“I’ll pass the request on to Chapman.”
Oliver eyed the suit Liam wore and the garment bag he had slung over one arm. “Please tell me that’s not for me.”
Liam shrugged, offering up a faint smile. “It’s Wednesday. We have tea with the queen, remember?”
Oliver groaned, staring down at the dirty uniform he wore. “Oh, bloody hell. I forgot about that.”
“If your mission had run longer, I’d have rescheduled. As it is, we have an hour to get to the palace.”
“I need to shower.”
“We all need to shower,” Samaira said, already heading toward the stalls. “Computer, turn on the hot water.”
Liam arched an eyebrow, giving Oliver a quick smile. “I’ll hang this here for you and meet you in the car park.”
Oliver would’ve kissed him in thanks, but they had both agreed to keep their interactions professional when on duty. “Cheers.”
Oliver joined the rest of his team in the showers, where chatter was kept to a minimum as everyone decompressed after the mission. Considering the tight timeline he was running on, Oliver didn’t waste any time getting clean and dressed in the suit Liam had brought him. He spent a few minutes on his hair, drying it thoroughly and styling it as nicely as he could on such short notice.
Oliver left the ready room behind and hurried through the UMG for the underground car park. It took upward of ten minutes to make it, but Liam didn’t seem to mind his tardiness. With Liam’s position being what it was in the agency these days, he’d received a dedicated parking spot on the first sublevel, making escape easier.
“I hope you weren’t waiting long,” Oliver said as Liam opened the front passenger door for him.
“Not at all,” Liam replied. “Gran won’t mind if we’re a few minutes late.”
Oliver gave him an appropriately horrified look. “I am not going to be late for my first afternoon tea with the queen.”
“She already likes you. No need to be worried.”
“Speaks the man who’s been having tea with the queen since you were a child.”
Liam laughed and shut the door before going around to the other side. Oliver busied himself with buckling up while Liam slid behind the steering wheel and started the engine.
“I don’t know why I’m nervous,” Oliver said. He flexed his fingers, a burning glow flashing from within his hand and wrist before fading away. “I can dothisnow, so I shouldn’t be nervous.”
“Having tea with my grandmother isn’t a battle.”
Oliver arched an eyebrow at Liam as he pulled out of the parking spot and headed for the exit. “Tell me you’ve never been worried about facing her?”
Liam winced. “I’d be lying if I did.”
“Precisely.”
Liam reached over with his left hand to give Oliver’s thigh a gentle squeeze. “You’ll be fine. She likes you. She likes that we’re happy together.”
Oliver placed his hand over Liam’s, holding on. “I do, too.”
Liam flashed him a quick smile before returning his gaze to the road. Afternoon London traffic was a congested mess, and the low-hanging gray clouds promised a later rain. For now, the car’s heater kept them from getting chilled, and they spent the drive to Buckingham Palace chatting about their conflicting decorating scheme for the holidays.
“Traditional colors are boring,” Liam complained. “Why can’t we have something different? What’s so wrong with silver?”
“Too monochromatic. If we’re throwing parties, I don’t want everything to look boring,” Oliver retorted.
“Our home isn’t boring.”
Oliver couldn’t help the small smile that came to his face at that statement. Liam had moved out of the cottage in Kensington Palace and into Oliver’s home in Primrose Hill at the end of September. Sharing space was a new endeavor for both of them, but they were enjoying it immensely. Having the chance to learn each other’s habits was something Oliver would never take for granted.
Compromise was key, but their shared experiences meant they could be honest with each other in a way they couldn’t with most other people in their lives. Oliver appreciated that, even if he didn’t appreciate the way Liam stole the covers at night. The only way to stop him was to sleep close.
