In the end, Noah, this good baby, could read the mood and decided to stay silent. Since the two, for some reason, didn’t wish to go to dinner yet, then he’d go along with their plans.
And that’s how the trio, with the accompaniment of several bodyguards, ended up going to the west skyscraper where there was a huge cinema. On the way there, every once in a while, there would be a camera flashing their way from the iron-blooded reporters who wouldn’t let one terrorist attack get in the way of their bonus.
Naturally, the trio just ignored them.
Firstly, they were used to media attention. Secondly, they had nothing to hide. And thirdly, in the case of Levi and Maery, they hoped that the footage of today would go out because it could give more weight to their future explanation of the truth behind the change of marriage partners.
In that spirit, to give the media some more juicy shots, as soon as the trio entered the establishment, Maery giddily floated away, “You guys, wait here. I’m gonna go buy us tickets.”
Noah was left standing there dumbfounded and uncomprehending, his hand stuck hanging in the air while reaching out towards his sister, ‘…sis! Ticket purchases are made online! And we didn’t even decide on a movie yet!’ (っ °Д °;)っ
After a moment of awkward silence, Noah turned to face Levi, looking apologetic, “Um… we haven’t gone out together in a while… sis must be really excited, so she… uh…” After meeting Levi’s deep eyes, Noah momentarily forgot what he wanted to say, “…is there a specific movie you wanted to watch?”
Levi naturally shook his head, “Anything is fine.” He wouldn’t be watching the movie anyway; he’d be watching his baby. “Shall we buy drinks and popcorn while we wait for her to get back?”
Noah agreed with an obedient nod, and thus, the two of them paid a fruitful visit to the drink vending machine and the popcorn machine, looking very much like a proper couple on a date.
One acted a bit shy but was otherwise very docile and considerate of the other. While the other switched from looking doting, to looking protective, to looking enamored, to looking like he wanted to eat the little one right then and there, and then back full circle.
When Maery came back from her totally pointless voyage to buy electronic tickets through her communicator, Levi was holding a drink in one hand and a huge paper bucket of popcorn in the other. Noah also had a drink in one hand, but his other was inside Levi’s bucket of popcorn.
Maery felt gratified by the sight and shot a glance of praise in Levi’s direction. So that big dolt wasn’t that stupid after all! He managed to swindle her brother into sharing the same tub of popcorn with him!
Levi, who was actually just helping his baby hold his popcorn like a caring and considerate husband, “…” ‘Please don’t use your own crooked standards to judge my pure heart, thanks!’ (ꐦ  ̄︿ ̄)
With a few taps on her light screen, Maery sent each of their communicators an electronic ticket. And then, without pause, she ushered them towards auditorium 3, “Hurry up, the movie is starting in a minute! It’s not a 3D one, but the old fashioned 2D! No headset, so if we miss it, we can’t rewind it!”
***
The trio made their way towards the row of seats marked with the same letter as written on their respective tickets.
Finding the right row, Noah happily went in, looked at the seat numbers searching for his number and Levi’s, and then froze in place.
With his eyelid twitching, he turned to face his sister, only to realize she had plopped her butt down at the totally different section situated diagonally across from theirs.
Noah switched between looking at the seat in front of him and checking his seat number on his communicator. He checked once, double-checked, and then finally looked awkwardly towards his sister, “Sis… you are in the wrong seat…”
Surprised, Maery turned around to check the number printed on the back of her seat and then shot Noah a reproachful look, “No, I’m not.”
Noah’s lips twitched, “What I meant was… did you send me the wrong ticket?”
“Nope,” Maery chirped very happily from two rows behind and 4 seats to the right of theirs.
Levi looked down at the love seat with his and his baby’s numbers on it and had the urge to cover his eyes with his palm. ‘This pig teammate!! Do you want to give the gig up at the starting line?!’
Blackie, ‘Smooth, real smooth!’ 😂
Getting pricked by Levi’s accusing glare and tickled by her brother’s befuddled fluttering of his long eyelashes, Maery coughed, “That… uh… since I was buying the tickets last minute, those were the only ones available…”
Noah blinked, “Oh…” Give him one clue, and he would extrapolate the rest. Beggars can’t be choosers, so there being no good seats left a minute before the start of the movie made sense.
As to why his sister chose to give Levi and him the double seat while she sat further away… well, it was either because she’d feel guilty if either one of the two were forced to sit away from the group, alone and isolated. Or because she definitely didn’t wish to share a love seat with Levi, and Levi wouldn’t be receptive to her sharing the loveseat with Noah while he himself sat at the back.
