Chapter Text
It’s been an unusually warm couple of days for the end of March, so a lot of students are taking every possible opportunity to spend time outside in the sun. It’s not quite so warm to lose your jacket but comfortable enough to sit down under the sun for a while.
Simon and Wilhelm are out as well, sitting at one of the tables so close to one another they are almost connected from shoulder to ankle, working on their homework. Or pretending to. Technically Simon could've left by now, he didn't have to wait for Sara to finish up at the stables anymore. But his mom didn't want him taking the bus, the Royal Court didn't want him taking the bus, Wille definitely didn't want him taking the bus. So he always stays on school grounds until his mom comes to pick him up. He hates to bother her with that, but neither she, not the court and especially not Wille agrees with him.
Ever since he told Wilhelm about that reporter coming to his house his boyfriend has been a little…overprotective. Coupled with the report from the Royal Court about some fringe groups' crazy comments on social media a day after the speech… well, nobody wants Simon alone in public transport. They wouldn't tell Simon or Wilhelm what the comments were, just that they were taken down immediately, the police are handling it and they shouldn't worry about it.
Wille worries about it.
So Simon agreed to everything everyone advised. Not entirely just because of his mom, and most definitely not because of the Court because fuck them. But it does make Wille worry less, which in turn makes Simon feel better too.
But if Simon was being entirely truthful, even without all that he wouldn't put up much of a fight. He really loves spending time with Wille like this. In fact they both enjoy these quiet, normal moments. Sometimes they would spend this time with their friends, more often they would spend it alone, either exchanging kisses and touches in Wille's room or just writing homework like they were now, outside catching the sun like everyone else. They relish in all the moments they can spend together, especially out in the open like they are doing now. They were almost just like…normal teens.
It would be a massive understatement to say things have blown over but after an almost full month the biggest part of the initial frenzy and shock after Wille’s speech has somewhat died down in their immediate circles, at school and with their friends. The drama surrounding Sara's report to the police and the whole shitty August situation is still hanging above their heads but thankfully at least that isn't public knowledge yet. Hopefully it never will be. And on top of all that the Easter holidays are coming up quickly and it will be the first time they’ll be apart since they got back together. And Wilhelm will be tossed back into the Royal spotlight front and center and everything that goes with it. Without Simon.
“ Simon, you are staring. ” Wille says as he continues writing in his notebook.
Simon hums a little and smiles at the comment, but keeps his gaze on target. Head in his left hand, elbow propped on the table. He can look all he wants now, it’s allowed, and Wille looks hot and lovely in the sun, his hair all shiny and a bit brighter, so who can blame him.
After a few more moments Wille drops his pencil, mirrors Simon's position; plants his right elbow on the table and places his head on his hand and looks back at him, a smirk on his face.
“That's my job. Get your own thing.”
Then he moves his left hand on the table towards Simon, palms up, and wiggles his fingers in invitation. Simon immediately responds by interlacing their fingers.
“Just thinking about this crazy month and what’s coming.”
“Hmmm.” Wille’s smile drops a little, anxiety that is always lurking now stirring at the thought of all the media appearances that are waiting for him, and he squeezes Simon’s hand lightly to stop himself from biting on his thumb.
“Rosh asked if we'll come watch her play.” Simon starts stroking Wille's hand with his thumb in little circles sensing the tension in him.
Wille recognizes the attempt to divert his thoughts so he squeezes Simon’s hand a little bit again, a fond smile back on his face “Are you quite sure she said we ?”
Simon looks at him pointedly. “Yes.”
“Mhmmm?” Wille shoots him back the same look.
“I’m serious.” Simon leans back from the table, lowers his voice as he looks down at their joined hands, then moves Wilhelm's hand into his lap and starts playing with his fingers. “They know it’s important to me.” He looks back up at his boyfriend. “That you are important to me.”
Wille's heart flutters and he smiles and looks at him with so much affection in his eyes Simon almost feels the need to look away.
He never does. He doesn’t think he can.
“Simon, I’ll go wherever you want me to. I just don’t want you or your friends to feel uncomfortable because of my presence. However we do this, someone will probably recognize me… us, someone might even take pictures and post them online.”
“I mean…” he continues reluctantly, “you should definitely go. Without me." Simon raises his eyebrows, and opens his mouth like he’s about to say something but Wille cuts him off “I know you haven’t seen your friends in a while now. Because of me.” He sighs and looks so sad and guilty that Simon wants to fight every paparazzi and crazy person online individually. “So you should go.”
