The New Toppat (Curtisson)

33: Special Enough

"Sven."

"Huh?" 

Sven turned around to see the Toppat clan staring at him.

He swallowed, thinking he had done something wrong.

"You..." Carol began.

Sven braced himself.

"You saved us."

Huh?

Sven blinked open his eyes.

"How?"

"Someone, important to the government, just said they'd stop bothering us," Hat Girl piped up. "And you did that. You saved the Toppat clan."

"Wha-? Me? N-Nej! That wasn't me!" Sven exclaimed. "That was entirely Burt!"

"How was it me? I did nothing." Burt blinked.

"Charles didn't shoot you, or me, or anyone else in the Toppat clan. He called off the whole mission to take us down because he still loved you!" Sven reminded him quickly. "I did nothing to cause this. I-I brought the government here in the first place! I ruined your experience in the Toppat clan because of my idiotic lack of skills at being a leader!"

"What are you talking about?" Burt tilted his head.

"Y-You could've had an actually good leader who could do things right for the Toppat clan!" Sven sniffled.

Burt stared at him.

Then he spoke.

"Sven, I don't know what you're talking about," he said. "You're the best leader I could've ever asked for."

"I second that," Carol agreed.

"I third that!" Hat Girl squeaked.

Soon, the whole Toppat clan was echoing in choruses of how they agreed that Sven was a good leader.

Sven felt his heart skip with joy.

He was a good leader.

People respected him.

He had saved them.

He had saved Burt.

He sniffed and rubbed the last of his tears away, smiling.

"But... It wasn't me... It was Burt, really... He should be the leader of the Toppats... He can make good decisions..." Sven mumbled.

"And so can you, Sven," Burt replied. "I don't want to be leader, or head of communications, or even a Toppat if you're not with me."

Are you... Saying what I think you're saying..?

"You're an amazing leader, Sven. You're an amazing person in general. I'm so glad to be able to say you're my boss." Burt bowed to him.

Right... Boss... I can't be anything more to him... 

Sven sighed inaudibly.

He felt tears building up but he desperately fought them down.

Burt couldn't see him cry.

Burt couldn't ask why.

Burt wouldn't.

Sven wouldn't let him.

A chief and the head of communications couldn't fall in love.

Actually, scratch that, Sven already had fallen for Burt.

A chief and the head of communications couldn't be in a relationship.

But... Sven realized with a jolt of pain. If Burt had accepted that role of Right Hand Man... We could've had a chance...

But he didn't.

He gave it to Carol.

Like it was nothing.

Like Sven just gave it to anybody.

But he didn't.

Burt was special.

Special enough to be Right Hand Man.

Special enough to be in a relationship with Sven.

Special enough... For Sven to love him.