James gradually came back to consciousness with Kylie Minogue watching over him.

He blinked the sleep from his eyes in confusion. Where was he?

The warm, naked body snugged up to his side gave him his first clue. He was in a small but neat bedroom with the sunshine streaming around pulled blue curtains. Various awards and photo frames were hung on the walls, alongside the iconic poster of Kylie in a white jumpsuit singing up into a microphone.

Even without the pictures of Theo with his nan and various friends, James was already remembering everything from the day before. It was a lot to take in.

At first, he wondered if the whole night had been a bizarre dream. But slowly he realised that both the good and the bad were equally true. Yes, he and Theo had fought. For a moment James had thought it really was all over. Then he had taken a chance and come to Essex to throw himself at Theo’s mercy.

And it had worked.

James smiled as he hugged his boyfriend closer and kissed his golden hair. It was light out, however a quick glance at the clock told him it was still very early. Not even seven in the morning. He was certain enough time had passed that his absence would have been noticed by his mother. She was probably furious with him. But he couldn’t bring himself to be too worried.

James knew this was just the start of a bumpy journey for him and Theo. But if they could do it together, standing tall, maybe they would make it through. As James nuzzled his nose against Theo’s hair and inhaled his scent deeply, he couldn’t help but hope they would make it all the way.

Theo stirred in his arms. Before he even opened his eyes, though, he cuddled in closer to James. “Morning,” he mumbled. He obviously had no trouble remembering who was with him. His easiness made James’s heart ache in a good way.

“Hello,” he said fondly, kissing Theo’s cheek. “Did you sleep okay?”

Theo’s hazel eyes fluttered open and he sighed. “Yeah,” he said. “Brilliantly. You don’t snore or anything, you know that?” He gave James a shy smile. “I might just keep you around.”

“Oh, is that so?” James asked playfully. “I’m not sure if I want to keep you around. You sleep-talk. Did you know that?”

“Shut up,” Theo cried, scandalised as he poked James’s side. “I do not!”

James bit his lip as he grinned. “You do. But it’s all incomprehensible nonsense, so your secrets are safe, for now. You also wriggle quite a bit,” he added.

Theo’s face had become more serious again, though. “I don’t want to have secrets,” he said. “Not big ones. Little ones are all right. You don’t need to know every weird thought I’ve ever had,” he said, making them both laugh. “But I’m gonna try and be honest about things.”

James had hoped for a bit more hanky-panky before they got down to the serious stuff again. But it seemed Theo had their future on his mind immediately. That was an encouraging indication they were both on the same page, at least.

“Honesty is absolutely a good idea,” James admitted with a sigh. “I should have told you about Klara. But the truth is, I hadn’t seen her since we were both children and I didn’t even get the chance to talk to her until last night.”

Theo nibbled on his lip. “So, Iggy was lying out of his arse, then?”

James chuckled. “Completely,” he promised. “All lies. Klara is a lesbian. She has a girlfriend and had even less interest in marrying me than I did her. Although I feel we could be friends,” James admitted fondly.

“No way,” Theo said in delight. “You’re both queer? What are the chances?”

James raised an eyebrow. “You know, I’ve read articles that reckon out of the next generation, about half of them are identifying as LGBT plus now.”

Theo smiled at him warmly and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. “Now you can identify like that, too,” he said. “If you want? I, um, I understand if you’re having second thoughts.”

James shook his head. “Absolutely none,” he said and took a deep breath. “My name is James, and I’m a proud bisexual man.”

Theo wriggled gleefully in his arms. “My name’s Theo, and I’m your proud gay boyfriend.”

“Damn right you are,” James said. He captured Theo’s lips for a more serious kiss, running his hand down the side of Theo’s body. “Did I mention that I love you?”

“Not today,” Theo replied with a wink.

It didn’t take long for their kisses to become something more. Theo scrambled on top of James to straddle him. James had noticed that whether he was giving or receiving, Theo liked to be on top. James loved being underneath, so it all worked out quite nicely.

He grabbed either side of Theo’s face as they rubbed their cocks together, the sheets pooled around Theo’s waist. “Do you want me to fuck you?” he asked. He didn’t really care what they did at this point. He was so grateful to have Theo in his arms. He’d enjoy anything.

Theo shook his head. “Like this?” he suggested, rutting harder against him. James nodded and kissed him forcefully. Then Theo wrapped his hands around James’s wrists, easing them back until he had pinned James’s arms above his head. “Like this?” he asked again, slowing their frottage down a touch as he looked into James’s eyes.

James nodded, feeling that familiar calm coursing through him. “Perfect.”

Theo kept one hand on James’s crossed wrists while the other wrapped around their cocks. James could easily have moved his hands if he so desired, but that wasn’t the point. The point was he wanted Theo to make the decision for him. He loved that Theo knew now was the right time to dominate him, not last night. It just proved to him further that they were so compatible in more ways than one.

