Sous-estimation = Underestimation
July, 838
Levi glanced at his pocket watch, half-lidded eyes reading the time. It was past time when his mother should have been home from her part-time gig at the nearby tailor's boutique. He scratched at his undercut above his nape, clicking it shut and stowing it away in the breast pocket of his brown vest. He leaned on the back legs of his chair, tilting the seat towards the wall while he kept his eyes on the door. After a few minutes, Levi decided to polish the blade of his pocket knife, rubbing the white cloth against the ultrahard steel, holding the blade at eye-level every few minutes to check the reflection.
Before the door even opened, he was on his feet, grabbing the handle and opening it to come face-to-face with his dear mother. Eyes raised ever so slightly to meet her gaze, Levi's lips turned up at the corners in a subtle smile. "Welcome home, what took you so long?"
"Hi honey! Goodness, how do you always know when I'm about to open the door?" Kuchel giggled warmly, brushing past him and setting her basket on the table before reaching up to untie the headscarf she had on that covered mostly the top of her head, but kept her obsidian locks curtailed and resting against her back. Coming over to her side, Levi looked in the basket and raised a brow in curiosity before lifting out a dark green bottle.
"Wine?" He asked. "Why did you get this?"
"Oh, one of the customers said that it was a thank-you gift for tailoring his suit so well. Isn't that nice?" Kuchel hummed, having grabbed her apron before tying it around her slender waist. Levi's brow stayed up, and he examined it before placing it on the counter.
"Yes, very nice Mama." He decided to leave the wine alone, since it looked like it wasn't tampered with. Coming over to her again, he gave her a kiss on the cheek as a greeting. "I'm proud of you. I knew that you'd get the hang of that stuff eventually, and look at you now, building up a steady collection of customers that enjoy your work."
"Hehe, thank you honeypie. We can enjoy that wine with dinner. There's still plenty of time to go to the market, won't you go with me?" The noirette asked him, reaching up to pat his cheek with a gentle touch.
Levi couldn't help the sincere simper that graced his features, as he loved seeing his mother so stress-free and happy to go about life. Ever since she had gotten back from the hospital when he was younger, their lives had been much easier. That stash of money allowed them to buy this home in the slightly nicer part of the Underground City, though 'nice' was perhaps not a good word to describe anything about this subterranean nightmare.
Their home was adequate for the two of them, two large bedrooms, and a bathroom with a wash basin– Levi insisted on a place where he could take a bath, since cleanliness was one of his top priorities. Otherwise, the home was fairly ordinary, with plenty of storage space as well as a sizable kitchen for his mother to practise cooking.
It made him pleased to see her cook with such passion, baking and trying to make new things with the limited ingredients of the Underground City. Somehow, even when she had almost nothing to work with, she could make a meal that would make his mouth water. He liked to help, of course, and helping meant cleaning up in the culinary wake she left behind while mixing, basting, cutting, and all of the other things that came with crafting a nice dish.
It was definitely not surprising when he would come home to a kitchen powdered with flour and end bits of vegetables in the sink's basin. As nice as it was to see her doing something that she enjoyed, he couldn't help the eye twitches that came with seeing the disaster zone.
"Ya, I don't see why not. What do you need to get?"
"Stuff for vegetable quiche!" She chimed. "Eggs, onion, red pepper, garlic, mushrooms, milk…"
"Ah, alright. Well if you're ready, let's go. A vegetable quiche sounds good." Levi nodded his head, thinking about how good all of those things together sounded right now, since he had neglected to eat breakfast. "Where'd you get the idea to make that?"
"Oh, that nice old seamstress I work with, Mary, she gave me the idea because I couldn't think of something to make." He watched his mother grab a hair tie, and her grey-blue eyes flickered over to him. "Would you be a dear and braid Mama's hair, Li-Li?"
"Of course, Mama." He hummed quietly, taking the hair tie and grasping her shoulder gently to make her turn her back to him. Levi made quick work of the black tendrils, coordinating them into a simple three-plait braid before tying it off at the bottom. Having spent most of his childhood free time braiding hair certainly had its advantages.
"Thank you baby boy~" Kuchel sing-songed, spinning around and giving him a peck on his cheek. "You're so helpful~"
"Aye, thanks Ma'." He mused, walking to the door and grabbing her basket on the way. "Ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be. We still have a few hours before dinner needs to get started, though, so we can take our time sweetie. Maybe we can see if anyone is selling new shoes, yours are getting worn on the toes and heels."
Levi glanced down as he locked the door, putting the key away and lifting a heel to inspect it. Damn, she was right, and he could have sworn he bought these recently. What a cheap pair of shoes.
"Shit, yeah. Let's do that, I got a good payment today so I can get some new ones."
"Levi, watch your mouth." His mother tutted, linking her elbow with his when he offered it to her before they started to make their way to the Underground City's Shopping District. It wasn't big by any stretch of the imagination, and sometimes it was crawling with lowlifes that Levi would never let near his mama in a thousand years. However, today, it was fairly quiet, with only a handful of people shuffling around booths and in and out of shops on the perimeter.
