sinking ships - succession

chapter eighteen

Rose met Lukas in Sweden again. She went to his office where she heard Lukas shouting in Swedish to Oskar and Andreas (the new director of comms who had nearly won a bronze at Sochi). At the end of it, he shouted, "I want it fucking fixed."

She interrupted them, "Is everything okay?"

His eyes softened and he visibly relaxed. He gestured for his two workers to leave with a jerk of his head and they left.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

He shook his head, "It's fucking fine. It's whatever. It's being handled. Let's just get out of here."

He grabbed her hand and started to pull her with him. She followed as he looked down at her with a grin, "You look pretty."

She smiled before she teased, "I'd say the same but you desperately need someone picking what you wear."

"Is it really that bad?" Lukas questioned as they got into the elevator.

"Yes," she giggled. "But it's okay because I love you."

The words just blurted themselves out. It was like she felt them as easy as breathing and her mind couldn't help but reveal such a simple truth.

Lukas stared at her softly, "You love me?"

She started to panic as she avoided his gaze, "I—I don't know where that came from."

"But you love me?" he pressed again.

"I...I do," she squeezed his hand more tightly as she finally looked at him and his pretty blue eyes. "I do love you."

"But..." she turned her head forward again. "Let's just forget I said it. Please."

"No," Lukas denied as he softly smiled at her before he leaned towards her and left a lingering kiss on her cheek. "Never."

That was when the elevator opened to the parking garage. She quickly left the elevator but he stopped her before she could reach the awaiting car as he called out, "Min älskling."

         "Lukas, I have no idea what that means," she stopped and turned to him with a frustrated look as she crossed her arms.

          "It means my love," he spoke softly as he stared at her delicately before he started to get a bit of a guarded look in his eyes as he stuck his hands in his pockets. He then avoided her gaze as he shrugged like it was no big deal. "I've been calling you my love because... because you fucking have it."

           She stared at him as she realized he was saying that he loved her. He loves her and her heart skipped a beat because of it as she started to smile. Then she quickly walked forward and kissed him.

They kissed for a short moment in the parking garage before she pulled away slightly with a smile as she attempted to say the word affectionately, "Älskling."

He cringed, "Totally. Totally butchered that."

"But it doesn't matter because you love me," she said happily.

"It makes you so happy," he grinned about it as he started to head for the car.

"You know you've been calling me that for weeks," she pointed out. "And quite a lot in the office."

"Yes," he smiled.

She realized that he had been calling her his love in front of everyone that could hear it. He had practically been saying he loved her for weeks. All without her knowing. But then she realized it was also his way of telling everyone she was his.