And thus, Astar Levi went to handle his swelling, disappointed he wouldn’t be receiving his darling’s assistance, but comforted with the fact that soon enough, this little cabbage would be fully his, and then he would be able to eat it up in all sorts of ways for the rest of eternity.
Meanwhile, Noah remained there in the hallway, encouraging himself to man up. Though embarrassing, he ought to go back to the party. If he didn’t return back soon, others might think the two of them were doing inappropriate things together!
But ah! Going back wasn’t that easy! Right now, he was again feeling like his life was too embarrassing to continue living! For such a thing to happen in front of so many people! Noah covered his burning face with his hands.
‘They saw nothing. They saw nothing.’ He tried to brainwash himself. ‘Just pretend nothing happened! You’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about! It’s not like it was you that got an erection!’
“Well, it’s true that they didn’t see anything…” Blackie comforted his host.
However, before Noah could sigh in relief, Blackie added, “…before you screamed your husband’s name. Then pretty much everyone looked your way.”
Noah, (눈_눈) “…can you NOT attempt to comfort me in the future? Thanks!”
Blackie, “Oh? And here I was, just about to tell you a genuine bright side in all of this!”
Noah, (≖_≖) “…There is a bright side?”
Blackie, “Remember what you mentioned every proper bachelor party should have? Yep! Black history / Blackmail material! ✔Check! ” (☞゚∀゚)☞
Noah, (ꐦ ◠‿◠) “…”
Meanwhile, in the living room, the acquaintances of Astar Levi shared a look in awkward silence. Then they looked at the bodyguards, who stared straight ahead and pretended they saw nothing.
Of course, not everyone was sensible enough. Among the group, there were naturally also people with EQ and/or IQ deficiency:
Acquaintance S (for ‘straight man’) exclaimed, “Ah, Captain Levi is really close to his little brother-in-law, yo!”
Acquaintance A (for ‘asking the right questions’) then wondered, “Are we still continuing the pool game?”
Acquaintance B (for ‘blind’) spoke up, “Eh? Eh? Hey, hey, what happened?”
Acquaintance D (for ‘dolt’) stared at the dirt underneath his nails, “Just boss being a dick again.”
Acquaintance M (for ‘Moon Moon’), who had been eating his plate of spaghetti, choked on his laughter and ended up inhaling pasta instead of swallowing it. “Look! I am the spaghetti monster! LOL!”
Faced with the image of a grown man with spaghetti hanging down his nostrils, the men shared a look that could only be described with the words “Whose idea was to invite Moon Moon?”
Finally, acquaintance F (for ‘fucking brave’) smacked his thigh and then opened up the light screen of his communicator.
The man next to him couldn’t help but ask, “What are you doing?”
“Timing how long Captain Levi can last. Duh.”
A long and heavy silence fell over the room.
Then…
“I bet 1,000 credits for 5 minutes.”
“2,000 credits for 10 minutes!”
“1,200 credits for…”
“3,200…”
“…” Trey gazed up towards the ceiling, looking like a man who had nothing left to live for.
***
The sun fell, yet the party went on in full swing.
Outside the presidential suite, the hotel manager stared blankly at the row of beautiful girls and boys lining up to be checked by security before entering the bachelor party.
“I did not hear anything about this from the boss…” the man frowned.
“I was told it is a surprise arranged for the boss by his friends,” his colleague reassured him.
In other words, their boss didn’t know about it, so he couldn’t have let the manager know of it beforehand.
The manager hesitated for a moment, but that explanation did sound reasonable. Bachelor parties often included these types of things. And the people were all reliable employees of their night club, so letting them in should be no problem?
While the man still hesitated about what to do, the identity verification of the people involved passed smoothly, and so did the body check for dangerous items. Seeing how none of the people posed a security threat, the manager decided to let it go. If their boss didn’t want them at the party, he could just throw them out.
***
Levi and Noah sat on the sofa in front of the karaoke equipment. When the off-tune singing of Levi’s law enforcement colleague entered their ears, Noah burst out laughing, while Levi couldn’t help but wince. Thank god for his baby’s melodious laugh! Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to endure this music disaster!
Levi checked the time on his communicator. The ideal time for the sniping was approaching. In the cover of the darkness, it would be even harder to see the sniper once he struck. Just a few more minutes, and it would be the time for them to give Swiftrain the opportunity to strike.
Just as Levi was about to remind Noah of the time, a group of unfamiliar people walked in, none of which were wearing the staff uniform.
Immediately, both Noah and Levi sat up in attention. Their eyes darted towards one another, but both saw the same questions in each other’s eyes.