The first stop was a clothing shop, and Kuchel was quite happy to waltz in and go straight for the men's section to try to find some new clothes for her son. Levi was almost nineteen, but that didn't stop her from wanting to doll him up in handsome apparel.
He walked after her, and before he even caught up, she had found a maroon vest and grabbed it off the rack to hold up to his chest. Instinctively, Levi tilted his chin towards the ceiling a touch so that his head wouldn't get in the way while she tried to gauge if it looked good on him. "What do you think about this one, Vi-Vi?"
That was definitely a new nickname. Ignoring it to save himself from a blush of embarrassment, he glanced down and touched the side of it, examining the colour and responding with a gentle nod. "Looks good, Mama. It's the same size as the one I have on, I'm sure it'll fit."
"Okay, good!" She chimed, hanging it over her arm and perusing around the slacks next. Meanwhile, her son stumbled over to the women's section, seeing a dress with a white corset top, puffy sleeves, and a periwinkle skirt with plaits. It reminded him of a gown he'd seen when they'd gone shopping a long time ago, back in the days of the brothel, and he recalled wishing the shopkeeper gave it to Mama for free. The memory of that sweet honey candy lightened the look in his eyes, and he sat wondering for a moment just where he could get something that tasted like that again. Honey was a rarity to begin with, but underground it was more scarce than red meat.
I'll probably never get to have something that good ever again.
Picking up the dress from the rack, he held it up by the hanger and whistled, grabbing the attention of the dark-haired woman across the small shop floor. "Oi, what about this, Ma'?"
Her eyes were half-lidded like his, as usual, but in more of a look of content than contempt. "It's beautiful, Levi, but I don't need a new dress."
Levi exhaled, walking over and handing it to her. "Go try it on."
"But Li-Li I said I didn't-"
"I heard you." He interrupted, bowing his head just a smidgen to show he meant no disrespect. "But needing and wanting are two very different things. I think you deserve a new dress, because you should have nice things. You always buy me good clothing, so I want to do the same for you, alright?"
Before she could even go try on the dress, the young man spotted a rack with black loafers that seemed to be quite nice. Gesturing to it, he added, "And pick some of those out. The one's you're wearing have a hole in the bottom."
Knowingly, his eyes flickered to look at his mother, who seemed to bear a sheepish expression. "Oh, so you knew about that…"
"Mama, I do laundry and detail the shoes sometimes when you're not home. Of course I knew that there was a hole. You need to stop putting off getting things for yourself, okay?"
She nodded shyly, reaching up to pat his cheek before grabbing a pair of shoes and entering a dressing room. Leaning his back against the wall, Levi kept watch outside of the stall to make sure no creeps tried to peep on his mother– it was unlikely, but he couldn't help the protective nature that he had when it came to her.
Mama had sacrificed so much to take care of him, including her pride and her body itself. It physically pained him to think about the hardship and suffering she had endured to make sure he had as good of a life as possible within the Pink Pearl's walls. It must have been utter hell trying to raise a child in such conditions. He didn't remember the bad things for the most part, only the love she had bestowed upon him that made him a true mama's boy.
Sometimes he wondered why she had decided to keep him at all, but Levi was too afraid to ask such a question.
"Levi~!"
Snapping out of his thoughts, he turned his head to see his mother standing at the door of the dressing room, smiling as she did a little spin in the dress as well as the shoes. "It all fits very nicely. Do you think it looks good?"
He hummed and nodded, looking her over briefly. "You look beautiful, Mama. Just like always. I don't think there's a single dress here that you'd look bad in."
"Awww, Levi…" Her cheeks flushed as she smoothed the skirt with her palms. "You're too kind to your dear old Mama…"
"Nah, I'm not kind enough. If you like it, wear it out. I'll buy it all for you." He insisted, straightening up to walk over to the cashier. Within a few minutes, the raven-haired teen had purchased the vest, dress, and shoes, and had his mother put her clothes in the bag with his new waistcoat.
"Thank you, Levi, you didn't have to do that." Mama insisted, standing next to him. She looked so happy in her new dress that he would have spent all of the money he had on it, if that was what it would have taken to get it for her.
Before the young noiret could reply, the shopkeeper chimed, "Oh, you bought it all for your sister? You, young man, are such a generous brother."
Levi opened his mouth, cheeks tinged a flustered shade of pink, but his mother was the first to respond. "Oh, well thank you, but he's actually my son, Miss."
"Oh, golly! Sorry, since he's shorter than you, I figured you were just his older sister!"
On the way out, Levi huffed a bit and shoved his hands into his pockets, the bag filled with clothing hanging off his elbow and bouncing against his side with every stride. Kuchel held onto his other arm, sighing and reaching to give his cheek a playful pinch. "Honey, it wasn't meant to be an insult…"
"I don't like people calling me short, you know that. It's just annoying." Levi mumbled, slowing his pace as they neared some of the food stalls. "Here we go, I'm gonna go check out the tea vendor over there, Mama."
