Noah wanted to refuse, but he just couldn’t squeeze those words out of his throat. This… this was important, ah! He hesitated, his emotions and rationality waging war within.
In the end, rationality won over. Even if it was embarrassing to death, this needed to be done! He absolutely couldn’t mess up their act on their wedding day!
And so, Noah gritted his teeth and nodded his agreement with equal doses of reluctance and determination, a rather peculiar sight.
Levi had expected such an outcome. His baby was cute that way. ❤ It was easy to get him to agree as long as he appealed to reason. Ah, his baby was really the cutest. (/≧ω\)
So cute, so darn cute that Levi just wished to tease him and “bully” him until he puffed up like an angry yet cuddly little kitten.
The urge proved to be too strong for Levi to resist, so instead of stopping while he was ahead, he greedily pushed onwards. “For a loving couple, endearments are also a must…” Levi’s eyes curved mischievously and he turned to face his precious with an adoring look, finally speaking out the words that had been stuck inside his chest for far too long, “Baby~”
The fork Noah had just picked up ended up being dropped again. A ticklish sensation spread from his ear down to his heart, making his entire body shudder. Breath hitched in his throat, and though his mouth opened and closed, not a word came out. His heart was beating so loud inside his chest that he couldn’t even hear his own thoughts.
Finally, Noah’s two wide eyes even reddened in agitation, so incensed he seemed on the verge of tears. He pursed his lips, scrunched up his nose, and used his glassy eyes to shoot Levi an indignant glare.
This person! Bad! He was really bad!!
Blackie, ‘Who was it that said Levi was really good a minute ago?’ 😂
Levi… he... he wasn’t practicing! He just enjoyed teasing him!!!
Why else, of all the possible endearments, would he pick the most embarrassing one?!? Ah, ah! Noah’s ears and insides were on fire! It was really embarrassing to death!!!
“Mn? Baby? Why are you not saying anything?” Low laughter rumbled out of Levi’s chest.
Then, Levi got his wish and witnessed his baby puffing up his fur first-hand. Noah lifted his chin up and briskly turned his head away in anger as if to say, ‘Mad! Very mad! I’m ignoring you!’
Another puff of laughter escaped Levi, “Alright, alright, baby, don’t be mad. Eat some more?” he coaxed in his most loving and indulgent tone. He even poured Noah a glass of water very considerately.
Seeing how the other still hadn’t learned his lesson and continued to use that embarrassing endearment, Noah’s dissatisfaction grew, and he smacked the table, “You–you–you…! You think I can’t come up with equally as embarrassing endearment?! You! Just you wait!”
Far from frightened by the threat, Levi’s eyes lit up instead, “Of course you can.” He cooed, “Here, let me give you a few ideas to consider…” his rich baritone dropped lower into a sinful, seductive whisper, “Darling~ Precious~” with each word, he came closer to Noah’s face, “Honey~ Love~” finally he paused centimeters away from the petrified Noah, and puffed warm air directly into his neon pink ear, “Hubby~”
With a screech, Noah’s chair nearly fell back from the force its occupant used to get away from the table. “I–I–I’m done! I–I–I… go–go–going… to–to wash hands!” Noah tripped over his words and nearly over his feet, too, as he scrambled to run away from the private room.
Even from the back, one could see the red flush spreading down his neck.
Levi’s eyes gleamed with humor. Ah, his baby was indeed the most adorable! ❤❤❤ He bit his lips but still failed to contain his laughter in the end.
After a long while of chuckling, Levi, too, lost interest in the food. No food could ever compare to the deliciousness of his baby. It was all just tasteless.
As for his baby… Levi sighed, his eyes curving in a soft smile, ‘My precious treasure, if your reaction is so adorable, how do you expect me to resist teasing you?’
‘You are too addictive, a single taste, and I’m hooked for life…’
***
Noah ran into the bathroom as if ghosts and devils were chasing after him, and with great panic, locked himself inside a toilet stall.
Then he slumped down to sit on top of the toilet seat cover, hugged his legs to his chest, and buried his flaming red face into his arms.
Bah! It… it was his loss. >︿<He really couldn’t compete with Levi when it came to such things!
Levi was really… really too much of a tease… ah!
How could he use such a sexy voice to speak such words?!
Bad! Really bad!
So very bad!!
Noah felt so helplessly flustered that even indignant tears started to come out.
Wasn’t Levi afraid that he would misunderstand?! Wasn’t Levi afraid at all that Noah might develop feelings for him he shouldn’t have?! Noah’s little heart was already so close to bursting, yet Levi still continued to ruthlessly tease him!!