The thing is, even though it's been almost more than a month they still haven't left the school grounds together. Simon goes home. And then back to school. Wille not even that. Barring a few visits to the castle, he's been stuck at Hillerska. They were both pretty much limited in their comings and goings. The Royal Court didn't even need to say anything (Although they did. They said plenty.) It would have been impossible for them to go anywhere considering the amount of reporters and paparazzi everywhere those few first days. They couldn't actually park in front of Simon's house but they were around all the time up until recently. Which means Simon also very limited time with his friends outside calls and groupchats.
Simon rolls his eyes and squeezes Wille’s hand still in his lap. “I know all that. But I don’t want to go without you.” With a small smirk he adds, “I don't know if you noticed but ummm…” and he leans in close to Wille’s face and whispers, “I kinda like spending time with you, you idiot.” Simon gives him a small quick kiss just because he can, then leans back.
And it works, it always works, Wille is smiling again. His eyes wide and sparkling. Simon knew it would work, because it always works for Simon. They are both so easy when it comes to the other.
Simon continues, “Plus, both of them are aware of all that. I mean, it’s a high school match, very few people ever come. As for taking pictures,” he sighs again “… I don’t like that. But. We also can’t hide forever, I don’t want us to hide forever, and more importantly once again,” and he raises his right hand and pokes Wille in the shoulder, “ we are not doing anything wrong” . He waves the same hand around, “we've been stuck here for weeks, we followed all the rules, we deserve something normal. And Malin will be there so we'll be safe.” Although Simon is quite sure Wille would make Malin go with him even if Wille didn't.
Wille can’t help it, he thinks if anyone is looking at them right now that his face looks stupidly in love but he doesn’t care, because he actually is stupidly in love. So he leans very close, his nose brushing against Simon's hair and whispers in his ear, “I love you so much, you know that right?”
Simon feels goosebumps all over and a sudden, overwhelming desire to kiss Wille. Properly. Indecently. All over.
When Wille leans back just enough to look Simon in the face Simon just stares at his lips, blinks and swallows, and Wille smirks at that.
“You’re a menace.” Simon breathes out in a whisper.
- Khm
Both of them snap their heads in unison towards the noise.
Henry stands there with an apologetic embarrased smile on his face. “I swear to god I am not doing this on purpose Wille!”
Wille and Simon look back at each other and after a beat just start laughing. Wille gives Henry a genuine smile. “It's ok. Don’t worry about it. What's up?”
He relaxes his shoulders and sits at the table. “Just wanted to quickly ask if you had any plans for the last weekend of the holidays? Walter and I were talking just now, we thought we could get a bunch of people from our year at Walter's vacation house and throw a party. It’s pretty off road and very private so…” he looks between them a little nervously “… no reporters or anything.” He coughs a little. “Anyway, I thought you guys might want to come with and change the scenery.”
Wille turns to Simon, “What do you think?”
Simon gives him a strange look, shrugs and then turns to Henry with a small smile, “Thanks, but I have to talk to my mom first. It's… been weird and crazy lately. She doesn’t want me going anywhere at the moment to be honest.”
Wille looks back at Henry “Yeah, I have a lot of official stuff I have to do with my family, I have no idea how much vacation time I’ll actually get.” and he rolls his eyes.
“Ah right, gotta show the people of Sweden you are alive and well.”
Wille forces a quick smile at that.
But Henry doesn’t miss the sad look Simon gives Wille then. He also doesn’t miss the fact that they are definitely holding hands under the table. He is actually actively ignoring that.
“Well, the invitation stands for both of you, if either can make it. Hit me up when you decide.”
He looks at his watch, “Shit, I am going to be late and I gotta pick up my books first. Bye guys!!”
As Simon watches Henry run in the opposite direction he says “There’s no way I am going there alone.”
Wille pulls his hand from Simon's lap and starts poking him “Oooh, clingy are we? Can't be without me?” Wille teases. Simon huffs and laughs and bats his hands away. “If you’re not going with me, I am definitely not going alone to a secluded house in a forest with a bunch of super rich bored kids. And excuse me, did you just call me clingy?” And he goes to playfully shove him in the shoulder but Wille catches his hand and pulls him close and Simon lets him.
Wille whispers “We were rudely interrupted.”
Then he kisses him.
A chaste but gentle slow kiss, and it leaves Simon dizzy and breathless nonetheless. He curls his fingers in Wille’s jacket and deepens the kiss.
Right there in the middle of the courtyard. Where anyone could see. When will everything they do stop feeling so monumental?
They break the kiss, letting go but staying an inch away, breathing each other in for a moment. Then suddenly, Wille turns back to his notebook and grabs the pen and asks nonchalantly “So when's the game?” as he starts writing.
