Blue and White - Levi Fanfiction

Ch. 10 - Something About It

Something about the city was different now, after seeing the stars.

I think it was less about physically seeing it, and more about the emotional impact. 

Honestly, I only say that because the only physical impact seeing the true night sky had done to me was that the sudden brightness had made me squint instinctively, and my eyes had watered quite a bit. I'd just never seen anything so naturally bright before. Even when sunlight would drift down from the stairwells, it would be dim from bouncing off pale stone and with how low we were, nearly all of its warmth and luminescence was lost to space before it even reached the bottom step. Moonlight, being even paler, never quite reached us, either.

No, I think it had so much more to do with the emotional impact, the way it showed beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was more to see. Much more. Before, it was only through the stories in books and word-of-mouth tales that I knew of the splendors of the world on the surface - or that I thought I knew. But now, I have gotten a glimpse of it myself. I had a taste of what there was, and there was so much. I hadn't even seen the entire sky, I had seen only a tiny fraction of it.

And I wanted more.

I wanted so much more.

On the walk home I steeled myself mentally, preparing myself to work harder than before, to find more jobs for us, to find better payouts, because I wanted to get to the surface and I wanted to do it now. I could hardly believe that it was a dream that I had nearly given up on, at least for a time.

After the death of my family, I hardly cared to take care of myself, much less had the time or energy to spare worrying about getting to the surface. But now... that dream was at the forefront of my priorities, aside of course from taking care of myself and my new family, Farlan and Levi.

Even as we walked, steadily approaching home, I threw idea after idea out for different plans, utilizing different contacts I used to have that we could get in touch with for new avenues of revenue. They were, of course, jobs we were well-versed in; I had been a thief, and Farlan and Levi made damn good ones as well. As I spoke, Levi listened intently, offering comments and questions about them, and for a moment I felt like some sort of leader, with subordinates listening and preparing to do exactly as I ordered.

I knew it wasn't the case, but right now I was the one with the information and Levi was the one listening, not because I was in charge, but because he wanted to. "Actually," I said, coming up with an idea, "it would take some work, but perhaps I could get back into contact with my old boss."

Levi seemed to consider it. "I don't know if that's the best idea." My confusion must have shown, because he opened his mouth to speak right away, though as soon as the first few words left his mouth, I figured it out. "We were on opposite sides of this before you joined. If he knows the woman who nearly put who he wanted under is now working to keep them afloat?"

He didn't need to finish. It was obvious what he was going to say: my old boss, if he knew who I was working with... he'd want my head on a stake, and there was no telling how far he would or could go for that retaliation.

"Fair point," I said. "But maybe he doesn't have to know."

"It'll be an easy thing for him to find out," he said. "Especially if he's as well-off as you say."

"As the only landlord for quite a few neighborhoods, I'd say he's probably more than well-off," I told him. "But... maybe we could rob him directly. Maybe hurt his assets enough to keep him out of our hair for a while."

"It's not him I'm worried about," Levi said. "It's who he replaced you with."

"You're worried? Do you know who it is?"