Was it so fun to tease him?!? Noah’s red cheeks puffed up again. He jumped to his feet in anger and then started to pace up and down in agitation, or rather, turn in circles, because the space inside the stall was very limited.
But Noah being Noah, his anger was short-lived. In the first place, he was angered due to embarrassment, not because he disliked… disliked… ah, he really couldn’t dislike anything about Levi. Be it his overly intimate manner, or those shameless actions, or that ruthless teasing…
He would get flustered, confused, embarrassed, and mad, but actually… he didn’t really dislike it… not… not really…
Noah shook his head, trying to forcefully clear his head. But shaking it up didn’t work; thus, he had to resort to finding another topic to focus on. Unfortunately, the only thing he was capable of focusing on right now was Levi-related. Such as Levi. And the wedding.
The wedding!
Noah’s eyes widened. That’s right! There was still the issue of the best man! He needed to pick a best man asap!
Noah’s eyebrows furrowed in thought. If he was marrying literally anyone else, then he would have asked Levi to be his best man without a second thought. But his best best man candidate happened to be the groom...
So, whom should he pick?
He liked Trey, but the two have met only recently, and the other was even his bodyguard to boot, so asking him to be the best man would be inappropriate. Then there were Fynn, Case, and Shaw.
Shaw’s relationship with Aris was rather good, but there was an age gap of 8 years between them, making the two's relationship closer to that of a younger and an older brother than of friends. Picking him as the best man was a perfectly valid option, but it might not be the optimal choice.
Out of the three, Noah had interacted with Fynn the most since arriving in this world. However, considering how close the original Aris was with Fynn, picking him as the best man wouldn’t be the most appropriate. The two had been good friends, but they didn’t often spend time together, so they couldn’t be considered close friends.
If Noah were to consider the matter from the perspective of closeness, then the best candidate would undoubtedly be Case. But, ah, wouldn’t it be a low-blow to ask your best friend who had had a crush on you for a long time to be your best man?! Just look how outraged Case was when he received the wedding invitation! How could Noah bear to make him smile in front of the crowd at the wedding and wish his crush and the damned love rival, who stole his crush away from him, all the best in life?!
He’d already count his blessings if Case didn’t crash the wedding with a loud “I object!!”
Yet, if he was considerate of Case’s feelings and picked someone else to be his best man, then wouldn’t Case end up hurt all the same? How painful was it for your best friend to ask someone else to be his best man at the wedding?
Picking Case was not good, but not picking him was no good either!
Looking very forlorn, Noah looked towards the ceiling as if he could see beyond the walls to the clear skies above. In the end, he gritted his teeth. What needed to be done still needed to be done. He opened up the light screen of his communicator, and with an attitude of a kamikaze soldier flying to his last battle, he bravely returned Case’s call. The other side immediately accepted, and soon enough, Noah was staring face to face with ruffled-looking Case. It would seem Case had been pacing back and forth ever since the last call, running his hands through his hair the entire time, because right now, his usually stylish hair resembled prairie after a fire. Seeing Case’s bloodshot eyes, Noah felt inexplicably guilty, “Sorry about that, Case…” He greeted awkwardly. Case shot him a look imbued with exasperation and incomprehension. And then he wordlessly shook the wedding invitation, which by now looked a bit worn out. Noah peeked at the shiny
Levi had been worried that his baby would suddenly think about all those years he had been friends with Case and decide to give him a chance. He had been worried that his baby would abruptly realize he also liked Case back. Even if Levi logically knew that the chance of that happening was low, he still wasn’t willing to risk it. Yet, how come this giant jar of vinegar he had been fed suddenly turned into a big bowl of sugar?? Unlike him, Case’s mouth wasn’t filled with sugar but by biting bitterness that left him unable to spit it out or swallow it down. He arduously squeezed out, “Don’t let yourself be pressured into marrying him in a rush!” Case took in a few shaky breaths, then spat, “Screw the alliance! You barely know him, and he has a reputation for being a cold-blooded asshole! If he was really gay, what had he been doing dating your sister for 6 years? I smell bullshit! Don’t get involved in this matter. Let your sister handle him. You are too kindhea
