Downhill Only
"Celebrate" it turned out, to the double-0s at least, meant finding the nearest queer-friendly nightclub, dancing in a way that had to be illegal in the Middle East, and then drinking enough ninety-percent-ethanol cocktails to forget the entire night anyway.
Or so Alec had cheerfully explained.
Despite his track record so far, James actually managed to return to England by the end of the week in one piece - although how much of that was Milli's influence, Q didn't know. M sent a military squadron to meet them at the airport, and one Xenia Janssen was successfully apprehended and placed in MI6 custody. The ruffled feathers of the Monégasques were smoothed over with the realisation that the British had just removed a rather large problem from their playing field, and although the French were reluctant to help - as predicted - Duncan's Italian contacts came through, and his agents were able to leave the country with minimal fuss.
And as an added bonus, on the morning of their scheduled celebration, Doctor Arkov removed Q's wrist splint, and although he'd been given very strict orders not to use his right hand too much over the coming days, it was still a huge relief to have one less perceived weakness.
The double-0s, of course, only used it as an excuse to celebrate further.
Q was just ever so slightly too proud to admit just how long he'd spent the night before deciding on what to wear, and, yeah, maybe, he might have possibly could have had a particular alpha or two in mind as he tore most of his clothes out of his closet - but fuck it. If they were going to some fancy high-end nightclub, then he wanted to look the part.
Eventually, he'd settled on a warm tangerine shirt that brought out the blue of his eyes - while also revealing a decent patch of skin - and a sinfully tight pair of trousers that his old uni roommate had affectionately called his fuck me jeans.
He and Alec still hadn't talked about their almost-but-not-quite-something, so it wasn't as if he had any aspirations for ending the night in such a way, but if it made a few heads turn - and, preferably, two blond heads in particular - then it wasn't as if he could be blamed for other people's reactions, now, could he?
The only downside of the entire situation was that they planned to leave straight after Q clocked out for the day - which meant that he had to change at HQ.
Stepping out of his office, he resisted the urge to self-consciously tug at the very low-cut neckline of his shirt as he hurried down the metal stairs. He was beyond grateful that it was only the skeleton crew that remained; the others having long since gone home to get an early start on their weekend, but even within that handful of people, there were more than a few that gave him an appreciative look.
Silvia, the absolute traitor, even went so far as to wolf whistle as he reluctantly made his way over to the main group to check in before leaving.
"Hot date?" she asked, with a completely unashamed grin.
Q sighed.
"If you must know, then the double-0s, Miss Moneypenny, and I are going to a nightclub".
"Well look at you! You'll be beating them off with a stick!"
He wasn't sure if that was meant as a compliment or not, but the way that Daniel scoffed and rolled his eyes was anything but. Q ignored him, refusing to let the alpha ruin his good mood.
"That's the plan" he said instead, much to Silvia's delight, "I just wanted to make sure that you had everything under control here before I left".
"'Course I do, boss" she replied, before her smirk turned mischievous, "They taking you anywhere nice?"
"A place called Euphoria. Meant to be the next big thing, apparently". He grimaced. "Although nightclubs aren't really my scene".
"Not that you'd know it" she shot back, giving himself another appreciative look, "Were those jeans spray painted on or what?"
Q automatically flushed and gave her a disapproving look. "I am still your superior, Ms Johnson!"
"Not after eight on a Friday, you're not" she immediately countered, "Have fun, sir".
He narrowed his eyes at her, before turning to face the rest of the group who were all in various states of amusement, confusion, and appreciation.
"Right. Any final questions from the rest of you lot?"
"Uh… Euphoria, you said?" Daniel asked, somewhat carefully, "Isn't that the new place down by the river?"
"Yes". He gave the man a wary look. "Why?"
"Oh! Uh, no reason, I was just wondering. It's, uh… It's meant to be pretty good - or so I've heard".
"... Right" Q replied dubiously, seriously hoping that this wasn't the idiot's way of bonding, "Any questions that are specifically work-related, by any chance?"
They all shook their heads.
"Okay. Good. Well then, I'll leave you in Silvia's capable hands - R should be clocking in in about an hour or so, but if anything does come up between then and now, I've got my phone on me and you've got my number".
"If anything does come up, then we'll handle it, sir" Halim corrected with a smile, "Enjoy your night off".
"Oh don't worry. I plan to".
The nightclub was… loud.
Loud and messy and sticky and just-
Ugh.
There was a reason Q hated places like this.
