The sunlight was peeking through the window curtains and Callum's warm body was pressed hard next to his.
The deeper breathing meant Cal still hadn't woken up yet, and Oliver turned on his side and looked at the lord's sleeping face.
Callum came from one of the most powerful families in the entire world, but Oliver had learned one thing and knew for sure -the Lord didn't want to be exactly part of it.
Whatever it was, it was something close to that notion.
Oliver searched his face and saw the freckles had faded away again, gone in the daylight. A sunray had settled in Callum's bright hair, the place where the ray touched the strands had turned them into the most beautiful color Oliver had seen. Scarlet.
Cal looked peaceful.
For someone like Oliver, the sight of someone sleeping soundly by his side still felt unreal. Like everything else.
He still wasn’t sure if what he was doing was what Callum wanted. He had waited for the Lord to fall asleep, so that he could trace his hands over the man’s exposed skin. Oliver was still learning whether Call liked the pain, or the command in what Oliver had done for him in the two times the lord had shared his body with him.
A scary feeling threatened to ruin the moment.
The foreboding that this moment might be the last and Oliver would never know more.
He pushed away a stray lock of the red hair, that had fallen over the Lord's forehead and Callum stirred.
The blue gaze slowly met his and Callum quickly got up, propping himself on his elbows.
Cal looked around, disoriented. It was as if he wasn't sure where and mostly - why, he was where he was.
Oliver had the wild idea, another nervous feeling Callum would pretend nothing had happened again.
But instead, the Lord relaxed back on the pillows and looked at the ceiling.
"Cal?"
"I've never woken up next to someone else before you."
Oliver took his hand and kissed it. "You won't run away again, will you?"
"I don't know if I can."
He sounded confused.
Oliver wondered if Cal was both being entirely honest, and slightly grumpy for being so direct about something so personal.
He shifted and climbed on top of the Lord.
Oliver propped himself on his elbows, trying not to relax his weight entirely over the slender man under him.
"Maybe now you can't."
He leaned closer and kissed Callum lightly on the lips
"I didn't say good morning, My Lord."
"I didn't hear you, Oliver. "
Oliver heard the smile in Cal's words and bowed his head to kiss Calum's neck. Then he moved to his lips. The lord returned the kiss, wrapping his hands around Oliver's back.
The kiss became more heated and Oliver felt himself getting hard. Callum ran his hands lower Oliver's back and then went to unbutton Oliver's nightshirt.
Oliver untangled himself and the Lord frowned.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"Nothing, no. But you said we need to talk," Oliver said.
"Uh...all right. We do."
Callum said unsure and adjusted his pillow higher.
"I told you that you're were a terrible distraction."
"What am I distracting you from ?" Oliver looked at him and smiled.
"From thinking we have to meet someone today."
"It's not your fake mistress, I hope."
"No. And by the way, I was waiting for you to figure it out."
"I didn't at first, but when I saw the real Henriette and that she wasn't the woman we met back then, I realized there was something going on."
"It is."
Oliver's question was likely written all over his face and Callum said.
"I will explain everything, I swear. But it's my turn to ask you to trust me."
Oliver nodded.
"It also has to do with my Father. “
“All right. “
Oliver said.
“You know my father's always been a Tory, the most serious Conservative leader the government has known.
He always has been, it's how he won the elections. But you also know about all that. You worked for his political opponent."
Oliver wasn't sure what to say and Callum continued "Liam said he remembered seeing you with Charles."
"I worked in the household, Cal, we’ve talked about this."
"I need to know what you really did there."
"Almost the same as the things Tennyson is asking from me."
"To sleep with his son?"
Oliver laughed at the Lord's surprised expression when Callum said "No, wait. That's not possible, he doesn't have children, right?"
Oliver sat up straighter.
"All right, bad choice of words. I was just doing errands, that's all."
"That's all?
"All kinds of errands. And no, I wasn't a valet, but when Tennyson came and asked for help, Charles agreed to recommend me for the household. I was never involved in any talks of politics with him, Cal."
"I see." Callum's mischievous smile spread on his lips and said "I knew you weren't exactly a servant. "
"I knew you did. You said it some time ago."
"I did, yes. And now my father's government is raising taxes and it's..."
"Lord Tennyson's government is the one supporting landholders, Cal. It's going to be beneficial to them."
The lord looked around the room and said
"Do you...do you remember when you said only the working class suffered from it?"
"And you said it's not only them."
" Yes. But the workers and the opposition are preparing for strikes."
Cold sweat ran down Oliver's spine upon hearing that. He remembered the two men they'd met with Xiao and the man who had been hanged not long ago. Then he remembered the times Callum had gotten home late and the wound.
Oh, no. That can’t be.
It was like all fears were now combinig into one, like the pieces of the puzzle scattered around were forming the picture Oliver didn’t want to look at.
He said slowly.
"And? It's what everyone's been afraid of."
"The radicals are threatening to raise."
"They have, for a while now. "
"Oliver?"
"Yes, Cal."
"We need to talk to those people and persuade them not to."
Oliver's face was a blank sheet of paper. It lasted only for a moment before he asked incredulously
"What? Are you completely out of your mind?”
“Umm, “
“No, don’t try to say anything witty. “
“I wasn’t. “
“Stop. Is this what you've been doing? You can't just go and talk to them."
"But I can. I have, in fact."
"Do you realize how unpredictable those people are?"
"God, you sound like Liam." The lord rubbed his forehead.
"Callum. Those people are radicals, who are ready to fight. If they're preparing for riots, do you think they'd hesitate to kill you?"
"I know what's at stake, but I can't trust anyone else to do it."
"And you are the son of the person they want to get rid of. "
"But not that one that matters."
"You're insane."
Oliver got up and Callum crossed his arms.
"Fine. You don't have to come. You can go to the beach and spend..."
"Shut up."
Oliver almost shouted. He began pacing around "I can't believe you. I thought you're trying to help your brother enter politics, or find Edward by roaming around the slums. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner. “
“Well, I am trying to find my brother. And maybe assist Liam, as much as I can.”
“And you've been trying to stop radicals. “ Oliver continued. “Jesus...Is this what you've been doing this whole time?"
"They might kill my father, Oliver. What's left to be done if not trying to settle this in a peaceful way?"
"This is peaceful? Putting yourself out there is peaceful for you?"
"In a way, yes?"
" Is this where the bruised and wounds were from?"
Callum looked away and Oliver clenched his fist.
“Callum?”
"How does this matter?"
"You might get killed."
"Then I guess you'll have to find another lord to attend to when I'm dead."
Oliver stopped immediately in his tracks and said all temper or even anger from his voice was gone.
There was only cold resolve.
"Don't ever say that again."
Callum looked away and didn't answer.
Oliver put his hands on his hips and gazed through the window. It was most likely the last day of sun before the snow fell.
He was taken over by the strange, familiar feeling of being in the army with John.
He remembered the times when they'd had to face an enemy, not knowing the outcome of the fight.
Oliver knew the feeling, he had only never expected to share it with Callum. Not ever, even in his wildest ideas when he had agreed to the task of going to the Fernsby's manor.
It slightly reminded him of the time after he left the army,too, although it was different now.
He didn't feel like he was walking blindly in the dark now.
Oliver took a deep breath and looked up at the bright morning autumn sky.
“We’re meeting them today?”
“Yes.“
“Around noon?”
“Preferably. “
"It’s a good day to get killed, did you say?"
He turned to Callum "We should probably get dressed then."