"Alrighty baby, treat yourself to a new tin."
Without blinking, Levi caught a silver Rose that she tossed to him, and returned her confident smirk. "Sounds good to me. Call me over if you need me."
Kuchel felt so pretty in her new dress, and enjoyed every gaze casted upon her as she waltzed through the stalls with her basket. In proper clothing, she felt like she could do anything her heart desired– like she could be a normal person. In her brothel days, the nicest thing she owned was a thicker gown that showed far too much cleavage for her to bear. It shamed her into shopping later in the day, when all of the good food was already long gone, and the only things that remained were subpar or molding.
Now, however, Kuchel could confidently converse with the merchants and strike up conversations without wondering what they thought of her. In the past, it had been so obvious what her profession was, and those who caught on would sneer at her and shame her. Luckily, the times she'd been verbally harassed the worst were the times that Levi was back at the brothel, being watched by Amelia or Brenda.
"Good afternoon, Miss Kuchel. How are you today?" A merchant asked her, giving her a handsome smile and leaning his hands on the counter behind the produce rack. Kuchel gave him a kind look, and then let her eyes wander over the selection of things to buy.
"Quite well, my son got me this new dress. Levi is just the sweetest, isn't he? And how are you?"
"Aye, and it looks mighty nice on ya. I'm doing okay myself, business is slow today so it's nice to see a pretty face."
The ex-prostitute wasn't stupid– she'd worked with men of all types, and could tell this one had something for her. However, he seemed very harmless in her eyes, and decided to go along, batting her eyelashes carefully. Inspecting an onion she had picked up to put in her basket, she murmured, "Why thank you, sir. That is so kind of you to say. I hope business picks up."
"Why thank ya. What else are ya lookin' for, Kuchel?"
"Um, let's see… mushrooms, a red pepper, eggs, garlic, some milk…"
"Ah, here, gimme your basket and I'll round up the good stuff for ya. No extra charge, of course."
"Sounds good to me, thank you." She agreed, handing the basket over before holding her hands in front of her. The fabric of the dress felt so nice against her fingertips that it made another smile curl up the corners of her lips.
A jolt of panic shuddered through her when she was broken out of her thoughts that had barely begun to wander. A hand from behind grasped her elbow and pulled her back, and she held her ground, planting her feet down and turning her upper half to face the perpetrator. "Let go of me!"
"Oi, Olympia, wasn't it?"
The one who had grabbed her was a man, with dingy blonde hair and teeth to match. A cigarette dangled from his chapped lips, and Kuchel grimaced at the state of his beard, salt-and-pepper coloured and in dire need of a fucking shave.
"Let go of me." She ordered, narrowing her eyes at him and gritting her teeth together in agitation. With a forceful tug, her elbow was free, but not without a wince flashing over her features– he had grabbed her quite hard.
"Oh, come on now, that's how you treat an old friend? I remember when you'd service me every Tuesday! Damn, why don't you lemme take you for a spin, Olympia? I've got some coin, is a Sina worth it for ya to gimme a fuck and suck me-"
He didn't get to finish his sentence, because the back of a steel blade was crushing against his windpipe. Kuchel swallowed, realising now that she was tenderly cradling the spot where he had grabbed her. She looked to see none other than her darling son, a dangerous glint in his eyes as he kept the blade's spine on the man's trachea to threaten him without breaking the skin.
"Did he hurt you, Mama?" Levi's tone was icy, never taking his eyes off him, as though redirecting his gaze for a moment would let him escape repercussions.
"W-Well, no-"
"You're babying your arm."
In the blink of an eye, Levi had both put his knife away and thrown the man face-first into the dusty ground, pinning his arm behind his back roughly.
"Ow! Fuck, who do ya think you are? Let go of me you fucking-"
"Say one more word and I'll break every bone in that hand of yours." His voice never wavered, confident in his abilities and his rage. Kuchel could tell that seeing his mother be subjected to such things again ignited a flame in him, one that could not be doused with anything but retribution.
"Ya wouldn't-"
Kuchel winced as Levi followed through with his threat, bending the man's wrist and making stomach-churning, quite audible pops echo in the shopping area. The creep screamed at the top of his lungs, his shriek echoing against the façades of the run-down buildings around them. "FUCK!"
"I told you. You should have listened and shut up when you had the chance." Levi replied flatly.
Kuchel wanted to tell him to stop, but something told her that it wasn't the time or the place to reprimand him for public acts of violence.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, please let me go!"
That only seemed to make her son more angry, and he grabbed the man by the hair with his free hand. "You sure do moan and complain a lot. Don't ever come near my mother again, don't look at her, think about her, and certainly don't come looking for her. She's not in that business anymore, and if you show up at our house for a fucking, I will gladly satisfy your desires with a broom handle straight up your asshole. Got it?"
"O-Okay, okay! Please let me go, I'm sorry!"
Kuchel watched with worried eyes as her son let the man go, and as he booked it out of the area, Levi rose to his feet and dusted his knees off, grumbling something about the man being a disgusting pig.
