Chapter Text
Wille looked at himself in the mirror. He almost couldn’t believe his reflection was truly him. How time had passed. He put on his tie, tying it in front of his neck as if it was second nature —it was, he had done it more times than he could count since he was a little boy and he had done it many other times with this tie in particular during the last three years at Hillerska.
It was crazy to think that it would be his last time tying this tie in particular. It would be his last time putting on his uniform, his last time in his dorm, his last time in classes with his friends… His last time at Hillerska.
He hadn’t wanted to come, at first. He could remember that time Minou had told that his parents and him had decided that he would enroll at the Hillerska Boarding School. He had been furious; he hadn’t had any say in this and would have never chosen this school for himself. Yet here he was, about to graduate after having had three amazing years.
He had looked at himself in the mirror of a bathroom that day. Had seen the red, angry mark on his face from where the guy had punched him, and had thought that maybe this was all he was: an angry, stupid kid. He didn’t think that, anymore.
Right now, looking at his reflection, he saw a boy that was finally happy. Finally on the path of finding himself —he wasn’t stupid, he knew that nineteen years old wasn’t old enough to truly know yourself but that would come with time, he wasn’t worried anymore. His reflection showed a boy who laughed daily, loved the people around him —and they loved him back— and was excited for what was to come. He would have never imagined he would ever feel that way.
Wille shrugged his balzer on and checked his phone. He had a text from Simon from twenty minutes ago telling him they were leaving his house and a text from Erik telling him that they would be there in ten minutes.
Wille saw Felice and Maddie wave him over and walked towards them, joining their little group. He put his arms on both of their shoulders, trying to enjoy the last moment of peace he would have with both of his friends.
“How are you feeling?” Felice asked, squeezing his hand.
“I don’t know,” Wille said. “Good, I think.”
They waited there for their families to arrive, their other friends joining them when they were ready. Simon and Sara, as well as Linda, arrived soon after.
Wille looked at Simon slowly making his way towards their little group and his breath caught in his throat. If there was one thing Wille would no doubt miss about Hillerska, it was Simon in the uniform. He looked good, the fabric of the blazer straightening lightly across his shoulders, the burgundy colour making his skin glow. There was something about his boy in fancy clothes that just did it for Wille. Simon knew it, from the look on his face.
The Erikssons finally joined them and Wille moved to stand closer to his boyfriend, greeting Linda with their usual big hug along the way.
“Hey,” Wille said, finally next to Simon.
He looked down at him and couldn’t help the smile on his face. They were graduating together and then they would go to university together and they would be happy together. For ever and ever, if Wille had a say in it. This was only the start.
“Hey yourself,” Simon grinned back, squeezing his arm briefly in greeting. “Ready?”
“Yeah, you?”
Simon hummed as he looked over Wille’s shoulder. “Your family is here.”
Wille turned around as Erik enveloped him in his arms, their parents slowly making their way towards them as they were often stopped by other parents wanting to greet the Queen and her Prince Consort.
“Erik!” Wille hugged his brother back, probably squeezing him too hard but he didn’t care; it had been too long since they had last seen each other in person.
Wille made the presentations and they waited to go into the school’s church, sharing small talk.
Wille sat down between Erik and his mother, his father sitting down on Kristina’s other side. The rest of his friends and their family scattered around in the other rows and soon enough, the choir students came onto the stage.
Wille took the moment in, trying to burn everything onto his memory. This would be the last choir show of Hillerska. The last time he would see Simon standing there, a proud smile on his face, ready for his solo. There was no doubt to Wille that Simon would continue to sing —he was so good and he was so happy whenever he sang— but it would be his last chance to see Simon singing in here.
The choir started, harmonies filling the church. It was pretty, as always. Then Simon’s voice raised up, words flowing over the other students’ voices. Wille knew the song, he had heard Simon practice a few times, yet there was something magical to this performance. Maybe it was the soundtrack provided by the other students, putting emphasis on Simon’s own voice. Maybe it was Simon’s smile, big and bright, illuminating his whole face. It could also be the eye contact both boys were sharing —they had always been unable to look away from the other when Simon sang with the choir.
Wille let a smile, happy smile take over his face. He was happy.
The students and their families stand up, joining the choir in the new song. It struck Wille —as everything seemed to do today— that this was their last time singing the Hillerska song.
Once the performance was over, everyone got out of the church, spreading over the lawn.
“You did so good, baby!” Wille said excitedly once he spotted Simon approaching.