So, it would seem that the two of them didn’t make up?
With that strangely comforting thought, Noah turned back to console Levi about the strange seating scenario but realized that Levi had long sat down in his seat without any complaints.
Feeling like he was making a mountain out of a molehill, Noah sheepishly scratched the back of his head and obediently sat down next to Levi.
***
Ten minutes into the movie, Noah speechlessly looked at all the empty seats around himself and Levi.
It wasn’t just the seats around them that were empty; the entire cinema hall was half empty!
After a long moment of silence, Noah tentatively asked, “Should we switch seats?”
Levi, who had been pretending to watch the movie, turned to face his baby, ‘…Are you kidding me?’ Now that he'd already sat down on a love seat with his baby, why the hell would he want to move?
Especially after he found out that the movie was a horror movie! What switch seats?? For 10 minutes now, he had been waiting for something scary to pop out so he could justifiably pull his baby protectively into his arms!
Levi, with his poker face in place, stared quietly at Noah for a while. Then he spoke, "Even if they are empty, sitting there isn't right. Those are not the seats we have tickets for. What if their owners are just running late?"
Noah, "…" (¬_¬;) ‘Brother, if you are too lazy to move, just say so. No need to bullshit me.’
***
Fifteen minutes into the movie, chills crawled up Noah’s spine. He felt like a little fluffy herbivore on the chopping board! His trembling form couldn’t help but shrink into himself, edging closer to Levi, much to the other’s satisfaction.
So, the horror movie was that scary, huh? 🤔
The horror movie??? No! Noah was disturbed not due to the horror movie playing on the screen, but due to a predatory gaze upon his back!
Maery fanned her flushed face and, with a passionate gaze, kept looking between Noah and Levi. The only thing missing to make her look like a perverted old uncle was a nose bleed and missing teeth!
Noah swallowed down the lump in his throat and whispered in a mosquito voice, “Brother… why is she looking at us like that?”
Levi, with his arm draped around Noah’s backrest, stared straight ahead as if he saw and heard nothing and definitely did not know the retard peeping at them from behind, “Ignore her. I suspect overwork has fried her brain.”
Noah, “…” (°ー° ;)
Before Noah could respond, what Levi had been waiting for since the beginning of the movie finally happened! On the screen, a zombie jumped from out of nowhere! Without further ado, Levi’s arm that had been resting on the backrest behind Noah swooped in like an eagle catching a small fluffy bunny. The bunny, caught completely unprepared, ended up encircled and snatched up right into the belly–uh, the lap of the predator. A high-pitched squeal reverberated through the empty cinema, yet the source of it wasn’t the dumbfounded bunny who found himself in the arms of the wolf with his face pressed into the other’s sturdy chest but the spectating fujoshi some seats away. Levi ground his teeth at the ear-piercing interruption. Enlisting the help of this pig teammate was the worst mistake of his life!! Since he had no way to vent the stifling fire burning in his chest on its source at the moment, Levi concentrated back on his precious darling. He held Noah’s
With his own impending doom on the horizon, Levi was forced to loosen his hold (very regretfully), allowing the little one’s fluffy head to pop out from under the crook of his neck. Noah interpreted this as him succeeding in reassuring Levi, and the other giving him his ‘permission’ to continue watching the movie. Thus Noah’s two big amber eyes looked left and right, and then their owner gently wiggled around to get a better position in the other’s hold. Levi bit his lips to prevent a throaty moan from escaping them. The sensation of that fleshy little bottom wiggling on top of his crotch… ah… the only saving grace that prevented his half-hardened member from shooting up that little ass was the fact that he had already shot his load twice today… “Be good, don’t move about,” Levi warned, his deep and raspy whisper setting off all of Noah’s alarm bells. This little bunny’s movement abruptly stilled, and his body turned stiff. His brother… he cou
Maery pretended to be fully concentrated on eating her salad, while in truth, she kept sneakily peeking towards her little brother sitting across from her. No, it wasn’t because seeing Noah munching on crispy fried chicken made her feel bitter about being forced to eat a salad so as to not give away her previous lie of being on a diet… And it also wasn’t because she suddenly realized that her darling brother had this rather enchanting way of eating. (/≧ω\) No, the reason why she kept looking over was to gauge her baby bro’s current value on the happiness meter as to strike when it reached its optimum. Her wait didn’t take long – Noah hadn’t been that hungry in the first place. As soon as the first delicious piece of chicken went down his throat, his oil-covered pink lips curved up in a satisfied smile. “Little brother,” Maery spoke up, “Earlier, I remember you asking whether Levi and I broke up?” Noah nodded. He did seem to ask that when the t
