Another way (Young Royals)

A special day

It was Wille's birthday and I had plans for the day. Or well, we had. Erik and I. Wille and Erik had barely been able to see each other all summer. But we would change that that night. I would blindfold and kidnap him to a little cottage where Erik and friends of theirs would throw him a surprise party. Erik had suggested I pretend that I had forgotten about his birthday until it was time, but I had told him Wille would be more suspicious by that. He would understand I had planned things behind his back. I knew he was already suspicious, as I had been more on my phone. I had just told him it was music stuff. But in reality I was planning things with his brother. I hoped he would be happy. I knew he probably would be. He loved Erik. That was the only person in his family who accepted him truly for who he was. I knew he did not feel a need to hide anything from his brother. Not even me. From the beginning he had been quite open with Erik about seeing me. I was preparing a birthday cake in the kitchen with Sara that morning. I put the candles shaped as the number 17 on the middle of the cake and Sara lit them.

"Do you even know how he celebrates his birthdays usually, Simon?" Sara asked. I nodded. Wille had told me. And it was awful. He never got to have his birthday to himself. It was always media coverage and they were always doing the same thing every year and ending it with a public spectacle that made him feel like a zoo-animal.

"I know how he celebrates his birthdays usually and he has never had a real fucking birthday in seventeen years, Sara," I replied. "I think he will like this. It is what we usually do on our birthdays." Sara grinned and pulled me into a hug.

"I am sure he will love it, Simon. You really do anything to make him happy, don't you?" She said. She had that teasing smile on her lips. That smile that bigger sisters had when they found their younger brothers very cheesy with their boyfriend.

"Yeah," I said, admittingly. I was happy we had no mirrors in the kitchen, because I was pretty sure I was blushing. I would do anything for that boy. My sweet boyfriend who was still sleeping in my bed. He meant everything. Absolutely everything. "I love him, you know."

"I know," she replied and patted my head lightly. "It is cute. You really care for him, just like he cares for you. I am happy for you. You deserve to be happy Simon." Wille was the most caring boyfriend you could ask for. He had been with me in the studio cheering me on the entire summer.

"Thanks, Sara," I said. I pulled her back into a hug. I gave her some presents and I myself took the tray with the cake. It was decorated with a pretty rose. Mom took some other presents with her, before we went into my bedroom singing for him. He was actually sleeping when we came inside. He had been when I had sneaked out of bed too. I had hinted that he might want to wear pyjamas when going to bed the night before, as he maybe did not want to show off in his boxers in front of Sara and mom. So he was at least expecting that we would do something. When we had sung all verses of the Happy birthday song, he blew the candles on the cake out. Then I put the tray on the bedside table, so that he could open presents and so that I could hold him meanwhile. He looked like a little kid on Christmas. So excited. And we did not even have money for anything fancy, like his own family would. He opened a little box he got from my mother and Sara first. It was a wristwatch. It was pretty with blue and silver.

"It is a tradition in our family that you get a wristwatch on the seventeenth birthday," mom explained. Sara had gotten one the previous year. That one belonged to our grandmother. It was special to Sara, who had always had a special bond with her. I did not recognize Wilhelm's, which meant it was not an heirloom. But it was still according to our tradition. Wille seemed overwhelmed. I even saw a few tears on his cheeks.

"Thank you guys, really. You did not have to," he said.

"You are an Eriksson now, Wille. You belong to this family now," mom said. That actually made him cry.

"You are too kind. I love you guys," he replied, while embracing Sara and my mom.

"And me, I hope?" I joked. That made him grin. He pulled me closer and pressed his lips to mine. To him it did not matter that my family saw. Not me either, to be entirely honest.

"Always baby," he said. I handed him another present. It was a silver necklace. He had not worn his cross since he abdicated. To him, the piece of jewellery was a symbol of his royal blood. Royals were the only people who could not choose their religion themselves. They were prescribed by law to follow christianity. And he did not want to bear it anymore. I found a sweet necklace to replace it for him. It was a silver chain with a pearl on it.

"Happy birthday, my sweetheart," I said while he opened it. Once again, he was emotional.

"Oh my god, Simon. That is so beautiful," he said. I nodded. "Thanks."

"But it is not as beautiful as you. I actually tried to find something as precious as you, but that was not possible," I replied. I then leaned in to kiss him again. He accepted the kiss hungrily. I sensed that he wanted more than that. But he would have to wait for that. Sara had an eye for that cake, and if Wille would get to cut it himself first, he would have to do it quickly. He put cream on my nose and cheek and then licked it off me.

"You guys," Linda said with a grin. "Do I really need to remind you not to play with food? I thought you turned seventeen and not seven." She was obviously joking. It was a teasing tone to her voice. We laughed.

"I never got to be seven years old and play with food, so I am taking my childhood back now I suppose," Wille joked back. 

Author's note

This story is not finished. But I am taking a very intense course at university right now and I have no time to do anything else at the moment (we work day and night right now, no joke). I have a short break this weekend and I will be updating then. I hope you all have a nice spring. I only get to see it through a window at the legal firm I am currently studying at. 

/A.A.