The closed curtains

Chapter 10

"Crown Prince Wilhelm's boyfriend Simon Eriksson has been photographed outside his university with a fresh looking love bite on his neck. Eriksson was spotted with the crown prince at the banquet for the new generals the past weekend, but since then the crown prince has gone back to his military training. This leaves us with the question about who really made the love bite. Is the crown prince's boyfriend cheating and if so, with whom?" The female news anchor for some gossip channel was speaking with a serious tone. I sighed. "The crown prince's boyfriend was spotted with another man earlier this week strolling around in Stockholm. Is he the new love interest of Simon Eriksson? Did he make the love bite on Eriksson's neck? The Royal court or the Crown prince himself has yet to comment on the rumour spreading all over TikTok." I sighed. I had hoped that the love bite would not become a thing, as my mother had worried about. The picture of Simon and his supposed new love interest was a picture of Simon and Ayoub. It made me chuckle. Ayoub and Simon were like brothers, more than friends. They had known each other since forever. I scrolled through the comment section.

"So the latino lover is finally showing his true colours?" I read. I read a few more comments, suggesting that Simon's ethnic background might have to do with him cheating. I found it ridiculous. Some homophobic shit was also posted in the comments.

"If this gossip news site had done their work properly, they would know that Ayoub is Simon's best friend. You literally just need to look a few pictures down on Simon's instagram account to see a picture of the three of them on their high school graduation. Do you really think that Simon would cheat when he is literally dating his prince charming?" I smiled when I read comments that were supporting us.

"Simon and the crown prince are so sweet together. And have you seen them look at each other? They are so in love," another comment read.

"I live in Bjärstad and Simon is the ultimate player. Everyone knows it. Poor crown prince, being spoiled by the worst gay guy in Bjärstad. His dad is an addict and I heard rumours that he hit Simon's mom before they divorced. Like father, like son. I don't believe that it was a love bite on Simon's neck. That was a defence wound from when he hit the crown prince," one of the worst comments said. I reported it. It was a breach of Simon's private life. No one had the right to discuss his deadbeat father online. I felt my blood boil when I read accusations about Simon hitting me. That was not like Simon at all. He had never been aggressive or violent.

"It must be hard to be a player if you are gay in a place like Bjärstad. There are maybe 10 000 people here, including the approximate 300 boarding students at Hillerska. How many queer guys Simon's age do you think there are? You are not from Bjärstad, and you don't know Simon at all. So shut it." A comment defending Simon popped up. I read the username, which made me suspect it was either Rosh or Ayoub behind it. I smiled. They always had Simon's back, whatever happened. I loved them for that. My mother's name appeared over the comment section I was scrolling. I picked up.

"Wilhelm dear, have you seen the rumours about you and Simon? Farima told me just now," my mom said.

"Yes, I was just looking through a comment section about it," I said.

"How are you? And have you talked to Simon about it?" my mom asked. She seemed worried.

"Well I am okay. I know the truth, don't I?" I replied. "Simon is studying for an exam with his friend tonight, so I have not spoken to him about it yet." I did not want to be a distraction to him. His studies were important.

"Well I think you have to speak to him. To read such things about yourself when you are not used to the media can be tough," my mom said.

"Yeah. It can be hard even if you are used to it," I said. I hated reading the hate they wrote about Simon. He was the love of my life. I wanted to protect him from everything bad. It hurt so much to know I never could fully protect him, being the crown prince. There would always be people who had opinions they could not hold to themselves.

"Are you sure you are okay honey?" mom asked.

"Yeah, but it makes me mad that people say rude things about Simon," I said truthfully. "It is not just Simon anymore. Some people drag his family through the mud too." Mom sighed into the phone.

"That is frustrating, Wilhelm," she said.

"Yeah, it is," I said.

******************

I was woken up by soft voices in the other room. Before opening my eyes I searched for Simon's body with my hands. He was not there, meaning he probably was in the kitchen with his mom. Simon's childhood home was a safe place for me. We had spent so many evenings in Simon's old bedroom when we were in high school. We played video games together here. Simon won almost every time. We had shared countless kisses on that bed. Snoged each other against the wall, and Simon had put on some video of people playing a violent video game so that his mom, Sara and my security would not hear us through the wall. I yawned, stretched out and sat up on the bedside. My clothes were on the floor from the night before and I picked them up and put them on. Then I went towards the voices. I was met by Simon standing by the stove with Linda. He smiled big when he noticed me in the doorway.

"Good morning sweetheart," he said and turned to me. He kissed my cheek.

"Good morning baby," I said and pulled him closer to me. I kissed him. I felt his hand on the collar on my shirt.

"Not in shared spaces Simon," I heard Sara's voice behind me. She was teasing. She had made it her little hobby to tease Simon about me. She had done so all through high school, when we were in their home. At school she acted as if I was just her brother's best friend, as we had kept our relationship very private.

"Hey, you tell Wille that. It was not me this time," Simon replied.

"It was not like you pushed him away, so you are equally guilty," Sara said to her brother. I knew that if I ever were to break Simon's heart, I would have a great enemy in Sara for the rest of my life. They had each other's back. I missed that unconditional sibling love that I once had too. I knew that Erik would have protected me against anything. That my enemies would be his. His enemies would have been mine. Linda shook her head and laughed lightly to her children's playful bantering.

"Sorry honey, no more kisses for you," Simon said jokingly. He had his arms around my neck. I pulled him closer by the waist. I pouted a little bit, which made Simon giggle.

"Sara please can I kiss your brother?" I pleaded to Sara. "Unfortunately he is too cute to resist." Sara laughed.

"Unfortunately? Unfortunate to who?" Simon replied.

"For Sara, obviously," I said. "I don't think it is unfortunate that you are the cutest human on the planet." That made Simon blush.

"You are the cutest honey," Simon said.

"Simon, if you don't want to burn the pancake, maybe you should turn it over," Sara commented as she poured water into a glass. Simon let go of me and turned the pancake over.

"I don't understand why all couples in my life are so into public displays of affection," Sara commented.

"Who other than me and Wille is annoying you?" Simon asked.

"Do you remember Marcus, Lottie's son?" Sara asked Simon, who nodded.

"When do you meet him?" Simon asked.

"Well, he works in the stables at Hillerska. So I see him a lot," Sara says. "And he and his boyfriend are horrible. Wherever I look they are more or less eating each other up." Sara was working as a riding instructor at Hillerska, so she spent a lot of time in the stables there. Simon and I laughed.

"Poor Sara. Are you sure you are not just jealous that you don't have someone to snog in the stables?" Simon teased his sister. Sara reached her tongue out and we all laughed.

"Now it is breakfast, if you guys have discussed Simon and Wille's kissing habits," Linda said. We all sat down by the table, Simon and I blushed a little by Linda's comment. After breakfast Simon pulled me back into his bedroom and kissed me. Not to disturb Sara, who was in the living room.