Venice; Money Heist

La Casa de Papel

I enter the office and find Berlin sorting through papers and items that need to be taken out of the building if we flee. Quietly, I take a deep breath and mentally prepare for what I want to talk to him about. Equally quietly, I approach him and place my hand on his shoulder. Berlin slightly flinches and then turns to me, a mixture of surprise and warmth on his face.

"Venice, hey..."

"Hey... I think we should talk about the elephant in the room..." He notices my serious tone and nods. "What happens to us after all of this? What... what are we?" I trail off, growing quieter. I can't do this. I have no experience with relationships, especially not in these circumstances.

Berlin pauses, seemingly considering my question carefully. "I've also been meaning to talk to you about this... With my illness and considering that I'm going to die... I don't want to give you hope for a long and fulfilling life with me, I can't. I don't want to disappoint you."

"So, is that it? When we get out of here? We pretend like nothing ever happened?"

"God no! I—listen, I meant everything I said, both that I love you and the fact that I'm dying. I just want to make you aware of what lies ahead for me, and by extension, for you if you choose to be here. I can't give you what you probably want. I don't have much time left, maybe a year if I'm lucky, but maybe two, three, or four years. I can't give you my life when it's ending soon, but I swear I'll give you my love until it ends. I just want you to be aware of what you're getting into. I'm relieved that I've provided for you, but I can't pretend to love you for a lifetime when I know I won't be here long enough to fulfill it."

"Berlin, I'm aware of what I'm getting into, of what I've gotten into. I don't want your life, and certainly not your money. Have you forgotten that I've made arrangements for myself? I don't love you because of your money or anything else, but because of you."

"You love me?" My heart skips a beat as I realize what I've said.

"The cat's out of the bag now... Yes, I love you. But I won't force you into anything you don't want or aren't happy with."

He grins at me. "Venice, I've never been more sure of anything in my life. But I need to know if you're okay with this, with me." He takes my hands in his and kisses my knuckles.

"I don't give a damn about the money and your illness, Berlin. Those aren't the things that define you. I love the feeling you give me. A feeling of safety, security, and home. I've never felt anything like it before, and I can't ignore it anymore, nor will I. Yes, I love you, and if you want that and me, then I want you too. I want to travel the world with you and enjoy life as long as it's granted to us." He places his hands on my cheeks.

"I promise you, we'll have a romance unlike any seen even in movies. We'll travel, we'll celebrate, revel in wealth, and I promise you I'll love you until the end. With all my heart. We'll dance under the sunset and gaze at the stars until the clouds turn purple again." Suddenly, he lifts me up and spins us around. "I'll cherish every moment with you. Let's stick together until the end, okay?"

I can't help but smile and get lost in his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you."

We lean in, and our lips meet. This kiss is like no other we've had before. It's filled with love, passion, and unspoken intense feelings. The kiss seals our commitment to each other. And I love it. I love this man.

"So..." I grin at him, "how do you think the Professor will react to the whole situation? I mean, won't I then be something like his sister-in-law in the making?"

"What do you mean?" he feigns innocence.

"Oh, please, I've seen the way you both looked at each other, I'm not blind. You looked at each other the same way Rio and I did. Like brothers." I grin. "You are brothers."