“That’s probably why,” Lilian mused. “He’s so simple-minded that manipulating him is easy for someone like Iris.”
Iris had been extensively trained in the art of pleasing and manipulating people. The matriarch had wanted to turn Lilian’s sister into a field agent; someone who would travel around the world and gather potentially beneficial information via the seduction of men―and women. She probably would have become their best temptress, too, had she not been so adamant in refusing the matriarch under the claim that “the only person she wanted to seduce was her Lily-pad.”
Alex and Andrew looked at each other.
“Think we should start acting dumber to pick up chicks?”
“It worked for Justin, didn’t it? I’m sure it will work for us.”
Kevin rolled his eyes. “I swear, all of my friends are idiots.”
“That’s not a very nice thing to say.”
“I agree. You might be a Harem Lord, but that doesn’t give you the right to make fun of your loyal subjects.”
“Shut up! I’m not a Harem Lord or whatever, so stop calling me that! Ugh,” Kevin buried his head in his hands, “why couldn’t I have smarter and less embarrassing friends?”
“There, there.” Lilian rubbed Kevin’s back in soothing up and down motions. “I know what will make you feel better.”
“What’s that?”
Lilian grinned, and the next thing he knew a pair of soft, warm, and smoother than milk chocolate lips were kissing him. Kevin could have melted into them.
Unfortunately, Christine didn’t like their display of affection.
“Da―wh-w-w-WHAT THE HELL DO YOU TWO THINK YOU’RE DOING?! DON’T GO AROUND KISSING IN PUBLIC! THERE ARE PEOPLE WATCHING!”
Lilian clicked her tongue in annoyance after removing her lips from a slightly insensate Kevin. “Considering that Kevin and I are dating, you have no right to tell us what we can and cannot do.”
“Sure I do.” Christine’s baleful glare was colder than icicles hanging from a hut in the Arctic Circle. “Someone has to stop you two from acting so promiscuous in public.”
“So you say, but I think you’re just jealous.”
“Je-je-je―I AM NOT!”
“Are too.”
“AM NOT!”
“Yes, you are.”
“NO, I’M NOT!”
“No, you’re not!”
“YES, I AM!” A pause. It took Christine exactly two seconds to compute what she’d just said. Were her tsundere protocols not already activated, they would have been now. “Y-y-y-y-you…! Shut up! shut up, shut up, shut up!”
“Has anyone told you that your voice is really annoying? Your Seiyuu’s not Kugimiya-san, is it?”
“What?” Christine couldn’t seem to make heads or tails of that statement.
“Nothing, nothing.” Lilian airily waved a hand through the air in a dismissive gesture.
The conversation soon returned to more normal topics after that.
“I was wondering if you and Christine wanted to sleep over this weekend?” Lindsay twirled the fork in her salad as she looked inquiringly at the redhead.
“A sleep over?” Lilian blinked. “I don’t know… I mean, Kevin and I…”
Lindsay rolled her eyes while Christine’s flared with righteous anger. “You can sleep with Kevin whenever you want. Don’t you sleep with him pretty much every night anyways?”
“There’s no pretty much about it,” Lilian corrected, “we always sleep together.”
Christine gnashed her teeth together. Kevin feared the girl’s gums might start bleeding.
“Exactly my point.” Lindsay pointed at Lilian with her fork. “You always sleep with Kevin. Surely not sleeping with him for a single night won’t kill you.”
“Do you two really have to talk about my and Lilian’s sleeping arrangements?” asked a mildly embarrassed Kevin.
“Yes,” Lindsay responded shamelessly, turning back to Lilian, her doe-like brown eyes sparkling. “What do you say? Come on, say you’ll sleep over with Christine and I?”
“Who said I was willing to spend a night with this skank?”
Lindsay and Lilian both stared at Christine, who held their stares for a moment, then looked away with a grumble.
“I don’t know.” An uncertain Lilian looked at Kevin. “What do you think I should do?”
“Why are you asking me? This is your life; you should do whatever you want. You know, live your life the way you want to and all that?”
Truth be told, Kevin would actually be a little lonely without Lilian. He’d grown so used to having the enchanting fox-girl sleep with him that the idea of not being able to hold her in his arms, to feel her warm body against his, seemed almost foreign to him now.
I guess it’s true that a lot can change in three months.
However, Kevin also knew that Lilian enjoyed trying out new things; whether that was playing games at the arcade or traveling to a place she’d never visited before.
Lilian worried her lip for a moment. Kevin could almost see the debate being waged in her mind.
“Lilian,” he placed a hand over hers, “I know you want to go, so you shouldn’t let me stop you. We’re going to be spending our whole lives together, right? A single night won’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. Go and have fun.”
Like a drill piercing the heavens, Lilian’s face broke out into a vibrant smile. “Thank you, Kevin.”
Kevin returned the smile. “You’re welcome.”
Lilian looked at Lindsay. “Okay, I’ll come to this sleep over thing.”
“Great!” Lindsay cheered. “Now it’ll be a true girls’ night. I haven’t had one of those in ages!”
