Chapter Text
Kenny just lit a cigarette when he felt a persistent buzzing in the back pocket of his jeans. He winced, holding it between his teeth, and quickly fished his tiny phone out, frowning at the unknown number on the small screen. Kenny didn't have a habit of leaving his number to total strangers or random fuckers who wanted to sell him some useless shit, but it clearly had to be some sort of a scam. He pressed the green button nevertheless.
"Kenny! Are you free next week?" the muffled voice of Djel Sannes from the agency sounded way too enthusiastic.
"Why are you calling me from an unknown number?" Kenny said instead of a proper greeting.
"Well, I'm not at the office, but listen! I've just got an enquiry about a job that might interest you!"
"Not at the office, you say?" Kenny hummed, taking a pull at his cigarette. "Are you sure you are calling the right number?"
"Kenny," the clearly displeased but still muffled voice of Djel Sannes rebuked. "Do you need a job?"
"Sure, sure," he rolled his eyes in annoyance. Any side hustle was more than welcome, and Sannes always managed to find pretty good offers that suited both Kenny's needs and skills. Kenny never got the chance to go to college or uni after finishing school, and since no one seemed keen to hire him oficially - not even the places where he actually had a fair bit of experience to offer - his only option was to take whatever Djel Sannes from the temping agency managed to dig up from that endless swarm of listings he waded through every bloody day.
"Splendid!" Sannes hummed, and Kenny heard him quickly typing something on that ancient keyboard he had on his office desk. Liar. "You have a full driving licence, correct?"
"Mm-hm," Kenny nodded. Driving jobs weren't his favourite, given the number of bellends he used to deal with while pretending to be their friendly and helpful driver. And the worst thing was that driving jobs forced him to fucking smile even when the only thing on Kenny's mind was a vivid picture of a dead body of another bloody annoying customer he would gladly dispose of somewhere in the forest near Karanes.
He fucking hated all those driving jobs, but they usually paid well. And the bellends often left him cash tips, which Kenny considered their sole redeeming quality. And he actually needed some spare money, since it was already less than four weeks until the start of a new school year. Levi's backpack looked like shit, and he also needed to buy his nephew at least two pairs of new trainers, and Levi also mentioned something about his uniform jacket being slightly tight in his ridiculously tiny shoulders, and-
"So, there is a request for a private driver for the whole week," Sannes continued, finally stopping typing, "you'll be leaving right at the beginning of this weekend - well, in three days, actually, and-"
"Wait a second, what do you mean by leaving?" Kenny blurted with a frown.
"Oh, it's just that the job in question will mainly consist of you driving the client all the way to Liberio and back - after staying there for several days, relaxing and playing the role of a designated driver from time to time."
Kenny pictured the map of Paradis and Marley in his mind and scoffed. "Is this client of yours daft or what? We have direct flights there from both Orvud and Trost; taking a bloody car there is just proper stupid."
"There are plenty of reasons why people prefer not to fly," Sannes scolded him without any hint of remorse in his voice. "Besides, it's merely a job offer, Kenny. An action you'll be paid for."
Kenny winced. "You know I have a kid to take care of, right?" he stubbed out his cigarette against the wall of the building and threw it into the bin with a precise movement. "Levi's only nine - I can't leave him on his own and run away for a week."
"You usually don't have a problem taking overnight shifts, though."
"Because I'm informed about them in advance," Kenny said in annoyance. "And being informed in advance means I can arrange for someone to come over and look after Levi. Don't think finding a willing babysitter in just three days is doable."
Sannes laughed. "Well, I'm sure there are enough applicants in our agency who would eagerly accept the offer to look after your nephew."
Kenny raised his eyebrows. "For free?"
"We are the temp agency. We pay our workers."
"Knew it," Kenny snorted. He looked down at the pocket of his shirt and wondered if a second cigarette in a row could actually be a good idea.
"Listen," Sannes typed again on the keyboard, "I know you're taking care of the boy, and that both of you struggle because you can't get any sort of official employment for whatever reason."
"Bold of you to assume that we're struggling."
"You were the one who used that word the last time you visited the agency, Kenny."
"Oh, piss off!"
Sannes sighed. "I'm simply trying to help you. Listen, maybe you actually ask the client to help you with this matter - he's a decent man, maybe he can even arrange someone to look after Levi on such short notice. Besides, he wanted to meet you before the trip anyway."
"Me?" Kenny frowned.
"Well, the driver," Sannes explained patiently. "But I can guarantee you that he might actually come up with some sort of help or solution. I mean, I've met him in person before, since it's not the first time he's placed a request with our agency - trust me, I can easily call him one of the nicest clients I've had in nearly twelve years here."
"Reckon this niceness applies to the needs of the temps, too?" Kenny laughed, drawing back against the wall. The sky above him grew gloomier, and he could almost smell the coming rain.
"Oh, I wouldn't be surprised!" Sannes replied with so much enthusiasm as if he actually believed in his words and wasn't trying to lure Kenny into a job nobody else seemed to want. At least that was the picture Kenny got after putting together everything Sannes had said - driving jobs weren't most people's cup of tea, and when the description involved packing up in three days, spending a week away, and driving all the bloody way to bloody Marley to boot, he could almost see the other temps noping out one by one, driving - pun intended - Sannes absolutely mental until he'd reach the point of offering it to anyone who posessed a full driving licence and could breathe. Just to tick it off his list and finally head off home.
