Young Royals: After season 1

Chapter seventy five: Simon

Just a week after Eline and Felice got married, Eline had to go back to hospital for new treatments. It felt so empty at the palace when Felice and Eline were not at home. Wilhelm and I had gotten used to having them around. It was so cosy to have them around. I wished that they would come back home soon. That Eline could get better. I knew that the chances were slim. But I hoped that it would turn out okay. So that Felice would not have to lose her lover. So that we did not have to lose our friend. God how we loved them. Eline and Felice were like family. Just like Sara and Marcus were. Losing any of them would break my heart into tiny pieces.

"Do you want breakfast, babe?" Wilhelm asked me from the doorway to our bedroom. I was still in bed, as it was Saturday morning and we were free for the day. I nodded, as I was a bit hungry and Wilhelm came inside with a big tray filled with breakfast.

"So you have plans for breakfast in bed, handsome?" I asked. Wilhelm nodded and put the tray on his bedside table. He climbed up in bed and pulled me close to him. He handed me a cup of steaming hot coffee and offered me a sandwich.

"I thought we could use some time to have breakfast and cuddle in bed. Life has been pretty crazy recently, don't you think?" he replied. Our life was always a bit crazy to me, but I understood what he meant. It was not easy seeing a close friend so sick. To see Felice that worried. To worry ourselves.

"Yeah," I said with a sigh. "It is crazy how things can just flip over and change your entire life like that. Sometimes it only takes seconds and everything is different after that." Wilhelm nodded and took a bite off his own sandwich.

"I have had a few moments like that in my life," he said.

"Me too," I replied. I had his phone call from the Netherlands in mind. His phone call from his mother that day when he was supposed to go home with me, but instead had to deal with the loss of his dear brother. I thought of the sex tape that could have been the end for me and Wille. I thought of the words spoken in the hospital after Eline got the news that she was ill. "And it is just as horrible every time." Wilhelm held me and leaned his head against my shoulder.

"At least those moments when life turns because of something bad happening. Some things happen in just a moment and change your life for the better too," he said.

"Like what?" I asked. At that moment my mind had fixated on the bad things that had happened to us. To our friends. Normally I tried seeing this from the bright side, but it was hard right there and then.

"You changed my life forever, Simon," he said. "Before we met I didn't know I could fall in love with guys. I did not know what love felt like. When you kissed me that first time so much just fell into place. It all made sense, even though it overwhelmed me." I looked at him. He made me see those moments that had changed me for the better. I had focused so much on pain and bad things since Eline got sick. There were of course happy moments in there too, like Eline and Felice's wedding.

"You changed my life too. And I love you for that," I replied. I put my cup of coffee on my bedside table and wrapped my arms around him.

"I know," Wille said and rubbed his nose gently against mine. His lips brushed against mine. I deepened the kiss and felt his tongue fight mine. I had my hands on the hem of his white t-shirt. I began undressing him and he helped me pull the shirt over his head. I was already topless, as I had not put anything on that morning. We kissed each other more aggressively and more passionately. Let our hands explore each other's bodies. My hands found the waistband of his sweatpants. I pulled them down.

"Kiss me pretty," Wilhelm said. He breathed loudly. I kissed his lips and down his neck. I continued down his chest.

"Does this turn you on, baby?" I teased him. I teased him by holding a hand on the waistband of his underwear. Caressed him over the fabric. His moans told me enough. He did not have to answer my question.

"You are a little tease, you know that right?" Wille said and giggled. He caught my face in his hand and pulled me against his lips.

"I know," I giggled against his lips.

**********

We were in the car on our way to the hospital. We were to visit Eline and Felice. It felt so empty without them living with us while they were in the hospital. We had gotten used to living with them. We went down to Eline's room and knocked on the door before stepping inside. Felice and Eline sat in the bed together. Eline was connected to different monitors and a cytostatic drip. She wore a white hospital dress and her baby blue headscarf. Felice was however dressed in her ordinary clothes.

"Hi boys," Eline said. She smiled when we came inside. She was so happy that we came to visit her as often as we could when they were not home.

"How are you today?" WIlle and I asked them. Felice said that Eline had been sick and had thrown up due to the medications earlier that day, but that it was more stable now.

"What are you doing then?" Wille asked. Felice's Macbook air was in front of them on the bed. I guessed that they watched a show or something. They looked at each other.

"We have been talking about baby names. Felice has baby fever," Eline said and laughed. She caressed Felice's cheek lightly. "Or am I wrong, sunflower?" Wilhelm and I looked at each other and giggled. They were too cute, our friends.

"No you are not wrong, baby," Felice said. "Look at this kid. They are so cute. Oh my god." She pointed to a picture on her computer.

"And they scream, eat, puke up, sleep and wake up randomly and shit in their pants," Eline said laughing. "And they are expensive as hell too."

"But they are still cute though. And I want one. Can we please have one?" Felice said in a whiny, pleading voice to Eline. It remembered me of when Sara and I were younger and Sara had asked my mother for her own pony. Or when I had been obsessed with dinosaurs and had wanted one. I had been a weird kid, I had concluded. Sara had at least wanted a horse. Not an extinct creature that lived long before humans walked on this earth.

"Babe, you know I can't make you pregnant," Eline said and embraced her newly wed wife.

"I know. And that sucks," Felice said.

"Maybe you should have married a guy instead?" Eline teased.

"No way. The ones I have dated suck even more than the fact that you can't make me pregnant," Felice said. They were both giggling. And then they kissed each other. They were too cute."And I love you more than anything in this world. Never ever even think that I would exchange you for some dude just to have children."

"And how will we fix that problem then?" Eline asked Felice. Suddenly I felt Felice's eyes on me and Wilhelm. Eline also looked over at us, who were sitting in a couple of armchairs next to their bed.

"Well you two are boys," Felice said. Wilhelm and I laughed.

"Yes. And?" Wille replied.

"And we could help each other with a problem we all have," Felice said, laughing. She realised how crazy it sounded. We had joked about it before, but it had all felt a little more as a joke then than now.

"You need an heir to the crown and Felice wants a baby," Eline said giggling.

"You did agree they were cute, though. Confess that you want to have a kid a little bit too," Felice teased Eline. Eline was laughing against Felice's chest. We did not know how Eline's tumour would progress and therefore we did not know how long she had left. We did not know if she would have the opportunity to have children later, since her future was so unsure. And the doctors had given her an estimation of three years, if nothing drastically changed about her cancer. Having a child pretty soon was maybe her only chance.

"Okay. A little maybe," Eline said. "Or maybe a little more than a little, actually." Wilhelm and I just looked at each other. Our friends were a bit crazy. Which we already knew of course. What Eline had said was true. We were expected to produce an heir, which in our situation would not be too easy on our own.

"Well are you up for it?" Felice half joked. We could only look at each other.

"Well do you need an answer right now?" Wilhelm half joked back.

"Look, he did at least not say no," Felice said, smiling at Eline.

"The poor boy is probably scared to say no," Eline said and laughed. Wilhelm and I also laughed.