“Girls’ night?” The term made Lilian tilt her head. “What’s that?”
Lindsay gasped. Even Christine looked askance at her. “Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of a girls’ night?”
“Is that sort of like a girls’ day out?”
“Sort of. A girls’ night is…”
As the tomboyish blond explained the concept of a “girls’ night” to Lilian, Kevin tuned her out and took to observing the surrounding courtyard. He could see a trail of dust expanding across the school yard, at the front of which was Eric, who was screaming for his life. Sweat trickled down Kevin’s face when he noticed that his friend’s clothes had been ripped to shreds. He began sweating even more when he noticed the horde of enraged girls chasing the boy.
That idiot really worries me sometimes.
“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to, bitch?!”
Kevin’s head snapped to his left. Blue eyes narrowed in worry when he saw Iris confronting an angry Chris. On the ground beside Iris was Justin, who looked dazed.
It had been a long time since Kevin had thought about the inu. Even when Chris had become upset after seeing them disembark from Kiara’s car, the dog yōkai had merely been a part of the background, a static image.
Such was not the case now.
“Kevin?”
Everyone at the table became startled when Kevin stood up and rushed over to where Iris was glaring daggers at Chris.
“I think I’m talking to a ragged, beaten up dog who doesn’t know his place.”
“Fucking fox!”
Chris raised his clenched right fist, prepared to deliver a savage punch to the pretty female. Before he could, Kevin leapt into the air, his body spinning like a top.
“Don’t-touch-my-girlfriend’s-sister Screwdriver!”
“What the—GUAG!”
Spittle flew from Chris’s mouth as Kevin planted his feet into the inu’s gut, knocking all of the air from the boy’s lungs in one fell swoop. He bent his knees, absorbing the shock of impact, his body parallel with the ground. Kevin then used his impressive leg muscles to push off Chris’s body, launching the inu several feet back where he crashed into a garbage can.
For all of one second, time stood still.
For all of one second, everyone stared at
Kevin in awe.
For all of one second, Kevin felt like the most awesome person in the world.
Then the second was over.
And Kevin landed on his back. On the concrete. Hard.
As Kevin’s lungs were deprived of oxygen and his vision exploded with white while pain overloaded his photo-optic receptors, Iris knelt beside his head.
“Feeling manly now?” She asked, her lips stretching from ear to ear in a wide grin.
Kevin raised a shaky arm and gave Iris a thumbs up.
***
Track practice was canceled that day due to the track field flooding. Apparently, the sprinkler system had broken. Coach Raide had not been happy.
Since track was canceled, Kevin had called up Kiara and asked if he could come to Mad Dawg Fitness to get some training in. Once there, he and Lilian found a surprise waiting for them.
“Ms. Grant? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you still be resting?”
Standing on the blue mat that he got his butt kicked on so often was Heather. The blond woman had donned tight black stretch shorts and a sports bra of the same color. She was doing stretches; some of them he recognized, but most he didn’t—and could she bend her body. He didn’t think it was possible for anyone to be that flexible.
Kevin noticed that the trio of Tall, Taller, and Midget was mysteriously absent.
Heather scoffed as she straightened up. “Psh! What nonsense is this? I’m feeling fine—right as rain, in fact. I really do need to thank you and Red for convincing that maid of yours to help me out. Her healing abilities are impressive.”
Lilian puffed up her cheeks in anger, which made her look so cute that no one would ever be intimidated by her. “Don’t call me Red!”
“So, what are you doing here?” asked Kevin. “I know you’re living with Kiara right now, but I didn’t expect to see you until the issue with your former organization has been dealt with.”
“Bah,” Heather scoffed, “they won’t do anything now that their little machines have been defeated. If they did, they’d run the risk of people learning about their existence.”
“Makes sense.” Kevin turned to Kiara. “I also wanted to thank you for taking her in. I would have let her stay with me but, well―” a helpless shrug, “―my place is a little cramped at the moment.”
“I’ll bet.” Kiara’s lips twitched in amusement. “Anyway, the reason she’s here is because I thought we’d switch things up a bit. Heather has police training, and is well-versed in both armed and unarmed combat. She’ll be able to give you a better fight than my disciples.”
Kevin looked from Heather to Kiara, then back to Heather. “So, you’re going to help me get stronger, then?”
Heather grinned and raised a clenched hand to her face. “Yep! I heard that you were learning to fight and thought this would be a great way to repay you and your, um, family?” When Kevin nodded, Heather continued. “Right, as a way to repay you guys for everything you’ve done for me, I’ve decided to help you get stronger by offering you a different sparring partner.”
“This will also have the added benefit of allowing you to see another fighting style,” Kiara added. “I know I told you I wouldn’t teach you any formalized martial arts, because learning a style of combat like Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai makes you easy to predict, but I do believe it would be a good idea for you to see other styles. By seeing other fighting styles, you’ll not only be able to create your own unique techniques, but you’ll also get better at recognizing what style someone is using and how best to counter it.”
While Kevin listened to everything Kiara said with rapt attention, Lilian stood beside him, not really listening to the woman, but offering her support all the same.
