Levi took advantage of the other’s moment of inattention to fully take Noah’s left hand into his own. The fingers of their two hands were long and slender, but Noah’s were smooth, while Levi’s were rough. Yet that contrast in texture seemed to fit just as perfectly as that smaller hand fitted in Levi’s larger one.

Intoxicated, Levi held the slender hand that, though smaller than his, was equally as warm. As he concentrated on the wonderful sensation, he could even feel his baby’s hand pulsating in the rhythm of their rapid heartbeats.

After a moment that was both uncomfortably long and painfully short, Levi’s lips moved. He leaned closer to Noah’s neon red ear, and like the devil incarnate, continued his sinful whispering, “You’ve touched it already for quite a while, no? What difference would it make to touch it a bit more?”

Seeing his darling’s currently very muddled state, Levi guided Noah’s hand downwards and pressed it around his own bulging member. Warm and smooth, those fingers felt so heavenly as they glided over Levi’s sensitive flesh.

The moment Noah’s left hand once again came in contact with that hot and hard object, he woke up from his stupor. “That–that’s not right!” He struggled to take his hand out of Levi’s yet couldn’t exert his full strength in worry that he might damage his brother’s manhood… regardless of how hard it seemed at the moment.

“Being good–good brothers that wholeheartedly t–trust each other is one thing, touching–touching there is another! This–this–this isn’t related!”

Levi tsked internally, his baby was currently in a muddled fluster, but he still wasn’t that easy to deceive.

In the scuffle, Noah’s hand rubbed Levi’s member and even squeezed out dew several times. Levi’s chest rumbled out a sexy grunt that made Noah’s already roiling blood boil up further. His breath came out in ragged puffs while he desperately tried to explain his refusal, “Brother, I–I–I trust you! And I–I–I care for you a lot b–b–but… brother! I–I’m not THIS close even to my blood sister!”

When the word sister popped into Noah’s head, his muddled brain suddenly sobered up. That’s right! This was his brother-in-law they were talking about! It didn’t matter what his values were; he couldn’t possibly do such a thing with his own brother-in-law! That was his bottom line that absolutely couldn’t be crossed!

Levi paused for a moment, but his ability to turn black into white was not to be underestimated, “And you shouldn’t be this close to your sister. Men and women should keep an appropriate distance.”

Noah was dumbfounded by that response for a moment, then he shook his head, “That–that’s not the point! I mean… that– you– brother, you already have a fiancée! Be it a good brother or whoever, this kind of thing can only be done between bachelors!”

“She wouldn’t mind,” Levi interrupted, “if it is between good brothers...”

For a moment, Noah lost his train of thought, thinking that considering his sister’s unique hobbies, she might indeed be alright with it if it’s just a bit of ‘fun between good brothers’…

But…but… but…!

“Even if she doesn’t mind, I mind, ok?!?” With a burst of strength, Noah managed to pull his hand away from Levi’s enthusiastic lower member. “This kind of intimate thing…! Absolutely can’t be done if one side has a significant other!!”

Levi eyed his unyielding puffed-up kitten with a mix of exasperation and frustration, “Do you have a significant other?”

“No, I mean you!” Noah snapped. Why was his brother-in-law so difficult to talk to today??

“I am single too.” Levi leaned closer to Noah, letting his sigh fan over Noah’s flushed face, “Your sister and I already broke up.”

Noah’s struggling body abruptly froze. ‘…huuuh???’ ( ꒪Д꒪)

His sister’s suspicious avoidance of Levi flashed in his mind, and Noah choked on his own saliva, “What do you mean you broke up?!? The wedding is in three days!!!”

“Mn, it is a bit of a bad timing,” Levi shrugged, “Alas, there is nothing that can be done. Marrying your sister is impossible.”

“What do you mean you won’t be getting married?!? What about the union between Concordia and Astarea?!?” A clearly agitated Noah grabbed Levi’s bulging biceps, “You–you–you! Don’t be impulsive! You have to make up! Make up!”

Feeling the smooth skin and well-defined muscles underneath, Noah immediately let go of Levi’s arm as if he had been burned. Levi eyed the very agitated and confused kitten lying underneath him, his eyes flashing with dark amusement. “There is nothing to make up. We didn’t have a fight. As for the union of the two cities…”– Levi eyed Noah’s gaping mouth and licked his lips –“we’ll figure something out…”

“No quarrel?” Now that Noah thought about it, his sister didn’t seem upset or in a bad mood lately. It indeed seemed like Levi’s words of a peaceful breakup were true. And that would also explain why his sister wasn’t all that concerned over Levi when the other got into an accident. If they already broke up, then, of course, she wouldn’t rush to pamper him; she’d at most call him and ask if he was alright.

Distracted by the earth-shattering revelation, the fight drained out of Noah, and he laid there meekly, “Then… then… why did you break up??”

