Chapter Text
When Simon entered the classroom after the Christmas vacations, he looked out for Wilhelm. He hadn't heard from him the whole time and was worried. Of course he had said that Wille had to sort out his sexuality with himself. But he didn't mean that Wilhelm had to do it all alone. The Christmas vacations were hell. Paparazzis lurked outside his house and he received abusive messages on social media. Now he was sitting next to Sara in the classroom when Wilhelm finally showed up in the doorway.
Simon's heart broke. Wilhelm's hair was unwashed and had lost all its luster. The crown prince looked fixedly at the floor and gnawed on his fingers. Fear surrounded his aura. Felice entered the classroom and put a hand on Wilhelm's shoulder. The latter flinched and hurried to his seat. When he passed Simon's table, he looked him in the eye for a moment. Simon was startled because Wilhelm was extremely pale and had severe dark circles. He looked as if he hadn't slept since Christmas. Simon had to talk to him.
As soon as the lesson was over, Wilhelm scurried out of the classroom. Simon followed him. "WIlle wait," he called when he finally caught up with the prince. They were now standing outside in the courtyard. Wilhelm remained standing with his back to Simon. "Wille..... what happened?" whispers Simon and a tremor goes through Wille's body. He looked as if nothing could keep him upright anymore. Simon took a step closer to him and put his hand on his shoulder. Wilhelm sighed. He wanted so much to fall into Simon's arms and feel safe. Just like before the sex tape. But he couldn't. He wasn't allowed to. Wilhelm shook Simon off and ran into his room.
Simon was shocked. He looked at Malin. "What happened, Malin?" he asked, but Malin just shook her head and followed Wilhelm. Simon groaned in frustration. Why didn't anyone tell him what was going on. He sees Felice on the way to the stable and follows her. "Felice, wait a minute," he calls and she stops and turns to him. "Hey Simon what's up?" - "Do you know what's going on with Wilhelm? He's not talking to me," Simon says and Felice's smile fades. "oh... Simon... I don't know..." - "Please felice..." Felice sighs. "Okay but you didn't get this from me. His Christmas was pretty shitty. It was the first Christmas without Erik. Then the whole sex tape thing. His mom wouldn't say a word to him. And then she invited August to the official Christmas party." Simon dropped his shoulders. "Damn it.... I'm... I'm going to him," he said, squealing as Felice hugged him. "Thanks. Please you have to help him."
When Simon arrived at Wilhelm's ZImmer, Malin smiled at him and cleared the door. He knocked. "Wille... please let me in." For several seconds he heard nothing, but then the door opened. He scurried inside and in front of him stood the love of his life. His face was covered with tears. "Oh Will," Simon whispers and pulls the prince into his arms. That seemed to open all the gates. Wilhelm sobs loudly and Simon felt his body tremble. "Shhh I'm here. You're not alone." Simon led them both to Willes bed. He kept stroking his back. Wilhelm's crying grew louder and louder until Malin knocked and looked worriedly in through the door. "Do you need help?" she asked, and Simon shook his head. "No thanks Malin." He felt Wilhelm tense up immediately and began kissing his neck. "Please will you calm down. It's going to be okay." Willes hand tightened around his hoodie. "Shhh baby look at me," the pet name escaped his lips before he could stop himself. But it was having an effect. Will detached himself a little from him and looked at him. He had gone into a full-blown panic attack by now. Simon took Wille's hand and put it on his chest. He was breathing extra slowly and deeply now. "Do you feel that? Wille can you try to adjust your breathing to mine?", he now spoke slowly as if to a small child. But Wille did not mind. He nodded and stared at Simon's chest.
After what felt like an eternity where both of them were busy breathing, Wilhelm had calmed down a bit. Completely exhausted, he let himself fall forward and Simon caught him. He let them both fall backwards into the bed and wrapped his arms around Wille. "Feeling better?" he whispers and Wilhelm nods. "I missed you," he says, and Simon sighs. Actually, he didn't want to go in the direction of a relationship with Wilhelm again. He stuck with it and didn't want to be a secret. "Will...", he started but he was immediately interrupted as Wilhelm tries to sit up. Panic showed on his face and he wanted to back away from Simon. "Hey hey no wait...", Simon says and pulls him back to him. "I missed you too. And I was worried about you."
For several minutes (or hours?) the two just lay there. Wilhelm relaxed more and more. It broke Simon's heart to ask this question, but he had to know in order to help him. "Wille.... what happened during the vacations?" Wilhelm immediately tensed up. "My mother hates me... she... she doesn't accept a gay crown prince and she thinks Sweden will never accept that. She is looking for a steady girlfriend for me she said." He took a shaky breath. "He was... August released the tape and she does nothing. Because he's family. We get punished but he doesn't and he did something wrong, not us." Again he took a shaky breath. Simon had trouble following him. But he did not dare to interrupt Wilhelm. "And Erik. I miss him so much Simon. So much. And I thought I was alone. I thought I didn't have anyone anymore. My mother hated me, my father did what she wanted, my cousin betrayed me and my brother was dead. And the love of my life I failed." He was now shaking again and sobbing. Simon pulled him even closer. "Damn you Will. I never meant you had to go through this alone. I'm sorry if it came across that way." Simon gently kissed Wilhelm's neck. "Wilhelm I'm here for you. But I still don't want to be a secret, and I hope you understand that."
Wilhelm nodded. "I want to come out. I really do. I just don't know how the hell." Simon sighed stroking Willes back again. "We'll figure something out." He felt his cell phone vibrate and took it out of his pocket. He had messages from Felice and Sara. Felice was asking how Wilhelm was doing and Sara where he was. Sara replied that he was spending the night. And Felice he wrote that Wilhelm was bad and needed a solution.