Who are these people? Who invited them to the party? Was this set up by the terrorists?
The two didn’t speak, but everything that needed to be said was exchanged through their gazes. They tacitly and unanimously decided to wait and see what stunts these people would pull.
While Noah and Levi were silently communicating, the nuisance who claimed to be singing was kicked off the podium, and the DJ took over with an upbeat mix.
Noah and Levi trained their inquisitive gazes on the newcomers. There were 8 attractive people in total, 4 men and 4 women.
They strutted towards the middle of the room, smiled coquettishly towards them, and…
Noah’s eyes bulged out, and his mouth dropped open.
The vein on Levi’s throat nearly popped, and his Enforcer powers almost blew the 8 away on reflex.
Enthusiastic hoots and wolf whistles erupted, drowning out Levi’s screech of “Don’t look!”
Before Noah could come to his senses from the shock of seeing 8 people suddenly drop their clothes, his vision was blocked by Levi’s large hands. Levi’s abrupt and desperate movement ended up not just covering Noah’s eyes but also pulling the other into his lap.
Noah stiffened, dumbfounded, “What?? What’s happening?”
“Just something indecent…” Levi ground his teeth, staring daggers into the 8 strippers who were indecently swaying their hips and smiling coquettishly. Whoever was responsible for this better not let him catch them!! They sure had guts to dare call in these shameless hussies to seduce his baby!
Noah paused for a moment, listening to the sounds around them. Quickly, his mind connected the dots. Someone called for strippers, ah!
“Something indecent, is it?” Levi felt Noah raise his eyebrow through his hands. “Then why are you watching it?” Baby Noah reprimanded.
And just like that, Levi’s raging fury melted into sweetness. Ah, ah! His baby didn’t wish him to see! Ergo, his kitten felt possessive over him, Levi! Hence, his precious darling liked him back!!
Euphoria swelled within Levi’s chest until he thought he might burst. He stared at the fluffy head in his arms, his eyes brimming with adoration and infatuation.
Levi put his mouth close to Noah’s ear so that the other could hear him better over the music. “I’m not watching it. Of course I’m not watching it.” He coaxed with what seemed to be utmost sincerity, tinged with a bit of submissive groveling. “This kind of dirty sight will pollute my eyes.”
Feeling Levi’s hot breath puffing against his ear, Noah’s ear instantly flushed pink, and his voice came out sticky and nasally, “Really? You are really not watching it?”
“Mn. How about this…” Noah felt one of Levi’s hands move away from his face to take hold of his hand. Then Levi brought their two hands up to cover his own eyes too. “Now you can be sure I’m not watching, mn?”
Blood rushed into Noah’s face, and for a moment, he fell into a daze.
What was with this strange feeling in his chest? Why did it matter to him whether Levi watched it or not? The man had already broken up with his sister, so what’s wrong with watching a strip show? Why did the idea of the other enjoying the sight ruffle his feathers? Noah exhaled a breath and admonished himself. It was perfectly fine to have conservative values, but it was not fine to push his own values onto others! Levi treated him like a younger brother, so he didn’t wish him to see anything R-18, but Noah had no such excuse to write off his own feelings! (Blackie, ‘Oh? So you too know the younger brother treatment is an excuse?’ (¬‿¬)) Could it be that deep down, he already had some thoughts and feelings towards Levi that he shouldn’t have?! 😱 … While the two were off in their own pink world of two, the strippers dancing around Astar Levi exchanged a glance. ‘What… what’s happening?’ Did th
When the eldest Cordia sibling heard that her soon-to-be husband was a slag who dared cheat on her with someone else, blood rushed to her head, and without further thought, she took the first maglev train to the Astars’ mountain resort. She had been in such a hurry that she didn’t even remember to switch to more appropriate wear, coming to a snow-covered mountain in high heels! Throughout the entire train ride, she kept calling her fiancé, but not a single call went through! That son-of-a-bitch must have added her number to his blacklist!! ‘Heh heh heh. Astar Levi, you sure have guts!’ (ꐦ ◠‿◠) ‘Just you wait! I’ll rip those guts out and then regenerate them. Over and over and over!’ ‘You’ll rue the day you decided to backstab this mommy!’ ‘And the little bitch that dared seduce a man with a fiancé! Heh heh. Just wait until this mommy gets her hands on you!’ Only upon exiting the train did thi
The ex-groom and bride stared each other down. And judging by the equally fierce sparks shooting out of their eyes, if one didn't know their identities beforehand, it would be impossible to tell which was the Healer and which was the Enforcer. "Maery," Levi squeezed between his gritted teeth. Hearing that word, Noah visibly flinched. And Levi, who had always paid attention to his baby first and everyone and everything else second, instantly shut up and tried to retract his intimidating aura. Tried being the keyword. Maery, too, didn't wish to upset her baby brother, so she forced a smile. Unfortunately, that smile looked scarier than her frown. But fortunately for the both of them, Noah's reaction to the word had nothing to do with the tone or facial expression it was spoken in! No, no, no! There was a very different reason as to why he had always avoided referring to his newly obtained sister by her name! And that was because…
