The meeting with the investors had gone better than either of them had anticipated. Approval was locked in, and the investors left the room with genuine smiles, firm handshakes, and praises that even Liam couldn't brush off as obligatory. Still, as they exited the building and stepped onto the bustling London street, Liam kept his expression carefully neutral, unwilling to reveal the ripple of satisfaction—or the uncharacteristic flusteredness—that lingered beneath the surface.

Noah, of course, didn't seem to notice. Or maybe he did and was just being his usual, maddeningly upbeat self. "Well," Noah said, hands casually shoved into his pockets as they walked, "that couldn't have gone better if we scripted it. Admit it, Liam—we killed it."

"It went well," Liam replied coolly, keeping his eyes forward.

"Well?" Noah echoed, scoffing. "Come on, you heard them. They're practically counting the money already. If that's not worth celebrating, I don't know what is."

Liam resisted the urge to roll his eyes, keeping his steps measured and his voice steady. "Celebrating can wait. There's still work to do."

"You're impossible," Noah said with a laugh, bumping Liam lightly with his shoulder. The gesture was casual, but it caught Liam off guard. He faltered for half a step before recovering, hoping Noah hadn't noticed.

"Watch where you're going," Liam muttered, his tone sharper than he intended.

"Relax, Liam," Noah said, grinning. "You're not mad about the bump; you're mad you're out of excuses to not celebrate. So, let's fix that."

Liam stiffened, his mind racing for a retort that wouldn't betray the storm of emotions he was carefully tamping down. Ever since the meeting, he'd felt...off. Maybe it was the way Noah had effortlessly handled the room with his charm, or the way his confidence seemed to amplify their teamwork. Whatever it was, it had Liam feeling unsteady, and he hated it.

"I'm not opposed to celebrating," Liam said finally, his tone clipped. "I just think we should be productive with our time."

"Productive?" Noah teased, smirking. "We just nailed the most important meeting of the week. I think we've earned the right to be unproductive for a couple of hours."

Liam glanced at him, half-expecting the teasing to irritate him. But instead, he felt a flicker of something else—something he quickly shoved aside.

"Fine," he said tersely, already regretting the concession. "But nothing ridiculous."

"Deal," Noah said, already pulling out his phone to search for ideas.

As Noah scrolled, his head tilted slightly, and a mischievous smile spread across his face. Liam pretended not to notice, focusing instead on the city around them. But the memory of Noah's self-deprecating joke earlier and the brief, accidental brush of their hands flashed through his mind. His pulse quickened, and heat crept up the back of his neck before he could stop it.

He clenched his jaw, willing the feeling away. It was just loyalty and prolixity, Liam told himself firmly. Nothing more.

But as Noah chuckled softly at whatever he'd found on his phone, the sound drew Liam's attention, unbidden. He glanced at Noah's profile—the relaxed curve of his mouth, the casual confidence in his posture—and quickly forced his gaze forward again, biting the inside of his cheek. Focus, he reminded himself. Celebration or not, there's no room for distractions.

Noah glanced up from his phone, catching Liam's distracted expression. "You okay? You've been weirdly quiet since the meeting."

Liam straightened, forcing a small, dismissive shrug. "Just thinking about next steps. Investors are satisfied, but that doesn't mean we can afford to be complacent."

"Typical Liam," Noah said, rolling his eyes but smiling. "Always ten steps ahead."

Liam gave a tight nod, thankful for the excuse to steer the conversation back to business. But as they walked toward a waiting cab, Noah's grin lingered in the corner of his vision, and Liam couldn't help but wonder why it was so hard to shake the feeling that celebrating wasn't the only thing Noah wanted to do.