"Baby…" Her hand gently rested on his shoulder, a subtle frown on her face. "Thank you, but you didn't need to do that…"
"He hurt you. I couldn't just sit around and do nothing." Levi's words were muted, as though he wanted to keep those around them from eavesdropping. "Are you alright? Let me see."
"Sweetie I-"
A sigh escaped her lips when he gingerly grasped her arm, examining the soft flesh on the curve of her forearm that ended at her elbow. His half-lidded expression unwavering, he tsked. "It's bruising. Stupid fucker."
"Levi, watch your mouth. How many times do I have to tell you?" She sighed, lowering her gaze and turning back to the merchant, retrieving her basket and giving him the payment. Something about the situation was bothering her, and it wasn't necessarily the event itself.
"Sorry, Mama. Force of habit."
"Well, force it to stop being a habit."
Kuchel started on her way back home, leaving Levi in her wake. He watched after her for a moment, her braid swishing across her shoulder blades like a pendulum with every step catching his eye. He could tell that something was amiss with her.
She probably didn't like seeing me do that sort of thing. Was that it? Or is something else on her mind?
Mama is stubborn with her feelings sometimes, she probably wouldn't tell me even if I begged her to know.
Levi hustled to catch up, quickening his steps until he was walking by her side again. Without hesitation, she took his arm again, linking her elbow with his and slowing her pace. It brought him some relief, knowing Mama wasn't upset with him, necessarily.
He hated upsetting her, and went out of his way to avoid it at all costs.
As they entered their abode, he locked the door behind him, switching on the deadbolt. He had installed that himself the day they moved in, along with bolts for the windows– Levi didn't trust a single soul in the Underground City.
Well, except Mama and Miss Rori, who he realised he needed to go visit soon. She had gotten married to a nice man a few years ago, and seemed quite content, though something was missing in her eyes when Levi watched her say her vows at her humble wedding. He remembered how her dazzling blue eyes flickered towards the small crowd, as though she was expecting someone to burst into the doors of the chapel and interrupt it.
But who was she looking for?
Mama started on the vegetable quiche immediately, and Levi got the oven ready silently, putting some logs into the pit beneath it to get it hot before making his way to the counter to help her. He noticed that she had already made quick work of the pepper and onions, now working on the mushrooms. "What can I help with?" He asked, getting out the pie tin from the cabinet and setting it by the cutting board. Levi glanced over out of the corner of his eye, seeing that her lips were ever-so-slightly pursed.
"If you could crack and whisk the eggs, that would be nice."
"How many?"
"Six. Then add the salt, the pepper, milk, and whisk that in too, baby. Thank you."
He got to work, not daring to ask just what was on her mind. Levi knew the way she operated– after nearly nineteen years, it would be ridiculous if he didn't. If she wanted to talk about it, then she would sit him down and do just that. However, it didn't stop him from worrying that she was holding her problems in, bottling them up and tossing them into oblivion.
After the chopped ingredients were sautéed and mixed with the whisked eggs, it was all poured into the tin and put in the oven. He sat back in the chair he had settled into before she had gotten home, watching her take off her apron and drape it over the back of one of the other seats at the table.
It took only a minute of silence for her to pop the cap off her bottle of emotions and pour out the contents for him to sip at.
"I appreciate you helping me back there, but I could have handled it."
Ah, there it was.
"Mama, I wasn't going to stand idly by and watch it happen. You do understand that, right?" Levi was unapologetic about the fact that he wanted to protect her. He had lost so much already in his life: first Amelia, then Brenda, and Kenny left him all alone, too. There was no way he was ever going to let something happen to his beloved mother– she was all he had.
"I know, baby, but you act like I'm weak, or like I can't handle myself." She bemoaned, sitting down by him and running the curve of her fingernail between the grooves on the tabletop.
Levi glanced at her, noting how the candelabra-esque chandelier above the table highlighted a silver hair that had made itself known by running through her black bangs. It sent a pang through his chest, reminding him that this joy could not be forever– that good times never lasted. Though his mother had only turned thirty-seven a few months prior, he knew that life expectancy in the Underground City was not so optimistic, and some nights he woke up from the worries of a sickness overtaking her and ripping her away.
"Mama, I'm younger than you and know how to fight."
Agitation flashed over her eyes for a moment, almost so quickly that it would have been easy to overlook. Despite the look being absent in her pools of argent-blue, the tension was evident in her mildly taut jaw. Levi could tell she was debating on saying something, but she seemed to let it go after thinking about it.
Instead, she decided to go with a simple, "We forgot to buy you new shoes."
He snorted softly in amusement, casting a look over at the oven to peek at the quiche. "Yeah, but it's whatever. I can get new ones tomorrow… The food smells good. Is it almost ready?"
Kuchel nodded, standing up and grabbing her oven mitts before pulling the tin out, setting it on top of the stovetop to let it cool down for a moment.
"Hey Mama?" Levi asked.
Her motherly smile returned, and she replied simply, "Yes, birdie?"
"I love you."
