Work Text:
Wilhelm knows there’s a fight coming once he arrives home, he just isn’t expecting it so soon. But as his driver approaches the palace he knows there’s no getting around it. His mother stands waiting for him, the corners of her lips turned slightly down.
She’s not only his mother though, she’s the Queen. And he tried to be understanding of this fact. He did, he is. As Crown Prince he has just as much of a responsibility to the throne and the country as she does. But as the car comes to a stop, he meets her eyes through the window and can’t help the sudden rage that boils within him.
“It’s good to have you home,” his mother says as the door is opened and he steps out.
Polite and diplomatic as ever, her tone is perfectly kind. Even here in front of their most trusted servants, appearances are everything.
“Easier to control me this way?” He responds mockingly.
“Wilhelm!” Comes her quick reply as she glances towards the body guards who are pretending to ignore them.
With a roll of his eyes Wilhelm trudges towards the entrance. Glancing over his shoulder he says completely flatly,“Sorry, mom, I meant to say protect me.”
—
Wilhelm breathes in. Being here is hard knowing Erik isn’t. ‘And won’t ever be again’ he thinks as his eyes smart. Wilhelm looks around at the places his brother used to sit. His spot at the table. His favorite chair by the window. The chess table they used to play at. All the places his brother should be.
His brother had always been there for him. And now he just wasn’t.
As he heard his mother dismiss someone and shut the door to their private living quarters her earlier words rang in his ears.
‘That’s the only thing that can give Erik’s death any meaning,’ she’d said.
Behind him she says, “Really Wilhelm? We decided you shouldn’t have close contact with him so you don’t continue to feed the rumors. A lingering hug before you left for the holidays? That does not sound like what we decided at all.”
Of course she’d heard about the hug. Good.
“We didn’t decide anything,” Wilhelm spins around. “You did! Just like you decided not to punish August.”
The Queens eyes flash, “I told you, I’m protecti-”
“Yes yes, protecting our family. Protecting the monarchy, and our legacy,” the last bit he spits like the words themself are a poison. “For once can’t I come first!”
It’s not a question. If it was, Wilhelm knows what the answer would be. Even now that Erik is gone his mother is thinking more of Erik’s memory than her son who is right in front of her. A sudden longing rips through Wilhelm for his brother. Erik was the only one who would have told him he should come first.
“You are this family,” she says. Looking for the first time today like his mother and not the Queen. “You are this monarchy, and all of this is your legacy.”
“Only because Erik isn’t here,” Wilhelm drops his eyes to the ground fighting back tears. He feels more than hears his mothers quiet gasp as she’s suddenly pulling him in. He feels so small despite their height difference.
She holds him as he cries. At some point his father shows up, embracing them both and saying he had tea brought up.
Wilhelm pulls away, wiping his eyes and straightening his hair he nods at his father as he tries to get control of himself.
His mother gives him a delicate smile and they head to the sitting room for tea.
—
They talk for a long time. Long enough that they have to stop twice to have more tea and lite sandwiches brought up.
“I just want you to be sure,” his mother says. “All of this happened very suddenly and we don’t want you to just react without thinking it through.”
Wilhelm feels himself tense up. He thought they had gotten somewhere, reached a conclusion. Had the last several hours been for nothing?
“Not because we want to change your mind,” his father says quickly, seeing his reaction. “Your mother and I love you, and Erik loved you. None of us know what might happen next and we just want to make sure you are ready for this.”
“I know Papa, I’ll think about it some more but this is what I want. Even if it’s not what Simon wants anymore I can’t live that lie. It’s not fair to me or to anyone else that feels like they have to.
“I’m in a position to help, and I think our legacy will be stronger because of it. Even if we don’t know what will happen.”
Wilhelm’s father nods and his mother smiles proudly at him. But he can see the worry still present in her eyes.
He gives them a small smile and excuses himself to his room. It’s barely even dark yet but he’s exhausted. For the first time in weeks though he’s also a little hopeful.
—
Christmas is bittersweet. Wilhelm finds that he’s actually happy to be home with his family but when its just them they can’t seem to pretend that there isn’t an Erik sized hole in everything they do.
Two days prior had been easier. There had been plenty to keep him busy at the annual winter ball his family held. And so many names as well. Wilhelm had always been terrible with names, but this time he was determined. He wanted to make his brother proud, to try his best to one day be the king his country deserved. Even if he wasn’t.
So he shook hands, smiled, and made small talk. He racked his brain for names and titles, danced with his mother and distant cousins and tried his best to act as the royal figure he knows he is.
Today there isn’t anything to keep Wilhelm occupied though. By mid day he can’t stand how alone he feels anymore and he finally texts the one person who he knows could make him feel better.
But as he’s looking at his phone he realizes he doesn’t know what to say.
The last thing he had told Simon as he hugged him goodbye was that he was sorry and he loved him. And yeah, Simon hugged him back but Wilhelm knows that what he had done was awful and that he betrayed the trust put into him. He knows he doesn’t deserve Simons forgiveness but he wants it. He’s just not sure how he can earn it.
In the end he sends a simple, Merry Christmas.
Wilhelm stares at his phone for a few moments longer, then pockets it just as it vibrates. He fumbles in his rush to get it back out but smiles just a little at the response, Merry Christmas Wille.
It’s not much but at least he got a response.
Can we talk? Comes a second message a few seconds later.
Wilhelm doesn’t know how to take this, Simon didn’t give him much to go on when they departed but that’s only fair he guesses. He wants to make his intentions known he just doesn’t really know if that will be enough now.
Yes, I miss you.
