Work Text:
It's the middle of spring in the unofficial royal household and flowers bloom in the wide back garden. Soon enough, a tiny baby will run around the garden, blowing bubbles in adorable bucket hats. Until then, the soon-to-be dads can only prepare everything for when the time comes.
"Don't you think we got a little overboard?" - Simon asks as both look down at the twelve brand-new buckets of paint they just bought. A bunch of paintbrushes lay next to them.
"Nah, we are gonna need lots of paint" - Wille puts down the wooden stairs they borrowed from Sara.
"Where do you wanna start?" - Simon picks up a brush.
"I had these ideas" - Wille sheepishly shows Simon his open notebook. He made at least ten sketches of what the walls could look like, instead of paying attention at the royal court meetings. Walls of blue skies and animals made of clouds, drawings of a bunch of flowers and butterflies splayed all around the room.
"This one. That's perfect" - Simon traces the paper with his fingertips. Wille beams with giddiness. He's been waiting for this moment for days.
"Now, how do you open this?" - Wille asks, trying to pull the metal cover off the paint bucket.
---------
Friday
They're painting the base, the sky background first. This paint roller is a lot harder to use than Simon expected, but he’ll have to learn. They spent most of their free day putting safety tape on the corners of the room so the paint won’t touch the ceiling or the other walls.
Simon notes the silence in the room, Wille said he’d bring the rest of the paint rollers he ordered online, about ten minutes ago.
He hears his footsteps approaching, and also the distinct barks of their two dogs following him around.
"Clara, you should meet the most important person here. This is your dad, say hi Simon!" - Wille shows up with a video camera.
“Anything you wanna say to our daughter?” - Wille puts the camera very close to Simon's face. He finds it endearing that Wille wants to make videos for their daughter but he’s also a little bit annoyed at the man - “Tell your dad to stop recording and help me out here” - Simon says gesturing at the paint roller in his hand.
“Okay, okay” - Wille laughs and he turns off the camera.
Wille picks up one of the rollers from the floor, it’s kinda heavy at the top but light in the handle, he moves it around and dips the roller in the paint. He intended for the roller to actually paint the wall but it fell to the side and ended up accidentally painting Simon’s forearm.
“Oh. Oops”
“So that’s how it’s going to be” - Simon says playfully.
“What?” - Wilhelm replies but before he knows it Simon’s coming for him with paint-covered fingers -” Come here, babe”
“No, no thanks” - Wille laughs.
Simon catches him and soon enough Wille and Simon’s hair and cheeks are all scattered with paint, Wille cups Simon’s now bluish cheek and kisses him deeply - “I’m not sure I want to paint anymore” - Wilhelm says enticingly.
“We should clean up” - Simon suggests and they both know today’s painting session is over as they beat each other to the shower.
---------
Saturday
"More Sylvanian dolls from your mother" - Simon returns from the living room with three more boxes of toys in his arms.
"More?" - Wille groans from his place on the wood floor of the nursery, he’s been trying to pull together the crib they bought for the past two hours, yet these instructions are so difficult to follow.
Kristina’s been sending dozens of boxes of these animal dolls to them for the past few weeks, it’s all part of her less-than-subtle plan to get them to move back to the palace. Although they’re been living in this house for almost four years. She ordered the construction of a huge playroom for her future grandchild, all filled up to its high ceiling with all sorts of stuffed animals and expensive toys. Wille reassured her that she’ll be able to see the baby anytime, but she’s still trying to get her way. And thus sending all these gifts is a sort of reminder of everything that they could have in the castle. She even offered them full-time nannies and both quickly realized moving out was the best choice they could’ve ever made.
"Yep. We got the castle nursery, the mermaid castle, and the treehouse” - Simon reads the names on the pastel-colored boxes. “Oh, it has a note” - he passes it to Wille who reads it out loud - “I wish you’d reconsider moving back here. The princess belongs in the castle- love, mom” - Wille reads out loud.
“I already told her our kid is not gonna grow up in the castle. I wish she could just understand” - Wille says with his head in his hands. God, he’s so tired of having this conversation with her.
“I think your mom just wants to be close, babe” - Simon paints a long line of blue on the wall with the roller - “After all, with you out of the castle she must be feeling very lonely”
Wille stands up from the ground - “But she’s gonna be able to see the baby whenever she wants” - he sighs.
“I know, but does she know that? Like really ?” - Simon asks, he always says the things Wille doesn’t want to think about.
“I hate it when you do that” - Wilhelm replies, smirking.
“Do what?” - Simon grins as Wille pulls him by the waist, closer to him.
“Making me reflect on my problems” - Wille replies, and kisses him, a soft smile on his face - “I’m gonna call her”
This is gonna take a while - Simon thinks as Wille leaves to the living room to talk to The Queen.
-----------
Sunday
"Acke, come back" - Wille chases after the golden dog whose paws are dripping yellow paint. He turned around for just two seconds and apparently that’s all it took for the dog to dip its legs inside the yellow paint tray. Acke is the most hyperactive dog Wille’s ever seen and so it’s no surprise that he decides to run around the room, to the dismay of his owner. The floors are covered with yellow paw prints as he runs around and Wille’s running behind trying to catch him.
The dog runs into the kitchen, where Simon’s making lemonade for them. He almost drops the glass jar at the sudden hurricane that enters through the double kitchen doors.
