make it easy | young royals ✓

twenty five

Wilhelm

The early dawn is fresh on the horizon, and I force myself up, glancing over beside me to find Simon's shape nesting so peacefully amongst the covers. Our rooms, newly adjacent to each other, hold the meaning that it's easy to make between the two without anybody noticing. It feels as if the calm before the storm has finally settled, and upon seeing him I am greeted with hugs instead of heated accusations; it feels free despite the haunting circumstances. It's not ideal and we both know it, yet it's only necessary to sacrifice the risks for rewards.

Maybe I shouldn't get comfortable just yet, but I found myself letting my guard down regardless, now more than ever than I've previously attempted or tried. Apart from the sworn secrecy, perhaps I'm the lone enjoyer of the thrill, although insensitive to his opinion on the situation.

I catch myself smiling at his sleeping form, and hesitantly admit to myself that I am as unconditionally in love with him as the first time I've woken up beside him. Curse me for being a fool, but I never thought I could love someone even harder than the limit I thought I'd reached.

In class, words of mouth reach my ears with a frenzied intensity. The organized school trip to Italy as part of the immersion program for language and culture looms in the near future, and when I turn puzzledly to the boy beside me, he explains that over the summer, the forms and arrangements were made for the trip a few months prior before its commencement.

"Have you heard about it?" I ask Simon as we lounge in my room. It's becoming more and more like our room as days progresses, and being in here together is a routine. Ever since he's been moved to a single room from his previously shared room, he ultimately decides that my room has better lighting than his for an excuse to stay for hours doing his homework.

I don't mind his inability to admit how much he wants to spend time with me, for his surprising nervousness and shyness around me is oddly mesmerising and satisfying. It's one thing for him to be extroverted with the others, and on the flip side despite our closeness, to be utterly conscious of how he acts with me.

He flips through the textbook offhandedly. "Yeah, like pretty much our entire year level is going."

"Are you?" That's the only question I have to ask or care about, whether I'm going to be in his absence for two long weeks or not.

Simon stares at me like I'm on psychedelics, and gestures at himself. "Do you think my family can afford to send both Sara and me to spend two weeks in Italy?"

"With my mother's generous bribery, you can."

"True, but I guess Sara's the one going for now." He opens his mouth for a moment but closes it, as if in conflict about what to say. "And you're not going, right?"

Feigning an exaggerated sigh, I nod to confirm his statement. "I didn't even know it was happening, to be honest."

"No, wait, that's perfect then." Simon hops off the bed and strolls over to me. "Come and spend those two weeks with me."

My hands pause from my homework, and I glance up at his expression, sensing his excitement emanating in waves. "What do you mean?"

"What do you not understand about that sentence?"

"Just explain, will you?" I launch a pen at him, and it hits him on the shoulder before bouncing onto the floor.

"Ow!"

"And no, I'm not sorry about that."

Simon's reaching for the water bottle on my bedside table when I surrender, holding my hands up to signal the end of the game. He holds it up menacingly, and a smirk is present on his face.