His left hand is back in Simon's lap. Simon interlaces their fingers again without second thought, this move already in his muscle memory. He is still feeling dizzy, his brain catching up to what Wille asked.
“Um..”
Wille actually laughs at that, the bastard. “Shut up!” Simon blushes and drops his forehead on Wille’s shoulder. “It's tomorrow afternoon” he mumbles and moves his head up a little towards Wille’s neck, just breathing him in.
Oh, he definitely has his thing.
“I forgot to say.” Simon almost whispers.
“Yeah?” Wille asks, still scribbling something in this notebook. He can feel Simon’s breath on his neck and it’s giving him goosebumps and making him feel fuzzy.
“I love you too.” Simon says softly.
He can hear Wille stop writing for a few seconds, and he feels him squeezing his hand. Simon would bet the whole Royal Court that the Crown Prince is blushing right now.
- “Ugh, you guys are so cute.”
That American accent is unmistakable. Simon straightens up just as Madison and Felice are sitting down at their table.
Felice elbows her and laughs “Ok Maddie, they're not zoo animals.” Then she turns from Simon to Wilhelm with a big smile “You are super cute though.” Simon rolls his eyes but blushes a little. She focuses on Wilhelm “Wille, I'm gonna need my notes from English back. I have to go through them again before the test. It's so boring though, I have no idea how I’ll get through it all.”
“Hey! I don't insult your mother tongue.” Maddie says teasingly.
“You never speak our mother tongue.” Wille points out. “And of course you can have them back. I'm done anyway. Thanks.”
“And have the future king make fun of my accent? Never happening.” Maddie grins back at him. She looks at her phone “Oh shit, I completely forgot I have to go meet Henry. Bye guys!” She scrambles from her seat and runs to the building in the same direction as Henry a few moments ago.
Felice watches her leave for a few seconds then turns around and practically groans “Ugh I am so done with classes and homework! I can't wait for the holidays!” At that she gives them both a sheepish look “Speaking of… a bunch of us are going to Stella's vacation house for Easter before school starts again. You guys want to come with? Unless… you have other plans of course.” She smiles sweetly then, while looking from Wilhelm to Simon and back.
Simon snorts and Wille sighs and runs his fingers through his hair, “You should talk to Henry. Walter and him have a very similar idea.” Felice scoffs “Those little weasels copied us!”
Wille smiles sadly “I have some stuff I have to do at the palace. The royal address and various appearances. After the… the jubilee, my official appearances are even more controlled and planned. And they want to show me around.”
“Ah. To stop the #whereiswille hashtag?”
He snaps “I mean I'm in school, it's a school year, where the fuck would I be?!”
Simon leans his leg even closer to Wille’s, hooks his ankle over his, to remind him he’s there, to calm him. They already talked about this, Simon listened to all the rants and shared the anger and indignation Wille felt at being paraded around in front of strangers like a doll. All for good PR.
Felice covers Wille’s hand with hers, squeezes lightly and lets go. “I know, and it sucks and I’m so sorry Wille. I didn’t mean to bring it up like this.” She shakes her head in indignation “Apparently, on the outside it looks like you made this big reveal and then completely disappeared from any kind of media. So people think the court is trying to hide you. Words like homophobia are being used… a lot.”
They were both aware of all of that, but they took the PR team's advice very seriously after the threats, and mostly avoided social media, or at least curated it heavily.
“It’s all so stupid. I just want to live my life.” Wilhelm groans. And drops his head on his open book on the table. His hand never leaves Simon’s in his lap. He holds on to him like a lifeline. He thinks about how he won’t have that for two weeks and squeezes tightly.
Felice looks at both of them, pats Wille on the head gently once and says earnestly “You can do this! And if there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know. Call me, text me, whatever. Also if you do get a few days off from the media circus, you are both very welcome to a much more quality party than whatever Henry and Walter can come up with. I’ll text you both the details.”
Wilhelm sits back up at that "Thanks Felice, appreciate it." She gives them a big smile and gets up from the table “I gotta go now but I’m serious, call me if you need me. You too, Simon.” And then she leaves towards the Manor House.
Wilhelm turns to Simon with such a sad look in his eyes, Simon feels something constricting inside of him, he raises his hand to caress Wille’s cheek, and leaves it there for a moment longer and so very gently brushes his thumb on his cheekbone, his featherlike touch goes over the faint scar that changed all their lives. Wille leans into the soothing touch, a smile back on his face. He turns his head a little and gives SImon's palm a quick kiss.
- “Hi guys. Hope I am interrupting.”
Nils abruptly sits on the bench opposite them. He gives them a sly smile and wiggles his eyebrows.