With his emotional mood completely spoiled, Noah returned back from his introspection to the present, where Maery and Levi were awaiting his reaction with bated breaths. Noah’s shocked expression slowly shifted into something… odd. It made sense that the two wanted the outside world to think that they got along well. This arranged marriage was of great importance and would influence the stability of the two cities. But… “Sister, I am not an outsider. So why did you keep the truth a secret from me all this time?” Maery sheepishly smiled and scratched her head, “We didn’t just keep it from you. We didn’t tell our parents either. We didn’t want you guys to worry. If you thought that Levi and I had a harmonious relationship, then you could rest your heart at ease regarding this arranged marriage.” She sighed, “Otherwise, how would our parents feel knowing that their children were sacrificing the best years of their life for politics and a loveless marriage? Dad w
With shaking hands, Noah picked up his drumstick, but suddenly he had no appetite. Ah, he really didn’t like horror stories! And to think this horror story nearly became a reality! He let out a long breath of relief. So glad the two had enough foresight to convince their parents not to go through with this catastrophe! But now he felt curious, what solution did the two manage to come up with that would be better for the union of two cities but didn’t involve them getting married? Noah’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud ringing of his communicator. Noah saw Case’s name light up on the screen and hesitated whether to answer. He was currently in the middle of a dinner with his sister and Levi; it didn’t feel right to chat with Case now. But on the other hand, he remembered telling Case he’d call him when he was free to hang out with him but ended up completely forgetting about him. Ai, he felt a bit guilty… Noah hesitated for a while, and the
The wronged Levi, (ꐦ °Д°) ‘What do you mean acting pitiful?! Thinking that my precious doesn’t want to marry me, my heart really hurts, ok?! You try being unwanted by your precious and let me see whether your expression will look less “pitiful”!!!’ Ah, ah! His chest felt really painful and stuffy! Levi’s shoulders slumped further, yet the look in his eyes grew obstinate. “If I am marrying, then… the bride can only be you…” Levi rasped out, sounding apologetic yet not. Sorry that his decision might have wronged Noah, but be that as it may, his resolution could not be shaken, nor would he regret it. Seeing Levi’s nervous yet unyielding demeanor of a martyr resolutely walking towards his demise, Noah couldn’t help but find it funny. And those words, ‘the bride can only be you’, made something warm and ticklish flutter through Noah’s insides, calming down his roiling blood. Ah, that sounded really too ambiguous! Like a love confession! No
Levi’s previously nervous and stiff expression slackened and then blossomed into a foolish grin of bliss. Sitting there with a bent fork in his hand, he should have looked like a lovestruck idiot, yet due to the virtue of his very handsome face, this bright smile didn’t look idiotic but actually had a heart-stopping boyish charm. There was really something very special in witnessing a fierce and cold man suddenly display the pure and clean happiness of a child. Even Maery, whose romantic interest in Levi was below zero, couldn’t help but feel her heart skip a beat at the sight. Then… she felt nausea climb up her throat. Bleurgh, how could she had gotten confused for a moment there?? This was clearly still that same scourge! Noah couldn’t see Levi’s bright smile, but he could feel the sheer bliss radiating off Levi in waves through his mental power. Knowing that the other was feeling happy, Noah couldn't help but feel happy too. Carried along with these feelin
“Then it’s settled,” Maery proclaimed, “I better go back to Concordia and help mother make all the necessary arrangements. And you”– she pointed towards Noah –“You need to decide on your best man and contact them immediately!” And with that, she heartlessly abandoned her barely eaten salad, waved her goodbyes, and with a speed of a hurricane, walked out of the private room. She needed to catch the first train back! Her stomach was grumbling in hunger! She needed meat!! Greasy and juicy meat!! This dog food was fiiine, but it wasn’t enough to fill her actual physical stomach! With her leave, the room fell into a long silence with the two resuming their, now almost cold, meal. Noah fidgeted in his seat, looking everywhere but at Levi. Being alone with this newly obtained fiancé of his was very awkward in itself, and Levi’s expression of utter bliss didn’t make it any less embarrassing! That being said… ‘Just look at him smiling so happily!’