Maery took her sweet time finding herself an unopened beverage with the highest alcohol content she could find, while Levi sat at the dining table in silence with a grave look on his face, displaying a strange mix of impatience and forbearance. He was impatient to get this over with asap so that his baby wouldn’t need to wait long, but, on the other hand, he was aware of the importance of this conversation, and rushing it would do no good. He was the one in the wrong first; thus, he had to remain level headed and tolerant with Maery, no matter how long it took and how she chose to respond to the truth. Now he could no longer go with his original plan to seduce his baby during this bachelor party and then come out to their families together, changing the marriage arrangement. Thus, the success or failure of his happy matter with his baby largely depended on the result of his talks with Maery. If Maery insisted on holding on to this marriage or setting
Levi was abruptly shaken out of his melancholic mood, and his mind couldn’t help but stall. It took him several seconds to fully process the other’s words. Then his nostrils flared, “For the last time, I am not talking any medicine!” “Ah, then there is your problem.” The look Maery shot Levi’s way at that moment couldn’t be properly expressed in words. It was a look that a kindergarten teacher might direct towards a retarded kid that just got his head stuck inside a toilet seat. It was the look that said, “I’m not even gonna ask how or why – I’m sure any explanation you can come up with will be stupid. Let’s just call 101 and get this over with.” Maery smiled encouragingly and coaxed, “Now that we know the source of the problem, how about I introduce you to a friend of mine from Med school that can help you get a prescription?” Levi’s face fell, and a vein couldn’t help but pop up on his forehead from how hard he was trying to restrain his temper. “I am not c
The room fell into a deathly silence. But unlike the quiet stillness of the space, the mind of Cordia Maery exploded with an earth-shattering boom, the shockwaves of which shook up all her cogs, making them suddenly click in place. Abruptly, all of the incredulities over the last couple of days, as well as everything Levi said, fell into the right position. Like pieces of a puzzle that have finally been put together. Levi said the two had met less than a week ago. Levi had first met her brother less than a week ago, too. Levi claimed to have fallen in love with someone in the last couple of days. But ever since Levi came over to Concordia, he and her brother had been joined at the hip!! Her little brother praised Levi into the heavens, which made her doubt life, thinking whether her bro had hit his head too hard. But, as it turned out, it wasn’t her brother’s brain that had problems, but Levi’s! This shameless dawg wanted the other to li
Levi stood there, feeling mightily confused. Um… can someone tell him whether his ex-fiancé was for or against him marrying his baby?? But who could answer him when even the person in question had yet to decide her stance. Maery, after another heavy sigh, clicked her tongue, “And your courting method is all wrong! Aren’t you supposed to be smart? How come you’ve learned nothing from Case, Fynn, and Shaw! If you don’t confess, that silly brother of mine will never realize you have the hots of him!” Maery recalled her brother’s earlier pure and sweet smile. And then another image couldn’t help but pop into her mind. An image of her kind and gentle little brother, all flustered and helpless, trying to escape from the naughty paws of the wild and imposing scoundrel, Astar Levi! Such a contrast in personality and appearance! And two men at that! It was simply, simply…! Simply a perfect pairing, ah!!! (⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<
Levi eyed the annoying woman from the corner of his eyes and decided, ‘Nope! If I had not interrupted her, she would have definitely continued splitting property!’ But, forget it, he’d be magnanimous this one time and let her keep her face. As for the issue of an heir, that was indeed the most important matter that needed solving; otherwise, their parents wouldn’t agree to the change in brides even if all three people involved agreed to it. At least in this, he, Astar Levi, had been fully prepared! And thus, Levi lifted his chin up high with an air of a peacock spreading his feathers and proudly presented the results of his long and arduous research. “Men can’t get pregnant, but it doesn’t mean that two guys can’t have a baby together. Science is very advanced nowadays. Since men also have an X chromosome, it’s possible to make an egg cell using their DNA.” Maery gave him an odd look, “Advanced? That tech has existed for decades...” L