Closing Doors (Wilmon AU)

Parents' Day

Thursday, November 24th:

"Looking forward to seeing the Queen again. It's been awhile," August commented, not at all breathless as the scull skimmed over the lake.

"They're not coming," Wille got out, panting.

August turned his head towards Wille in surprise. "What? But it's Parents' Day."

Wille let out a grunt, partially in response, but mostly from trying to keep his rowing motions in sync with August's. "Yeah, but they're on some kind of state trip."

It was an excuse Wille defaulted to every time his parents didn't show up for events in his life. School plays, concerts, sporting events. It stopped people questioning him further.

"OK," August replied, accepting the excuse. "Well, give them my best."

Wille let it go, concentrating on keeping his strokes near the surface of the water. The rhythmic motions were soothing, almost hypnotic.

But once they were back on shore, August pulled Wille to the side as the rest headed back to the school. "My mother and step-father are coming up," he confided, his hair messy from the wind.

Wille nodded. He vaguely remembered meeting August's parents years ago at some Royal event. He'd never met his step-father. "That's nice."

August gave a grin that Wille had come to think of as his 'older family member' one, and braced himself. "You should come back with us for the weekend. I can show you Årnäs. It will be fun."

Wille tried to keep his face neutral as he scrambled for an excuse, a polite way to decline. But nothing came to mind. "Um, oh," Wille said, brushing his hair back from his face. "Are you sure your mother won't mind? It's rather short notice."

August's grin stretched wider, and he clasped an arm around Wille's shoulders, guiding him back towards the school. "Of course not. She doesn't officially own it, of course. It's mine now. But she'll be delighted to have you around."

Wille sighed. Fuck fuck fuck. A whole fucking weekend with August. Maybe he'd get lucky and catch the bubonic plague by Friday and get hospitalized instead.

...

"I'm so nervous," Felice admitted to Wille, clutching his hand tightly.

Glancing her way, he could tell she had taken extra care with her hair today, every strand smooth and a pretty headband keeping it off her face. "Relax, it's just your parents."

But her hand tightened on his even more as a beautiful woman in a dove grey wool coat strode towards them, pulling off her oversized designer sunglasses, and smiling widely. "My darling," she murmured fondly, hugging Felice close.

"Mama, you remember Wilhelm," Felice said, pulling out of the embrace to glance over at him.

He nodded in greeting. "Smysan, good to see you again."

Felice's mother beamed back at him, shaking his hand. "This is wonderful, having you at Hillerska now. I love seeing all the Instagram photos of you two together."

"Papa," Felice said, hugging an handsome black man, dressed in a bespoke suit with a mustard silk scarf.

Wille barely had time to greet Poppe, before August was pulling him away, leading him over to his mother.

"Louise, good to see you," Wille got out, glad he checked everyone's names with Erik over the phone last night. He had the worst memory for names.

She smiled at him warmly. "I don't think you've met Rickard before," waving towards the older blond man at her side.