One moment Noah was facing Levi, and in the next, his feet left the ground, and then suddenly, he was cradled in a warm and comfortable embrace?? This rapid assault was too much for Noah to wrap his head around. He didn’t even remember to resist and just sat there like a boneless plushie, letting himself be stroked here and there while staring straight ahead with befuddled and watery doe-like eyes. And then he felt something soft, warm, and ticklish touch his cheek causing warm tingles to spread throughout his body, and the red color of his already flushed face turned deeper. His fluffy head lowered to stare at those familiar, strong arms that were once again securely wrapped around him, and both his heart and his thick eyelashes fluttered in incomprehension. “Oh? Baby, you are in the middle of a call? Hello~ Who is this?” Levi flashed a provocative smile at the light screen in front of them, carrying himself with the demeanor of a legal wife confronting a mi
It was this thoughtfulness and sincerity of Aris that had attracted him in the first place. And then, like layers of an onion, the more he peeled, the more he liked what he saw within. The kindness and purity, the selfless dedication, the gentle tolerance. The other had everything, yet he never lost himself to temptation, always working hard to become the best version of himself. “I see,” Case swallowed down the acid that rose up his throat and smiled a bitter smile, “You are right… You are always right…. Then, I’m hanging up…” And with that, the call was disconnected. Noah blinked and tilted his head in confusion, “That… that's a no… right?” ( •᷄⌓•᷅ ) Blackie, “Yep, I’m pretty sure that’s a no.” ╮(╯▽╰)╭ Noah fell silent, mulling over what to do next. True, he was worried about the best man matter, but actually, he was more worried about Case’s current state of mind. He didn’t look good – as pale as a sheet and looking like he might cough a mouthful o
On the way back to the hotel, while Noah listened to Blackie’s retelling of what he managed to pick up with his surveillance (nothing which was of particular interest), Levi kept heatedly staring at Noah’s hand that was dangling within arm’s reach. White flawless skin, long slender fingers. So enticing in its elegance. The urge to grab it nearly overwhelmed Levi. Several times he had reached to intertwine their fingers together; however, every time, he would stop himself at the last step. Would it be too much for his thin-skinned baby to hold hands in public? All of the times he had taken liberties with his darling up to now had been in private. The closest they came to a public setting was hugging in the dark and nearly empty cinema. And even then, his baby still felt shy to death. So how would his easily embarrassed baby be able to bear the full extent of Levi’s insatiable greed? This play-pretend could only carry him so far. He needed to take it st
Abruptly, Noah’s brain came up with an explanation, and he no longer felt ashamed to bring up the topic. He looked around at the faces around him knowingly and asked, “You guys… have you seen the wedding announcement already?” Only then did those nonchalant facial expressions all around him morph into collective confusion, “What announcement?” Noah’s knowing smile cracked spectacularly. Levi didn’t have the heart to watch his baby struggling any longer, so he offered a timely rescue, “There should be an announcement up about the two of us getting married.” With that cue, everyone stopped what they were doing to open up the light screens of their communicators. Noah’s expression, which had been just a wee bit short of completely crumbling, finally fully fell apart. What’s this?? No one saw the announcement, yet everyone acted as if Levi and him acting lovey-dovey was perfectly normal?? ‘What the fuck?!? With your attention to detail, how di
Levi wished he could just seal off his baby’s eyes and ears, so he could only see and hear happy and beautiful things. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t confine his baby inside a golden birdcage. His baby deserved to fly freely. However, with more freedom, protecting his precious from the world became harder and harder. Yet at that exact moment, this beautiful angel-bird within Levi’s bosom nudged him with its fluffy head, proudly telling him, “You think I chose to let you hold me because I wanted your protection? Hmph! You think too highly of yourself! A phoenix born in fire like me only chose to nestle here in order to protect a squishy little mortal like you!” “Mn,” Levi murmured into Noah’s neck, the rumble of his baritone rippling through Noah’s flesh and turning his bones into jelly. ‘I understand. As long as we are together, as long as we protect each other, nothing can hurt us.’ Noah’s entire body shivered, and he tried to shrink his now p
Levi nearly crushed the armrest of his chair, “Teagan Peyton!!” He had already warned this vulgar mutt clearly, yet he still didn’t know what was good for him! Daring to smear his baby’s name! He had thought that Peyton’s father would properly discipline him after the trade agreement between their cities fell through, but, apparently, he overestimated city lord Teagan! Levi’s blue eyes turned stormy and dark. ‘You want to go against me till the end? Very good!’ To the right, one Astar Levi was fuming, while to the left, one Noah revealed a rather peculiar expression. ‘…So the guy came to cause trouble and made one of his bodyguards check in for him?’ Feeling Levi’s growing agitation, Noah gently nudged the other’s head on his shoulder with his own soft cheek, “This guy… isn’t he a bit… too incompetent?” Levi tilted his head to both express his inner confusion and to grant his precious darling easier access to his own cheek.