Hmph! Rich people!

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 they target the wrong person? Otherwise, why would the groom of this bachelor party be acting all lovey-dovey with another man?

But how could they have made a mistake?! He was the only one matching the description they received, ah!

So… was the groom cheating on his bride? Or did he bring his bride to his bachelor party?

ಠ_ಠ "…"

Hmph! Rich people! Who knew how their brains worked! ╮(╯▽╰)╭

If these 8 strangers were stunned by the display, then how would those who actually knew Astar Levi not be?

(・―・) Who were they? Where were they?? What were they doing?!?

Seeing their coldblooded vice city lord not casting the nearly naked beauties in front of him a single glance, but instead whispering sweet nothings in the ear of his little brother-in-law with a gentle look in his eyes… how would their jaws not drop to the floor?!

Who was this?!? Can't be their ruthless vice city lord! It must be a strange dream! Perhaps they had too much to drink!

While some were so shocked their souls nearly flew away, others who had caught on to some clues during the party were suddenly enlightened.

They knew their vice city lord would be marrying a Cordia, but they thought it would be the female one! Ah! They had all been fooled!

No wonder the two were so sticky all throughout the party! No wonder they thought their city lord was in an uncharacteristically good mood today! No wonder he kept circling the other like a mother hen looking after her chicks!

And no wonder seeing the two together left a strange taste in their mouth all throughout the party!

They had been forcefully fed a big bowl of dog food and didn't even know it!!

The strippers continued to dance, but the two who were off in their own world couldn't hear any of the hubbub. The only thing they could hear was the pounding of their own heartbeats.

And then Levi's communicator lit up with a reminder. Hearing the ding tone, Levi slid his hand from his baby's eyes to his chin, caressing Noah's flushed cheek in the process. After grasping Noah's chin, he made the other turn to face him and lowered their intertwined hands from his own face so he could lock eyes with his precious darling.

One pair of eyes was flustered, the other adoring. Which made the first pair even more flustered.

Levi lowered his head, and Noah's heart jumped into his throat. What-what-what did he intend to do?!?

Noah's eyes widened with the sudden approach of Levi's face, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. However, the expected kiss didn't drop onto his face. Levi's lips grazed past his cheek to settle near his ear. The sensation on Noah's skin was so subtle he couldn't tell whether it was just his imagination or if it actually happened.

Yet, placebo effect or not, Noah's cheek tingled, and his heart suddenly developed an itch.

Levi paused to take several deep breaths to calm down his boiling blood. When his darling looked up at him shily like that, it stretched his self-control to its limits. The urge to let everything loose and just kiss his baby senseless right there and then was overpowering!

He just wanted to kick everyone out and throw his little incubus on the bed to continue where they left off this morning!

But the time and place weren't right! (ﾉಥAಥ)ﾉ ┻━┻

So many third-wheels, and there was even one Swiftrain waiting for them outside!

He felt so stifled! Stifled to death!

"Let's get this over with, mn?" Levi exhaled into Noah's neon red ear.

The sooner they handled Swiftrain, the sooner Levi could disperse this party and let loose with his precious baby, enjoying the remainder of tonight immersed in only their world of two.

Levi closed his eyes as to not see that delectable cutely flushed ear. The urge to take a bite out of it was nearly impossible to restrain! Levi could only console his burning soul by "accidentally" rubbing his lips over the tip of his baby's ear.

Then before Noah could react, the other's strong arms gently picked him up by his waist, and both of them stood up from the sofa. Half-encircling Noah into his bosom, Levi led him towards the patio, shooting frosty glares to anyone who dared stand in their way.

This huge presidential suite occupied the entire rooftop, but not all of it was indoors. It also had a large patio facing the west skyscraper.

And it was this place they intended to use for their plan.

The glass doors and windows of the condo were all bulletproof, so Swiftrain couldn't snipe Noah and Levi while they were indoors. If they wanted to give Swiftrain an opportunity to strike, they needed to leave the safety of the suite.

And thus, the patio had been set up with some party equipment, food, and beverages, so that the party participants would have an excuse to go out, and, by doing so, help Swiftrain realize how to pull off his hit.

There was a Shielder on the patio that kept it under his shield. However, there had to be a hole in the shield that would allow people to go in and out of the patio. It was here, in between the shield and the sliding door, that a small gap appeared that could be exploited by an experienced sniper to shoot down someone leaving the condo before they could fully enter the shield.

Levi and Noah made their way towards the glass sliding door. It was only this door and the windows around it that weren't one-sided so that those outside, on the patio, could see inside the penthouse and vice versa. This came in handy for their plan because it would allow Swiftrain to see them approaching, giving him enough prep time to fire his shot.

When the keen eyes (or rather, cameras) of the paparazzi saw their targets finally show their faces, it was as if they were injected with stimulants. Even before the sliding door opened, flashes and shutter clicks of their cameras erupted throughout the west rooftop, making the entire scene even more chaotic.

The door slid open. Levi took a step out, followed by Noah next to him.

And then, in that very moment, a shot was fired.