I have an absolute critical-limit mass of Drabbles and One-Shots littering my computer.

Most of them I can't/won't post right now because they're involved with Amitai's future work.

Some of them, however, I can post.

This is based vaguely in Amitai's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy universe.

It is also the vaguely second one-shot in a trilogy of loosely-connected one-shots.

After Hours

Alex slipped away form the main group and waited. Sure enough..

"Cub."

"Wolf."

Alex didn't turn away from the windows, admiring the view. Wolf didn't turn from his perusal of the floor plan on the wall.

"I was not informed you were assigned to Dieter." Wolf murmured succinctly. Alex marvelled at the lack of open hostility in his voice.

"I'm not." He answered blandly. "We're just friends."

Wolf snorted, but didn't have time to say anything as the object of their discussions entered the room.

"There you are, Alex." James said, relief visible. "I was worried that someone had thrown you out."

Alex turned and smiled slightly. "If you'd let me wear my ID badge, that wouldn't be a problem." He said dryly.

Both teens ignored Wolf's silent, guarding figure – James with the ease of years of such silent protectors and Alex with the determination of someone who hoped that – if left alone – he'd go away.

James waved a hand and grinned. "Yeah right, wear some badge like a member of staff?"

Neither boy glanced at Wolf, who was wearing his own security clearance tag quite visibly on his chest.

"Although, there is one way we could clear things up for people.." James trailed off suggestively.

Alex's smile widened a little, even as his voice became stern.

"No, James."

James pouted, but a wicked gleam in his eye made Alex shift his weight expectantly.

Sure enough, the slightly-taller teen slunk over to him and wrapped his arms around him.

"Well, there's nobody here right now.." He breathed – apparently well-used to treating his security team like inanimate pieces of furniture.

"True." Alex said thoughtfully. "Maybe we've got time for a quick shag.."

James' eyes shot up, nervous excitement and humour making his face light up.

"Really?!" He squeaked, blushing a little as he immediately cleared his throat and mock-glared at Alex's affectionate grin.

"Idiot.." Alex murmured, reaching a hand up to James' hair and pulling him in for a kiss.

Part of him was flipping out at how stupid it was to do this in front of Wolf, who'd report it to MI6 without even thinking about it...

Another part of him was already planning for that, planning damage control..

The rest of him was just focused on James' very-near heat, his lips, his taste...

The damage-control part kicked in, making him break off the kiss and step back, a collected expression slipping into place almost immediately.

"We should go rescue your Dad." He suggested mildly, inwardly unable to suppress a twinge of self-satisfaction as James took a visible moment to re-collect himself from the kiss.

"Uh.. right." James cleared his throat and grinned. "He has to be polite to those gold-digging bitches, but I don't. I'm a delinquent after all, right?"

Alex chuckled at James' devious expression and walked out after him.

"Just friends, huh?"

Alex stopped as Wolf's whisper-soft words reached him. He waited a heartbeat as James surged into the crowd, before replying.

"That's right." He said coldly. "Handy, isn't it?"

He left without another word, leaving Wolf to draw his own conclusions from that.

--
END.