“Come for me, James,” Theo whispered against his lips. “Look at me. I want to watch you fall apart.”

James gasped and allowed himself to give into the physical sensations, just barely keeping his eyes open for Theo. He would do anything to make him happy. “Theo,” he cried. “Theo!”

“I’m right here,” he said, jerking his hand roughly over their cocks, slippery with precum. “I’ve got you, let go.”

James gnashed his teeth and thrashed under Theo. Theo was dripping with sweat and panting hard. James’s orgasm rose suddenly and he let it crash over him. Together, they shook and arched their backs as they came, painting their stomachs with thick, hot squirts.

Theo dropped heavily on top of James, kissing his neck lazily as he let go of his wrists. “You’re well yummy,” he said with a giggle. Then he lifted his head a little and looked at James with sincerity. “Do you think we could, uh…”

“Get tested?” James guessed. “Soon?”

Theo looked down. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “You must think I’m proper obsessed.”

James tilted his chin up with his finger and kissed him softly. “I think you’re sensible and caring,” he said honestly. “And I don’t want there to be anything between us. Not physically or emotionally. I was actually going to suggest we make an appointment with one of the palace physicians.”

Theo still looked preoccupied. He sat up and grabbed a box of tissues so he could wipe up some of their mess. Once they were less sticky, he lay back down with his head on the pillows next to James. “A lot is going to change in my little life, isn’t it?” he asked. He reached over and picked up James’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “I can’t just nip down my doctors and get checked for the clap.”

James lifted their hands and kissed Theo’s fingertips. When Theo turned his gaze to him again, James looked back with sympathy. “I would give anything to be ordinary for you,” he said.

Theo shook his head and smiled. “You’ll never be ordinary, gorgeous,” he said. “Not if you were born on a council estate like me or in Buckingham bloody Palace. You’re astonishing. So, don’t be apologising for silly stuff like that.”

James felt himself relax and he smiled as he nodded. “But I do wish your life didn’t have to be so turned upside down. You’ll have a magnifying glass on you now.”

Theo shrugged. “As long as Nan’s okay, I’ll be all right.”

“She will be,” James said firmly. “I promise. We don’t fuck around when it comes to security.” James felt guilty for messing Dave around last night, but hopefully he would understand.

Theo sighed and rested his cheek on James’s chest. James trailed his fingers through Theo’s soft blond hair. It all felt so completely natural. “So,” said Theo, “what’s our next step?”

“Shower,” said James firmly, making him laugh. “Then…I think it best to bite the bullet. How about we travel into London? Back home to Kensington.”

He could see Theo visibly swallow. “You don’t mean the Tube stop, do you?” he asked with a faint laugh. “You mean the palace.”

“That’s my home,” James affirmed.

Before he could worry again about it being too much for Theo, Theo nodded and smiled. “Okay,” he said with conviction. “So, you want to introduce me to your family?”

“Yes,” said James. Relief that Theo was already accommodating to his crazy lifestyle lifted him up. “Then we can maybe work on a press release and other logistics for your living arrangements. I completely understand if it’s too much too soon, but things would be far easier if you were to move in with me.”

Theo scoffed and bit his lip. “Yeah, I can see that,” he said. “We wouldn’t have to do that, like, immediately, would we? It does seem a lot.”

James wasn’t hurt. He was wholly sympathetic. “I think there could be a couple of months’ leeway,” he admitted.

Theo beamed at him. “That’s all I’m asking for,” he said. “Just…a minute to wrap my head around everything. Fine, wicked, so…a press statement?” He took a steadying breath. “Fuck. We are going to get a lot of flak for this, aren’t we?”

James shrugged. “People are still arseholes, sadly. Yes, I’m sure there will be a lot of pushback. But if we can get a few key media outlets onboard, the public might support us. They did with Olivia, on the whole.”

Their grandmother hadn’t been required to come out and officially endorse Olivia and Briggs, though. The Queen would have to confirm her approval of James and Theo while James was still sixth in line. He dreaded to think what retaliation they would suffer. Homosexuality was still illegal in two thirds of the Commonwealth countries. If his grandmother stayed silent, they could argue she didn’t technically support it. But there would be no getting around this.

James held Theo tighter. This was the weight they held on their shoulders. If they could just come out, it could help move LGBT rights forward for the whole world. But by forcing the Queen’s hand, it might cause an unprecedented backlash.

But it could also help progression in the end. Someone has to be the first, he reminded himself. Klara wouldn’t be that far behind him to come out of the closet, either. She had seemed pretty determined when they had spoken the night before and had admitted it to his mother.

Theo was worth it. That was the bottom line. James had sacrificed so much in his life. He wasn’t letting Theo go. The world would just have to accept him. Once they got to know him, maybe they would love him like they did his siblings’ other halves.

James couldn’t understand how anyone wouldn’t fall in love with his beautiful Theodore, after all.