Another way (Young Royals)

Him

The record label had gotten in touch and we had another meeting online. They said they wanted to sign me. It was the biggest dream I had my entire life. And it seemed like it was coming true. Things had really started moving when I transferred to Hillerska. The possibilities when you were in a privileged environment was crazy. At least when you were like me, used to an underfunded school where a lot of people had lost the dreams they once had before they transferred into high school. My dream to sing and write music had always been there though. When life had been hard, I always had that. And that was more than having nothing at all. A lot more. Music was everything. I could not live without it. And now the possibility of making a living felt surreal. A bit too good to be true. But it really was true. At least I did not wake up from a daydream when I was pinching my arm to make sure it wasn't in fact just a dream. Something I knew wasn't just a dream, even if it sometimes felt like it was, was the fact that I had the sweetest boyfriend in the world. Another thing that was also true was that he had a hard time. He did not find his place on this earth and he felt like his parents owned him. Not knowing why we were here was probably pretty usual for people our age. But he had a life plan that he just stepped away from basically one day from another. He had a life crisis and he was not even seventeen years old yet. But I guessed that was what happened when you were a prince where everything from you were born until you died was carefully written and planned to live up to traditions and you finally wanted to be let free. He had not been free a day of his life. He still was not entirely free. He would not be free as long as we were in this country. Even if he had abdicated, everyone knew who he was here. For him to be entirely free, we would have to move. But we of course could not just do that. Not until we were eighteen. Or well not until we graduated high school. He had to graduate if he wanted to study in university or even work. We were laying on my bed in my little bedroom in Bjärstad. He was looking into the wall. He had been doing that a lot the days after the dramatic happenings in Stockholm. I was worried for him. I had the time of my life right in front of me and he had lost the only world he knew. He hated it. At the same time it must be scary to just leave like that.

"You are so brave, Wille. You know that right?" I asked him. I pulled myself closer to him and wrapped my arm around his waist. His hair tickled me a little as I buried my face in his shoulder. His smell took over my lungs like a drug. I could not get enough. He looked back at me. I smiled at him.

"What?" he replied.

"You are the bravest person I know. And I think you should know that," I said.

"Well I beg to differ," he replied and turned around, so that he was facing me. "You are the bravest person, Simon." His eyes were glassy from tears.

"How so?" I asked. He chuckled.

"Well, do I have to remind you that you just signed a contract with a label to make your biggest dream come true? That you attended the snobbiest school in the whole country even if no one accepted you at first, just for Sara's sake. You have gone through the whole thing with your addicted father. And you kissed the prince of Sweden without hesitation at the movie night at school, even if you probably could guess it would not be the easiest relationship you would have. And you did not know if I really liked you or not," he said. I caressed his cheek as he spoke. Looked deep into his eyes and then down on his mouth.

"I did know you liked me," I teased. He had a teasing smile on his lips.

"How could you know that?" he teased back.

"You were pretty bad at hiding it," I said. "At least from me. I could tell that there was something more than friendship between us. And I was already falling for this cute little ex-prince, so I was pretty lucky I would say." Before I could say anything else he had his lips on mine.

"I love you Simon," he said.

"I love you, Wille," I replied. He was my brave, sweet boyfriend. And I knew he was the bravest boy I would ever know. He had broken from his chains that his parents put on him. He had stood up for himself against them. For us. His own flesh and blood. The only world he had ever known. I don't know if I could have done what he did. If I would have been strong enough to stand up against my family if they had not accepted me. They meant the world to me, just like Wilhelm's family meant the world to him. And yet he chose to give it up. For me. A sixteen year old immigrant boy from a small town. I doubted he would have abdicated if it were not for our relationship. Even if he had been so clear that his decision was the result of years of neglect and lack of freedom, and that I should not blame myself for him leaving his family behind, he would maybe never have taken that first step to freedom if he had not realised he had the option. The option to live his own truth. The truth is that his parents did not want him to live.

"Thank you for setting me free, Simon. You saved me, you know," he said.

"You set yourself free, Wille. You just needed me to show you that you were strong enough, I think," I replied. "But you always were. And you will always be strong enough." His lips found mine again. He kissed me hungrily. I kissed him back with the same hunger. We let our hands wander over each other's bodies. Under the clothes, until the clothes were in the way and we got out of them to be able to fully feel each other skin to skin. He was so beautiful. His skin was warm against mine. And his lips were sweet against mine. And I never wanted to let go of him ever again. He was mine. And I was his. As it had always been. As it was supposed to be.