In response, she came and hugged him from behind the chair, giving his chest a playful pat while she kissed the top of his head. The man almost smiled when he heard her sneakily catch a whiff of the top of his head, knowing that his natural scent comforted her, much like hers comforted him. "I love you too, baby. Mama's little angel…"
That made him smile, though he didn't appreciate the addition of 'little' as much anymore. She pulled away, reaching to run her fingers through his inky mane and shake up some of the sections she'd flattened with her lips against them. "Come on now, let's eat. I can hear that tummy rumbling from metres away, and no son of mine is going to stay hungry."
Contentedly, Levi arose from his seat, coming to stand next to her as she cut some slices of quiche. After pressing a chaste but loving kiss on the side of her head, he murmured, "Sounds good to me, Mama. Thank you."
…
February, 840
Another day, another "delivery run."
At least, that was what Levi liked to call them around his dear, sweet mother. Calling them robberies would be too much for her pure heart to handle, he figured.
Today's heist had left him with a pocketful of some semi-precious jewelry that a fat cat had ordered for his shop above ground– labour that those on the surface were too lazy to do would be extradited and expedited to the Underground. Those who needed employment would take any job they could get, so crafting jewelry for the Mitrasian elite was not unheard of. However, those who did the work expected only to be met with meager pay and barely a thank you for artisan-level work. That was the reality of gigs in this hell.
The bangles clanged in the pocket of his black slacks as he walked through a more broad alley, which seemed to be a more residential area. It was peaceful, seeming like everyone in the area had turned in for the night.
That made him stop in his tracks. It was too quiet.
He made no attempt to move when people emerged from the shadows around him, cornering him at every angle. A beefed up son-of-a-bitch stood right in front of him, approaching him with heavy footfalls that seemed to make the earth beneath their feet quake. When he was only a mere few paces away, Levi raised his gaze to meet the man's, looking completely indifferent to the situation.
"What?"
The man sneered, raising his hands up to slam his fist into his palm, leering down at Levi like he was easy pickings. "'What?' That's cute, kid. Gimme whatever you got in your pockets, or me and my gang'll rip yer janky little ass to shreds."
Levi's eyes narrowed, but when he went to open his mouth to speak, he saw a rope thrown down into the alleyway out of the corner of his eye. Glancing to the side and upwards, he saw a guy who looked to be around his age, sitting on top of the roof and waving down at him. "Grab it! Hurry! You can't take them all on!"
That made Levi scoff, and using the distraction as an opening, he swung his shin straight into the bulky bastard's midsection. It definitely caught him off guard, sending him stumbling to the side and giving Levi an opening to thrust his foot up under his jaw. The sickening crack that followed made the attempted-assailant groan out in pain, and before he could recompose himself to try to swing back, the shorter teen threw a flanking punch straight into his nose. It caused another wretched snap, and when the taller man fell to his knees in surrender, Levi's cold and calculating eyes scanned around him to see that the rest of the gang was slinking back into the shadows, as to avoid being demolished like their boss had been by such an unassuming figure.
Looking upwards once more towards the figure on the roof, he blew some of his hair out of his face. "Why would I accept help from someone as shady as you?"
He could hear the man yelling after him, but Levi wanted to get back home before his mother suspected that anything was amiss. Hopping over a chest-high brick wall, he headed in the direction of home, only to return to a mess in the kitchen. It made his eye twitch, but he forced a gentle smile when his beautiful mother turned to greet him. "Hey, Mama."
"Hi baby! You're back just in time for dinner. I made bread and roasted a medley of vegetables. There wasn't much else and the produce at the vendor isn't great this time of the day. I figured I'd use what we had~" She chirped, coming over to give him a little peck on his cheek and wrap him up in a hug. It was always so nice, being enveloped in her warm arms and returning her embrace with the same enthusiasm. His mother was a few centimetres taller than him, which used to bother him, but now he knew that it meant more kisses on the forehead.
He would probably never admit out loud to anyone that he adored it, or that it made him feel like a little kid again.
"How was work today, munchkin?" She inquired, letting go and patting his cheek before returning to the stove. Discreetly, Levi grabbed a rag, dipping it in a bucket of water on the counter before starting to wipe up what appeared to be flour dusted all over the surface.
"It was good, Mama. I get paid tomorrow, like usual."
"Alrighty. I get paid tomorrow too! I-"
Levi looked up to see her staring at him, head tilted to the side in mild confusion. "Baby boy, what are you doing? I was gonna clean that up after I was done."
Her son stood up a bit straighter, resting his arms behind his back to hide the rag. "I um… I thought you could use the help."
She raised a brow, leaning over to reach behind him and snatch the cloth up. With a flick of her wrist, the dark-haired woman gave him a playful whip with the end after twirling it up. "Oi, what have I told you about cleaning up after me?"
"Um… that you love it so very much and that I can do it forever?"
"Ha ha, very funny. Quit doing that, Li-Li. Go sit at the table. I'll fix you a plate, and before I eat I can clean it up, alright?"
He sighed, going to sit in his usual spot. "At least eat before you clean, I don't want to eat alone, and I want you to eat, too."
