Chapter 38 – Must be small and cute and pink

As a famous aquarium with an artificially maintained temperature all year round, the huge beaches that the visitors of the resort could freely enjoy were packed 365 days a year. However, taking into account Levi’s preferences, it was clear to Noah that taking the man to a palace with many other people wasn’t the best idea.

That’s ok. There was nothing wrong with liking one’s privacy - that’s why the resort also had many private beaches that could be rented out. And then there were the super-private Cordia-only beaches like the one the trio had just arrived at. This particular beach looked like a small tropical paradise with a luxurious bungalow erected over the water.

The entrance of the bungalow was on the sandy beach itself, but the majority of the spacious abode was built over the water. And each of the many rooms had direct walk-in access to the waters.

Noah directed his brother in law into the nearest room where he could change. Then he proceeded to enter the room next door to change into his own swimming trunks.

Much to Noah’s bewilderment, Trey insisted on standing guard in front of Noah’s room while the other changed. For a moment, Noah stared at the tall bodyguard finding the entire matter quite humorous.

It was like the other was afraid that some rogue would break in and catch him without his clothes on. Or that there would be some perverted peeping tom that would take advantage of him changing.

What was he? A demure maiden whose unsullied reputation was more important than her life?

There wasn’t even anyone else here besides them three! Who was he protecting his chastity from? His brother-in-law? 😂

Blackie: …good work bodyguard Trey. 👍

Levi: (ꐦ ≖ ‸ ≖) Pfft, as if he, Levi, would do something that uncouth!

Who knows if there are any hidden cameras around? As if he would be stupid enough to risk painting a negative image of himself in his baby’s mind by sneakily taking a peek!

He, Levi, would one day see every inch of his baby in a just and above-board manner as much as he wanted!

Unlike some mere bodyguards that could only watch green with envy… Levi grumbled and sneered as he exchanged his clothes with swimming trunks.

Noah, whose outfit consisted of more apparel, wasn’t as fast as him, so by the time he came out of his room, let alone Levi, even Trey had changed into swimming trunks, which Noah had told him to bring when he had called him over.

While waiting for his baby to finish changing, Levi had a silent face-off with Trey.

Although he was a man crushing on his little employer, Trey wasn’t particularly sensitive to the existence of love rivals. But this Astar Levi caused all of his hair to stand on end.

Although Levi had been touchy with his little employer from the start, Trey had never connected this behavior with being in love. Logic dictated that it should be an impossibility – the man would be married to Noah’s sister by the end of next week. And more so, Levi’s doting behavior towards his junior seemed to be within bounds.

But no matter how dull Trey was in the matters of romance, today he felt that there was definitely something very, extremely, awfully off with Astar Levi.

Yes, the man still looked at Noah with obvious doting affection, but that intense, heated gaze carried so much more than innocent appreciation.

Who knows what strange thing Levi had eaten for breakfast, but today, that ‘beloved little brother treatment’ had morphed into something Trey recognized to be…far more dangerous. And he didn’t mean that in an ‘oh no, another love rival appeared!’ kind of way.

Trey was far from an expert when it came down to feelings and emotions, but as a part of his guard training, he had been taught to recognize threats to his employer’s safety. To that end, he had been trained to identify people acting suspiciously and notice their animosity or interest towards his target of protection. Yet what stuck with him the most from that training wasn’t any of that.

What had left him with a lasting impression he would be unable to forget were the gazes of several individuals identified as threats of the highest order.

The gazes that even now he could remember all too clearly. The gazes that spoke of one thing - the same thing he now found within Levi’s gaze, the same thing that evoked a feeling of profound dread in Trey -

Obsession.

An overpowering, reckless, fanatical fixation that knew no bounds nor reason.

A reckless infatuation from a maniac that would stop at nothing to realize their own obsession, rendering everything and everyone, including themselves, expendable.

That focused gaze could only see one thing and one thing alone - the only thing that mattered -

The target of its obsession.

Trey wasn’t sure what was the nature of Levi’s intentions towards Noah, but all of his instincts were screaming that the man was bad news.

Yet now he was faced with a difficult problem.

His employer was completely unaware that the other person was a threat and was utterly unguarded, treating the other with utmost sincerity. Yet, Trey couldn’t straight up tell Noah that his brother-in-law was bad news and that he should keep away from him. The man had been nothing but sweet and doting towards Noah so far, what reason would Noah have to distance himself from the other?

He couldn’t even tell Noah to be careful of this good brother-in-law, because when asked why, what was he supposed to reply with? Gut instinct? He had no proof of anything. And between the word of a newly hired guard and this soon-to-be-family brother-in-law, it was clear whose word the little one would trust more.

If he said one wrong thing, he might get replaced with someone else the next day.

The only thing he could do was to guard his precious little employer with even more devotion. And hope that things wouldn’t escalate into something unsalvageable.

And thus, the two silent men stared off, one worried that the other would cause a kamikaze catastrophe, and the other just finding the former very unpleasing to the eyes.

Levi thought that, out of all his love rivals, this Trey was the one he should be the most worried about.

His logic went like this – Case and Fynn were friends with his darling for years, and they have yet to catch the little kitten! So much time wasted! Since they failed to corner their prey for so many years, it would seem that their fighting power wasn’t all that great.

This Trey, on the other hand, was newly hired, so his fighting power was unknown, and to top it all off, as a bodyguard, he would be with his darling nearly 24/7! Who would have more opportunities to woo his baby than a personal bodyguard?!?

The other could even tackle his baby to the ground, eating his baby's tofu all over, and then just say 'oh, I thought I saw a sniper'. (Blackie: …do you think everyone is as shameless as you? 😂)

He could go with his baby to the toilet under the excuse of protection, and even see him take out his cute little pink member that even he, Levi, has yet to see!

But of course, Levi didn’t need to see it to know that it was surely lovely and cute and pink.

(⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄)❤

Blackie: (눈_눈) …I regret to inform you that the said member isn- no, wait...

…

…well, what do you know… it really is lovely and pink! You win this time. ╮(╯∀╰)╭

Levi: Ψ(ꐦ ◠‿◠ )Ψ …you peeked? 

Blackie: …No? (; ﾟ 3ﾟ )~♪

Levi: 🔪

Blackie: Wait, wait, wait! I’m just an innocent and completely harmless AI! Don’t waste your effort on the wrong target! What if, while you were fighting with me, an actual love rival, like that big bad Trey, took away your darling?

Levi: …Right, Trey. (≖ ‸ ≖) How to get rid of Trey…?

His baby naturally needed the best protection, so he couldn’t just get rid of the man - he needed to find someone better to replace him. And then, what excuse could he use to make his baby agree to have him replaced?

The two men’s pondering was interrupted when the door to Noah’s room opened to reveal the lethal image of Noah, wearing nothing but cute, small, mini swim shorts.

Critical hit! Target Levi and Target Trey suffered 10,000 points of damage!!