Archive of Our Own ^beta

Wille loves slow mornings. 

Looking back now, before he didn’t really get many of those. There was always someone bustling around his bedroom in the palace. Either the cleaning staff and their vacuums would startle him out of sleep, or his own parents would make him get up promptly and face the day. Because there was always some duty to attend to. 

Now, not so anymore. 

Now, he’s in the after . 

Maybe he should have got used to it at least. It’s been over a year since he decided to step down from his role as the Crown Prince. But it’s his first summer when he’s finally feeling that he’s leaving the royal life behind. 

Last summer, between the few, blissful moments he got the spend with Simon (because whenever he’s in his boyfriend’s arms, the whole world disappears) was very much spent on dealing with the fallout of his decision. So has been part of this year since he only recently turned eighteen, putting a whole other circle of formalities in motion. But now it feels like he’s finally done. Like some immense weight has been lifted from his shoulders. One he’s never believed that he could get rid of, so sometimes, he’s still a bit disbelieving of that. 

The school year was tough too. Not only because of juggling the last of the royal responsibilities and finalising the formalities, but also because it was spent at a new school. Hillerska failed to reopen after the scandal, although they are still trying to do so. But last summer break wasn’t enough time to solve the case, so Wille was transferred to a private school in Stockholm. 

And the year was not only difficult because of the new school environment. But also because it forced him to be apart from Simon. 

It felt like they just got each other back, and they did make the most of the summer they could. Wille stayed in Bjärstad a lot, Simon, a bit less willingly, also visited the palace a few times since it is still Wille’s home. The summer was spent on staying up during the long nights full of midnight sun, sleeping in during the days, swimming in lakes, having picnics, watching Rosh’s football games… It was bliss, Wille can’t deny that. 

But then reality hit them. 

Simon, with no other choice left, returned to Marieberg. And Wille was all the way back in Stockholm. 

They did the best they could. Weekends were reserved for spending time together. During any sort of holiday, they tried to steal some time for each other too. All kinds of longer time off, they also tried to fill with each other. 

In the end, they managed. But it was tough at times. 

This summer, Wille’s plan is to basically not leave Simon’s side. He missed him too much during the lonely weeks of the school year, so it’s only fair that now they’ll be inseparable. 

Thankfully, Felice helped to make this plan easier. She invited him, Simon and Sara to her family’s lake house, and they left basically as soon as school finished. So thanks to her, now Wille gets to have mornings like this. 

Ones where he wakes up slowly, stretches in bed before turning onto his side and wrapping his arm around his boyfriend. He loves nothing more than burying himself in Simon’s soft, golden-lit skin, breathing in his scent and holding him close. If he only could, he’d never let this moment end. 

“Good morning,” he whispers against Simon’s shoulder before pressing a gentle kiss there. His boyfriend hums. Only by the little sound Wille can tell that he’s still in that state between sleeping and being awake. He lets him take his time, stretch subtly in Wille’s arms, while letting out a few more adorable groans. Wille welcomes it all with a smile, already so familiar with this little routine. 

He wouldn’t change a thing. 

Soon enough, Simon scrambles to turn to him so they can face each other. 

“Good morning,” he whispers back, as if still not wanting to disturb the daybreak. His eyes are sleepy, his hair messy, and there’s a pillow crease against his cheek. And he’s no less beautiful than ever. Wille has always loved this morning, soft version of him. To be graced with it each day of the summer is truly a blessing. 

He leans in, placing a delicate kiss against his boyfriend’s forehead before settling again so he can just watch him. Simon smiles instantly at the gesture and snuggles closer to him. 

“What time is it?” He asks around a yawn. Wille shrugs. 

“Don’t know, don’t really care.”

He can feel Simon’s chuckle vibrate through him from how close they are pressed together. Wille’s hand soon finds its way into Simon’s hair, playing gently with his curls. It’s always felt relaxing for him, and although he’s plenty relaxed now, it’s more like an automatic reaction every time Simon rests against his chest like this. 

“How did you sleep?” He asks his boyfriend and drops a kiss on top of his head. 

“Mhm, good. Someone did wear me out last night,” the smirk can be heard in Simon’s voice. Wille can’t help but smile. 

This summer already feels so much better than the last one. There are no stolen moments in between meetings about the future of the monarchy. They can just take their time with each other. Often, without any sort of plan, just letting things unfold however they want. Wille used to be scared of that. He’s been taught that there always has to be a plan, that he always has to be in control, see ten steps ahead of himself, so he doesn’t make any mistakes. It doesn’t work like that, though. Even if he has his life all planned out to the T, there are things he can’t control. 

With Simon, though, he’s so much less scared of the unknown. As long as he has his boyfriend holding his hand through it, Wille feels like he can face everything, almost as if he were invincible. 

Maybe it’s just the summer air that’s making him all dreamy like this, but either way, he’ll definitely take this chance to let go. 

