grinning at them.
M cleared her throat.
"Well, 006 and 007," she said. "I have a new mission for you."