Apparently, in Sannes's eyes, Kenny was more than perfect for such a job. Or maybe just enough.
"Eh," he said, rubbing the back of his neck in lazy circles. "I don't think it's a job for me, Sannes. No offence."
The man on the other side of the line sighed. "You're one of the best drivers here, Kenny. You literally have the most positive feedback from our clients!"
Kenny had no bloody idea how the morons he used to drive around managed to mistake his scowl and quite obvious sarcasm for top-notch customer service, yet he kept his mouth shut. He didn't fancy getting kicked out of the temp agency right before the start of the school year.
"I can text you more details in a moment," Sannes continued, clearly mistaking Kenny's silence for a positive hesitation, "take a look and message me back, okay? I just need to let the client know you two can set up a meeting before the trip - but I've already told you about it, right?"
"Mm-hm."
"Splendid!" Kenny pictured Sannes's ridiculously long face with a smug grin and scowled. "Then, I'll be in touch with you tomorrow. Don't forget to message me back!"
"Sure," Kenny muttered and hung up, not bothering to say a proper goodbye. He knew that Sannes wouldn't mind, being busy dealing with all the requests and all.
A fat and cold raindrop fell right on his cheek, and Kenny reached out his hand, feeling the first drops of the dawning shower land on his palm straight away.
No second cigarette for him.
When he returned to their tiny flat on the second floor, Levi was sprawled on the settee in the living room, his favourite gaming console in his hands. He almost looked innocent - engrossed in one of the games kids his age played in their spare time, eyes following whatever was taking place on the small screen. Kenny knew better, though.
"Eavesdropping again?" he snorted, coming closer and touching the redness on Levi's right cheek. It was cold, perhaps as cold as the glass of the kitchen window - the one with the top opener.
"Nah," the kid squirmed, moving away from Kenny's hand. "I'm busy with my game."
Kenny tsked, mussing up his short hair and heading off to the adjoining kitchen to fetch himself a glass of water. There was a steamed mark on the window, perhaps the size of a certain nine-year-old's cheek.
"By the way, you've got a job, right?" Levi asked, quickly pressing the buttons on his console. "When are you leaving?"
"I'm not taking the offer," Kenny replied, taking a sip.
The clattering sound died abruptly. "Huh?"
Kenny put the glass away and shrugged. "They want me to go to Liberio in three days and spend some time there, playing a friendly and devoted driver, and I'm not leaving you on your own for a fucking week."
Levi scratched his nose. "Why can't you ask Traute, like you always do? I like her, she's cool."
"You say that because she doesn't give a single fuck about your bedtime," Kenny rolled his eyes, throwing his phone on the kitchen table. "From what I know, she's in Hizuru now, spending her well-deserved holidays climbing the mountains and getting pissed. Can't make her drop everything and come back in three days to look after your sorry arse."
"Then, I have a better idea!" Levi raised his hand. "I can spend this week at Erwin's place, and-"
"Absolutely not," Kenny scowled.
"But why?" the kid whined, finally putting his console away and staring at Kenny with a hurt look. "He's my best friend, and his dad won't mind if I come over, he never does!"
"I'm not leaving you for a week with an alpha."
"We're both nine, for fuck's sake!"
"Fucking language!" Kenny threw a kitchen towel at him in an attempt to put their conversation to rest.
Unsurprisingly, it didn't work well.
"Erwin's dad is an omega, and we are nine," Levi pouted. "It would be fine. You can't just make me stop being friends with Erwin because you are scared that any alpha could hurt me!"
A notification about the new text message appeared on the screen on Kenny's phone - this time, sent from Sannes's actual number. He poured more water and picked it up with his free hand, feeling actually curious about what the man wanted to offer him. He wasn't taking the job, though.
Position: Personal driver
Employment type: fixed contract (one week)
Type: Private
Dates:
"Kenny," Levi whined, "I think my console's power cord is dead."
"And what do you want me to do?" Kenny grunted, staring daggers at his nephew.
"I don't know? Maybe accept the job offer, so we can have enough money to cover our bare necessities."
Kenny sniggered. "Right, how could I forget that you can't survive without your games?" he replied, clicking the button to nudge the message down. "And who the fuck taught you to say pretentious shit like bare necessities? Erwin?"
Levi muttered something that suspiciously sounded like another refined curse and turned his attention back to the console's screen as if nothing had happened. Kenny shrugged, skimming through the rest of the text message.
Client: Uri Reiss (beta), private, charity entrep.
Requirements: full driving licence (vehicle provided)
Salary:
"Wow, your face looks so dumb," Levi cackled. "Like in the cartoons, when someone's eyes shift to their forehead. It's dumb."
"Shut up," Kenny said, staring at his phone, absolutely dumbfounded. Then, just to be sure, he moved the index finger of his free hand to the screen and counted the zeroes after the first number. "Two thousand? For a fucking week?"
Whoever the client was, he certainly wasn't struggling if he was eager to pay more than Kenny usually made in a month just for a week as his private driver. The second message from Sannes stated that the salary was before tax and that hotel stays and other expenses, such as food and fuel, would be covered separately by the client. Kenny wished he could have as much money as the fella who needed to be driven all the way to Liberio.
