In the afternoon, both pairs of rings arrived. However, before Levi could even touch the marriage rings to check whether his instructions have been fulfilled properly, they were unceremoniously snatched by Maery for safekeeping as the best man–ahem, woman.
With eyebrows twitching in annoyance due to this third wheel which kept popping up all over the place, Levi gripped the engagement rings in his hand tightly, lest the other snatched them away too.
Tsk. No matter. He'd be putting that wedding ring on his darling's finger tomorrow. As for today…
Levi had wanted to propose to his baby, but on second thought, he found the idea stupid. After all, his darling had already agreed to marry him. Since Levi had already gotten the answer he had wanted, why would he ask this tricky question again and shoulder this unnecessary risk of the positive answer changing into a negative?
Hence, he'd just skip the first half of the proposal and fast-forward to putting the ring on his lovely darling.
Levi slid one of the engagement rings onto his own ring finger and then turned to face his baby, who had trotted over to see what the fuss was about.
Seeing the fervent gleam in Levi's eyes, Noah abruptly halted in his step and stiffened in place. Big bad wolf Astar Levi perfectly exploited this opening and pounced on his prey. He captured Noah's left hand and slid his thumb over the other's palm, all the way from the tips of the fingers to the base.
The sensual caress gave Noah goosebumps. Breath hitched in his throat, and he reflexively snatched his hand back.
Levi's chest rumbled with a deep chuckle. His baby's shyness was too delectable! He just couldn't hold himself back!
So he didn't.
Levi grabbed Noah by his waist and picked him up like a child. He spun the wide-eyed flustered little rabbit around him in the air and then lowered him close enough to drop a juicy kiss onto his sumptuous cheek.
In his panic, Noah's hands flew to cover Levi's naughty mouth to prevent the other from continuing to kiss him. Only then, when the fingers of his two hands were sealing those soft lips, did Noah notice a golden glimmer on the ring finger of his left hand. A spark of understanding flashed in his flustered mind, and he realized that what he thought was Levi caressing his hand, was actually the other sliding the engagement ring onto his finger.
Noah stared at the ring in a daze, but before he could recover his wits, his thought process was once again interrupted by Levi's soft lips kissing the tips of his fingers. Noah's hands recoiled from the other's lips as if burnt, his wide amber eyes darting to lock with Levi's blue orbs. The mirth and adoration swirling within made Noah's little deer heart nearly leap out of his chest. A deep red flush spread from his ears all the way down his neck.
Keenly feeling that his baby's skyrocketing fluster-meter was about to reach the flustered-to-tears level, Levi's heart softened, and he lowered Noah back down until his legs once again touched the ground.
Only then, with his feet back on the ground, did Noah realize he was feeling as light as a feather. When those two warm hands had picked him up earlier, they did not painfully dig into his waist even though his entire body weight should have been resting on just those two points of contact. Levi had been worried that picking him up like that would be painful or uncomfortable for him, so he had considerately used his Enforcer power to negate his body weight.
Flustered, moved, helpless, but also… a bit happy. Noah averted his eyes downwards to hide his overflowing emotions behind his long shuddering eyelashes.
This man's actions were really over the top! And he was really naughty, enjoying teasing him the most!! But… but… but Noah… actually… didn't… didn't dislike this kind of raw affection… didn't dislike it at all… (⁄ ⁄> ﹏ <⁄ ⁄)
Levi carefully eyed his frozen-in-place little bunny who dared not look at him, and seeing as the other showed no signs of rejection, he pulled Noah closer until their bodies were plastered together. Levi's arms embraced his precious darling tightly, and he started to gently, comfortingly, caress the other's back.
Noah settled down like a little bird returning to its nest, nestling his fluffy head in the crook of Levi's neck. Feeling his baby's warm, ticklish breath fanning his Adam's apple, Levi closed his eyes and swallowed hard.
The two of them embraced like that for a long, long time.
Or they would have. If it weren't for Noah's brain cramp.
You see, after his poor little heart stopped trying to jump out of his chest, Noah's mush-filled brain remembered that he was supposed to work on reciprocating Levi's affection. Recalling the soft feeling of Levi's lips on his face, Noah thought that dropping a chaste peck on the other's cheek should… should be fine?
However, although he was determined to reciprocate, his mental encouragement did nothing to lessen this "shy to death" feeling brewing within his chest. Thus, Noah stood on his tiptoes and rushed through this quick peck, trying to get it over as soon as possible, before he lost the courage to go through with it.
Heh, but when you rush things, you are bound to make mistakes.
When Levi felt the little one pulling away from him, he moved his head to look at him. Noah's lips that were aiming for his cheek grazed Levi's lips along the way.
A soft, butterfly touch that was so fleeting and subtle that neither of the two could be 100% sure it actually happened.
Noah's imagined cheek kiss faltered at the very last step, and both men froze in place.
Levi's lips tingled as if ants were crawling over them. So ticklish, so very itchy! It was definitely not his imagination! That really happened!!! His baby's lips had touched his own!!! The dull shock on his face abruptly morphed into something fiery, turning his breaths hot and heavy.
'That did not happen! You are imagining it!! It definitely didn't happen!!!' Noah's brain stuttered, trying its hardest not to crash. His lips trembled, feeling as if they were on fire. 'That was just the air friction!!! Definitely not Levi's… Levi's… AH!! If I say it didn't happen, then it didn't happen!!!'
Noah's internal screaming was abruptly interrupted – not by Levi tightening his hold on Noah. Neither was it interrupted by Levi's lips that slowly lowered towards his as if in a trance. No, what awoke Noah from his internal world was…
Noah rigidly looked downwards towards Levi's crotch.
That thing down below felt his eyes on itself. Yet, instead of feeling self-conscious and settling back down, it was as if it felt the need to prove its might, so it only sprang up faster.
"This–this… you–you…!" Noah's red-rimmed eyes started to water, "Why…? Why does this keep happening?!" 'Don't tell me you have an unmentionable illness down there?? How can we even keep up this lovey-dovey act if your bird keeps raising its head spontaneously?!?' QAQ
Levi's trance was, thus, unceremoniously shattered before he managed to claim his baby's tantalizing lips.
Levi, who by now had gotten desensitized to the stirring of his loins, didn't even feel embarrassed anymore. Why should he feel ashamed of reacting to his baby's kiss? With his baby in his arms like this… Honestly, after all the kinky things he had imagined doing to his darling last night, it was a testament to his great self-control that he managed to suppress his desires this long!
Hence, besides the smoldering look in his eyes, Levi's facial expression was completely natural… Until he was asked why. Then it very UNnaturally stiffened. How does a man answer such a question??
'Why did this keep happening?? Of course, it's because I really, really want you! Why else?!' щ（ﾟДﾟщ）
But he couldn't just confess like this! Confessing after getting caught with a boner seemed so crude, ah! He had much grander plans for his love confession tomorrow!
Levi hemmed and hawed, but his usually very eloquent tongue, which could turn black into white and vice versa, suddenly couldn't find an appropriate explanation.