"Oh, so now the cleaning isn't as important, hmmm~?"
She laughed when he gave her an unamused look, but they both knew there was nothing but love behind it– he just had a bit of a dry sense of humour.
"Not as important as making sure you get food in your belly, Ma'." Levi replied, getting up to help her fix the plates. It was a simple meal, but looked satisfying enough. As they sat and began to eat, he mulled over which fence he could sell the jewelry to. There was one on the east side of town that gave him more money, but couldn't ever shut up about his side hustles, and then there was one closer to home who paid less for the valuables. It was a tough decision that Levi would leave for future-him to figure out.
"How was your day today other than work?" Kuchel asked, munching down on a piece of broccoli.
Levi shrugged, lying straight through his pearly-white teeth. "It was uneventful, nothing else really happened. How was yours? Didn't you have work today, too?"
"I did, but after I finished the piece I was working on, the boss let me go home early." He watched her dab her pink-toned lips with a napkin, and then her eyes lit up as though she remembered something important. "Oh, and I hemmed up your pants. They're on your bed, muffin~"
His cheeks felt hot at the nickname, but that happened all the time– he would most likely never get used to it, even if she had done it his entire life. "Ah, thank you. That hole was bothering me."
"No problem sweetie." She hummed in response, finishing up her vegetables and starting on her bread. It made him smile a bit, because he knew that she always saved the best piece of the meal for last, and today that was the bread. He couldn't blame her– bread was pretty damn good.
The rest of the evening was uneventful, with them finishing dinner, cleaning the kitchen together, and turning in for bed. Although there were two bedrooms, he and his mother decided to just share the same one and use the other for storage. Some may have found it strange, but he felt a bit uneasy without her in the room. Levi had spent his first ten years of life never sleeping alone, only resting with her arms encompassed around him to keep him safe and warm. They didn't share a bed anymore, but it was comforting to know that his mother was only an arm's-length away, and that if someone tried to break into their home, he could protect her at a moment's notice.
That night, he laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, listening to the soft and familiar snores of his mother. The sounds weren't loud in the slightest, but just audible enough to be noticeable. He pulled the covers up a bit, rolling onto his side and facing the wall as he tried to get comfortable. However, something was stuck in his mind.
Just who was that guy who tried to throw the rope to him? And what did he want?
The next week was uneventful, like most times in the Underground City. Levi and his mother both went to work, though his mother's profession was far more noble in nature than his. Contrary to what one may have thought, Levi didn't want to steal anything from anyone, but he needed to make sure that he and his mom never had to resort to demeaning labour.
Prostitution wouldn't have been an option for Mama anymore, anyway, so that would have left jobs involved in dealing drugs, or at the worst, slaving away in the iceburst stone or iron ore mines. The thought of him, or even worse, his dear mother, working in one of those mines made him viscerally ill. He'd seen one before, how workers trudged out after twelve hour shifts with no breaks, working to chip at the rock of the earth with dull pickaxes and no safety equipment to protect them in the event of a mine collapse. The image of his mom crushed under a cavern support beam flashed through his mind, her crying for her dear Li-Li to help her. It was a thought he was eager to shake off him, like a dog who had just been doused in ice cold water.
As to quell his reservations and hesitations about stealing, Levi made sure to rob only from those in the city who were corrupt, those who purchased high volumes of goods on sale and then subsequently price-gouged them for the everyday citizens. He scouted out his targets carefully to make absolutely sure that they were nothing but the scum of the earth, and struck when the foot traffic around the supplies lulled. Then, with the silence of a dangerous feline, he slinked out from the shadows and delved into the contents of chests, sacks, crates, and the like, snatching up all he could and disappearing before anyone knew he had ever been there.
Kenny had once told him that he got that skillset from his mother, he recalled. Levi thought of it sometimes when escaping from a heisted location, but even after all this time, it didn't make sense to him. His mother didn't seem like she could do anything like that. What did Kenny know that he didn't?
Seeing as Kenny had not shown his face for years, Levi figured he'd never find out.
Levi had decided to go to the fence on the East Side, wanting to get a bit more money in his pocket to get his mother something nice for her birthday. This year he was thinking about finding her a necklace, but hadn't decided exactly what she would like. Mama had never had jewelry before, so he didn't have any clue about her taste in it.
It was on his walk back home with fresh Sinas clinking in his pocket that he came across a familiar face, except instead of offering help, he was the one in need of it.
He was being held by the collar against the door of someone's home, looking nervous and trying to kick at the guy holding him up. It took Levi a few more steps forward for him to realise it was the man he'd beat the shit out of just a mere week before, and with a sigh, he rolled up the white sleeves on his button-up.
"Yer gonna pay for embarrassin' me like that, Church!"
"H-Hey now, there's no reason to get so hasty! Can't we talk this out like old pals? Eh?"