"Wow," his nephew sighed disappointingly. "I can't believe my dearest uncle is about to lose a fuckload of money just because he doesn't want me to spend some time with my best friend due to his dumb delusions. What a sad life."
Kenny ignored Levi's whinings, staring at the screen and chewing his bottom lip. The promised salary tempted him, and Sannes's temp agency wasn't known for attracting scammers, which meant that Kenny would actually receive just as much money as was written in the text - sans the taxes, of course.
He could finally throw away Levi's downtrodden trainers and already buy the kid winter clothes while they were still on sale. He could also have his car properly maintained and give it a nice cleaning. And then he could get a prescription for his own medicine and fucking suppressants for another year, not bothering himself with monthly appointments for a while.
Oh, and he needed to buy a new power cord for Levi. He could even get him a new console as an early birthday present.
Besides, Sannes said the client was decent. In Kenny's mind, the concepts of decency and having a fuckload of money to spare weren't really aligning, but again, Sannes had never let him down before. Maybe he could actually ask this fella for help.
Kenny chewed on his lip again and sent Sannes a quick text.
Ok tell him i want to meet for but no promises need to discuss things first
Sannes replied almost instantly with a message that Kenny's old phone couldn't even display. Now he had to wait.
"So, are you going away or not?" Levi asked, stuffing his mouth with mashed potatoes.
"Don't know," Kenny grunted, glancing at the phone in his hands. Since Sannes's text last night, the old device stayed silent, even after Kenny reluctantly turned the sound on. He even chose the most annoying yet easily detectable ringtone so he wouldn't miss the agency's call, but it almost felt as if the more Kenny tried to do something right, the more unachievable his aim was.
Even though he still had no idea if he would take the offer.
Levi left the empty plate on the table and ran out of the flat with his gaming console in his pocket. "I'll show Hange my moves and will be back!" he shouted before slamming the door. Kenny nodded absent-mindedly, staring at his phone in annoyance. Honestly, he never cared much about his nephew spending time with his friend, who lived in the same housing estate, and, just like Levi, Hange were an omega. There was absolutely no reason for Kenny to worry about whatever his nephew and his friend were up to.
He took Levi's plate to the kitchen, rinsed it, and put it away. He needed to eat his lunch as well, but at the moment, Kenny's mind was consumed by the phone on the table in the living room - so much so that he was willing to ignore the irritating gnaw of hunger for as long as he could. His sister always said that ignoring the source of the trouble was the best strategy, but Kenny could hardly wait to get back to the room and stare at his phone again - as though doing so might magically jog Sannes's memory and make him finally ring back.
He planted himself on the settee, crossed his arms, and stared at the phone. The old piece of plastic and weird microschemes mocked Kenny with its pathetic silence. It almost felt as if it was trying to remind him that nothing in his life was going like Kenny wanted - or even hoped. And Kenny wasn't a person whose head was filled with hopes or dreams.
Maybe it was him who was utterly pathetic - worrying like a fucking idiot over a job he still wasn't sure he wanted.
He looked around, realising that Levi had forgotten to keep his morning promise to water the plants. Their flat wasn't filled with greenery, but Kenny didn't have the heart to throw away all the pots his grandad had left behind. Kuchel helped him tend them while she was still alive, and since her passing, the puny plants have transformed into proper potted flowers - ones anyone could easily snap a picture of for the cover of the latest issue of Gardeners of Paradis. Kenny once joked that Levi would eventually be handing them down to his own pups, only to have his nephew kick him in the shin. Still, Levi didn't mind helping him look after the plants. After all, they were one of the rare ties he still had to his mum.
He found a plastic watering can under the kitchen sink, but as soon as he turned on the cold water, his phone finally screeched with the most annoying ringtone Kenny could find. He cursed, trying to put the can down and turn off the water without causing too much damage, and strode across the open area, picking up the phone. It was an unknown number once again, and Kenny rolled his eyes.
"Did you lose your work phone or what?" he asked without any greeting. Sannes wasn't his friend, but Kenny knew he wouldn't be bothered by this level of familiarity. Besides, it was he who was almost on the verge of anxiety. He had every right to sound frustrated because of such a long delay between Sannes's last text and the bloody call.
The silence on the other end of the line was filled with confusion; Kenny could almost feel it himself. Then, an unfamiliar voice murmured, "Pardon?"
Oh fuck, it definitely wasn't Sannes.
"Err," for a second, Kenny was actually taken aback, "shit, my bad, I thought you were- Uh, fuck, I meant - ugh - sorry for being rude," he muttered, squirming in embarrassment. It almost felt like a second-hand one, as if Kenny was observing himself from the side and realising he acted like a total idiot.
He even glanced at the phone screen and only belatedly realised that the unknown number wasn't the same as the one Sannes had rung him from yesterday.
The unfamiliar voice on the other end chuckled. "Oh, no worries," it almost sounded like the caller was actually amused, "believe me, I'm not a stranger to awkward situations myself. Kenny Ackerman, I believe?"
"That's me," Kenny sighed, scratching the small of his back. For a second, he wondered if lying and hanging up would be a much better choice. He hated the whole concept of embarrassment.
"Oh, good," the caller was obviously smiling now, which was weird as fuck, "I'm sorry for calling you unannounced, though. My name is Uri Reiss."
"Huh," Kenny said.
What the fuck?
