A Fox's Family (34 page)

Her
soft smile held a trace of bitterness.

“It
wouldn’t have been fair to either of us if I had accepted such
a half-hearted confession. I didn’t want to accept Kevin’s
feelings when I knew they were split between me and someone else. I
expect any boy I’m dating to have feelings for me and only me.”

Christine
swallowed. “I think you told me something like that a while
ago.” She thought about Lindsay’s words. “So,
you’re saying that if I really want to be with Kevin, then I
need to con-con… tell him how I feel?”

“Honestly,
I don’t think you can be with Kevin anymore. He’s not
like other boys who’ll have random flings with whoever he
wants. He’s a hopeless romantic who reads way too much manga
and wants that kind of fairytale relationship.” Lindsay paused
for a moment, as if not quite sure about the veracity of her
statement, but then just decided to roll with it. “He wants
that fairytale ending; where he becomes the hero, sweeps the heroine
off her feet, and they both ride off into the sunset.” Another
pause. “Or, you know, the anime version of that, where he and
the heroine team up and defeat some giant robot or whatever, and then
ride off into the sunset.”

The
book seemed to groan as Christine gripped it between her hands. “What
exactly are you trying to say?”

Lindsay
finally sat up and faced her friend.  “That Kevin’s
not going to stop dating Lilian because you like him. Those two, I
don’t know, they just work. Kevin gets Lilian. He understands
her in ways I can’t even comprehend. And Lilian is dedicated to
him; I mean really
,
REALLY
dedicated to him. I don’t think I need to tell you just how
strongly she feels for Kevin.”

“No,”
Christine begrudgingly admitted, “you don’t.”

She
knew that Lilian loved Kevin. She had seen how the kitsune acted with
him. It wasn’t just how they held hands or how they stole
kisses at school. There were times when those two would look at each
other, and everyone around them knew they were holding a silent
conversation that none of them would ever be privy to. They also
shared a love for video games and anime, and she had caught them
reading manga together several times during lunch. She didn’t
want to admit it, but seeing how they acted toward each other never
ceased to leave her feeling envious.

“Exactly.
Now can you say that your feelings for Kevin have the same depth and
strength as Lilian’s?” When Christine said nothing,
Lindsay rolled onto her back again. “Before you think about
trying to get between Lilian and Kevin, perhaps you should examine
your own feelings first.”

The
rest of that evening was quiet. They talked for a bit, but
conversation remained stilted. Eventually, the two girls crawled
under the covers and went to bed.

***

After
Eric recovered from being sent into blissful catatonia via Kotohime’s
tail, the group decided on their next course of action. Kevin, Eric
and, surprisingly, Lilian, were all for helping Heather Grant.
Kotohime disagreed and Iris didn’t care. Kirihime had been
neutral on the matter and only stuttered incoherently when they asked
for her opinion, and Camellia… they didn’t even bother
asking for her opinion. She probably didn’t have one anyway.

With
a three versus two vote in favor of helping Heather, the group began
their preparations for whatever danger they would face. None of them
knew what had wounded the blond woman so grievously, but they figured
the best idea was to prepare for the worst case scenario.

The
group then split up. The boys went to set up the extra beds in the
guest rooms, while the girls went to take a shower.

“I
can’t believe I’m stuck here with you while all those
gorgeous babes are frolicking around in the shower, doing who knows
what to each other.” Eric bemoaned his fate—and then
remembered who he was talking to. “No offense, My Lord.”

“Oh,
shut up,” Kevin grunted. “Just so you know, girls don’t
actually grope each other when they take baths together. That only
happens in anime.”

“My
Lord, you are wise and amazing when it comes to building your harem.”

“I
don’t have a harem!”

“But,
you clearly know nothing of women.”

Kevin’s
right eyebrow twitched. “Who’s the one with a girlfriend
here?”

“Allow
me to educate you on the elusive and mysteriously sexy creature known
as the female, My Lord. Women are creatures with an undeniable need
to touch each other; groping, squeezing and caressing each other’s
boobs is their panacea.”

“You’re
completely ignoring me, aren’t you?”

“They
love playing together and comparing sizes by squeezing each other’s
jugs.”

