Artificial Love (Thiam)

Chapter 7

Theo : can't you just come over?

Joshy : No.

Joshy : God you're clingy, bud. go to bed or something.

Theo : it's fucking 11am??? you're coming tonight anyway, aren't you? bc i feel like that was our agreement, no?

Joshy : Yes, I am coming. Small clingy asshole.

Theo : you signed up to be my best friend, that's not my fault!

Joshy : I'll be over at around 2, okay? So we can get ready together. Tracy?

Theo : coming too.

Did Theo particularly want to go to this event or any other? Absolutely not. Was he well and truly over this prescriptive Prince bullshit? Yes. Was Hayden getting to him? Also yes.

But that was the fun part about his life now. His friends had finally convinced him to hate his post and all that was left was to wait until he inevitably snapped and dismantled the monarchy. Not that he could, he'd be overthrown by another in line if he tried. Regardless, it all annoyed him more and more as the years went on.

Once he'd figured out he was gay, everything had sort of spiralled from that point. It'd be totally fine if he was Josh or Mason or someone. Because while it was important for them to have biological children, it didn't carry the same weight of tradition or whatever as it would for people like him and Liam. But then that unfairness had seeped into his bones like ice and never left again. He should be allowed any right to be happy anyone else had. There was always surrogacy, but the truth Theo had been avoiding forever was still there. He didn't just want 'a guy'. He wanted Liam. And the two of them had individual kingdoms to run and individual royal lines to continue. But that was something below the surface. A thought Theo pretended not to have, even though it never went away.

Anyway, it was all only theory. The actual answer was simple. He'd been pretending to be with Tracy for a while. Eventually, he supposed they'd probably fake tie the knot. They liked each other, they were good friends, and she had no more interest in him than he had in her. That was his future, written out. At the very least, he would get to pick. It'd never be what he wanted, but he would have a good friend forever. Someone to drink wine with and bitch about the unfairness of it all.

Still, Theo had less and less interest in the social element as the years went on. He was bored of it all. He was bored of being chased by people who wanted his title. He was bored of late nights of drinking and pretending to forget it all. He was bored of going home alone and staring at his phone, considering making what would undoubtedly be the stupidest call of his life.

His mother was still herself. She loved the flowing gowns and the big entrances, and she loved people loving her, but Theo thought she was secretly as disinterested as he was. The two of them had more fun dancing in their living room and drinking together than they did at those functions, which was why they nearly never stayed long.

The two had a reputation now. They walked in, crowns, chins raised high, suits and fancy clacky high heels. His mother would hold onto his arm. They would make small talk, and Theo would dance with a few people to get them off his case, then the two would leave, and by the time they got home, they'd be racing back inside with their shoes in their hands.

He was lucky, in that capacity, that he was close to his mother. It was only them left. No Jonathan. No other siblings. Just them. Theo was sure Caroline knew, but she never brought it up with him. Maybe she wasn't sure how.

She was going that evening as well, and Theo was glad. He'd have to stay longer, since he'd pulled Josh and Tracy into it as well, but Caroline got on with them too, almost as if she was more friend than mother. Sometimes she was.