But a happy double-0 meant a happy Quartermaster, and right now, he had nine happy agents under his purview. Or, at least, eight happy agents given that Duncan didn't really do happy. Or, well, seven, he supposed, since Milli didn't really do emotions in general but…
Anyway.
Despite it not really being his scene, his pack seemed to be enjoying themselves, and for them, Q would suffer through a hell of a lot worse than drunk alphas and flashing lights. It was something new for him, at least, another experience to cross off his bucket list.
In all honesty, though, he couldn't help but wish that they were all at El Nido instead.
But apparently, the double-0s only celebrated in nightclubs such as this one, saving the warm friendly pub for more personal occasions. Not going to El Nido also had the added benefit of Eve being invited along too - none of his agents wanted to bring her to their safe space since it was theirs and Edie had yet to make things official, so a nightclub it was.
He'd even deigned himself to dance with the woman for a few minutes before Edie had whisked her off.
Q took another sip from his Rainbow Paradise - the only good thing the place had offered him so far - and looked out at the dance floor from the booth they'd claimed in the back of the room.
The double-0s had completely let loose - not relaxing, as such, given that it was physically impossible for any of them to ever switch off their instincts fully, but it was definitely the closest thing to relaxed that Q had ever seen in them.
Jake and Duncan were still at the table, sitting together and talking with their heads bowed close. Milli was also present, calmly sipping water in the corner of the booth, while Charlie appeared to be passed out next to her, his head buried in his arms on top of the table.
Out on the dance floor, Eve was still swaying with Edie, both women drawing more than a few appreciative glances from those surrounding them, while Alexis and Saif seemed to be in some sort of competition to see who could hook up with someone the fastest. So far, the former double-0 appeared to be winning, although Saif did have far more lipstick stains along his neck. And then last but not least, there was…
Them.
Standing in the centre of the dance floor - or, at least, in the centre of his world - were Alec and James, and Q found that he couldn't stop staring at them because-
Holy shit.
Calling it dancing would be a bit of a stretch, he decided, considering that both men were standing so close to one another that they might as well have been the same person. Grinding was more like it, James's hands on Alec's hips, the Russian's head thrown back against his partner's shoulder, as they both seamlessly moved with the music.
The nightclub pulsed with vibrant energy, but Q could only focus on them. The bassline, deep and commanding, throbbed in perfect harmony with their swaying hips - as if the music was pulsing to them rather than the other way around.
Q felt his heart race at the sight, and he knew that he must have a flush high on his cheeks already. Watching them was intoxicating; a drug that he'd never come down off of, igniting an irresistible desire to join them, to beg them, to surrender.
He tried to fight back the feelings, to clamp down and dig his heels in as that irritating little voice in the back of his mind said this isn't just a simple crush, now is it? because it was just a simple crush, it had to be just a simple crush, because the only alternative was that he was in lo- something with two incredibly unavailable men and carrying on in his day-to-day life with the weight of that knowledge on his shoulders would be unbearable.
Under the strobe lights, he watched as James placed sinfully soft kisses against Alec's throat, not biting hard enough to draw blood, but enough so that Q could see the shiny marks left behind whenever the club would flash purple. They moved in perfect synchronisation, their bodies speaking a language only they understood, the boundaries between them blurred and melting away until the omega couldn't tell where one man began and the other ended.
James caught his eye.
Q froze.
Whispering something to his partner, the alpha kept his gaze as he bit down purposefully - not enough to scar, not enough to bond them as mates, but just enough to make a point - and-
Winked.
Q flushed a bright, damning red, and immediately looked away, downing the rest of his cocktail so fast that the alcohol made his eyes water and he briefly worried that he was going to choke.
He winked.
James bloody Bond had winked.
Why the hell had James bloody Bond winked?!
Was it a challenge? A dare? An incentive? A warning? Something that meant hey, he's mine, so back off before you regret it? Had he realised that he liked Alec? Had Alec told James about their almost-but-not-quite-something? Had-
Oh god.
Now that was a thought.
Had Alec told him? His partner hadn't returned from his mission until a few hours ago, after all, but that was plenty of time for the blond to say so, that Quartermaster of ours, whom you've had a few issues with in the past actually tried to kiss-
No.
Q shook his head, stopping the thoughts before he worked himself into enough of a frenzy that every alpha in this club would be able to smell his distress.
Instead, he raised his glass to his lips again before realising-
Fuck.
He'd already finished his drink, hadn't he?
… Perhaps it was time to call it a night.