“We should get up,” Simon states, although his tone doesn’t sound too convincing. The fact that he has his eyes closed again tells Wille just how much will for actually going through with his words is there. 

“There’s no rush,” he says. Still relieved and thrilled at this fact. 

“I know,” Simon drags himself up with a groan so he can sit. The sheets pool low around his waist as he does so, drawing Wille’s gaze to wander around the exposed skin. Simon does notice, but doesn’t comment. The smirk on his lips says enough, though. “But I’m hungry.” 

“Well, in that case, we definitely should get up before you get grumpy,” Wille retorts and earns himself a mockingly shocked gasp. 

“Excuse me,” Simon reaches for his pillow only to smack Wille with it, “I am not grumpy.”

“Mhm, after you’ve had your breakfast, you’re not,” Wille comments with a smile. Simon is so adorable when he gets riled up like that. 

“It is the most important meal of the day,” his boyfriend points out, and well, Wille can’t argue. He just shrugs, which eventually Simon must take as his victory, since he puts down his weapon, the pillow. He leans closer to Wille, a delicate smile playing on the corners of his mouth. He’s so close they could slot their lips together in a kiss easily, yet he seems to be drawing it out, knowing how badly Wille wants it. There’s not a moment when he doesn’t want it. 

“I really like it here. Us, like this,” any sort of playful note is gone from Simon’s tone. There’s pure honesty in his words, maybe even some hint of vulnerability. 

“Me too,” Wille replies. Their noses brush together before finally, their lips touch in a tender kiss. 

It’s not only a good morning. It’s the best one. 

“Hey, look who’s finally up!” Felice welcomes them once they finally make their way downstairs. She’s wearing a swimsuit and her hair is already wet, which means she must have already taken advantage of the private beach. 

“It’s the summer,” Wille says, because he will not be shamed for sleeping in during the summer break.

Simon chuckles at his side as he’s clinging to his hand. They both opted for a minimal amount of clothes too, since some sort of heatwave has hit Sweden nowadays. Simon is wearing just a tank top and shorts, while Wille chose a set of linen pants and a shirt, of which he left a few buttons undone. 

“You do make a point,” Felice retorts with a smile. Wille is glad to see her smiling more. She’s been on her own journey of letting go of her parents' expectations too, as well as repairing her friendship with Sara over the past year. And it’s so noticeable how much joy Sara brings her, so Wille is really happy they figured their differences out. 

“Sara and I already went for a morning swim,” Felice informs them. “There’s still some breakfast and coffee on the table in the garden, so help yourself. Oh, and don’t forget you’re in charge of dinner today. You might need a trip to the town for it, though, we’re running low on some foods.” 

“Yes, chef,” Simon says, and Felice rolls her eyes fondly at him. “We’ll get it done, don’t worry,” he assures. 

“Okay, good,” she levels them with a look, as if dismissing them before grabbing some arts and crafts stuff from the living room table and heading towards the door. “Join us at the beach whenever!” She calls as they watch her speed towards the beach. 

As much as Wille’s been enjoying a no-plan summer, Felice is a bit different when it comes to that. She likes organising stuff and being in charge to make sure that everything is going smoothly. Wille guesses that it’s kind of the task of the host, actually. She’s had activities ready for her and Sara for basically each day, asking him and Simon to join in as well, but also never getting upset when they refuse. Wille knows she gets it. That they are sort of each other’s entertainment. They don’t really need anything else than each other right now. 

And as it turns out, maybe some responsibilities are awaiting Wille this summer, but these are the kinds he’s more than willing to face. Like making a shopping trip or cooking dinner for his friends. He’s actually kind of excited about those. And it’s also a nice way to thank Felice for having them over. 

Simon keeps clinging onto him, almost like some cat. Which is a sign he’s still not fully awake, then. Thankfully, Wille knows a solution for that. 

“Come on, you really need some breakfast,” he retorts, and upon his boyfriend’s nod, they head outside. 

Just as Felice promised, there is indeed breakfast on the table. All sorts of pastries, jams, some fruit and coffee. Simon hums only at the sight, making Wille chuckle. 

They sit side by side, taking advantage of the amazing selection and trying all the bits and pieces. 

“Did Felice make this?” Simon asks, after he basically moans around a piece of croissant in his mouth. Wille takes a sip of his coffee but nods. “This is amazing.” Simon marvels. 

“Yeah, she’s been into cooking a lot for a while,” Wille retorts. “She wants to go to a culinary school later.”

“Well, she totally should,” Simon agrees before stuffing his mouth with more food. 

Wille sips his coffee and looks ahead towards the beach. There, further away, are Sara and Felice. From what Wille can gather, they’re making an attempt at crocheting something. And although it doesn’t seem to be going too well, they just laugh it off, their heads thrown back and the sound echoing around. Wille smiles. 