"I have contacted Mr Sannes to get hold of your number," Uri Reiss - his potential client - continued, oblivious to the tortuously slow realisation that was happening in Kenny's mind at the moment. "I believe he had mentioned that I was asking to schedule a meeting with the possible- Ah, with you."
"Huh," Kenny confirmed with a stupid nod of his head, as if Uri Reiss could see him.
He felt like the biggest loser in all of fucking Paradis.
A distrusting and a tad nervy kid that still lived somewhere in the depths of Kenny's mind whispered that, with such a brilliant start to a conversation with a client - no proper greeting, a few dumbfounded noises, and even several curses - Mr Uri Reiss, who had a fuckload of money and couldn't be bothered to take a flight to Marley just like normal people did, would surely hang up and tell Sannes to find someone competent.
That was how good things tended to end for him.
"I'm sorry I couldn't contact you earlier," Uri Reiss apologised, even though there was no need for it, "but I ended up overloaded by some unexpected work tasks. I'm still in the office, but I wanted to talk to you nevertheless. If you are available, of course."
"I am," Kenny replied overhastily, not being sure what turn the conversation in question could take. "And, um, I guess it should be who needs to apologise. For being a rude fuck - shit, I'm sorry. Just for being rude when I picked up, that's it."
"Ah, it's alright," the man on the other side of the line said as if he wasn't bothered by Kenny's absolutely disastrous customer service skills. "So, Mr Ackerman-"
"Just Kenny's fine," Kenny interrupted. "I usually go by my name at work," he added, just in case. It wasn't that he wanted to reach any particular level of familiarity with the people he worked with - absolutely not. But there was something unsettling about relatively unfamiliar people calling him Mr Ackerman; that form of address reeked of hospitals and blood and some other unpleasant shit, and being called simply by his name made Kenny feel much better or whatever.
Uri Reiss didn't need to know about it, though.
"Right, Kenny," he said without a second thought, which was pretty weird for someone of his stance. "I guess it won't be too nice of me to keep you on the line for this long, so let me just get on to the whole subject of the job offer. Mr Sannes had kindly informed me that you would be interested in accepting it, and he also forwarded to me all the information about you required by the terms of the contract."
"Huh," Kenny wondered how much Uri Reiss already knew about him. Sannes had probably sent him a summary of the application form Kenny had filled in - meticulously, but not too sincerely - when he signed up to work at the agency. But people like Uri Reiss - though for now it was just Kenny's assumption - had their ways to gather all the background information on anyone they wanted, and just a mere thought of it made him flinch in irritation.
"Well, about your work experience with the agency, your driving licence and everything else," Uri Reiss patiently replied, making Kenny's shoulders relax a tad. "All the regular stuff, I suppose."
"I see," he said, but still glanced in the direction of the kitchen window, making sure there wasn't some sort of private detective watching over him without any sound or movement. Just in case. "I didn't mean- Oh, fuck!"
Maybe it was actually a good thing that his irrational assumptions made him look around. Otherwise, the half-full watering can he'd left on the edge of the sink would already be on the floor, the water sloshed all over the cheap boards in the kitchen and living room. Kenny managed to save the day just in time, holding the phone to his ear with his left shoulder and doing his best not to let any more curses slip out as he picked up the can and made sure the water didn't spill anywhere but the sink.
"Uh, sorry about that," he said, wondering in what other ways he might manage to degrade himself in Uri Reiss's eyes before their conversation was over.
"Is everything okay?"
Kenny was pretty sure he heard an actual concern in the man's voice. What the fuck. "It's fine," he muttered, still holding on to the plastic handle. "It was only a watering can. For the plants. Almost fell to the floor, huh, but I prevented the disaster. I guess."
He was a pathetic idiot, and he fully acknowledged it.
Uri Reiss laughed. Not mockingly, and not like one of those posh, rich bellends Kenny sometimes came across while working for the temp agency. His laugh sounded nice and made Kenny think of his sister. "That's an interesting hobby you have, Kenny."
"Not a hobby," Kenny grunted, finally putting the watering can away and far from the edge of the kitchen counter. He would deal with it after the call. "My grandad left way too many plants when he died. Now it's my job to take care of them, I reckon."
Uri Reiss chuckled. "You know, that's actually sweet of you."
Kenny opened his mouth, taken aback by this nonsense. No one in their right mind had ever called him or whatever he did sweet. Kenny and that word lived in two completely different worlds, and honestly, he was at peace with that. Maybe Kuchel was the one exception - she'd used it when he brought her snacks and rubbed her feet while she was pregnant - and maybe his grandad threw the word about back when Kenny was a toddler.
But that was about it. Uri Reiss had no fucking clue what he was talking about.
Still, Kenny didn't fancy arguing or spelling out why the man was wrong, let alone giving him a list of the names he'd been called since he'd turned fourteen and had to grow up a bit too quickly. "It's just a regular chore," he said instead, scratching the back of his neck, "nothing else."
"If you insist," Uri Reiss didn't argue, though his voice sounded a tad softer now. "Anyway, Kenny, what I wanted to say before the whole, ah, can accident, is that I would be really glad if you were to accept the offer from the agency."
"And become your driver for that week?" Kenny wasn't sure why, after all his idiotic misfortunes and slips, the man on the other side of the line was still looking forward to working with him. Maybe Kenny actually was his - and Sannes's - last hope.
