Chapter Text
His room here felt even worse than the one he had at home. Being at the hotels was a very surreal experience as they were decorated the exact same way that his house was. It was like a home to him anyway because of how long he spent there with Erik and Felice when they were children, but it was still weird. Especially since he never really went to this hotel and he could barely remember any memories here. Except that one time he and Erik got in so much trouble because they had decided to push each other around on the hospitality carts. He himself still wasn’t sure of the layout cut to the lack of time he’d spent here, and yet was expected to step in with management for a weekend.
Distracting himself with other worries wasn’t enough though. He had admitted to Simon that he loved him. He wondered still if Simon took it as a genuine love confession. It wouldn’t be the wrong way to have taken it: it’s exactly what he meant. There’s no other way to take it.
Fuck.
After his confession, Simon ran. Simon rarely ever ran, he always stood his ground. Had he finally been able to get to him about that night and gotten him to realise what he had done wrong?
Quite stupidly, Wilhem had abandoned his duties as a hotel co-manager for the weekend to go and cry in his room, only coming out for designated events and training days. Sure, his mama would degrade him because of his actions, but that didn’t matter anymore. That was extremely Wilhem, sadly. His pillow was already wet with tears when a ping from his phone cracked him out of his state. Begrudgingly, he checked what it was: and it was safe to say it wasn’t what he had expected.
Simon
I think it’s best if you and I don’t speak to each other anymore if that’s how you feel that way. Let’s try and keep our distance until we go home. Please.
If it wasn’t the best thing to stop his crying, he wasn’t sure what was.
Wille isn’t stupid. He understands the fact that Simon has a boyfriend, and that he had a choice between them before. Had already discarded him before. Wille’s heart clenched in his chest, retracting further into his body as to be further protected from harm. As though it couldn’t handle rejection again.
In a fit of anger, he threw his phone across the room. Luckily, it landed on the chair on the other side of the room which cushioned its fall. Even if it had broken, or had led to the destruction of something else in the room, Wille knew he wouldn’t have cared.
His head throbbed as though it too didn’t want to be a part of his body anymore. He laid there for what felt like hours before his phone rang on the chair. Begrudgingly, he paced across the room with tired eyes and muscles.
“Hello?” He asked with a raspy, tearful voice as he picked up the phone, having not even checked who it was that had rang him.
“Where are you? Training started half an hour ago and I have had calls from your coaches saying they haven't heard from you, Wilhelm?” It was his mother. He quickly checked his watch that sat heavily on his wrist to see that he was, in fact, very late to a very important practice.
He took a deep and shaky inhale before answering, “I was asleep and lost track of time, sorry mama.”
“That doesn’t cut it Wilhelm! What have I taught you about the importance of being punctual?” His mother sighs in her traditional exasperated, condescending tone.
“I know. I’m sorry mama. I’m heading out now” he said whilst pulling his top over his head quickly, stumbling over his shorts as he pulled them up as well. “I’m gonna have to go now.” He added quickly, and without waiting for her to intervene hung up as quickly as possible.
By the time he had gotten to training it had been evident Wille wasn’t…well on his game. Thoughts of his confession and Simon’s reaction filled his head, and it didn’t help that he was sitting on the sidelines, cheering on a mutual friend and looking really cute whilst doing it. His curls lay perfectly on top of his head and his smile looked too angel-like for his liking - not that he was looking. After all, Simon had asked that they keep their distance.
The ball rolls towards him at a hurtling speed, so fast he could barely catch the ball between his foot and the astro turf, but just managed to. He dribbled the ball down the left wing, ready to pass it into the box to Rosh, who could then score. He was very nearly there, just about to cross the ball in when it was ripped from beneath him, and taken back in the other direction. Henry saw Wille’s disappointment and offered a quick pat to his shoulder saying he couldn’t have done anything different.
As it turns out, that play was very important to the end score of the friendly match they were playing to practice. When the ball was tackled from beneath his boots, his friend playing on the opposing team managed to get past the rest of his team and score, leaving the score at 2-1 at full time. And it was his fault, however much his teammates around him insisted it wasn’t, and that this was just part of the game.