The big brute was about ready to throw a punch, but was stopped by a pale hand snatching his wrist back. Levi's grey-glinted eyes met his, narrowed and firm in their gaze. "Oi, do I have to teach you another lesson, you meathead? Go drink shit out of the sewer if you're so desperate for a high, I'm sure that crap'll fuzz your tiny brain up in a few seconds and carry you off into a shit-stenched heaven."
There was no time for the man to answer, because Levi had him down on the ground and crumpled in seconds. After their fight a week ago, it was obvious that he was still in a weakened state from being brutally beaten up by a 1.6-metre fighting machine.
In disgust, Levi pursed his lips and glared down at the man groaning at his feet. "I would spit on you, but even my saliva is too clean for a fucking heap of dogshit like yourself. Fuck off and quit hanging around here, or next time I'll rip your foot off and shove it up your own ass."
After the oaf regained use of his legs and scrambled off, he turned to the blonde man and offered a hand to help him off the ground by the door, where he had fallen down after being released. "What is your name? I saw you the other day. He called you 'Church'?"
The golden-haired stranger took the help, getting up and dusting his pants off. With a somewhat charming smile, he pointed a confident thumb at his own chest. "That's me, but my first name is Furlan. What's your name?"
"Levi." He replied, blinking with his usual blasé expression slated over his features.
"Levi…?" Furlan cocked his head, as if he expected him to elaborate.
"Levi. Just Levi."
"Ah. Well, alright." Levi watched him scratch the back of his head awkwardly, but as soon as he extended his hand for a shake, the smaller teen turned on his heel to continue back home, ruffling his fingers through his trimmed midnight black locks absentmindedly.
"Wait, wait! Come back, I wanna talk to you!"
"About what?" He kept walking, expression still stone-cold and bored as ever. Eventually, Furlan caught up to him and grasped the cuff of his shirt to stop him. Instinctively, Levi twisted around and smacked his hand off briskly. "Don't fucking touch me. What do you want?"
"W-Well, the other day when I saw you, I will admit, I was gonna test you to see if you wanted to join my gang, but-"
"I'm not interested." Levi scoffed, crinkling his brow and turning around again. Furlan kept walking after him, but each thing he said went in one ear and out the other.
Eventually, he was able to shake Furlan off of his ass and get him to piss off. Levi loathed when people sought him out to join their pathetic gangs that consisted of some of the most incapable and asinine saps in the Underground. He wasn't arrogant, but he knew damn well that he was far more skilled than any of them– any gang in this heaping dump would just drag him down while he was busy trying to do something that none of them had the brainpower to do.
Someday, Levi wanted to get to the surface.
He had heard the stories of the intense heat of the sun, how it was so bright that you could see it even with your eyes shut. It was almost unbelievable to him that it could burn people's skin, or change the colour of it after regular exposure. Mama told him how the sunlight made every plant grow big and strong, and provided the very food they ate every day. It blew his mind, frankly, that such an elusive thing could give so much and receive nothing in return– after all, everyone down in this oversized cave always wanted something in return for their kindness.
The Sun wasn't like that.
The idea of seeing it someday never failed to remind him of his mother. Though her tresses were a deeper hue of ebony than the endless subterranean night, he felt it was her eyes that reflected the warmth of the sunlight that she had seen a handful of times in her life. That was why he wanted to go up there someday, to bring her back to that all-encompassing, heat-filled embrace that she gushed about so much when she had basked in the Sun's radiance.
One day I'll get us citizenship up above. I'll work hard and give my mama the life she deserves. The Underground is too horrible for such a sweet soul.
Levi was quite sure he was free to return home, and walked up the stairs to the front door whilst fumbling with his keys. However, he heard footsteps behind him, and then panting as though the person had booked it all the way here.
Walls, this guy just won't give it up, will he?
"Whaaaat?" Levi groaned, dropping his keys back into his pocket and moving to face the blonde, crossing his arms over his chest impatiently. Tapping his foot on the ground, he awaited an answer, becoming more irritated with every passing moment. He didn't like when people wasted his time. "Spit it out. You are already fuckin' testing me, following me all the way to my home. I-"
"Li-Li?"
Fuck.
Immediately, he dropped the searing glare and turned back to the front door, his mother standing at the threshold with her hand on the side of the frame as she peered out at the scene. "Baby, what's wrong? Who's your friend here?"
"Mama, I-"
"Hiya there, Miss!" Furlan perked up with a big smile. Levi couldn't believe his eyes when this ballsy idiot waltzed up the stairs, brushing past him to give his mother a respectful bow and a kiss on the top of her hand. "Furlan Church, at your service! Your son and I met today because he scared off a big ol' bully. You raised a gentleman, that's for sure. Also, may I say that I see where Levi gets his good looks from?"
If Levi's jaw hadn't been tensed up, it would have been on the ground.
Kuchel's cheeks tinged a soft rosey colour, and he watched her tuck some loose hair behind her ear. "Well, thank you young man. I'm glad to hear that my son could help you– he is such a little darling, isn't he?"
"Indeed he is." Furlan grinned.
"Well, any friend of Levi's is welcome here any time. Would you like to stay for dinner, dear?"