Felice has always deserved a true friendship, someone who will really get her. Wille knows he hasn’t always been the best friend for her, he made stupid mistakes, even hurt her. He’s trying to be better, though, so that must count for something. Still, he doesn’t think he can rival what Sara and her have come to have. It’s been a journey for them, too. Mistakes have also been made, but well, maybe that’s what friendship is after all. Not always perfect, but oh so loving. 

Wille turns to see Simon watching the girls with a soft smile too. And he knows that his boyfriend is thinking the same for Sara. Sometimes people just click, even unexpectedly, maybe. But Felice and Sara were lucky to find each other. 

He sneaks his hand to lay on Simon’s thigh. It’s like he always has this need to touch him, each time he’s within reach. As if sometimes, he couldn’t believe Simon was really here with him. That it’s not some sort of a dream, but that he finally gets to have this. 

“All good?” Simon asks as he turns to him, probably noticing on his face that he’s in his thoughts a bit. 

“All good,” Wille nods before dropping his head on Simon’s shoulder. 

He closes his eyes for a moment, just listening to the sounds of nature around them, and yeah. He really feels good. 

You can get to the closest town by car, driving around the lake, or by boat, just swimming through. And although Sara offers to drive them for their shopping trip, they refuse. 

Simon says taking a boat could be fun. So that’s what they’re going to do. 

When they make it to the pier, it’s a boat similar to the ones operating in the city in Stockholm. Still, that doesn’t make Simon’s excitement lessen since he hasn’t had many opportunities to travel by those. Every time he visited Wille in the city, they’d still mostly move around by car, afraid to draw too much attention with the news of Wille’s abdication still being kind of fresh. But here, at the outskirts of the city, away from the media outlets and curious phones, it doesn’t really matter. Here, he doesn’t care when he takes his boyfriend’s hand to step on the boat. There are a few people, but they don’t pay attention. It makes Wille feel like just a normal person. Something he never thought he’d experience. 

Simon is standing by the railing, looking at the horizon where, soon, their destination appears. The town is getting closer, buildings rising up bigger, and the sounds of the life out there slowly begin to reach them too. 

Wille snatches a photo on his polaroid camera. Just Simon on the background of the emerging city, unaware of the picture even being taken, his skin painted gently by the sun. 

The truth is, Wille is still figuring out what he likes, hobby-wise and passion-wise. He’s never really had his thing the way Simon has music, Felice has cooking, or Sara has horses. His passion was supposed to be the monarchy and its traditions. So he’s been trying to look for his thing. He’s got really into photography recently. First, just snapping pics with his phone, but then he got the polaroid camera for his birthday, and it was an obvious choice to bring it for this summer trip. He likes playing around with it, looking for good lighting, a fitting background and so on. But he also really likes candid shots like this, when the subject of his photo is unaware of being photographed. Something about it brings out the realness Wille has grown to love so much in photography. 

Simon turns then, maybe not so unaware after all, and narrows his eyes a little at Wille, as he sees him holding the now printed picture. 

“Papparazzi much?” He questions playfully. Wille rolls his eyes. 

“You just looked too pretty,” he steps closer to wrap his arms around Simon from behind. 

“Mhm,” his boyfriend hums before plucking the photo out of his hands. It’s not fully developed yet, but you can see the outlines and silhouettes there. “My face is not even in it,” Simon points out. 

“So? Still pretty.” 

Simon snorts and Wille tightens his arms around him, always wanting to hold him even closer. The journey isn’t really long, but they spend the rest of it relaxing in each other’s arms like that. The sun is tenderly warming their bodies, not scorching, the watery breeze preventing it from doing so. 

He grasps Simon’s palm once the boat moors, and hand in hand, they step onto land again. The town is bustling with tourists at this time of the year. People are walking around, shopping at the local stores or admiring the beautiful views. With hands still collapsed together, Simon leads him through the narrow streets. And Wille knows he would follow him anywhere. 

They make it to a street market, where the stalls are full of colourful vegetables, fruit and flowers. It smells like fresh herbs, the air around so crisp and full of flavour. During the past year, Wille got so used to the rush of Stockholm city, but here, in this small town, it feels like time slows down a little. Like there’s no hurry as Simon and he walk around the market. 

They stop by a few stalls, picking up the ingredients for dinner and some more fresh fruit and vegetables for the upcoming days. Wille kind of likes the fact that they don’t really have an ending day to this vacation. Felice said they’re welcome to stay at the lake house as long as they want. And of course, they’re not planning to overstay their welcome, but a few days more for sure shouldn’t be a problem. 

While Simon is busy picking out some tangerines (he’s obsessed with them and always looks for the deeply orange ones, because he says they are sweeter in taste), Wille turns towards one of the stalls with flowers. He chooses a couple of sunflowers, and the lady selling them arranges them in a pretty little bouquet quickly. Wille smiles and thanks her, handing her the money and waving her away when she tries to hand him some change. 

Carefully, he hides the flowers behind his back, not wanting Simon to see yet. He watches as his boyfriend pays for the fruit and steps away with a smile and a bag full of orange goodies. 

