Spy's Cove - The Hidden

[provocateur_king]

Bond had been planning his next move. They were ashore until the moon changed and Bond was taking full advantage. He had books and charts and papers to pour over. He sent letters by raven and eagerly awaited for the birds to return.

In the mean time, there was food and drink and a warm, full bed.

At least usually. There was nothing warm and fresh when he visited the kitchen so he made do with a bit of cheese to nibble as he began to look for Q. Not in Bond's chamber, nor the kitchen, nor the study.

He opened another door to peek inside.

"Oh. There you are," he said.

Comments

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

The wizard was bored, which was always a dangerous thing. When Bond walked in there were unsettling shadows creeping up the walls, slinking identical and skeletal hands... Though they all slipped away and vanished when the wizard turned to see who had come looking for him.

"I didn't know you were looking for me. I assumed you were off plotting your war," he said, waving his hands to seal whatever it was he'd cracked open, then turning fully to face James.

[provocateur_king]

"What are you doing in here?" he asked a bit shocked by what he'd seen.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

"Making friends," Q replied flatly. "What do you need?" he asked, assuming James had a reason for hunting him down.

[provocateur_king]

"To know what you're doing," he answered as he closed the door behind hom.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

"I'm simply looking beyond the walls of this realm to get a feel for what's going on beyond ours. It's perfectly safe, they can't come though, I can simply observe them," Q explained, as if that was something everyone did.

"...And I'm bored," he added bluntly.

[provocateur_king]

"Would you like to take a stroll?" he asked, unwilling to admit that he, too, was bored.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

"No," Q replied.

He wanted to see Bond's dungeon again, to see if he could spot the entrance to the hidden lab. ...However, he didn't want Bond to know he was looking for it. He wasn't sure why, but his gut told him this was something he needed to explore before sharing.

"I want to see your dungeon again. I want to see your toys," he said, deciding that would kill two birds with one stone. He could peek around, and cure his boredom, all at once.

[provocateur_king]

Bond arched a brow.

"Really?" he asked, more than a little surprised. He was sure Q wasn't interested.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't interested," Q replied. "And you're well aware of my tastes. ...It's just a bit more extreme than I expected. But yes, I want to see it, I want to use it. Unless you're not interested."

[provocateur_king]

"Not at all," he replied.

Excitement sparked in him.

"Come with me."

He opened the door again and waited for Q.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

Q nodded his thanks, wandering at Bond's side towards the other man's rooms.

He couldn't help but wonder if Harry knew about the dungeon. ...He decided not to ask though.

[provocateur_king]

Halfway there, Bond looked over at him.

"I was under the impression you didn't enjoy it," he said. "That's why I haven't asked again."

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

"You spent weeks mocking my kidnapping fantasies, then decided I didn't like your dungeon?" Q replied. "I liked it just fine, it was just not what I originally imagined. In my head it was rough, but... Romantic. Not just a punishment, but as if you couldn't stand not to have me."

It was the most honest Q had ever been about his fantasies really, and he looked away, embarrassed.

"Besides, I barely got to look around last time. I hardly know what's in there."

[provocateur_king]

Bond listened closely to Q, tucking all that away for later.

"Then, by all means, let me give you a proper tour," he said with a sly hint of a smile.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

Q nodded, following Bond to the secret room.

Inside, his eyes quickly darted around, searching for anything John had mentioned. A clue. A sign this was the right place to start looking even.

[provocateur_king]

Around the room were torches that lit themselves upon entering. As before, there was specialized furnishings and rope and chain. Everything was in order, tailored to Bond's tastes.

One torch flickered three times. It was angled differently than the others and the flame danced because of it.

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

Q eyed the torch committing it to memory. He'd come back one day on his own. Perhaps the next time Bond left him on the island on his own.

He wandered a little, touching some rope, then returned his attention to James.

"Is this how it was when you took it, or have you added to it?" he asked.

[provocateur_king]

"When I took it over, this was full of wine," he said. "I put it together, specifically to my taste."

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

"You have interesting taste," Q replied, thinking some of the contraptions in here seemed... Brutal.

"Have you ever kept someone here?" he asked, glancing back at James.

[provocateur_king]

"Kept? No," he said. "It's never been used. I indulge on land. Few people beyond my crew have even been inside the palace."

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

Q wet his lips, turning to face James full on.

"Do you want to keep me here for a while?" he offered, forgetting about the other room for now in favour of indulging in James.

[provocateur_king]

"I've been dreaming of it," he said, reaching out to stroke Q's cheek. "I built this for you."

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

That... Was not the answer Q had expected, and left him with a dozen more questions. There was a lot to unpack there.

"Was this to be my accommodations if I hadn't been so keen to linger with you?" he asked with a nervous laugh. "Should I have played hard to get?"

[provocateur_king]

"I was bound to have you," he said, an arm sliding around him to hold him close.

"I thought I might need to be...persuasive."

[bibbidi_bobbidi_boffin]

That should have been a frightening idea, yet Q was visibly aroused by it.

...Then annoyed.

"But I was the odd one for having fantasies? Gods you're a bastard, you know that?" Q said, shoving him away. "Well maybe I think this is grotesque. When did you even start building this?"