The team morale was still relatively high even when he was not, and Wilhem already felt so gut wrenchingly shit, so Simon being there, attempting not to look at him wasn’t helping at all. Heart pounding beneath his chest and tears sitting on his waterline attempting to embarrass him, Wilhem felt like running to the changing room and going back to the hotel to continue his bed rotting. That was when he felt an arm flung over his shoulder, Henry’s to be exact.
“Don’t be down, it’s okay, it was just for practice. I mean yeah, it was to get ready for a big game, technically, but it was just a practice match!” Henry was right, it was just a practice game, but it was so much more right now.
Well, no it was just the Simon situation.
“It’s not that,” Wilhem started, already wishing he hadn’t, but continued anyway, “where’s Felice I need to speak to her?”
“She left straight last night for a day, you knew this? She had to get back to the restaurant at home to help her dad? Is this why you’ve been so weird? Is this about Simon?” Henry rambled out.
“Shhh!” Wilhem tried to get him to quieten down as he was fully aware that Simon was literally 2 metres away congratulating Rosh as she had been on the winning team, “how the hell do you know about that?”
Henry just shrugged, before pulling the pair of them away and into the changing room before the rest of the boys came to get changed. Wilhem took a seat on one of the uncomfortable benches, ready for a Henry interrogation.
“So,” Henry started, “you gonna tell me what happened?”
In a moment of weakness, he chanced a look in Simon’s direction. To his surprise, their eyes met for a brief moment across the field before Simon quickly turned his head back towards his friend, looking like he had been caught.
“Nothing happened,” he shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant even when the situation at hand was nothing but unimportant in Wille’s opinion. Henry gave him a look. More like the look he gave when he already knew everything. Dammit had Felice sold him out?
“Okay fine! I’m in love with him and I told him that! How the fuck did you know?” Wilhem finally gave up, bringing his hand to his hair aggressively, still trying hard to keep his emotions at bay.
“I didn't, I just got you to tell me.” He was trying to be lighthearted and jokey, but quickly became more sincere, “But seriously, you okay? It doesn’t appear he felt the same.”
“Ouch.” But he was very right. He had told him that. Even if he hadn’t, he made it very clear when he ran away in fear.
No, but I ran away that night when I liked him! That’s not a good enough explanation!
But Simon had sent the message, too.
“You know what I mean!” Henry said, taking a seat next to him on the bench in an offer of physical support. His friends all knew Wille liked physical touch and Felice was the one who usually provided him with the gossip sessions and advice. That wasn’t exactly Henry and Walter’s strong point, and they never really offered hugs, but this was Henry’s way of showing support. He was trying, that was all that mattered.
“Yeah, no I…I’ll be fine,” There was an awkward silence that rang overhead, “practice hasn’t really helped though, but like I said, I don’t have any time for relationships right now.” He shrugged again, acting as if it wasn’t carving his heart out.
“Yeah…sure.” Henry offered in gentle sarcasm. Wille knew he couldn’t fool psychic Walter, but maybe if he said it aloud he could fool himself into thinking this wasn’t breaking his heart.
“Anyways,” Wilhem suddenly thought of something to change the subject and move the pressure off of him, a smirk on his face, “I know you know how it feels anyways, being secretly in love with someone.” Henry looked at him in shock before quickly recollecting himself to appear confused. This time, Henry wasn’t going to be able to hide from Wille.
“I have no clue what you’re talking about” is an obvious lie. Wilhem shot him a look that said ‘come on, you aren’t fooling me’.
“I see the way you two look at each other, it’s so obvious. I’m surprised you aren’t together already.”
“I don’t know how to say it! Plus would he even feel the same?” Now Henry was being stupid. It was nice though, Henry knew practically everything about everyone, but no one knew much about him. Apparently, he didn’t know much about what was going on around him because the feeling was definitely reciprocated, if Wille was the judge of that. The fact that they were talking about this meant Henry really trusted Wilhem, and that was nice to know. It didn’t solve his problem of being secretly in love with someone but it was nice to know his best friend was going through something similar.
“Come on Henry, it’s Walter. Trust me, he likes you back,” unfortunately, their conversation was cut short as a few of the guys started filling in to get changed. More unfortunately, Wille couldn’t say the same about his own situation.