“I think we have everything we need, right?” He asks Wille once they come face to face again. 

Wille hums his agreement. By the way Simon looks at him, he can see that his boyfriend is growing suspicious. He could always read Wille like an open book after all. 

Dropping his act, Wille produces the flowers from behind his back and presents them to his boyfriend. 

“For you,” he says and watches Simon’s expression soften. 

“They are so pretty,” he keeps admiring the flowers, eventually taking them from Wille’s waiting hands. “Thank you so much, mi amor,” he looks up at Wille and reaches out to touch his cheek, caressing the skin there. As if trying to transfer the gratitude he feels through the touch. 

“You’re welcome,” Wille states and presses a kiss to Simon’s palm against his face. 

They share a smile, and Wille gets a little lost in it. In the way Simon’s eyes shine, with that signature spark that’s always there, but also with something else. With love and appreciation. His smile is still soft, yet so bright that it could rival the sun, which is currently up in the sky. Simon has already got a little tanned this summer, the delicate bronze of his skin getting deeper, and it looks so beautiful and radiant on him. A true summery version that Wille is so grateful he’s able to witness. 

Although their hands are full of shopping bags now, they still somehow walk back to the dock with their palms clasped together. 

“Look, the lovebirds are back!” Sara’s yell welcomes them as they step towards the beach. It seems that she and Felice haven’t even left. But Wille actually approves of that. This is what summer is for, after all. 

Simon rolls his eyes at the comment before dropping onto one of the blankets and pulling Wille with him. Wille chuckles but goes willingly, settling between his boyfriend and Felice as Simon pulls the sunglasses on his head down. 

“You’re going to burn, you need sun cream,” Sara points out. 

“I don’t burn,” Simon comments, unmoved. 

Then they dive into a little bickering argument about how UV protection is very important (Wille would actually side with Sara on this one. Simon doesn’t have to know), so Wille turns to Felice to see her painting her nails. She chose a deep red colour this time, and she’s carefully coating the nails with even layers. She’s focused but somehow still paying attention to what’s happening around, as she chuckles at Simon and Sara’s quarrel. 

“This colour looks good on you,” Wille says, to which she looks up. He points at her nails in explanation. 

“Oh, thank you!” She smiles before getting back to work. “I was torn between this one and the purple, but I think I needed some warmer shade,” she explains and inches her head toward the end of the blanket, where some other bottles of nail polish are scattered. 

Wille reaches for one curiously, picking up the purple, which he supposes Felice rejected first. It’s a pretty colour. Not a very deep shade, more of a pastel lavender. Wille bites his lip as he turns it over in his fingers a few times. If Felice notices his sudden interest in the small bottle, she doesn’t comment. 

Wille takes a breath before finally speaking. 

“Would you do mine?” He asks Felice, tapping his short nails on the bottle to make sure she gets what he means. 

“Sure!” his friend replies. No hesitation. Wille really needn’t have worried. It wouldn’t even be the first time she does his nails. 

But, well, it is the first time that Wille decides he’ll keep them. 

All the previous times, he let Felice do it for fun. Or just because she confessed, it feels kind of calming for her. But after, he’d almost immediately take it off. Not because he didn’t like it, Felice is very skilled when it comes to manicure, but because it wasn’t proper for him to wear nail polish. There was one time when he kept his nails done for a weekend, but only because he was spending it with Simon in Bjärstad, where no one would judge him. Before he went home, he had to ask Sara for nail polish remover, though, too scared of what his parents would think. 

This time, his parents won’t even see it. But he also feels that he wouldn’t really care if they did. 

“I’m just going to finish mine, okay?” Felice checks in, and Wille nods, feeling a smile playing at the corner of his lips. Maybe it’s stupid to get excited about such things as painting your nails. But recently, Wille’s been finding so much joy in those little things that he wasn’t allowed to do. It’s a completely new thrill that he had no idea existed. 

“We’re going for a swim,” Simon announces then, as Sara is already dragging him up from the blanket. “Wanna join?” 

“I think we’re fine here for now,” Wille says as Felice nods along. Simon’s gaze drops briefly to what Felice is doing, then he notices the bottle in Wille’s hand as well. He only smiles and leans down to press a kiss against Wille’s cheek. 

“Have fun!” Felice calls out as Sara and Simon make their way towards the water. 

“I’m putting sun cream on you after that,” Sara still hasn’t let go. Wille doesn’t see it, but he’s sure Simon must roll his eyes. 

“Alright, mom,” he nudges his sister with his shoulder, and she almost trips. Then she relents with the same, and their giggles sound around as they descend into the lake. 

Felice shakes her head amusingly. She looks down at her hands now, making sure there are no smudges and that it all looks good. She must be satisfied with her work since she gives an approving nod.

“Let’s just wait till they dry a little, then I’ll do yours,” she promises with a smile, which Wille returns. 

