Levi Ackerman's Son

One Little Job

Ophelia sat on the worn couch in the hideaway, absently twisting a piece of string around her finger. The walls around her were as dilapidated as the Underground itself, but for the first time in a long while, she didn't mind. She was surrounded by people who cared about her—Levi, Farlan, and Isabel. It had only been a few months since they'd all come together, yet in that time, she had found something that had eluded her for most of her life: belonging.

But now, as she glanced up from her thoughts, she noticed their faces—drawn tight with stress. Levi's usual stoic expression was even more rigid than normal, Farlan's eyes were narrowed in thought, and Isabel was pacing back and forth, clearly agitated.

"Jeez, you guys are looking stressed. What happened out there?" Ophelia's voice was light, trying to ease the tension in the air.

Levi shrugged, a nonchalant edge to his voice despite the heaviness of the situation. "New job. Looks like it's going to be rough."

"Rough?! We have to take a hostage!" Isabel snapped, her voice edged with frustration. She was clearly not happy about it.

Ophelia furrowed her brows, concern creeping up her spine. "Why didn't you just decline the job? Is the reward really that good?"

Before Levi could respond, Farlan interjected, his words clipped. "He already paid the deposit for it, so we didn't have much of a choice. And we also..." He paused, glancing at Levi with an almost unspoken understanding, "Us three will also get citizenship above ground."

Ophelia's eyes widened in shock. "You guys will get citizenship? Why would someone that powerful hire a bunch of Underground thieves to kidnap a hostage? Wouldn't they just get the MPs to do it?"

"Who knows," Levi replied flatly, not offering much in the way of explanation. "But this is a big opportunity for us."

Ophelia's chest tightened. They were talking about something that could change their lives, something that could pull them out of the misery of the Underground. But what about her?

She tried to push aside the nagging feeling in her gut, but it wasn't easy. If they did this job, they would leave, and she would be stuck here. What was she supposed to do then? She could already feel the bitterness creeping in, but she shoved it down.

"Yeah, but what about Ophelia?" Isabel spoke again, her voice soft but firm. "She won't get citizenship. It will just be us... she'll get left behind."

Ophelia's heart skipped a beat. She didn't want to be a burden, but the truth was clear—if they completed the job, they would leave her behind. She would lose them all. And there was another, far more pressing concern.

Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach. She hadn't told Levi yet. She couldn't tell him. Not with everything hanging in the balance. She couldn't let him feel obligated to stay just because she was pregnant. If it meant losing him to the surface, she'd bear it all alone.

"I'll be okay," Ophelia said, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her. "This is your chance to get out of here. Your opportunity to finally see beyond this place."

"No," Isabel retorted quickly, her eyes narrowing. "We won't leave you behind. We'll get you out of here too."

Ophelia's gaze shifted to Levi, looking for some sign that he agreed with Isabel, but he said nothing at first, his silence a weight hanging between them.

Levi, noticing her stare, finally spoke up, but his words were short, almost impatient. "When did I say anything about leaving her behind? We'll complete the job, get the citizenship, and then we'll focus on getting her out."

Ophelia's heart fluttered at his words. Did Levi just—? She smiled despite herself. It was progress, even if it was a tiny step. Even if he was only doing it out of duty, it still meant something to her.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Ophelia asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she turned her gaze back to the three of them. "You have to kidnap someone. Speaking of that, who is it?"

"We don't know," Levi said, his voice flat as ever. He clearly wasn't keen on discussing the details.

"Oh, okay..." Ophelia stammered, her thoughts whirling. "Well... it's about time I head home. See you guys later."

"See you," Levi and Farlan said in unison, but Isabel was still standing near the door, waiting.

"I'll walk you home," Isabel offered with a grin, her usual cheerfulness returning in an instant.

"Aren't you the gentlewoman?" Ophelia teased, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"You know it," Isabel laughed, the sound light and carefree as they walked out together.

As they walked, their conversation shifted to the mundane—everything and nothing at once—but the underlying tension was still there. Ophelia couldn't help but notice how much easier it was to talk to Isabel. It was like their friendship had grown into something unspoken, something deep. Even if everything else was uncertain, Isabel was a constant in her life.

"Levi doesn't seem so disgusted by your presence anymore," Isabel remarked, casually glancing over at Ophelia with a teasing smile.

Ophelia chuckled softly, though there was a hint of something more bittersweet behind her smile. "I know. I'm happy he's starting to trust me, even if it's a little bit. But you know what they say... baby steps."

"Tell me about it," Isabel muttered, rolling her eyes. "It feels like everything I do takes a hundred baby steps." She sighed dramatically, but Ophelia could hear the weariness in her voice.

Ophelia laughed, the sound light and easy. But as they rounded the corner, Ophelia's smile faltered. They were standing in front of her house, a cramped second-story building stacked on top of another. It wasn't much, but it had been her home.

"Thanks for walking me home. I appreciate it," Ophelia said, her tone sincere.

"Anytime." Isabel grinned, stepping back as Ophelia opened the door.

Ophelia turned around to say goodbye, but Isabel was already looking at her with that determined expression on her face. "We'll complete this job and get you out of this hellhole," Isabel declared, her voice firm, unwavering.

Ophelia smiled, touched by her words. It was a promise, a vow, but there was something deep inside her that made her hesitate. She wasn't sure how things would play out, but she had to believe that it would work. For their sake, she had to.

"Thanks, Isabel," she whispered, her voice barely audible. With a final nod, Ophelia closed the door behind her, the sound of the latch clicking in the silence.

Inside, the walls felt a little colder than usual. Something was gnawing at her, something she couldn't shake. It wasn't just the job; it was the weight of what she hadn't told Levi. The child she carried inside her—his child—would grow up without a place in the Underground, but what about her? Would she really be able to let go?

She hoped it was nothing more than paranoia, but deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that this job was doomed from the start.