The almost-but-not-quite-something and definitely-something-but-not-quite-clear-what incidents aside, he really was starting to get tired, the flashing lights and deafening music were starting to get a bit too much - and based on the way that Milli's porcelain facade was starting to crack across from him, she was beginning to get sick of it all too.
One more drink, and then he'd ask if she wanted to get out of there.
Maybe they could even swing by a fish and chip shop on the way home to soak up some of the cocktails he'd been downing - and provide him with an excuse to start a longer-than-otherwise-possible conversation with the Queen of Logic as to what the bloody hell that wink had meant.
Turning to her, he pointed at her near-empty glass with a questioning look, and she nodded, once. A glance at Charlie revealed him to be well and truly passed out, and Duncan and Jake seemed far too engrossed in one another to pay him any attention so-
Just two drinks it was then.
Standing up, Q easily slipped through the crowd - one of the very few times that he was actually grateful for his slight frame - and managed to squeeze himself in between two betas at the bar. He definitely wasn't drunk, but he could feel the soft blurry edges creeping in, and briefly considered switching to water before deciding no, actually, if this was to be his last drink then he was going to bloody well enjoy it.
"What's a pretty thing like you doing here all alone?"
Q blinked, startled, and turned only to find that the beta on his right had been replaced by a tall, skinny alpha with badly dyed hair and a grin that was showing far too many teeth.
"... Nothing" he replied belatedly, "I- I mean, uh… I'm not alone. I'm here with my… my friends".
Turning back to the bar, he hoped that the man would get the message, but given his luck so far this evening, it wasn't likely.
"Oh yeah? And they just left you here by yourself? Some friends they are".
Q immediately bristled and, against his better judgement, turned back to the alpha.
"No, actually, they didn't leave me here by myself. I was just getting another drink". He gestured at the counter in front of him. "Obviously".
The man's smile twisted into something ugly and for a split second, Q could have sworn that he'd seen that sneer before.
"Look, you don't have to be rude about it!" he snapped, "I was just going to ask if you wanted to dance with me".
"No thank you. I'm not interested".
Turning back to the bar, he desperately hoped that the woman would come over to take his order soon.
"I haven't even done anything yet!" the alpha protested, "You're not even giving me a chance!"
"I don't have to give you a chance, because like I said, I'm not interested".
"At least let me buy you a drink".
"I can buy my own drink, thanks".
"What about- What about one? One drink, that's all! Let me buy you one drink!"
Merlin, was he never going to give up?!
Just as Q was about to snap at him to back the hell off, the bartender, mercifully, came over.
"What can I get ya, sweetie?"
"A water and a Rainbow Paradise, please" he quickly replied, handing over his card in relief.
She nodded, gave the alpha next to him a bit of a side-eye, and then backed away to make the cocktail.
"Just one dance, come on!"
Q briefly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then turned back to the asshole.
"Since you're clearly not getting the message, let me spell it out for you. I am not interested. I don't want to dance with you, I don't want you to buy me a drink, and I most definitely do not want to continue talking to you. So just leave me the hell alone before I call my friends over here!"
The alpha's eyes darkened, and before Q could so much as blink, he'd stepped well into his personal space and grabbed his wrist in a bruising hold.
"You can't blame me for trying, bitch, since all your so-called friends must have some reason to keep you around. Clearly, you're easy. So why not give me a try, huh? No bite mark - It's not like you even have an alpha, after all".
Q snarled and yanked his hand out of the bastard's grip, already mentally planning the shortest route back to their table to escape him.
"I'm not some bitch that will just roll over for every alpha that passes by!" he snapped, "Not that you're much of one, given the whole stupid insecure fuck boy thing you've got going on. So keep your hands to your fucking self and back the hell away from me before I punch your fucking teeth in!"
Spinning around, he stormed away from the bar, not even caring that he didn't have their drinks yet. Hopefully, the bartender would realise what had happened and someone would bring them over, or, worst case scenario, he lost a few pounds.
It was a better alternative than getting harassed, that was for sure.
Before he could even reach the dance floor, however, the bastard reached out and grabbed his arm one more, his grip very firmly moving into the painful category now that he was clearly pissed off.
But just as he was about to deck the asshole, he felt a warm, solid presence step up behind him, and the man dropped his wrist as if he'd been burned.
"Is there a problem here?" Alec asked, his low rumbling voice just barely this side of a growl.
"Yes!" Q snapped just as the bastard in front of him squeaked out "No!"
"... Uh huh" he replied dryly, clearly not convinced, "Was this guy bothering you, cub?"