“Because there are no feelings between us. Never have been any.” Levi’s lips quirked up, and he playfully ground his hips against Noah’s, “Is this really the time to be having this conversation? Hmm? I still remember you owe me something?”

Noah’s mind that had been derailed was once again pushed to its previous tracks – tracks filled with great embarrassment and equally as ‘great’ lower member of a certain someone.

“This–this–this…! Brother… I–I–I really can’t do this!” Noah covered his face with his free hand; he was already dying out of embarrassment as it was, touching it again would put the final nail to his coffin! “Pick–pick another punishment!”

Levi outwardly sighed and inwardly grumbled, but actually, he felt no dissatisfaction with his baby. His darling was a thin-skinned, shy little kitten. And he loved this part of him very much.

Once his impulsive hot-headedness calmed down a bit, Levi realized that even if the two of them were officially together, his darling still might be too shy to touch him there. When the time came to do something intimate, his baby would probably curl up with his white bottom exposed, stuffing his red face into a pillow like a little ostrich.

Another man might be dissatisfied with a lover that was too shy to actively participate in certain bedroom matters, but when it came to Levi, this kind of Noah… this kind of easily embarrassed, pure-minded Noah who was very reluctant to “play”…

Ah… actually… he really turned Levi on!!!

(⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄

When a wild wolf saw a helpless, trembling little lamb, how would he not want to ruthlessly ravage it? When his darling laid underneath him submissively, how would he not want to dominate him? How would his blood not boil with the need to possess, to bite, to invade, to bully?

In short, Noah’s shyness and reluctance didn’t douse Levi’s flames; on the contrary, it only made them burn hotter!!

The fruit that was not easily plucked tasted the sweetest. In the future ahead of them, when the time came when his darling would, of his own volition, reach out to touch Levi, that would be the greatest ecstasy! The greatest achievement of Levi’s life!

He, Astar Levi, would be happy to dedicate his entire life to the pursuit of such a goal!

And until that time came, Levi would need to be the one to take the initiative.

A good wolf knew when to employ different tactics. Knew when to push and when to pull.

“Fine,” and this one very cunning wolf, after pushing his little lamb into a corner, intentionally gave him a way out, “I won’t force you. No need to touch me. In fact, you don’t need to do anything; I’ll take care of it myself.”

As if to prove his words, Levi let go of Noah’s wrist and even got off him.

Feeling the weight pressing him down lifting, Noah let out a breath of relief. If this continued for a moment longer, his heart would have leaped out of his chest!

“However…” Levi drawled in a low voice, “You still have to take responsibility for your actions, thus…”

Author Note:

Some of you mentioned that you don't like how Levi is manipulating Noah. I thought someone would bring this up at some point.

Noah seems like such a cute and kind little cinnamon roll that is naively being deceived into doing bad things. But actually, he is not as naive nor as kind as he seems. You guys just haven’t seen enough of his responses to various situations to understand what he is truly like. He is like an onion with many layers.

What I mean is, just like the domineering wild wolf Levi turns into a doting and pampering husband when faced with his baby, Noah also turns into an accommodating, meek little lamb when faced with Levi.

It’s like Levi realized in one of the earlier chapters – Noah isn’t a lamb. If someone holds power over him, it is because Noah himself gave them that power.

If in that sexy scene, Levi was replaced with someone else, everything would have played out very differently.

It was exactly because it was a person Noah liked that he became willing to do something that he usually would never do. Anyone else would have been ruthlessly kicked out of the bed and blacklisted.

Don’t give their back and forth horrible sounding labels like gaslighting and emotional manipulation. It is a normal part of any relationship to wiggle around a bit within reasonable bounds, trying to get your way when the other party says no. Like when you invite a friend for a movie and she says no, and then you go “oh come on, we haven’t been to the movies in such a long time. I miss you babe!”

Someone would say that’s guilt-tripping and emotional manipulation, others would say it’s a close relationship between friends. But in either case, it’s because of this good relationship that this so-called “emotional manipulation” works in the first place.

It’s like one of those white lies, like when you whisper sweet nothings in your lover’s ear saying they are the most beautiful in the whole world. It might not be the truth, but what’s important is the intention behind it. It isn’t meant to trick and deceive them, but to tell the other person “I love you”.

Levi has set his heart on this one person and he wishes to give him everything in the world. He might be doing a bunch of stupid things in the process of chasing him, but when all is said and done, he isn’t doing any real harm. Think about it, what has his “emotional manipulation” achieved so far? His baby refused to jerk him off and wouldn’t even let him touch him until Levi mentioned the breakup! His manipulation doesn’t seem to be very effective, ah!

And again, that’s because it’s Noah who is setting the limits. He lets himself be manipulated only within bounds of what is acceptable to him.