"Exactly! However, I need to warn you about one significant change, and I will completely understand if you decide to decline."
Kenny frowned. "Being?"
Uri Reiss sighed. "I'd like to leave for Liberio tomorrow, since there were some changes in the conference plan and some of the additional meetings were rescheduled," he explained apologetically. "I know Mr Sannes told you yesterday that you will have to leave in three days, and I know that it can be quite tricky to adjust your own life to this unexpected request."
Kenny hummed. "That wouldn't be a problem at all," he said cautiously, wondering about the best way to bring up the topic of his nephew.
Uri Reiss, thankfully, noticed his hesitation immediately. "But?"
Kenny sucked air through his teeth. "Look, Mr Reiss-"
"Uri."
"Huh?" Kenny said, suddenly wondering if being sacked for overusing a specific word was even legal.
"Just Uri's fine."
He even repeated the exact words Kenny had used earlier, like he was trying to come off a bit friendlier and more laid-back. And Kenny had no fucking clue whether Uri Reiss was putting it on - trying to seem humble and normal despite having a fuckload of money - or whether he actually meant it. Somewhere deep down, he hoped it was the latter, though he knew all too well what came of believing in people too much.
For now, though, he simply had to accept the rules Uri Reiss wanted to implement. "Sure," he replied, "but look, Uri, the biggest issue for me is the timing of this offer - the whole need-to-leave-almost-immediately thing. If I'd known about the job beforehand, I could've sorted someone to look after my kid, and I can't just leave him at home for a week on his own."
"Oh, you have a child?" the other man sounded curious.
"I'm raising my nephew," Kenny clarified, "he's nine, and I don't have anyone I can ask to come and stay at our place until I'm back."
"Ah, I see," Uri Reiss chuckled, but thankfully didn't say any more weird stuff, "it's always like this with the little ones. I have a niece and a nephew, and my brother and his wife are expecting once again, so I know very well what you are talking about."
"Right," Kenny sighed. "So I was thinking if-"
"Why don't you just take your nephew to Liberio with you?"
Kenny frowned. "As in?"
Uri Reiss laughed. "Just as I said, Kenny. If you, as a parent, don't mind, you can take your nephew with you. See, I will be mostly busy at the conference, so you, as my driver, will have most of the free time to yourself. Why not spend it together with him?"
Kenny has never been to Liberio, and neither has Levi. They lived in Mitras, one of the most populous and most longed-for cities in Paradis, but unlike the stereotypical lot in the capital, they weren't nearly wealthy enough to spend their time travelling or visiting other places too far from home, even within the island. And places like Marley were obviously out of reach - though Kenny had sworn to himself that his nephew would one day be able to visit any place in the world he wished. Even if it meant making some grim sacrifices, like taking almost any job going, sometimes several at once, or living for years on suppressants so he could focus solely on whatever Levi needed.
That's why Uri Reiss's offer was tempting. Kenny was always careful around the people he worked for or with, though. "Wouldn't it be too much?" he asked. "I mean, don't get me wrong, taking the kid on a short holiday would be nice, but now it sort of feels like we're feeding off you or something, which is just weird."
"Why so?" Uri Reiss sounded confused. "I've already booked two hotel rooms for the whole stay - I can easily get in touch with reception and ask for two beds in yours. And things like that usually don't require any extra payment, so you shouldn't worry about it being too much. And as for everything else, Mr Sannes told me it's necessary to provide a daily allowance for the temp worker, and it's entirely up to me to decide the amount. Just use it for whatever you need - food, shopping, or spending some free time with your nephew."
Kenny shifted from foot to foot. "Don't you reckon it'd be easier to hire someone with the same qualifications who doesn't come with all the extra fuss?"
He wasn't sure why he'd even asked. Kenny knew he wasn't exactly the agency's most exceptional worker; there were plenty of other people who could do the same job - and, honestly, with a much better attitude and a friendlier face. And none of them would saddle the client with spending a whole week in the company of their slightly unruly nephew.
Or maybe he was simply scared of messing up whatever expectations Uri Reiss had of him.
"Please, Kenny," the man sighed. "Honestly, you really don't need to worry this much. I've already told you it's fine, and besides, it was my idea to take your nephew on the trip. What's his name, by the way?"
"Levi," Kenny replied. "He's nine, and he's an omega - not that everyone believes it on first impression."
"Charming," Uri Reiss was obviously smiling on the other side of the line. "Well, if you really don't mind, then I hope we are all sorted."
Kenny chewed his bottom lip. There had to be some sort of catch; he didn't doubt it for a second. Still, asking Uri Reiss about it straight off didn't seem like the smartest move. And he needed money. And Levi wouldn't be left at home for a week on his own - or off fuck knows where.
He took a deep breath. "I guess so?" he said, flinching at the obvious doubt in his voice.
"Does something bother you?"
Kenny blinked. "Should it?"
No bloody way was he actually voicing that stupid concern.
"Great," Uri Reiss said, and Kenny heard a muffled sound, as if the man was standing up from his chair or whatever. "So, regarding tomorrow - what time do you think we should depart to be in Liberio in the evening?"
The furthest point on the map Kenny had once visited while driving the client was Shiganshina. "Late morning, I reckon."
"Would ten-ish do?"
Kenny shrugged, brushing the hair back from his forehead. "If there aren't any hold-ups before the ferry, we'll be fine. But we'll need to make at least one stop on the way - maybe in Trost."
