Honey and Gold - Young Royals

flowers? love letters?

     Wilhelm hasn't bothered to wake up at a reasonable time lately, all alarms in his phone have been turned off and he's personally asked their staff to not wake him up anymore. So to be woken up by a very awake Malin and the sun hitting him directly in the face is uncalled for.

     "C'mon now wake up! As much as we'd like to stay in bed and cry over pretty boys, we can't keep doing that." As soon as Malin is done with fully opening the curtains she walks over to his bed and pats his leg, "Up up Wille"

     All he can do is groan and bury his head deeper into his pillows hoping to block off some of the light coming in. He can faintly hear some Malin walking away and making some noise on the other end of the room.

     "You're parents are beginning to ask more questions as to why you're not joining them for breakfast anymore"

     He slightly lifts up his head from the pillow so she can understand him, "just come up with some random excuse please"

     "Too late. I ran out of those two mornings ago. You'll be starting school soon anyways, and you want to get a shitty sleeping habit right before?"

     "Malin it's too early for you to be making sense" He knows she's right, but all he can do is groan more. There's no reason to actually be waking up early anymore. Personally, he thinks that's what breaks should be about. Shitty sleeping habits.

     "I brought you some of my breakfast so just for one more morning you can avoid heading down there"

     That's more than enough for him to finally throw off his blanket and go wash up. By the time he's back, Malin has set it out for them on one of his tables. That must've been all the rustling from earlier. He sits down and looks down at his plate with a look that has Malin biting back a laugh.

     "They're tamales Wilhelm"

     "I don't think I've ever had one. '' He picks it up before biting directly into it. "Malin not to sound ungrateful but are you sure this is edible? I don't think food is supposed to be this hard" That's really what does it for her. He has to wait for her to calm down before she speaks up

     "Look, you take of the corn husk first and carefully roll it onto your plate," she goes on to demonstrate with her own tamal and he quickly does the same. "Okay now set that to the side," he places it inside the plastic bag she brought them in, "and enjoy. That's it"

      He feels his ears redden at the sudden realization of what he had done but quickly forgets about it once he takes his first bite, "no offense Malin but I think you chose the wrong career, this food is amazing. I never knew you could cook this good"

     She chuckles at this, "I didn't make them, Linda made them for Christmas and gave some to me a few days ago."

     He tries his best not to choke on the food once he hears that, "Linda? As in Simon's mom Linda?" How could that even be possible? It's probably someone else and he just made himself look like a fool.

     "Yeah, that Linda" He can't believe Malin keeps on eating as if she didn't just say that.

     "Since when have you and Linda been that close?" He wants to ask him about Simon. She can probably sense it honestly.

     "You know not all my friends are 17-year-old princes. Get on it with" he shoots her a clearly confused look to which she replies with, "ask me about Simon." There it is.

     "When did you go? How is he? Did he look well? " His mind is running marathons at the moment.

     "Keep eating before it gets cold." as soon as he picks up his fork again she continues talking, " I went Christmas morning right before we went out to the plaza. Physically he's okay, emotionally... that's another thing. I was talking with Linda, trying to put in a good word for you as well. She understands Wilhelm, and I quote "the smile he gave my Simon held more love than I thought was possible, nothing compared to those pictures" I'd have to agree with her. Simon will be okay Wilhelm. You're two teenage boys going through heartbreak, and I hate to see it but there's not much we can do right now. He has his family and friends and that's enough, and you have me so you two will get through this alright?"

     His words die out in his mouth for a moment so all he can do is nod. Thankfully Malin fills in the silence. "Enough being sad, are you really planning on going back the third?"

     "Mhmm," he thinks he looks ridiculous with food stuffed cheeks

     "What's the plan then" he looks at her with a raised eyebrow, "oh c'mon you're not going back to focus on school, I don't believe that for a second" she points her fork at him for emphasis "so, flowers? Love letters? Romantically sweeping him off his feet bridal style?"

     He can't help but giggle, "You're ridiculous" he doesn't know what prompts him to ask this but it's too late to take it back " does it bother you that I'm in love with a guy Malin?"

     "You're asking the woman who is married to another woman if she has a problem with two people being in love?"

     "You're married? How come you never mentioned it, you don't even have a ring on?!" seconds later she brings up a necklace from under her shit with a ring. Wilhelm thinks it's beautiful. The smile that's on her face makes him happy for some reason he can't quite put a finger on.

     "For five years. Her name's Annie, she has the most beautiful soul." The way she talks about her wife makes Wille smile. There's just so much love.

     "I'm happy for you Malin" he wants to talk about Simon that freely someday too.

     "Thank you, one day I'll introduce you two"

     "Malin, when did you know you were into other women?" He himself has been questioning his own identity and online forums only confuse him more than actually help him, and his parents are out of the question.

     "Hmm, I think I was in high school. It was a bit difficult to come to that realization because of my family and the way society viewed same-sex couples back then, but I had my first kiss with a girl and it really put things into perspective. You can't really avoid thinking about it when your first kiss has been with another girl." she pauses for a moment before asking him "are you questioning yourself by any chance?"

     It's only Malin but he feels the need to lower his voice and hide in himself talking about this. "Well yes, I never really saw other guys like that, you know? Even now it's just Simon, no one else. I thought I was into girls and I think I am or I was? It's all become so confusing and I try to ignore it but sometimes it just pops into my head and I don't have an answer. Frankly, I don't know if I mind it or not"

     "You don't have to put a label on who you are, Wilhelm." She places a reassuring hand on top of his, "if you love Simon then you love Simon and that's all that should matter" Somehow hearing her say these things to him eases some of the tension he didn't know he had. He smiles in return for once feeling like this is an actual answer he can have.

     "Thank you Malin"

     "Of course Kiddo."

     They go back to eating their breakfast together while she continues to tell him more about Annie and their pets. A little later they put away the trash in the bags Malin brought with her and lets him get ready for the day. Wilhelm can't stop thinking about what he'll do once he's back. He just wants to see Simon. To hear his voice once more. Sometimes he lays awake remembering how warm his body felt under his fingertips and how soft his lips were. It hurts him in the most beautiful way possible. He'd do anything to have him back in his arms again.