If love could win

The Valentine prom

Simon was still asleep when I woke up in my bed at Hillerska. His head was resting on my chest. I had my arms protectively wrapped around him. I wished I always woke up like that. Skin to skin. His ear on the spot where he could hear my heartbeat. The sunlight through my bedroom window, making his brown skin glow. His deep breaths against my skin. The intoxicating feeling of love. When I looked at him, I could swear I fell a little deeper in love with him. That he got a little more beautiful the longer I looked at him. He moved a little and I saw his eyes open.

"Hi," he said and yawned a little.

"Hello," I replied. I could not help but smile when his eyes met mine. He smiled too. "How are you?" I felt his fingers run over my skin. I felt a sudden need for the toilet.

"I am fine," he replied. "How are you?"
"I need to go to the bathroom," I said and squirmed under him.That made him giggle and hold me even closer.

"Yeah? Then you will have to break free," Simon said. He had a mischievous look on his face. I tried to get out of bed and he playfully wrestled me back down onto the bed. I laughed and wrestled him back.

"Simon, I mean it. If you don't let me go I will pee my pants," I said and tried to pull a serious face. Simon stopped for a second and looked deep into my eyes. Smiled.

"Well, we don't want that, so you better go to the bathroom," he said and kissed me. I rushed to the toilet and locked the door behind me. I heard Simon giggle and hum on a song they were going to perform with the choir from my bedroom. He had apparently written the lyrics and the choir director wanted him to perform it solo. I understood why. His voice was something magical. When I got back out in my bedroom he was still laying on my bed with my white duvet loosely around his body. He was the prettiest person alive, and he was right there.

"Do you want to go to the Valentine prom with me?" I asked him. I realised I had not asked him if he even wanted to go, or if he would like to go there with me. We had been so caught up in the trial recently, so I just had my thoughts on other things. The prom was supposed to be the day after that. I slipped back into bed and held Simon around the waist.

"I would not go there with anyone else,Wille," he replied with a little teasing smile. His fingers touched my cheek. I leaned in and our lips met.

"I will pick you up at 7 PM tomorrow then," I replied.

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

I stood outside Simon's front door on the eve of the Valentine prom. I was dressed in a ridiculous costume from the 18th century. The white long wig on my head already hurt. Linda opened the door and let me inside. Her smile was warm. Welcoming.

"Wilhelm! You look so handsome," she said. "Simon is still in his room." I made some smalltalk with her and then went towards his bedroom. I knocked on his door and he opened. He was in his Hillerska school uniform, as he always was when he was supposed to perform with the choir. I saw his eyes sparkle at me.

"Did you get me roses, Wille?" he asked. I had a bouquet of eleven roses for him. I had read online that eleven roses was the number you gave someone you were deeply in love with. I was deeply in love with him, that was for sure.

"I did," I replied, maybe blushing a little.

"I did not know you were such a romantic," he said and smiled. He leaned in and kissed me. "I will ask mom for a vase to put them in." We went out to the kitchen and Linda pulled out a vase and filled it with water. Simon put the roses in it. He put it on his desk in his bedroom and then he was out in the kitchen with me and his mom again.

"Have a fun night you two," Linda said and kissed her son on the forehead. "And behave."

"Of course we will, mamá," Simon replied and put on his shiny shoes. He took my hand and I led him out to the car, where Malin waited. I had realised there was an advantage having a bodyguard sometimes. We sat in the backseat and Malin drove out from Simon's area and back towards Hillerska.

"You are very cute in 18th century clothes by the way," Simon said with a flirty tone.

"Do you think so?" I asked. He nodded. "This wig hurts already. You are lucky you only need to wear the school uniform darling."

"I think I might know how to distract you from that," he replied and pulled my face closer to his. We made out all the way back to Hillerska after that. And he was right. I did not think nearly as much about how much my head hurt from the wig when he made out with me. When Malin pulled into Hillerska Simon and I thanked her for driving us and then walked inside the school building, where the prom would take place. I held his hand in mine. There was some kind of alcohol free welcome drink in pretty crystal glasses. We cheered with each other and sipped on it. It was nice, with a subtle taste of raspberry.

"Do you want to dance with me?" Simon asked. I nodded and he enthusiastically pulled me out on the dance floor. The music was loud. Not the kind you slow dance to, but rather jump around to. Simon and I danced close to each other and after a while I was tired and in need of a break. Simon and I went back out to the area where the drinks and some pastries were. We drank some more raspberry soda and sat down by a window. We could not really keep our eyes away from each other. He was so handsome in his school uniform. He had worn it the first time I saw him. And I thought that I must have instantly had a crush on him just by hearing his voice and seeing him. I had not let myself think that though, but in retrospect he definitely caught my eye the first time we saw each other.

"When are you performing with the choir?" I asked.

"At 10 PM," he replied.

"Then there is still some time to sneak out for a bit," I replied. He grinned.

"Why do you want to sneak out?" he asked.

"I want to make out with you," I confessed. We went out in the cold air. There were others out there. People who had drunk other things than raspberry soda, I had a feeling. Simon and I went down some stairs into a place where we would be left in peace.

"I am so in love with you, Simon," I said and pulled him into my arms. Our lips met before he could reply. I felt the fabric of his suit jacket and his neck under my fingers. Resisted the impulse to feel through his hair with my fingers just before the performance. We did not stop kissing each other until we had to head back for it. I made sure he did not have any white paint on his face before we returned. I smiled when Simon joined the choir. He looked straight at me. I was still in the clouds after our second makeout session for the night, and could not really focus when the choir director spoke. When Simon began singing I felt shivers down my spine. The lyrics, that he never sang to me before that night, I realised were about us. Me and Simon. The fight we had to fight, just to be with each other. Our love. Everything cleverly covered up as a new version of Hillerska's school song. I still heard the original melody behind Simon's new lyrics. The other people at school had spent the past weeks writing love letters for the people they fancied. And so had apparently Simon also done, with the exception that he did not send it anonymously in my locker. He sang it, out and proud in front of the whole school. When the performance was done, Sara was first to embrace her little brother. She was of course proud of him. I looked at them hugging and missed Erik, just a little extra in that moment. I would never hug him like that again. But I was so happy for Simon. That he had her. He needed her, just like I had needed Erik. I embraced him next and kissed him. I did not care that the whole school was watching us.

"I love you, Wille," he said. "So, so much."