"Oh, no problem!" Uri Reiss agreed, humming something under his nose. "As Mr Sannes said, a car will be provided, but you can arrive at the meeting point on your own and leave it there - there's covered parking available."
"Good to know," Kenny nodded. "Will you send me the address?"
"In a moment! And I suppose you'll get another text or call from the agency to finalise the agreement, or something like that - I'm not entirely sure what's usually done on the worker's side."
"Sure," Kenny said, trying not to sound too enthusiastic. The annoying lump of nerves and anxiety that had settled in his stomach that morning was slowly dissolving, leaving him with thoughts of tomorrow's route and the things he needed to sort out before leaving. And all the stuff he had to pack for Levi and himself, too. It was a pleasant and surely welcomed change, and, honestly, he had to thank Uri Reiss for it.
The man in question hummed again. "Then, if everything's sorted for now, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Kenny said.
Uri Reiss chuckled. "Thank you, Kenny."
"What for?" Kenny frowned, but all he got in reply was the dead tone - the phone had already been put down.
He raised his eyebrows but said nothing. Uri Reiss turned out to be a pretty weird fella, but he sounded sincere enough that Kenny almost wanted to believe him.
The text with the address followed almost immediately. Uri Reiss then sent another text containing only a sad-looking question mark, which Kenny took to be yet another message his phone couldn't display properly. The meeting place turned out to be pretty close to his flat, and the area wasn't known for heavy traffic later in the morning, which meant there'd be no need for any dramatic early rising for Levi, who liked to spend as much time in bed as possible during the school break.
Kenny waited for the rest of the messages, already mapping out their time before the trip. He could pack his own things in the evening and make Levi do the same when he got back. There were the plants to water - and, since the flat would be empty for a week, he had to remember to add some food to the water. He also needed to run a wash so everything could be hung out on the rack before nightfall; that way, in the morning, he'd only have breakfast to worry about. He sent a quick text to his landlord as well, just in case - so the man wouldn't start fretting if no one answered the door.
Sannes emailed him the job agreement, and Kenny went to his bedroom, turned on his slightly outdated but at least still functional laptop, and quickly filled in all the required details before sending it back. Sannes replied straight away, thanking Kenny for the quick response and wishing him luck with the trip.
Then, simply out of sheer curiosity, Kenny opened a search engine and typed Uri Reiss's name into the bar, raising an eyebrow at the number of articles that popped up almost instantly. Weirdly enough, there were no social media profiles registered under that name, though Kenny could understand fella completely. He himself had little more than a near-empty page on the most popular platform, set up ages ago for the sole purpose of adding Traute and a few other blokes he'd met through various jobs, and having a laugh at odd travel photos or stupid jokes they posted from time to time. Kenny didn't even have a picture up, and he was perfectly fine with that.
But he was just Kenny Ackerman - an ordinary man of no real importance. Given how many pieces had been written about Uri Reiss online, it was a bit odd that the man had chosen to pass up the chance of having any real online presence at all. Not that it bothered Kenny in the slightest.
He took the laptop through to the kitchen and poured himself some tea into the big mug Levi had given him for his birthday earlier that year - Kenny later spotted the same mug in a shop where everything went for one mark, though he kept that information to himself. He didn't want to be too nosy, but he still went through every article on the first three pages of the search results that mentioned Uri Reiss's name, just to make sure he'd be spending the next week in the company of someone at least half-decent.
As it turned out, he was. After skimming through the bunch of articles, Kenny learnt that Uri Reiss was the second son of a former chair of the Founding Solutions - a company Kenny wasn't familiar with personally, but one he'd heard enough about since it managed to cause a stir across Paradis years ago, when it became the first local family-owned conglomerate to be inherited by an omega. That sort of thing wasn't remarkable anymore, but when Kenny was a kid, everyone and their mums were gossiping about the decision of, as it turned out, Uri's father. Some with disdain, others with cautious hope.
Uri Reiss, however, didn't seem to be really involved in the family business at all. He did still appear at some big events next to the other members of his family from time to time, sure - it took Kenny a few seconds to match a name beneath one photo to the man in it, who, at the first glance, looked almost absurdly tiny - but none of the available information suggested that Uri Reiss actually held any sort of position there. Kenny frowned as he read a short and fairly recent interview stating that Uri Reiss was not only running a charity primarily focused on improving the lives of betas and omegas, but also owned a small coffee chain whose name sounded oddly familiar - Kenny wasn't one to frequent such chains, to be fair. After all, he actually preferred tea nowadays.
Kenny flicked through some more photos, still wondering how it was even possible for someone to be that tiny, and scratched his head thoughtfully. Uri Reiss seemed to be a decent fella. An absurdly decent, to be fair, especially given his background. Suspiciously, even. Kenny hoped that, after a week in Liberio, he wouldn't end up in the news as a lifeless body dumped in the woods by an unknown but elusive serial killer no one had managed to catch for years.
He heard the sound of the door opening and shut down the laptop, stretching his arms with a groan.
"What, getting old?" Levi asked, kicking off his old trainers and walking into the living room.
Kenny eyed him with a scowl. "I took the offer," he said instead.
"Really?" his nephew grinned, throwing his gaming console on the settee. "Wow, and when are you leaving, then?"