Even though the question was clearly directed at Q, Alec didn't take his eyes off of the man for a split second.
"Yes, actually, he was" he said firmly, folding his arms across his chest, and the other alpha paled.
Holding up both hands in a mockery of peace, he tried to laugh it off.
"Look, man, I just wanted to- to buy the omega a drink, that's all! He's clearly unbonded, so I thought I'd- I'd just shoot my shot, you know?"
Q almost grinned in delight.
He was talking to Alec as if they were bros, as if they were both dynamicist knotheads that could simply laugh over bitchy omegas who refused to add a notch to their bedpost.
Alec was going to eat him alive.
"Oh really?" the blond drawled, stepping even closer until the omega could feel him press against his back, "And when he said no, you just… kept shooting?"
"Well, I, uh, I mean, it's- it's not as if he, uh, meant it, you know?" he stumbled, "I mean, obviously, the little bitch doesn't know his- his place! All their kind's good for is fucking and he's- he's not bonded so- so I just wanted to remind him of that! I mean, you can't tell me that you haven't taken him for a ride?"
Q felt almost light-headed in his giddiness and briefly wondered if he could hack into the security cameras later to see Alec decimate the prick from a different angle.
"Taken him for a ride, huh?" he replied, as casual as you please, "Because he's unbonded?"
"Yes! Exactly!"
The poor bastard actually thought that Alec was agreeing with him.
"They're free game until they've been claimed, after all! I mean, of course, I wouldn't- I wouldn't step on another alpha's toes, of course not! But since no one's claimed him, then-"
"Actually, I've claimed him".
Silence.
Q barely resisted the urge to spin around and gawk at the man because-
"What?! You… You… You've claimed him?"
Oh great, and it looked like the dynamicist prick in front of them didn't believe it either.
"Yes" Alec replied calmly, placing a large, warm hand on the back of Q's neck, "I have".
The bastard looked between him, and then Q, and then him, and then Q, and then, finally, back to Alec.
"I don't believe you".
"Why not?"
"Because- Because he's- he's him! And you're- you're you and- and-"
"-and I don't take too kindly to other alphas encroaching on my territory".
What.
"I… You… But he's-" The man stopped, blinked quickly, and then shook his head. "No. No, I don't believe you! There's no way that-"
But Alec wasn't listening anymore. Instead, he had sidestepped Q and was now gently turning the omega to face him and placing a hand on his cheek, and Q couldn't help but lean into its soothing warmth.
Alec smiled, softly, leaned forwards into his space and whispered-
"I'm going to kiss you now".
-and Q's brain short-circuited.
Alec kissed like a punch to the mouth and Q froze for a second, his brain, body, entire being breaking before pushing back into the kiss with every single ounce of his soul and then Alec groaned against his lips and he'd be damned if he stopped now. His hands ended up tangled in that ridiculously perfect blond hair as Alec pressed a warm, steadying, safe hand against the back of his neck while the other dipped into the hollow of his lower back, pulling him even closer as he nipped at bruised lips and-
Holy fuck.
No wonder 006 was sent on so many honeypots if he was this good with only his mouth!
Q had never before understood the phrase time stood still but right here and right now he was starting to get a grasp on the idea. He opened his mouth with a spark of arousal, and Alec wasted no time in devouring that like he devoured every other part of him. As soon as he did so, the blond made a deep, vibrating sound that rumbled deep in his throat - one that Q belatedly realised was a happy little growl.
Fucking alphas.
Every single nerve in the omega's body thrummed with anticipation and excitement and nerves, a fire bursting forth in his chest, leaving him breathless and craving more. Alec swallowed his moans with extreme prejudice as if filled with an insatiable need, an urge, to claim every single part of him. It left Q feeling dizzy - tasting the vodka and smoke and hunger in the man's mouth, and he tugged at his hair, yanking him down even further, closer, towards him, on him, into him, every touch sending a jolt of electricity surging through his very soul until Q felt that he would die without it, without this, without him.
He was distantly aware of someone making a disgusted sound next to them before storming off, but it was still a good entire minute before Alec pulled away - long enough that Q had started feeling lightheaded and had to latch onto the man's arms for balance.
He stood there in a daze, chest heaving, gasping for breath, his cheeks flushed with a mixture of desire and exhilaration, having been thoroughly snogged in a way that only a natural seducer could do and-
Q suddenly realised that he could happily spend the rest of his life being kissed by this man, and that little epiphany only further made him realise that-
Oh fuck.
This really did go far beyond a simple crush, now didn't it?