In the meantime, he turns to look at where Sara and Simon are splashing water at each other in the lake. He can’t help but think just how glad he is that things are back to normal with them. There was a time when even he, and especially Simon, had many doubts about whether his boyfriend would forgive his sister. Deep down, Wille probably always believed that they would rekindle sooner or later. Still, it was Simon’s decision. But it could always be felt that, although he was mad at her, in a way, he was still missing his sister and has always cared for her, no matter what. That’s what family is like. And Simon just needed some time. Sometimes, time can heal even the really big wounds. 

“Alright,” Felice claps her hands, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Let’s get to it!” She announces and Wille hands her the nail polish with an abashed smile. 

His friend works efficiently and quickly. She rests his palm on her knee as she covers the nails with purple in gentle strokes. She’s focused, but it also comes easily to her, a task she’s so familiar with by now that Wille is sure she’d be able to do in her sleep. And even in her sleep, she’d probably still do better than Wille. 

“So,” she begins after examining the first hand. She must be satisfied since she grabs his next one and starts working on it. “How do you guys like it here?” 

“It’s amazing, really,” Wille answers instantly, almost dreamily. Their time spent here does feel like a dream sometimes. Too good to be true. “Thank you so much for inviting us. It means a lot.”

“Of course,” Felice retorts. “I’m glad you came. And I can see you letting go a little. You deserve it after the tough year.”

Wille agrees with a sigh. Right now, he really doesn’t want his thoughts to circle around the darker times. He hopes he’s left those behind now. 

“And how’s Simon?” Felice asks. “Is he enjoying it here?”

“Yeah, very much. I think he needed it too. A break.”

“With you?” She doesn’t look up, but Wille can see a smirk on her lips now. 

“I won’t deny that it’s nice to spend some time together,” Wille chuckles. 

“You both deserve it,” his friend retorts, her voice sounding genuine. 

“Well, you too,” Wille remarks. “Have you decided about the culinary school by the way?”

“Yeah, I think I’m going to try. Could be fun. Unless Hillerska reopens and we get to come back.”

“Would you want to go back then?” Wille asks curiously. 

“Probably.” Felice shrugs but then smirks again. “I cannot leave you alone for too long.”

“Hey,” Wille snickers, but then they just laugh together. 

“Would you go back?”

“I think so. I could be closer to Simon then. Even if he didn’t want to come back.”

“Right, of course,” Felice rolls her eyes fondly. Before Wille gets to comment, she takes both of his palms and examines them. “There you go!” She presents him with the job done. 

Wille inspects his fingernails and feels an involuntary smile grace his lips. They look very pretty, the purple standing out against his pale skin, but still somehow fitting. He can feel Felice’s eyes on him, but she lets him take his time as he admires her handiwork. 

“Thank you, I love them,” Wille eventually raises his gaze and offers her a smile. 

“You’re welcome,” she smiles back, visibly pleased. 

“Hey,” just then, Wille feels a pair of wet arms wrap around his shoulder from behind. He relaxes into the grip, though. Even if not the soft greeting, Wille still would be somehow able to just feel that it’s Simon. “What are you up to?”

“Careful,” Felice puts her hands protectively over Wille’s palms, so the water dripping from Simon’s wet hair doesn’t ruin the nails. “I’ve just finished his nails. They still need to dry.” 

“Ohh, can I see?” Simon drops onto the blanket next to him, voicing the request with an almost child-like excitement. 

Wille nods and lets him delicately grab his hand, so he can examine the nails himself. He doesn’t even feel nervous about it anymore. Wille is way past his fear of being judged. At least when it comes to Simon. His boyfriend would never make him feel bad about trying anything new or about diving into something he’s fond of. 

“They’re so pretty,” Simon smiles down at the nails. “This colour suits you. Good job, Felice,” he nods approvingly. Felice chuckles. 

“All my pleasure.” She winks at Wille. 

“Does this mean you can’t put sun cream on me now?” Simon pouts. So adorably that Wille almost caves in. He’d never turn down an excuse to touch Simon, but his nails situation kind of calls for it. 

“Sorry,” he tries for his amusement not to show, truly regretful though. “You can wait till they dry.”

“Wille, I swear to god, if you ruin my work because you’re too impatient to touch your boyfriend…” Felice threatens. 

“Hey, I’m not that bad!” Wille protests, but he’s met with not one, but two pairs of unimpressed looks coming from Felice and Sara. He’s pretty sure he can hear Simon trying to stifle a chuckle, though. 

“Come on, you baby, I’ll put sun cream on you,” Sara offers her brother then. Simon, still pouting cutly, eventually accepts the help. 

“I’ll put some on you,” Simon taps Wille’s shoulder once Sara is done applying the cream on his back. “You do need it, you tend to burn,” he smirks. Both of them remember how last summer, after a bit too much time spent at the lake and being too lost in each other, probably, Wille came back home with reddish skin. 

“He can do it himself, you know,” Sara comments from where she’s already lying down on the blanket and sunbathing.