"Tomorrow," Kenny replied, placing his empty mug next to the sink and wiping his hands on his trousers. "And it's we."
"Huh?"
"We are leaving," Kenny announced, looking with a smirk at Levi's oddly widening eyes. "You are coming with me to Liberio, which means I get to earn my well-deserved money and won't have to rack my brains about leaving you here on your own or with someone I don't approve of. Sounds like a win-win, yeah?"
Levi blinked. "Sounds like stupid shit," he said, furrowing his brow and funnily clenching his tiny fists in a way that almost made Kenny snort.
"Don't make me remind you about your language."
Levi kicked the settee leg in frustration. "But why?" he grunted, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't want to go to Liberio, I want to stay home - it'd be better for everyone, right?"
"How so?" Kenny mirrored his pose, leaning back against the kitchen table.
"I won't be bothering you while you're working, will I?"
Kenny shrugged. "I'll survive."
"Kenny!" the kid whined, kicking the settee leg again. "I don't want to go! It'll be boring, and I'll be fine here!"
"Weren't you the one who kept telling me they're nine?" Kenny snorted. "I'm not leaving a nine-year-old idiot on his own for a bloody week."
"Look, it'll be fine! I've been to Hange, and we talked it through, and they offered that I could stay with them - their parents are fine with it!" Levi rattled off, though Kenny noticed a few beads of nervous sweat on his forehead. "I mean, we even live in the same housing estate, so I'd still have access to our flat if I needed anything, and-"
"That sounds thrilling," Kenny cut in with a frown, "especially considering Hange's parents told me last week that their whole family would be off to Karanes for some forest hiking in - what was it again? - two days, I guess. They're leaving around the weekend, and Hange are going with them."
"Oh, piss off!" Levi groaned, flopping onto the settee on his stomach and burying his face in the pillow.
Kenny laughed. "Don't you think I am in touch with your friend's parents? We literally bump into each other almost every day."
He received only another curse in reply, muffled by the pillow, and sighed as he walked into the living room, sitting down beside the distraught kid. "Right," he said, rubbing at his face, "tell me what your plan was."
Levi let out a frustrated sniff but said nothing.
Kenny snorted. "Fine, let me guess - you were hoping to distract me with that fairly convincing story, then spend the week at Erwin's, yeah?"
"Of course not!" Levi replied, still hiding his face in the pillow.
"Liar," Kenny leant back with an irritated huff.
"And what's wrong with that?" Levi shot upright on the settee, clutching the pillow to his chest. "Why am I not allowed to spend time with my best friend, like normal kids do? Is it because you're dumb?"
"Do you want to have the same conversation once again?" Kenny rolled his eyes.
"You say you care about me, but you're acting like a daft loser and don't want me to have any friends!"
"I never said anything against you hanging out with Hange," Kenny said defensively, raising his hands. "And you can be friends with Erwin as much as you like when you're at school - or when you're spending time where I can keep an eye on you."
"You're a bloody loser, Kenny!"
Kenny squinted. "And your legal guardian, in case you forgot for a second. See, Levi, kids your age are meant to listen to their parents, or whoever's spending their time, money, and nerves raising them."
"Why are you so-"
"And if I say you're coming with me to Liberio, then that means you get up from this settee and start packing your shit so that we can leave in the morning without any fuss."
Levi thought for a second and threw his pillow at Kenny. "Why do you always make my life miserable?"
"Look who's talking!" Kenny laughed. He wondered how ready Uri Reiss would be to witness outbursts like this for the entire trip, and huffed. "Alright, how about this? You come with me, and for the rest of the school break, you can invite Erwin over whenever you like - when I'm off work, obviously. You've got what, nearly three weeks? Feel free to hang out with him at our place until you're sick of each other."
"That won't work."
"Why?" Kenny cocked an eyebrow.
"Erwin and his dad are going away until the end of the school break, right after you're supposed to get back from your work trip."
"Well, I suppose it wasn't meant to be then," Kenny said, throwing up his hands. "Looks like you'll have to wait until the next school break - unless your little alpha friend's got his schedule booked up for the next couple of years."
Levi leaned forward and punched him in the arm. "You are a daft loser, Kenny," he repeated stubbornly.
"And you are going to pack your shit."
"Why did you even offer to take me with you in the first place?"
"Wasn't my idea, kid," Kenny said, gently nudging his nephew away from the settee. "See, Mr Reiss - the fella who needs a driver - turned out to be so kind and understanding that he is going to spend his own money so you can finally travel somewhere outside of our sad area, and I don't reckon there are many individuals who are ready to splash out just to listen to your whining. Which means you'll be a grateful kid and keep your mouth shut for the whole trip. Deal?"
"I bet this Mr Reiss would agree you're acting like an idiot."
Kenny shrugged. "He can agree to whatever he likes, so long as he's paying for my job. Now stop wasting precious time and get ready for the trip."
Levi tsked. "That's pathetic," he muttered, getting to his feet.
Kenny waved a hand dismissively. "Don't forget about packing," he reminded him, quickly checking his phone for any new texts before tossing it onto the pillow. "And don't take too much unnecessary stuff - I've no idea what kind of car we'll be driving."
Levi groaned. "That's annoying. Why can't you just be like all the normal parents?"
"Maybe because I'm not a parent?"
"Maybe you should spend more time talking to Hange's parents, then," his nephew said tartly. "Who knows, maybe it'll help you not to be such a loser."
