along for the ride

1 ~✧ leather seats

one

FAKE SMILES PLASTER the faces of the crowd surrounding Hillerska boarding school. It's time for the parents of the boarders to collect their children for the weekend. His parents enter the parking lot in some expensive car that Malin had driven there, and Erik follow behind in one of his expensive sports cars. Wille personally never understood the appeal, every car had the same idea. An easy way to transport you places. Why price it over $1,000,000 for something that can go faster than the average car?

His family walks out of their respective cars and are immediately crowded with paparazzi, drowning them in camera shutters and flashing lights. Erik especially being targeted, being asked questions and being pushed around slightly. Luckily, he always has bodyguards surrounding him to be sure nothing bad happens.

After they push their way through the crowd, Erik is the first to hug Wille. "Hej Lillebror! How are you? Feels like I haven't seen you in forever!" he squeezes him tightly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Erik, you spoke to me yesterday on the phone." Wille rolls his eyes as his brother ruffles his hair. "Not even a hello?" Erik chuckles, backing up to let his parents say hello to their youngest. "Hej, Erik." Wille can't help the smile creeping up on his cheeks.

"Hello, Wille. How are you?" His mother begins, caressing him on the cheek and squeezing it lightly. "Good, mamma. You?" Wille hated how played-out this scene was. Like it had been rehearsed a billion times, because it had. Etiquette lessons were the only thing playing in his mind, and he knew if he went the slightest bit off-script, his mother would scold him for it later on. "I'm good, thank you. It's been lonely without you at the palace though." Kristina smiles. "Certainly. Definitely something to get used to, not having you around." Ludvig adds, hugging him.

Liar.

~

"-occasionally, I'm on the rowing team now."

"Ah, of course you are. Just like Erik was." Smysan gestures towards the crown prince, who smiles and nods at her comment. That's how most meals play out in the family, tons of smiles and nods.

The rest of the lunch consisted of politics, plans for the future, Simon, his beautiful curls, chocolate brown eyes, pink lips... 'snap out of it!' he thought to himself. He'll find the right girl, the time will come. But he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he left this boy behind, he's perfect in every wa-

"-ilhelm? Are you okay?" a soft voice whispers in his ear, catching him by surprise. He jumps slightly, turning to see Erik with a worried expression on his face. "What?" Wille asks dumbly. "You're rubbing your chest. Is something wrong?" His eyebrows furrow further, Wille hadn't even noticed he'd began rubbing his chest. It started growing red, so he stops himself from rubbing any further. "Uh- I'm fine," He isn't fine. "No you're not. Tell me what's wrong." Erik's face goes from worried and concerned, to worried with a sprinkle of seriousness.

I like a boy, but I'm a prince. I can't like boys. But liking girls stresses me out, everybody mentions getting a girlfriend all the time but I don't like Felice-

Wilhelm realizes that Erik is waiting for an answer.

"Uhm..." he begins. Erik still stares worriedly into the youngers eyes. "Can we talk about it later? This isn't really the place... to, y'know." Wilhelm looks at his feet, and Erik rubs his shoulder. "Of course."

"You okay?" Linda asks, sympathetically. "I'm okay, thanks Linda." Wilhelm smiles genuinely at her. She smiles back, "Okay." She is seriously the best. Erik removes his hand from Wille's shoulder, and continues to talk to August.