Another way (Young Royals)

Midsummer night

That night did not end as it usually did. Usually I would have a drunk Ayoub leaning over me while I tried to guide him back home. That night however ended after we all had a midnight swim in the little lake. No one had bought actual swimwear, so we had all stripped down to our underwear. It was cold in the water, but it was still warm in the air. And Wille's lips were warm against my skin.

"I love you," I whispered in his ear while he kissed my neck. He apparently wanted me to have love bites in time for when I was meeting with the record label.

"I love you too, my darling," he whispered back in my ear. "And you are way too pretty for your own good." That made me giggle. I crushed my lips against him and initiated another make out session. In the water, Ayoub's friends Joel and André had loosen up and actually kissed a little. Maybe it was the fact that we were there and open that made them feel safe to do so. We were however the more clingy couple at that party. That was for sure. But in almost any company, we were the ones who were most touchy with each other. That was just how we were. I loved the feeling of him close to me. Our bodies close together. His breath against my skin. His hands on my waist or in my hair.

"Isn't it cute? Newly in love boys who can't keep their hands to themselves, huh," Joel said.

"You can just say if you are jealous, Joel," André teased.

"Yeah I am. Because you would never kiss me like that in public," Joel replied to his boyfriend.

"Well we could always change that," André said and pulled Joel closer to him. Then he kissed Joel aggressively. As if after that night, he would never kiss his boyfriend again. I remember feeling that fear. The fear of not being accepted by your own flesh and blood because of who you loved. I still felt it. When I first had feelings for Simon, I tried to repress them. But I could not. It was too strong. And our love won over my want to please my family.

"I must make new friends. You guys are gross," Ayoub teased. He was smiling big though. That made us all laugh.

"You just say that because you have no one to kiss, Ayoub," André and Joel said. "Our next quest will be to fix you a date mate." That made me chuckle. Ayoub had always been a bit weirded out by love. He had never been in love with anyone. But that of course did not stop him from teasing me about my crushes. And about Wille. How he had teased me about Wille at Rosh's game that we went to. Just by the way I acted around Wille, he had sensed that I was crushing on him. That was because we had known each other since the beginning of time. He was my best friend.

"Well, that might not be a bad idea. Then it is my turn to tease you about whoever you are seeing," I teased. Ayoub splashed water our way. Wille and I swam closer to the shore, to get up on land. There he could not splash more water on us. It was cold. Too fucking cold. We giggled and held each other's hand.

"Hey, are you leaving already?" Ayoub shouted after us.

**********

"There has been a rumour that Prince Wilhelm, 16, has abdicated. He made it public through his social media accounts. He did not appear for the traditional midsummer traditions with his family. According to a source close to the royal family he spent the holiday with his boyfriend Simon Eriksson, who is a fellow student at the boarding school at Hillerska. Photos taken at the Bjärdstad traditional celebrations show the two holding hands and kissing. Was the romantic link to Eriksson the reason for Wilhelm's sudden want to distance him from his family? Was he not accepted? Or has his party prince persona taken him over and made him reckless and ungrateful of his legacy? Will his mother, Queen Kristina, allow him to abdicate?" I read a magazine in the supermarket while Wille was picking out candies for the trip to Stockholm. There were at least a dozen magazines with my pretty boyfriend's face on it. All speaking about his choice to give up his title and why he had done it.

"Hey baby, are you finished reading gossip about me yet?" I heard Wille say before he hugged me from behind.

"Well there is a lot of gossip about me as well you know," I replied.

"You should get used to it if you want a career in music," he said.

"You have big hopes for that meeting, huh?" I said. I turned around and wrapped my arms around him. I looked up at him. He had some acne that had irritated his skin recently. I guessed it was due to stress. He had been a bit stressed out by everything recently.

"Of course I do. If they don't offer you that contract they are actually stupid. You have the voice of an angel babe," he said. I kissed him and he grinned against my lips. "Should we pay this and get in the car and go?" I nodded. We got into the backseat of my mother's car. She was to drive us to Stockholm. She was so proud. I could tell. She had this big smile on her lips constantly. So excited that she could not hide it. I was nervous. Super nervous. My entire future could change that day. And I was ready for it. I really wanted to sing. For the rest of my life.