Simon kinda really hates him at that moment. Immediately he decides to just ignore him, so he pulls back his hand from Wille’s face, shoots Nils a quick insincere smile and goes back to writing his homework. Nils isn't there for him anyway.
Nils turns his full attention to Wille “So, Verbier? Easter vacation is coming soon.” And he sing-songs soon.
Simon frowns into his paper. He really kinda hates him right now. Fucking Verbier.
“Simon?” Wille asks.
“Yeah?” Simon says, keeping his head down, still writing in his notebook .
“Do you want to go to Verbier?”
“No.” More writing.
Wille turns to Nils with a shrug. “He said no.”
Nils looks between the two of them, stunned at this whole exchange. Wille keeps smiling at him innocently. Nils lets out a surprised scoff disguised as a laugh and pushes himself off the bench and table.
“Ok. Well, Simon , if you change your mind you are both very welcome. Of course.”
Simon finally looks up at him, smiles sweetly and blinks. “Of course. Thanks.”
Nils nods slowly, a confused look still on his face, turns around and starts walking towards the building. As Simon watches him leave his smile drops and he turns his pointed stare to Wille who is barely containing his laugh.
“You know, you could've just told him and Henry that you don't want to go. They all already think I have some kind of” and he waves his right hand around Wille’s head, “controlling powers over you”.
“But you do.” Wille coos. Actually coos.
“Really?” Simon levels him with a stare, a hint of a smile there. “And if I said yes? Then what.”
“Like I said. I'll go wherever you want me to. And I mean, I am known as the party prince.” He smirks in a pretend smug posture.
Simon laughs out loud at that, and gently pushes him in the shoulder. “Idiot”.
“But have you seen his face?” Wille outright laughs now, a full laugh. Simon thinks he falls in love again.
“Can we leave now? Before someone else offers us a shady vacation spot? It's weird you all have one, you know that right?.”
Wille snorts. “Sure we can go but we still have time before your mom shows up. Wanna go to my room?”
“Sure, I still have to finish this.”
They pack up their books and start walking toward Forest Ridge.
“No, seriously. Is it like a requirement to be considered super extra rich? How many vacation houses do you have?” Wilhelm knows Simon is being a little shit and teasing him to keep his mind off vacation and everything that comes with it. So he plays along and rubs his chin in pretend thought “Well, actually, we may have one in Verbier as well. Hey, I could go there after all!”
Simon stops, grabs Wille’s hand and turns him around “You are not going to fucking Verbier!” He pushes Wille with a finger, but Wille grabs it, Simon immediately steps closer and Wille kisses him, deeply and intensely, his other hand wrapping around his lower back pulling him closer and closer.
When he pulls back, releasing him, he has that soft look on his face that only Simon gets.
“No, I am really not.”
Simon blinks and whispers with a teasing smile “Let’s walk faster.”
Wille laughs, slides both his hands from Simon’s shoulders to his chest. Then gently pushes him away… and starts running.
“You. Asshole!” Simon yells through laughter while running after him.
Later they actually try to do some reading. Well, Simon does. Wille is lying in bed with his head in Simon's lap. Simon has his book in one hand while his other hand is gently carding through Wille’s hair.
“I’ll miss you.”
Simon’s hand on Wille’s head stops, he puts down his book and looks down. He sighs and brushes Wille’s cheek with his knuckles. “I’ll miss you too” He replies quietly and then continues stroking his hair.
Wille grabs Simon's other hand and starts gently caressing it with his thumb. “Why does this feel like deja vu?”
“Much better circumstances though.” Simon tries for a joke.
“Simon, I…”
“Wille, stop it. We’ve been through this. We are good.” He bends to kiss Wille’s forehead. “More than good actually.” he smiles at him.
Wille gets up and sits next to Simon. Simon leans on his shoulder and grabs Wille’s hand again. “But it’s scary. Weird secluded vacation offers aside… we won't see each other for two weeks. I will miss you. And I'm scared they'll just… keep you there. I know it's stupid and maybe unrealistic but this whole situation is so big and it doesn't feel like we're in control and, “
“Simon. Look at me.” Wille stops his ramblings, gently moves Simon from his shoulder and moves a little so he can look him in the eyes. “Yes it’s scary. For me too. But no one is keeping me away. I won’t let them. You have to believe me.” He looks so sure and confident, so brave. Simon always knew he was brave.
“I do.” Simon leans his forehead against Wilhelm’s. Wille brushes their noses together, cups Simon’s face in both of his hands and then peppers kisses all over his face. He kisses his cheek, the corner of his lips, his forehead, his jaw. He kisses him so very very gently that Simon feels like crying from the tenderness.
“I love you”
“I love you, too.”