“No, he can’t, his nails are drying.” Simon sticks his tongue out at his sister, who snorts, but still doesn’t even look his way.

“They may already be dry, though,” Felice adds, biting down on her own grin. “You’re just as bad as Wille.”

“Damn, sue me for not wanting my boyfriend to get sunburnt,” Simon rolls his eyes and grabs the bottle of sun cream. He puts some on his palms and then starts spreading it over Wille’s chest. 

The touch feels nice, delicate and cooling because of the slightly cold mixture. It makes Wille shiver, even on the hot, summery day. He’s not sure if it isn’t just from Simon’s touch, though. 

“Is this our cue to leave?” Felice throws a glance at Sara from above her sunglasses. 

“Yep, I suddenly do feel like taking a walk.” The other girl replies. 

“Let’s make drinks,” Felice decides in a laughing tone. She gets up and then offers her hand to Sara to pull her up, and together, they march back into the house, giggling. 

“So dramatic…” Simon trails off, shaking his head. “It’s not like we’re doing anything scandalous,” he scoffs. 

Wille hums in agreement, but as Simon’s hands move a bit lower on his chest, he does feel a bit closer to doing something scandalous. 

He shakes his head and focuses on Simon’s touch. Which is a bad idea. 

It’s the heat that makes beads of sweat gather on his skin, he tells himself. Not the fact that Simon is so close he could count the droplets of water still clinging to his eyelashes. 

He often wonders if it’s ever going to stop feeling like this. If the thrill of having each other close is ever going to pass. Because for now, it’s still very much there, and Wille doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to stop his heartbeat from quickening when Simon is near. Maybe it is a skill he can master at some point, but for now, he prefers to let himself just feel like this. 

“Okay, all done,” Simon smears the rest of the cream along his shoulders before declaring the job done. He smiles at Wille, and the fact that he’s barely a few inches away makes it impossible for Wille not to lean in and kiss him. So he does. As a thanks, he tells himself. 

“Thank you,” he says when their lips part and his boyfriend hums. 

“You’re welcome.” 

They lay down, facing the sun and letting it warm their skin. Wille is yet again hit with how peaceful it feels here. How he feels at ease with Simon next to him, the feeling of the sun on him, the sound of the water gently rippling along the shore. It’s so relaxing, he could easily fall asleep right here, with not a care in the world. 

He opens his eyes only to glance at Simon next to him. His boyfriend has his sunglasses on, the streaks of water on his body are now almost dried, the sun quickly washing them away. He looks relaxed, at peace. And that’s all that Wille wants for him. 

He’s aware Simon hasn’t had it that easy either. What he still struggles with is how, at the beginning of their relationship, he was so unable to notice that anything was bothering his boyfriend. Simon finds excuses for him for that. That he had a lot going on with his mom being unwell, with trying to adjust to his then role as the Crown Prince… And while it’s all true, Wille doesn’t think it should be this way. Because Simon had a lot going on, too. With the hate he was facing online, with his family being threatened… And still, he was there for Wille. So much that it basically broke him. 

When they got back together after the horrendous break-up on Wille’s birthday, Wille promised himself to be better, more attentive, more supportive. Because even with his decision to abdicate, the last year still wasn’t easy for Simon. The media attention didn’t lessen immediately. Actually, it only spiked again, making Simon its target and putting the blame for the fallout of the monarchy on him. Wille learnt back then that just don’t care, don’t pay attention , is not the way to go. That Simon needed someone to talk to, someone to reassure him. So he tried to become that someone. And with time, things got better. 

Wille reaches for Simon’s hand, suddenly needing to feel his grounding touch. 

“Everything okay?” His boyfriend turns his head towards him and asks. Wille nods. 

“Everything is great. I’m just glad you’re here with me.” 

Simon smiles and squeezes his hand back. 

“I’m glad too.” 

The sun on a hot, summery day can’t really rival the warmth spreading in Wille’s heart upon hearing these words. 

They stumble upon Felice making another round of drinks back at the house, once they eventually drag themselves up from the beach. It’s mostly because Sara starts to complain that she’s getting hungry, which makes Wille realise he could eat too. And it is their turn to prepare dinner after all. 

“All good?” She asks, turning to them from the counter at which she’s stirring some lemonade in a pitcher. 

“Yeah, we just thought we could start on the dinner,” Simon replies. 

“Probably a good idea,” Felice retorts with a nod. “Well, you know where everything is by now, I think, but holler if you need anything! You’re making pasta, right?”

“Yes, we gotta start easy with this one,” Simon inches his head towards Wille and smirks.

“Right,” Felice lets out a chuckle. “I think we have some spaghetti left, wait.” She begins to bustle through the cupboards in search of the product. 

“I think I saw it there yesterday,” Wille moves to help, both of them looking through all the possible places now. It doesn’t take long before Felice comes out victorious with the previously opened package of pasta. 

“Here,” she hands it to Wille who nods gratefully. 