Wille walked the few feet separating him from Simon and latched on to his boyfriend, enveloping him in his arms the way he liked to do. It took a beat longer than normal but Simon eventually hugged back.
“Thanks.”
Wille pulled back, his hands still on Simon’s shoulders. Simon was looking at him with what Wille would describe as happy confusion.
“Well,” Erik said, reminding Wille of where he was. “I think that answers all the questions I’ve had over the years.”
Wille turned towards his brother, not knowing what the hell he was talking about. He was met with Erik’s amused gaze and the questioning gazes of many onlookers —amongst whom were his parents and his friends’ families.
“What?” Wille frowned, trying to understand what questions Erik could have had over many years.
Wille looked at Simon to see if he might have an idea of what Erik was alluding to. Simon was looking at him, eyes wide and cheekbones red. Wille rewinded the last few minutes and—
Oh.
Oh.
Wille had just called Simon baby —which he had never done before, that was Simon’s thing— and realized that he had said that outloud. In front of everyone.
Wille slowly turned back towards his brother, avoiding everyone else’s eyes.
“What questions?” Wille asked, an innocent expression on his face.
Erik squinted his eyes, clearly not being Wille’s innocence. “How long?” he asked, eyes shifting between Wille and Simon.
Wille glanced back at Simon, silently asking him if he was fine with saying more. Simon’s open expression confirmed to him that it was. He didn’t seem to be embarrassed by Wille’s little mistake, which seemed weird to Wille, as Simon was still blushing. He would have to analyze that later.
“Since October of first year.”
Erik’s jaw dropped and Wille couldn’t help the smile that took over his face.
“You’ve been together for two years and a half and you never told me?” Erik exclaimed, punching Wille on the arm.
“Ow!”
“Seriously, you never told me.”
Wille shrugged, at a loss of words. He had no good excuse for never telling Erik, he just never did and then it was too late to say something.
“I mean, I knew you had a crush,” Erik said and it was Wille’s turn to drop his jaw. “But you never told me you two were together.”
“If you knew about it you could have said something!” Wille said exasperatedly.
“You knew he had a crush?” Simon asked, seemingly having recovered from the shock. He had a grin plastered on his face and shot Wille a teasing glance that meant nothing good.
“Of course,” Erik scoffed, turning towards Simon with the same damn grin taking over his face too. “He never shuts up about you, it’s always ‘Simon this, Simon that’ with stars in his eyes.”
“He drank too much champagne at a state dinner a couple of months ago and cried on my shoulder for half an hour because you were ‘too pretty to be real’,” Ludvig added.
There was a moment of silence where everyone looked at Wille, who was busy looking at his dad, gaping. Wille had no recognition of such a moment. Had he really cried on his dad’s shoulder like that? Why had his dad never said anything? And why was he saying something now, in front of everyone? In front of Simon, who would surely get a big head about it?
Wille turned towards his boyfriend to see that yes, he was definitely getting a big head. Simon smiled at him as he approached Wille, placing a loving —although right now Wille was not feeling the love, he knew Simon was just being a little shit— hand on his cheek.
“Awn, you have a crush on me and think I’m too pretty to be real?”
Wille hated everyone around him right now and damned them as they continued to tease him —even Linda had things to say, apparently.
A while later found Wille and Simon tucked into Simon’s bed. Wille was staying over for a few days before going back home, where he wouldn’t be able to see Simon until he moved to Stockholm in his new apartment.
Wille was playing with Simon’s hair, carefully wrapping different curls around his fingers, again and again. He suddenly stopped, remembering something from earlier in the day.
“Simon?”
“Mhmm.”
Wille bit his lip, trying to decide how to do this. At his silence, Simon raised his head, looking sleepily at Wille.
“Baby,” Wille said, finally.
The reaction was instant. Simon’s face flushed and his eyes went wide. He dropped his head back against Wille’s neck, groaning. Wille let out a delighted chuckle, squeezing Simon in his arms.
“I knew it did it for you too!”
“Shut up.”
“Now you know what it does! No wonder you didn’t say anything, it turned you into a mess too.”
“I said shut up,” Simon groaned against Wille’s neck.
Wille laughed again, rolling Simon over on his back. Wille looked down at his boyfriend, taking in Simon’s red face. He looked a little embarrassed —Wille would be too, Simon had spent so much time using the pet name against him just for it to work against him too—yet there was still fondness in his eyes.
Wille grinned brightly at his boyfriend, dipping his head to capture his lips with his, feeling Simon’s own smile pressed against Wille’s.