Three Weeks Later
Mallory's car dropped him off at his residence late, or early morning rather. It had been a long day, but then most were in his job. He entered the lift to his top floor apartment, rolling his shoulders back as he hit the floor button, tense from the day's stresses. It had been only three weeks since he and his Quartermaster had "officially" begun their relationship and they had seen each other four times over the course of that period. Come to think of it, he had seen just as much of the Oversight Committee, determined to keep an even closer eye on his performance. The lift reached its destination and he exited, his apartment the only one on that level. He slipped his keycard in the door and entered. Truth be told, he was really too old for such romantic notions… He slipped off his jacket and hung it by the door. But…
His Quartermaster had him completely enamoured, professionally and personally. He loosened his tie while walking towards the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, his thoughts still occupied with Q. Q, the prickly and thoroughly pedant at work, and the other side of the same coin, Jonathan, passionate and sensual when released from the confines of their secretive world, free to explore and revel in the sensations experienced beneath each other's hands. He pushed further open the bedroom door, left slightly ajar, a tentative welcome if he wanted to join his young lover or not, if the day had proved too exhausting and the spare room next door was preferable.
The fact of the matter was, Mallory was powerless to resist the solid but delicate press of the young man against him on waking up in the morning light. Mallory stood at the door of his master bedroom and took a moment to enjoy the sight of his Quartermaster draped across his mattress, the top sheet wrapped toga-like around his waist, gentle but deep breathing rising and falling his pale smooth back. Q didn't sleep for a long each night, four to five hours at most, but when he did he slept like the dead. Mallory undid the top few buttons of his shirt as he sat down carefully on the edge of the bed. Gently, he laid the flat of his palm in the small of the slumbering man's back, marvelling and inwardly delighting at the smoothness, gun-metal smooth and soft, unblemished. He allowed his hand to drift upwards along the bumps of his spine to rest on the nape of his neck and bestowed a gentle caress. The man stirred and rumbled muffled words into the pillow.
"I'm sorry, Jonathan. I didn't mean to wake you," whispered Mallory, not stalling the loving touch against his neck. Q moaned. But it was not the moan of the complainer, more the compliant. He rolled onto his back, displaying himself, still half asleep but open, sensual and wanting. He gave Mallory a lazy smile through sleepy eyes. "Yes. You did," he mumbled affectionately through a yawn. He raised himself up on an elbow and grabbed the front of Mallory's shirt, pulling the unresistant man forward for a warm, open-mouthed kiss.
He lay back again. Now wide awake. "Why are you still wearing clothes? Remove those offending articles immediately," he said primly.
Mallory's laugh was low but full of promise. "God, I love it when you're bossy." He reached beneath the sheet without any preamble and ran a firm grip down his length. Q's eyes went wide with surprise before he tossed his head back. Mallory instantly took advantage of the move and laid a series of soft possessive kisses along the length of that throat. "You're." Kiss. "Utterly." Another. "Captivating."
"Well. Don't tell the Head of the other Counterintelligence agencies, will you. Or they'll all want one."
Mallory found himself chuckling softly once again. He'd laughed more these last few weeks than he had in a long time. "I have absolutely no intention of sharing this, you, us with anyone. Rest assured."
"Rest isn't really top of my agenda right now," his breath shortening, becoming rapid and ragged in response to Mallory's increasing pace. It wasn't long before the tight coil in his stomach released and the warmth spread throughout and radiated from his body. Mallory watched the play of emotion across his features, Q's eyes locking with his own in the moment his climax took him over the edge. Mallory lay down beside him, still clothed, but incredibly content.
"Welcome home…" whispered Q, with a cheeky, sated smile.
Mallory smiled. Home. Yes he thought, wrapping strong, sure arms more firm around Q's waist. I suppose now it is. Once again.
It seems a man can indeed live twice.