“Brother!” Noah turned his desperate gaze towards Levi, “Your power… can it target a region instead of a specific target?”

Levi nodded urgently. Right now, even if his kitten asked whether he was retarded, he’d nod his head excitedly for a single smile. Anything to have his precious treasure looking at him with undivided attention, looking at him as if he, Levi, was the center of his world.

Levi searched Noah’s gaze, but the other’s eyes were still as clear and pure as before. As if nothing had changed. Within, he found no fear, disgust, reservation, nor coldness. The only thing he saw within those large, bright eyes was his own reflection - disheveled, disturbed, yet… so very… alive.

Levi didn’t know how else to describe it; the reflection of himself he was used to seeing in the mirror was totally different. A disinterested self that resembled an aesthetically pleasing statue more than a human.

This kind of unfamiliar Levi that was filled with vitality and emotion… was this the kind of Levi his baby saw?

Had he been wrong earlier? Had his baby not noticed the change in him?

Noah’s rushed tone interrupted Levi’s thoughts, “The people who are bleeding out too quickly” – Noah gasped out – “Can you put pressure on their wounds to slow the rate of blood loss?”

Levi’s eyes widened, then they lit up - so, this destructive power of his could be used to save people in such a way too?

After getting a nod of confirmation from Levi, Noah very efficiently, with a carefully controlled amount of force, knocked out the victims who still remained conscious into a painless slumber. Putting pressure on their wounds wouldn’t be a pleasant experience, and they couldn’t afford them thrashing about or moving out of the area within Levi’s control.

Besides, their wounds were too severe for Noah to be able to fully alleviate their pain. It might be better for them to just sleep the pain away. Let everything that happened today become just a nightmare that would turn into smoke the moment they opened their eyes once again.

At that moment, as Noah unleashed his power, the area abruptly fell into silence as if someone had pressed the mute button.

With his heart pounding violently inside his chest, Levi rushed to do exactly as his baby suggested, but from start to finish, his eyes remained glued to his darling’s stunning figure.

His baby stood tall and clean among the rubble and dust, like a proud fairy of heaven among ordinary mortals. His gaze reflected everything around him as clearly as a mirror with a pair of eyes that was both warm like hot chocolate and refreshingly cool like spring water. A union of contradiction that somehow formed absolute perfection.

This was the side of his baby he had never seen before.

He had thought his baby would be similar to Concordia city lord, an overly cautious, meek pacifist that lacked initiative and abhorred any form of violence. These were the qualities that he disliked in the city lord, but if they appeared on his baby, Levi thought that they would be lovely just the same. Anything appearing on his baby would be lovely by extension.

Yet, he had clearly been mistaken, for his baby just decisively knocked out a group of defenseless people without asking for consent. Without any guilt or fear, that determination of his to shoulder all the consequences was so… so… ah, so lovely! It shouldn’t be humanly possible for anyone to be so lovely!!!

(⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄

Perhaps… just perhaps, his darling… wouldn’t be intimidated by him, Levi, after all?

Maybe… just maybe, even if he bared his dark side for his baby to see… his darling would use those beautiful crystal-clear eyes to gaze at him just the same.

Perhaps… if Levi were reflected within those perfect eyes, he too, in his entirety, would become perfect?

Maybe… maybe it would even be alright if he… if he were a bit greedier?

Infatuation bubbled up in Levi’s chest. Unable to be contained within, it started seeping through the seams.

Satisfied that his strategy had indeed been effective, Noah spun to face Levi, intending to thank and praise him. However, upon turning around, he slammed face-first into a solid wall of flesh - Levi had, at an unknown time, sneaked up right behind him.

Presumably, to stop Noah from tumbling back due to the recoil, Levi wrapped his arms around him, pulling him back into his chest.

Noah, with his head now resting on Levi’s chest, stiffened, unsure what he was supposed to do in such a situation. His first instinct was to get out of Levi’s arms, but judging by how the other tightened his hold around him, it would seem this brother-in-law wanted a hug?

The previous situation must have greatly upset Levi, and now he wanted to confirm to himself that Noah was safe. That he was alive and perfectly fine.

Although Levi, as a peacekeeper, had surely experienced his fair number of dangerous situations, this must have been his first time having the life of someone close to him put at risk.

Noah closed his eyes, listening to Levi’s loud, racing heartbeat. Indeed. His brother-in-law was clearly still very agitated. Yet, even in such a situation, Levi still held him very carefully, as if Noah was something fragile and precious.

Pressed into that warm and comfortable chest, Noah couldn’t help but get the feeling that he was being cherished. That his awkward and silly brother-in-law cared for him, far more than Noah had realized.

His ears couldn’t help but flush at the thought, yet, he very quickly found an excuse for the strange feeling bubbling up from inside - Alright, alright, in certain situations like this, it was totally ok to give your loved ones a comforting hug, Noah concluded.

Thus, to reciprocate, he sneaked his slender arms around Levi to stroke his back soothingly.

Levi let out what seemed to be a blissful sigh–nonono, must have been a relieved sigh – Noah corrected himself.

Blackie: ‘…it’s so nice to have a host that is doing my job of deceiving himself for me.’

And indeed, Noah’s attempts of deceiving himself were getting a bit ridiculous- that had been a blissful sigh as clear as day! The magnitude of Levi’s current delight couldn’t be described in words, let alone hidden. His darling was hugging him back!

Overpowering sweetness spread to every corner of Levi’s being, so wonderful a single taste was enough to form an everlasting addiction.

It would seem that he had been right. It was ok to be greedy. It was ok to be a wild wolf at times. Whether it be a puppy-dog or a wild wolf, in the end, both were furry canines.

Levi closed his deep blue eyes and laid his cheek on top of Noah’s fluffy head. So soft. So fragrant. ❤ Levi couldn’t help himself. He buried his nose and lips into that silky fluff.

“Blackie…” Noah’s throat was a bit dry.

“Yea?” (¬‿¬)

“Did my brother-in-law just kiss the top of my head?” Noah was starting to get a feeling that something, somewhere, wasn’t quite right.

“No. What weird things are you imagining now?” Blackie’s sneer couldn’t be seen but it could definitely be heard.

“…um …nothing …I wasn’t sure so… forget I asked anything…” Noah tried to hide his now pink cheeks within Levi’s chest. Looking like a cute little white bunny trying to hide from sight just by stuffing his head into the straw while leaving his round small buttocks and a fluffy tail wiggling outside.

Meanwhile, Trey returned to make his report after finishing his inspection of the perimeter … and found his darling employer being smothered in another man’s chest...

…heart… bleeding… ○|￣|_

Young master... Can I... get a hug too? 〒▽〒