He nervously watches as Simon seems to type and delete a reply several times before finally, Wille don’t, we need to talk first.
Wilhelm feels his heart break a little then, knowing he may be to late. But the words that appear a few seconds later give him hope.
But I miss you too.
—
The next day Wilhelm is nervously raising his hand to knock when the door is ripped open by an angry-looking Rosh. Ayub standing behind her looking both angry and uncomfortable.
“Why are you here?” Rosh asks.
“Uh,” Wilhelm hesitates, “Simon wanted to talk.”
“He told us. But why are you here? You made your speech, you-”
Whatever she was going to say next is lost as she’s shoved to the side by Simon who appears behind her. She glares at both Simon and Wilhelm as Simon quickly tells his friends they can go home now and he’d talk to them later.
Wilhelm steps to the side bewildered as the two leave, both shooting him vicious glares.
Now that they’re gone its just Wilhelm and Simon. And Wilhelm’s ever-present body guards, but no sign of Simon’s sister or mother. Wilhelm glances around as he brushes back his hair.
“Come in?” Says Simon with a small smile.
Wilhelm just nods, and lets himself be led to the bedroom. He sees the computer and thinks back to a previous time he had been in this room and how much simpler things had been then.
“I’m sorry about that,” Simon says “I told them you were coming and they came over to yell at me. And you apparently. Sorry.”
Wilhelm huffs in amusement, “They care about you.” Then, softer, “So do I.”
Simon looks at him, emotions guarded. “What… Wilhelm what is this? What are we doing?”
Wilhelm takes his time to respond, just looking into the other boys eyes. He doesn’t know he’s biting at his thumb nail until Simon’s hand is pulling it away from his mouth before putting them in his pockets.
“Do you remember what I told you before we left for Christmas hols?”
Simon nods slightly, expression still unreadable. His breathing almost undetectable.
“I meant it,” Wilhelm says with confidence, taking a small step forward.
“I’m not going to be your secret.”
“When you broke up with me you said I had to figure things out on my own.”
“Did you?” Simon whispers.
Leaning forward, they are both reminded of the fragile moment of their first kiss. “I realized I don’t want to be on my own, I want to be with you,” warm air brushes Simons face as Wilhelm closes the gap between them. Stopping as their noses brush.
For a moment the just stand there, eyes closed, breathing each other’s breath, comforted by the warmth radiating between their skin. Simon crashes their lips together, relief evident in both of their gasps.
Hands everywhere they fall back on Simons bed.
—
Simon is sitting sideways on the bed with his back against the wall, his fingers carding through Wilhelm’s hair as he lays with his head in his lap.
“Probably both,” Wilhelm answers honestly. “If I wasn’t suddenly in line for the throne or one of us was a girl it would still be a scandal that you aren’t,” he hesitates for a second, uncomfortable with pointing out their class differences. “That people consider you less than me somehow because you aren’t from the ruling class.”
Simons fingers don’t stop or change any against his scalp so Wilhelm continues, “But since I’m the only heir…”
“So what would happen?”
“I don’t know,” William sighs, “this has never happened before.”
“There has to have been other gay royals?”
“Yes, but not ones in line for the throne.” Wilhelm sits up, thumb going to his mouth. “At least not out ones.”
Simons hand grabs his, “Well maybe it’s time for a change,” He suggests.
“The whole point of a monarchy is that it doesn’t change. Parliament keeps up with the times, but the royal family is supposed to represent stability.”
“Everything changes eventually,” says Simon gently.
“I know.”
Simons next words are gentle. “Are you ready for that change though? I came out when I wanted to, you were forced out. I don’t want you to resent me for giving you an ultimatum to stay out.”
“I’m ready because of you,” Wilhelm says leaning in for a quick kiss. “Not because you forced me to.”
After a moment he adds, “ I think my brother knew.”
“That you’re gay?”
“Yeah,” says Wilhelm choking up a bit. “He didn't say anything directly but he never used pronouns when talking about who I might like. And he always made sure to show support for the LGBT community. Especially around me. I think he was just letting me know it was okay and that I could tell him when I was ready.”
“He sounds like a great brother.”
William laughs. A short coughing sound, covered in escaped tears, “Yeah he was. You know the last thing we talked about was you?”
Simon kisses him again. It’s slow and comforting, and it only stops when one of Wilhelm’s guards knock on the door and tell them that they need to go.
—
Wilhelm's parents are worried about the future but they are proud of their son. And how could they not be happy for him when he radiates joy every time he talks to Simon. They’ve talked every day since they got back together, and Wilhelm has gone back over to Simons once for dinner. Ayub and Simon’s mother seem to have forgiven him but Wilhelm knows he’s on thin ice still with Rosh, who constantly shoots him short little glares.
Wilhelm’s life is back on track. He has his boyfriend, and the support of his family. Everyone at Hillerska already knew it was him despite his denial, and he didn’t lose his friends there. Well all but one of them. But August was someone he wanted nothing to do with anyway.
He hadn’t made a statement to the world yet but that was okay. Maybe if he didn’t announce it but just stopped hiding, things could blow over while they were tucked away at school.
This was his thought process as he met the bus, greeting Simon on the edge of the school’s grounds. As his boyfriend came closer he took one of his suitcases and quickly kissed his cheek right in front of the bus and all its occupants. Grabbing his hand, he led them towards the start of their new term. Together.
Simon grinned as their fingers laced, “You’re sure?”
Wilhelm kissed him again, “I wont be king for a bit and we are safe here for a while. The world has time to get used to the idea.”
“Hey Wilhelm?”
“Hmm?”
“I love you too.”