“Guys,” they both turn to Simon upon being called. He’s holding Wille’s polaroid camera, pointed at them, ready to capture the moment. “Say cheese.”

Felice sticks her middle finger out at the lens playfully, and Wille follows suit, right before he hears the click of Simon taking the photo. His boyfriend chuckles at the scene, grabbing the photo as it prints out. 

Wille is still getting used to capturing memories like this, so candidly and abruptly. Usually, his photos were always posed, photographers placing him the way they wanted, his parents or the other people at the court telling him to smile… Candids for him were usually photos by paparazzi. Ones that he hates because he felt so caught in the moment, unready. He doesn’t feel like this here, though. Here, he knows that the photos won’t be instantly posted to the internet to cause a storm. Here, they are just for them, to capture the memories. And Wille wants to have a lot of these from here. 

“Cute,” Simon comments and shows them the photo. Felice is grinning with her finger put out, the red nail polish so visible in the flash. Wille has his tongue out, his hand with the finger covering half of his face, making the manicure done by Felice the main character of the photo for him. He smiles. This is exactly how he wants to remember this. 

His friend also eyes the picture with a fond expression before looking up. 

“Alright, get to work,” she bids them goodbye, grabbing the pitcher from the counter and setting out on her way. 

“So,” Wille turns to Simon, “what do we start with, chef?” 

Wille has been discovering how little he knows about normal life recently. It’s a process. Like, for example, he’s barely ever cooked for himself, always having the chefs at the castle prepare dinner, as well as other meals. Yeah, he can make a sandwich for himself and stuff, and he’s pretty sure he could handle a simple pasta or something. But it’s just so much more fun when Simon shows him stuff like this. He’s lucky enough to have a very patient teacher (who also doesn’t strain from making fun of him). 

“Let’s boil the water for the pasta first.” Simon moves to grab a pot and fills it with water before putting it on the stove. “Put salt in.” He instructs then. 

“Into the water?” Wille makes sure. 

“Mhm.” 

He does as he’s told while Simon leans on his arms to hop and sit at the counter. Wille glances at him and frowns. 

“Aren’t you going to help?” He questions but his boyfriend shakes his head. 

“Nope. I’ll be giving you the instructions but you’ll be making the dinner. This is a test for you.”

“How can you test me on something I don’t know how to do?!” Wille protests. 

“Come on,” Simon rolls his eyes. “We’ve cooked pasta before.”

“More like you cooked and I was watching.”

“Yeah, that’s how you learn. Let’s go, I’ll guide you through it.” 

Wille sighs, but nods. He actually feels up for a challenge. 

He has to give it to Simon; his instructions are actually quite detailed. And it’s not like he’s totally passive too. He steps in any time Wille needs help, tastes the sauce and advises what spices should be added, controls the time of boiling the pasta. So yeah, it is still very much a team effort. And soon enough, Wille is standing at the stove, stirring some pasta sauce that looks very much edible. And only a while ago, he felt like it might not come out as such. 

The sizzling of the sauce in the pan among the otherwise quiet kitchen feels oddly calming. But in the quiet, it’s impossible to miss the tiny meow and just as expected, Wille looks down to find Tangerine rubbing against his legs. 

“Hi, Tangerine,” he coos, bending down to grasp the cat in his arms. She peeks with interest into the pan for a moment before cuddling closer to Wille and purring with satisfaction. 

The cat isn’t technically Felice’s, but she said she’s always been around the house, ever since Felice was little. Her family has been taking care of the cat each time they visit, even naming her Tangerine because of the orange-ish fur. The first thing Felice did after coming here and finding her was order Sara to take them to the closest vet to make sure everything was fine. And so, Tangerine has been hanging out with them during the vacation. 

“Are you hungry too?” Wille asks the cat. He takes the meow he gets in answer as a yes and promises himself that as soon as he’s able to step away from the dinner, he’ll fill her bowl. It’s been nice to take care of a pet. Another new experience for Wille since he’s never owned any animals. Still, the cat isn’t any close to being his, but he feels that he created a nice bond with Tangerine. He finds himself wondering, if he were to return here next year, would she remember him?

He grabs the cat in one arm, holding her up and still able to stir the sauce. He’s just about to ask Simon if it’s ready now, but then he hears the click of the camera again. Once he looks up, he finds his boyfriend behind the device again. 

Simon pulls the photo out of the camera and offers an innocent smile. 

“You just looked very pretty,” he explains and Wille rolls his eyes. He’ll blame the blush on his cheeks on the stream coming from the pan, though. “It looks ready now, by the way.” 

“Good,” Wille dumps the pasta in, upon Simon’s command. “Can you get the plates?”

“Sure,” Simon moves to do so, as Wille does what he promised and fills Tangerine’s bowl with some cat food. He offers her another gentle rub along her back before grabbing the pan and wandering outside to the patio, where Simon and the rest are already waiting. 

“Bon appétit!” He serves the dish for the company before sitting down next to Simon. 