“Yep,
you’re ignoring me.”

“I
bet you those girls are having a great time groping each other’s
titties right now.” Eric’s cheeks stained red. He also
started drooling. “Hehehe… I bet you they’re
moaning in delight as they caress each other’s bodies…”
His breathing became a deep, heavy rasp reminiscent of an old man
whacking off to porn. Kevin actually saw steam blowing out of Eric’s
flaring nostrils.

Kevin
sighed and resisted the urge to facepalm. He knew what was coming
next.

“Boobies,
here I come!”

Kevin
was running almost before Eric could even bolt for the door. He
stretched out his left hand―

“You
can see some boobs… in hell!”

―and
used it to clothesline Eric. The licentious teenager crashed into the
ground with a harsh thud. Dark eyes bulged in asphyxiated agony, as
his hands went to his throat, from which the sounds of hacking and
wheezing emerged like the ribbets of a bull frog.

Kevin
clapped his hands together. “I’ve always wanted to do
that,” he admitted, smiling. The smile left, replaced by a
stern expression. “Eric, this is a law from your lord.”
Eric stopped choking. “You will not peep on those girls. To do
so is a sin against your lord, and I will not stand for it. Do you
understand?” Eric nodded. “Good.”

Several
minutes after―hopefully―beating some sense into Eric,
Kevin stepped into one of the guest restrooms, a towel slung over his
shoulder.

Setting
the towel on a rack, Kevin stripped out of his clothes, and then
turned the shower on to a mildly hot setting. Steam soon rose into
the air, clinging to the walls and fogging up the mirror by the sink.

Kevin
was just about to step into the shower when someone knocked on the
door. Thinking it was Eric coming to pester him, he opened the door
while giving a mild glare—only for it to vanish when he saw
familiar bright green eyes and a vibrant smile.

“Lilian?”
Kevin needed a moment to register that, indeed, Lilian was standing
before him. “What are you doing here? I thought you were taking
a bath with the others.”

“I
was going to,” Lilian admitted, “but then I realized that
my mate and I haven’t been able to spend much time alone
together because my family kept getting in the way, and I thought
this would be the perfect opportunity for us to bond.”

“Bond?”
He studied the girl, and eventually realized that she wasn’t
looking at his face. Feeling a sense of unease growing in the pit of
his stomach, Kevin looked down.

His
face grew red.

He
let out a loud “eep!” and tried to cover himself with his
hands.

“Ufufufu,”
Lilian chuckled. “You’re still too cute when you get
embarrassed like that.”

Kevin
tried to glare at her, but the blush on his face lessened the effect.
“It’s got nothing to do with being embarrassed and
everything to do with common decency,” he insisted, lying
through his teeth. “Most people don’t stand around in the
nude while someone else is present, not even if they’re dating
that person.”

“Most
people aren’t mated to a kitsune.”

“Ugh…”

She
had him there.

“Kevin”
Lilian’s eyes were warm and so incredibly earnest that Kevin
was unable to look away, “you are my mate; the person I love
more than anyone else in this world.” Delicate hands reached up
and cupped his face. “This isn’t some random person
wanting to see you naked. This is me, your mate, who wants to become
more intimate with you. If it helps, I promise not to touch anything
below the belt.”

Staring
at the girl with an uncomprehending gaze, Kevin’s mind became a
warzone, a battle the likes of which no one had ever seen
before—mostly because it was all happening in his mind.

***

The
desolate wasteland spread out for miles, its borders traveling far
beyond the distant horizon. Cracks traversed the ground like a myriad
system of interconnecting spiderwebs. There was no flora or fauna in
this wasteland. It was the perfect place… for war.

Two
forces stood on opposite ends of each other, armies of nearly equal
might. Multi-segmented plates clicked together as figures moved and
jostled each other. Horned helms adorned the many heads, their
faceplates masking their identities. Hands gripped massive halberds
with leaf-shaped blades that gleamed like a thousand suns. The army
on the northern border wore white armor, while those in the southern
quadrant wore red.

A
moment of silence swept through the clearing. A tumbleweed rolled
across the ground. It was the unspoken signal for the battle to
start, and the two forces rushed in toward the center, yelling out
their battle cries.