"Piss off, kid," Kenny sighed, getting to his feet. He still had his own things to pack and the plants to water - and he couldn't forget about the bloody washing machine.
And a dinner. With all the fuss, Kenny had utterly forgotten his hunger, now partially sated by tea.
Well, just like he always did.
"Hange are always saying they'll marry Moblit when they're grown up, and their parents don't care at all," Levi kept muttering under his breath as he slowly dragged himself towards the clothing rack by the front door. "They just laugh and always let Moblit come round - they're even taking him on that forest hike, and they don't have any problem with Hange's crush on another alpha, and Erwin and I are just best friends, and still - no! All because my uncle's a pathetic loser!"
"Well, feel free to go and live with Hange's parents, then," Kenny sniffed.
"Good idea!" Levi snapped, retrieving his old backpack and marching off towards his bedroom. "I'm sure they'll take better care of me!"
"Fuck they will!" Kenny shouted after the door as it slammed shut. Suddenly, he felt so, so tired he didn't want to do anything at all.
After his sister got pregnant, and especially after her death, Kenny had been forced to cast aside as many bad - even if so comforting - habits as he could. Smoking became the only thing he could indulge in without limits, though he still didn't turn to it often, and even drinking was reduced to the odd occasion - nothing like it had been back in his days with a local wannabe gang. But thanks to his newly acquired driving job, even a small can of beer was out of the question, and Kenny wasn't sure he wanted to go outside for a smoke, given the state of the weather.
Still, he needed to calm down and give himself a moment to relax, even if slightly, so Kenny went for the only option available. He locked himself in their tiny bathroom and turned the shower on as hot as he could stand.
The sound and feel of the running water made most of the annoying thoughts fade from his mind. Kenny leaned against the wall and sighed, wishing they had a proper bath so he could sink into the water and not see or hear or feel a thing for a while. He felt tired, and if Kenny was being honest, his nephew's words kind of stung, even if just a little, but there wasn't much he could do about it, besides allowing the hot water wash away the fatigue and annoyance, dry off, and just get back to his usual life. That was how things had always worked for him, and Kenny didn't see anything changing in the slightest any time soon - or at least not until Levi grew up and moved out.
Kenny had never wanted to be a parent. He'd never felt suited for parenthood, even as a kid or a slightly unhinged teenager. Kuchel, his sweet little sister, was the one who dragged him into her games, where they had to pose as a happy family, and she had never even considered terminating the unwanted pregnancy, despite not yet being sixteen when she tearfully announced it. They had a pretty ugly fight back then, and when Kuchel turned up at the police station with their grandad, visiting Kenny in his cell after he'd beaten the wanker who'd wrecked her life to a pulp, he told her he would try his best to help with her pup. And he kept that promise, even after her way-too-early death.
He tried. Everything was fucking hard, and Levi was growing up resembling Kenny at that age way too much, but he kept trying, again and again. He never considered himself a good parent - he wasn't even a parent, for fuck's sake - but he did everything he could to make sure his nephew was fed, clothed, and even had all the shit kids his age wanted.
But sometimes it was just too much.
Kenny scowled and decided to stop thinking altogether, if only for a moment.
He completely lost track of time, but when Kenny finally turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, he felt slightly refreshed. He quickly dried his hair and went through the bathroom stuff he might need for the trip. He didn't even bother picking up a toothbrush or toothpaste, knowing the hotel Uri Reiss had booked would undoubtedly provide the standard bathroom amenities. He found and set aside sunscreen, though, since Levi was prone to sunburns in the summer, and Liberio's location made the chances of that happening far too high. He also picked out the vitamins Levi took every morning, and stared at the pack of his suppressants, hoping that there were enough pills until the end of the trip. He didn't take anything fancy, just some universal suppressants - similar to the ones both alphas and omegas could easily get at the nearest pharmacy - but Kenny's doctor had advised him to stick to the prescribed ones, especially given his history with some absolutely dodgy shit he'd taken during his teenage years, and Kenny, for once, obediently followed the recommendation.
He set everything down by the sink and stepped out of the bathroom, raising an eyebrow at the suspiciously quiet Levi, who was sitting on the floor beside the settee, folding his clothes and humming under his breath.
"What, getting ready to go and live with Hange, then?" Kenny asked, grabbing his phone from the pillow and wincing at the realisation that he'd spent almost two hours in the shower. It wasn't even his record, and it surely wouldn't be that bad if only Kenny didn't have a pretty long list of things to deal with before the end of the day.
Levi lifted his head and blinked. "Nah, getting ready for the trip," he said, putting his gaming console into its case and stuffing it in the backpack.
Kenny snorted. "What's with this sudden change of heart?"
The kid shrugged. "I decided it won't be that bad," he replied. "Kenny, can we buy a new power cord on the way? Or maybe in Liberio, they have loads of cool shopping centres there. Please?"
"Yeah, sure."
Levi smiled. "Thanks," he said, as if the argument they had earlier had never happened. "Do you want me to help with the plants?"
"Yeah, go on," Kenny muttered, eyeing his nephew suspiciously. But Levi only zipped up his backpack and jumped to his feet, asking how much plant food to add to the water, and Kenny decided that maybe this was some sort of sign that taking the job offer was for the best.
Maybe things weren't as fucked up as he feared.