“Wow, it actually looks edible,” Felice comments and sends him a grin. 

“Let’s see if it actually is,” Sara smirks before bringing a forkful of pasta to her lips. 

There’s a moment of silence when everyone is busy eating. Wille feels a tiny sliver of nerves settling into his stomach upon waiting for everyone’s verdict.

“It’s really good,” Felice retorts approvingly and actually, this is the opinion that matters the most, so Wille relaxes. 

“Mhm, nice,” Sara agrees, and Wille finds himself smiling. 

“Good job,” Simon says, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Wille feels his skin getting warmer again. 

They eat and discuss plans for tomorrow, which are basically the same as every day. The only difference is that Sara and Felice are on dinner duty tomorrow, so they begin discussing some recipes Felice has been wanting to try out. It’s nice to have this sort of routine, one consisting of such undemanding tasks. Wille could get used to it. 

After dinner is done and the plates washed, they stay on the patio, just chatting about some light topics. The new album one of Simon’s favourite artists just dropped. Sara’s plans about visiting the stables when they’re back. The new TikTok trends Felice wants to film, and Wille’s idea to get a digital camera, to get a bit more into photography. 

It all just feels so… light. The conversations flow easily, the atmosphere still chill and relaxed. It’s good to have no worries, to just enjoy a moment with his favourite people. Even if subconsciously, Wille knows it can’t be like this forever, he just wants to stay in the moment for now. 

Simon is leaning against his side as Wille keeps his arm wrapped around him. He’s been absent-mindedly playing with his boyfriend’s hair. But he hasn’t heard any sound of protest coming from Simon, so he keeps up with his gentle ministrations. Soon enough, there’s a bit more of a breeze as the sun now hangs lowly on the horizon. They must have been talking for longer than Wille realised. But time flows so fast when you’re having fun. 

“Are you cold?” He can feel Simon shiver every once in a while, so he asks. 

“A little, yeah,” his boyfriend admits. “I’ll go get a hoodie.”

“I’ll get it for you,” Wille declares. “I’m going to get mine anyway.”

“Okay,” Simon doesn’t resist. Wille drops a kiss on top of his head before heading inside to grab the clothes. 

He easily finds Simon’s purple hoodie, his favourite, and retrieves a grey one for himself. When he’s back outside, his boyfriend is leaning against the wooded railing, looking out at the horizon. Wille comes to stand next to him, handing him the piece of clothing. 

“Thanks,” Simon smiles and puts the hoodie on. His hair becomes adorably messy in the process. Wille can’t help but smile. He looks so cute and so beautiful. He’s always beautiful, no matter what. “The sky is so pretty,” Simon comments, and with a heavy heart, Wille turns his gaze away from his boyfriend to follow his line of sight. 

The sky is indeed pretty. Still blue, but now blended with an orange afterglow coming from the sun. It looks beautiful against the background of the nature surrounding them. The sunshine creates some gleaming motions along the water, the trees’ green feels more intense now, the air is fresh, and it smells like summer and possibilities. For the first time in his life probably, Wille feels like he has options. Like he doesn’t have a scenario he has to follow, but he’ll make his own path. 

He puts on his hoodie and wraps his arm around Simon. If there’s one thing that’s destined for him, it’s to spend the rest of his life by Simon’s side. That he’s sure of. 

“Guys,” they tear their eyes away from the horizon and turn to Felice, who is holding Wille’s camera now. “Pose,” she says and brings it closer to her face to look. 

Wille’s arm wanders around Simon’s shoulders and his boyfriend laces their fingers. They’re pressed close together, their bodies touching as much as possible. Wille turns his head to press a kiss to Simon’s cheek, feeling him scrunch his face adorably before the shutter on the camera clicks. 

Later, when they’re getting ready to sleep, Wille finds the polaroid of them against the background of the sunset on his bedside table. There, at the bottom, in Simon’s pretty handwriting, is written: älskar dig followed by a little heart. Wille smiles, tracing it with his fingers gently. He doesn’t need the reminders that Simon loves him as much as he used to, doesn’t need as much reassurance as he used to, because he knows and believes that their love is strong and real. More real than anything Wille has ever experienced. Still, sometimes it’s nice to hear it. 

A pair of arms wraps around him from behind and he feels his smile widen. 

“Ready for bed?” Simon questions, pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder. Wille nods and turns in his arms so he can hold him closer in a tender embrace. 

“Mhm,” he hums and places a kiss on his boyfriend’s forehead. “I love you.” He whispers against his skin. Simon tilts his chin up. 

“I love you too,” he says, their lips almost touching now. Wille closes the barely space between them with a kiss. 

And while his life might have become more ordinary now, a turn that he’s actually been wishing upon, there’s nothing ordinary about this. Simon’s lips on his, captured in an extraordinary kiss. It has always felt like that, and Wille believes it always will. 

As long as they have each other, Wille’s life will always be filled with extraordinary moments like this.