“
For
Lilian!!”

“
For
chastity!!”

Thunder
struck the earth as these two titanic armies fought. Bodies were
thrown into the air with impunity. Halberds clashed, the sound of
metal on metal, steel ringing against steel, rang out in a symphony
of chaos. Sparks flew and shouts accompanied the maelstrom of combat.
It was, indeed, a battle worthy of being placed within the annals of
history.

A
third party soon entered the fray. From one of the many cliffs
surrounding the battlefield, an army appeared. Unlike the two forces
duking it out down below, this army was bereft of nearly all their
clothes. Wearing nothing but simple loincloths and bandoleers similar
to Tarzan’s, the group of individuals looked identical. Messy
blond hair framed bright blue eyes that glared down at the
battlefield. With nary a thought, this force surged down the cliff,
their own battle cry echoing across the land.

“
DEATH
TO THE CHERRY!!”

And
so more chaos was unleashed upon the battlefield.

***

“Kevin?
Earth to Kevin? Hello? Anybody home?”

“Wha—eh,
what?” Kevin blinked several times, his focus returning to the
real world. “I-I’m sorry, did you say something?”

Lilian
frowned at him, but reiterated her question. “I asked if you
would let me take a shower with you, remember?”

“Ah,
r-right, so you did…” he blushed and looked at the
ground, silently coming to a decision. “I… I suppose it
would be alright… if we… you know… showered
together…”

“Really?”
The way Lilian’s eyes lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of
July was a sight to behold. The girl practically radiated happiness.

Unable
to speak properly, Kevin merely nodded.

“Thank
you! I promise you won’t regret this!”

What
followed their conversation was like something out of a dream. After
allowing Lilian into the restroom, she stripped off her clothes and
joined him in the shower.

The
shower/bathtub was large enough to fit four people comfortably. It
also had a bench and a detachable shower head.

Lilian
had Kevin sit in front of her as she lathered her hands with soap and
began washing his back. Kevin’s stomach twisted itself into
knots as Lilian’s tender hands roamed over his body. His heart
thumped in his chest like the roaring engine of a 1965 Camaro as her
delicate fingers ran through his hair. His entire body felt like a
live wire. Every touch, every caress, the feel of her thighs touching
his, of her breasts as they rubbed against him, sent his mind into a
dizzying fit. Only an effort of sheer will on his part kept Kevin
from passing out. After Lilian finished washing his back and hair, it
was his time to return the favor.

“Make
sure to wash every inch of me, okay?” The words were said so
innocently that Kevin could do nothing but nod dumbly.

Okay,
Kevin. You can do this. You and Lilian have done plenty of stuff
together. This is just the next step up. Don’t lose it now.

Lilian
sat between his legs. Her long red hair hung over her shoulder,
exposing her back and rear end to him. His gaze followed the curve of
her spine; her perfectly straight posture drew his eyes invariably to
the hint of her shapely butt. She sat so close that her scent addled
his mind, and while not close enough that her backside was pressing
into him, he was keenly aware of her thighs touching his. A pleasant
shudder ran through his body.

Oh,
God! I think I’m gonna die!

“Kevin?”

“Y-yes?”

“You’re
not washing my back.”

“R-right…
sorry…”

Hesitant
at first, he placed a single hand on Lilian’s back, right
between her shoulder blades. A jolt shot through him. Her skin felt
so soft, so incredibly soft.

He
ran his hand up and down her back, slowly moving in greater and
vaster sweeps. His hand would travel from the nape of her neck down
to her tailbone. Her tail wasn’t out right then, but a part of
him wished it was.

“K-Kevin,”
Lilian moaned.

“Hmm?”

“Y-you
forgot the soap.”

Kevin
needed a moment to process those words. “Oh, so I did.
S-sorry.”

“Mm,”
another delicate moan, “that feels really good, so it’s
okay.”

After
lathering his hands in soap, Kevin began the process of washing his
mate’s sublimely stunning back. He burned the feeling of his
soapy hands mapping the contours of her body, of her perfect,
unblemished skin becoming covered in soap suds. He swept his hands
over her skin in soft, gentle movements; transitory caresses that
caused the young female kitsune to emit a dangerous moan.