Levi couldn't find any spot to jab in a single word, and he sighed in exasperation when the blonde man smiled and nodded kindly. "I would be honoured, Miss! What can I call you?"
The noiret watched him follow his mama into the house, and heard her chime in a darling tone, "You can call me Miss Kuchel, if you'd like~"
"Alrighty, thank you, Miss Kuchel!"
The dark-haired teen finally caved and just let this happen, because he couldn't see a way to wiggle out of it without revealing to his dear mother that Furlan was trying to recruit him for a gang. If she knew what he did every day, she would whup his ass, probably.
Mama cooked baked potatoes with heavenly butter, some beans in a brown sauce, and sautéed carrots. Since there was company, she found it to be a good time to pop open one of the few bottles of wine she kept around, but only poured herself half a glass.
Levi had wondered for a long time why she never let herself get so much as tipsy, but then it dawned on him that due to all of those years in the brothel, the last thing she would want was lowered inhibitions and motor function. Being vulnerable like that as a prostitute could have gotten her killed.
The thought made him second-guess drinking wine at all, but as long as she had some, he would enjoy it with her.
Furlan definitely enjoyed talking with his mother, and during the entire dinner Levi stayed as quiet as possible, watching this strange, golden-haired fellow across the table over the rim of his wine glass. He held the glass to his mouth for a long time, teeth tracing over the brim as his eyes flickered between the other two people at the table, wondering just what the fuck to do.
Eventually, everyone had cleaned their plates, and when Kuchel got up to clear away the dishes, he shot up from his seat with a big, toothy grin plastered across his mug. "I'd like to help you, Miss Kuchel, if you don't mind."
"Oh, go right ahead." She blinked, looking surprised. "Usually Levi helps, but he's been working today, so he can have a break from dish duty~ Thank you, Furlan."
"No problem, miss!"
Levi was a bit astonished, and raised his brows ever so slightly as he watched Furlan clean dishes with his mother. He seemed nice enough, and certainly cleaned the plates well enough for his mother to put them away, so a part of him was impressed.
He was very polite with her, and doesn't seem like he's after me for some nefarious reason. Maybe I should talk to him when he goes to leave, to see what he really wants from me.
After the kitchen was cleaned up, Levi escorted Furlan outside to bid him farewell, but Kuchel hurried over with a big smile and gave the young man a warm pat on the shoulder. "Thank you for stopping by, Furlan. Feel free to come by anytime. My son needs company and I'm so glad he finally has a friend!"
Levi's face turned red when she reached up to gently squeeze at the round of his cheek, and waited until she was done to tell her he'd be inside momentarily. After the door shut, he sighed and leaned against it, rubbing at the pinch site and mumbling to himself in mild embarrassment– despite him not really liking when she did that, he would never bat her hand away.
"So, you're a real gutsy little shit, you know that? Following me here, worming your way into my house and drinking wine at my dining room table, washing our dishes… No normal bastard with malicious intent does all this, I've surmised as much. So, what do you want? I'll hear you out. Don't take it as me agreeing to do what you want."
Furlan nodded in understanding, putting his back against the rail leading up the stairs to the door. "I have seen you around, Levi. The stuff you do is incredible, everyone talks about you, the 'Shadow of the Underground'. You and I could work great together. Ya see, I know some of the best locations no one else does for ripping off those fat cats, taking their gold and gems that they get from the mines. That and I may know a guy who can get us ODM gear."
Levi perked up at the mention of such technology, having wanted to get his hands on it for ages. It was a tricky deal– this guy had good connections to both heist locations and equipment, but how big was his gang?
"How many people?" He asked.
"Huh?"
"How many people are in your lame little posse?" Levi reiterated. "I don't like working with people as it is, so if it's more than a few, I'll pass."
"Ah, no, it's just me." Furlan reassured him. "I had a gang, but some got caught by the MPs for being lazy sacks of shit and not coverin' their tracks. So, here I am."
Levi nodded in acknowledgement, and the silence between them seemed as though it lasted for ages as he turned over the idea in his head a few times, as though he were browning toast on a griddle to get it to the perfect level of crispy goodness. Except instead of bread, it was a decision to pair up with another hoodlum in order to become even more of an infamous underground thief.
"Alright."
The black-haired man turned to go back inside, and Furlan shifted towards him after comprehending his response.
"W-Wait, what?"
"Didn't you hear me? I said alright. Meet me in the square tomorrow at eight in the morning. Don't be late– I hate tardiness."
With that, Levi shut the door behind him, and exhaled as he thought about what he just agreed to.
It better have been the right choice, but something in his gut told him that a man who treated his mother that well was being genuine, since all of the other men in this pit of hell were pieces of hot garbage.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad...
Thanks to StarlitScarlet (Ao3) for doing some proofreading for me on this chapter, and to LlamaaMamaa for reading this chapter and every other to make sure I don't type dumb stuff 3 Go check out their stories, please! They are wonderful writers and even more wonderful people :)
Song Award goes to Short Kings Anthem by Tiny Meat Gang. Levi is a short king, 'nuff said.