"Acke, stop" - Simon grabs the dog and lifts him off the floor to stop him from making an even bigger mess. Damn, that dog is very heavy. But not realizing he's not a baby anymore, he barks happily and licks Simon's face as if giving him kisses.
When Wille runs into the kitchen, they look at each other, and can't help but laugh at the sight of them three covered in yellow paint.
Simon kisses the dog's forehead - "You are a crazy little dog, Acke. Did you know that?"
They put the golden retriever inside the bathroom tub, trying to wash the wall paint off but their dog keeps trying to get out, splashing bubbles and water off into the floor. "Stop!" - Wille laughs.
By the time Acke's squeaky clean both men are all wet and most of the paint they had on has washed off as well as all their energy.
-------
Monday
Simon's eyes open as he hears a faint melody that's apparently coming from down the hall, he turns to his side only to find an empty spot where Wille should be.
He stands up, still half asleep and walks out of the room, careful to not wake the dogs on the side of the bed. He follows the trail of music and the light that comes from the open door of the designated nursery.
He finds Wille, up in a staircase with a paintbrush on his right hand, making something that resembles a bunch of little clouds.
'I was all alone with the love of my life, he's got glitter for skin, my radiant beam in the night' - Wille sings along in the cozy room. His voice is gentle and sweet.
"Wille, what in the world are you doing up at 3am?" - Simon rubs his eyes as they adjust to the warm lighting of the nursery.
The prince turns and his lips form a wide smile when he sees Simon.
"I'm going to finish this real soon" - Wille dips his paintbrush back in white paint. He's painting many animal shaped clouds all over the sky blue nursery walls.
Simon can see a tiger and a rabbit made of brush strokes. - "What do you think?" - Wille points at the rabbit as he gets off the staircase and goes next to Simon, wrapping a paint-splattered arm around his shoulders, which have gotten broader with the years.
Simon should be annoyed at the prince because of these unholy hours, they both have jobs to go to in the morning and It's super late, but his heart is just really warm at the moment.
"This looks pretty great" - Simon examines the mural. All the tiny animals look like they took long to paint, like they were made with love.
"Let me show you today's updates" - Wille beams, taking Simon to the side of the room
"The bookshelf is finally set up" - he shows him a bookshelf in the form of a teacup house, it's already filled with many books their friends got him, mostly Felice and Sara though.
"The rocking chair" - Wille extends his arms as if he were trying to sell it to him - "I think it looks better in the corner"
"The dolls are all in the shelves" - he points at the seven rag princess dolls all sitting in a row organized by color - "And, most importantly, the snowglobe is here"
Years ago, when Simon learned about Erik's snowglobe he made it his mission to get Wille the very same one. After looking for days on the Internet to no avail, he decided there was no choice but to fix the one that was broken. He got a brand new snowglobe and took out its original inhabitant, adding the green frog instead. He gave it to him as a birthday gift and since then it's been Wille's most precious possession. Simon made all the effort just so he could be happy. Now when he looks at it, he not only thinks of Erik but also of Simon. And now it's gonna live permanently in their daughter's room.
"Everything's adorable" - Simon says gently - "But, I think you should really come to bed now"
"But Simon, there's very little time left!" - Wille's puppy eyes are almost his achilles heel. Keyword almost.
"And we'll finish it tomorrow, right after we' re back from work, I'll help you with this sistine chapel of cloudy animals"
The Prince wants to object, but a yawn cuts him off - "Alright" - and lets Simon take him by the hand back to their room. As soon as Wille's head touches the pillow he's fast asleep.
******
"Simon? Are you awake?" - Wille asks in the midst of the dark room.
"Hmm, yes" - Simon yawns, still with his eyes closed buried in his pillow.
"Do you- he pauses - “do you think I'll be a good dad?" - Wille asks as he looks at the ceiling, which is bathed by the blue light from the moon. Simon turns on the lamp on his bedside.
"Oh, I know I'm not hearing this from a man who asked me a week ago what hairstyle should he wear to give the baby a good impression" - Simon jokes
He turns to Wilhelm, who looks like he’s been spiraling in anxious thoughts for quite a while.
"I just, I'm afraid I'll let our kid down" - Wille's been thinking of his own relationship with his father these past weeks, surely they're not estranged like Simon and Micke, but it's like there's some barrier between them. Ludvig's always been more of a laid back dad. In the picture, but not very involved, letting Kristina do most of the parenting. Wille would've loved for his dad to care more, to read him fairytales at night instead of the nanny and to be on his side when his teenage world was breaking down around him. A part of Wilhelm will always resent having his father just sit there when he needed him. Isn't that what dads are for? To care?
Simon moves closer and envelops his husband in his arms. Wille’s head resting gently on his shoulder.
"We haven't even met the baby and yet you stay up almost every night making sure everything is ready. That's more than some dads do in their entire parenting careers" - he puts a strand of hair behind Wille's ear gently.
"You care so much, you are kind and sweet and you fearlessly protect the people you love" - Simon assures him - "This baby is truly lucky to have you Wille"
“Really?” - Wille asks, looking into Simon´s pretty brown eyes
“Really” - the man reassures him.
"Thank you, I really needed to hear that"
“You're welcome” - Simon kisses his forehead.
"Now, what are your thoughts on all-girls schools?"
"Oh my God, Wille go to sleep"