“Right. I want you and Heather to start sparring now. Your girlfriend and I will watch over on the sidelines.”
“Got it.”
Kevin turned to Lilian and gave her a quick peck on the lips— “for luck,” he told her.
Lilian was less than satisfied.
“That was not a good luck kiss,” the redhead said seconds before she pounced on him.
Kevin didn’t think he would ever get used to the intensity behind Lilian’s kisses. They were always filled with so much passion… and a lot of tongue action. Kevin tried to keep up with her, but he was so surprised that he could do little except hang on while Lilian ravished the inside of his mouth.
She pulled back after having thoroughly plundered the depths of his mouth with her tongue, a thin string of saliva connecting them. It was broken when Lilian licked his lips, her expression containing a satisfaction that reminded him of Natsumo Uzukami after she pulled a successful prank.
“Now that is a good luck kiss.”
“Um… right…”
Lilian strolled over to the sideline, an exaggerated sway in her hips, and stood exactly two meters away from Kiara, who she still didn’t like. Heather snickered as she moved in front of a dazed and blushing Kevin.
“You ready, kiddo?”
Kevin smacked his cheeks. The action stung, but it also served its purpose; getting rid of his blush and sharpening his focus.
“I’m ready.”
Both of them prepared for the sparring match. The difference between the two was immediately apparent. Kevin clearly had no set style, which anyone with combat experience would have been able to tell just by looking at him. His arms, while placed in a basic guard position, were loose and held further away from his face and body than most experienced combatants.
In stark contrast, Heather had taken an open, short stance; the lateral distance between her hind and lead foot was wide, but the general distance between them was not-quite shoulder-length. She also looked a lot more comfortable than Kevin, who had only been sparring for a few weeks.
Kiara held up a hand.
“On three. One. Two. Three. Begin!”
Heather shot forward more quickly than anything Kevin had seen outside of youki-enhanced speed. Fortunately, Kevin was the king of speed and actually saw her coming. When Heather got within range, she swung out with a swift jab, testing his defenses. Kevin stumbled backwards, avoiding the blow by the skin of his teeth. The fist came so close that it grazed his nose. Kevin swore he lost a few epidermal layers.
Two steps forward brought Heather into Kevin’s guard. Already tucked into her left side, the fist that she had prepared shot out, striking fast and hard. Heather’s torso rotated with the attack, allowing her to put more power behind her punch. Kevin moved to the left, avoiding the attack, but tumbled and fell over in the process. Oddly enough, when he fell, the young man continued rolling backwards until he kipped back to his feet.
Heather raised an eyebrow.
He turned his fall into a roll. Sure, he nearly fell on his ass, but he managed to get up quickly. If I had charged in to capitalize on my advantage, he would have been able to attack me before I could do anything about it. Clever.
Deciding to test the waters some more, Heather moved in. Four steps took her right into Kevin’s range. She waited for a moment, but when he didn’t attack, she threw another jab.
Her eyebrow rose some more when Kevin’s head tilted―no, his entire body was tilting. And his arms were flailing about like a pinwheel. What the hell? Surprise became shock when one of those flailing arms latched onto her wrists, and Kevin, still falling, used the momentum from his fall to pull her down to the floor.
Or he would have, had Heather not acted quickly by jabbing him in the arm with her knuckles, then kicking him in the face when he continued to fall. The young man hit the floor hard and rolled across the mat, but he didn’t stay down long. Heather was impressed when he jumped back onto his feet, a small bruise visible underneath his right eye to show he’d been kicked.
“You’re pretty durable,” Heather complimented. “Most people would have been down and out after getting kicked like that.”
Kevin winced as he raised a hand to his newly formed bruise. “Yeah, well, I’v
e been getting beaten up a lot lately. I guess you could say I’ve built up a tolerance to pain.”
Heather shook her head. “It’s more than that. If it was just a matter of being durable and able to withstand pain, you would still have a large bruise. I put a lot of strength into that kick, and my legs are stronger than most, yet all you have to show for it is a tiny little mark. That means you’ve got tough skin.”
“I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not,” Kevin muttered before the battle started up again.
***
Kevin and Heather renewed their spar seconds later, with the blond woman proving herself to be a more than capable fighter.
Kiara watched for a moment before her dark eyes shifted to Lilian. “I’ve gotta admit, your mate’s really something. You must be proud of him.”
Lilian’s eyes, which burned with admiration as she watched Kevin spar, flickered to Kiara. She looked away a second later to hide the smile on her face. “I’ve always been proud of my mate.”
“Hn.”
They watched in silence for a while longer. Kevin fell backwards after avoiding a powerful punch that would have cleaned his clock. Yet, even as he fell, he grabbed ahold of Heather’s extended forearm. His fall turned into a roll and, with a slight heave, he took Heather down with him. The former secret agent, her eyes wide in surprise, was flipped head over heels.
That would have ended with a point going to Kevin, except Heather twisted her body around in midair so that, instead of hitting the mat back first, she hit it feet first.
“What the―?”
In a reversal of roles, Kevin was tossed into the air by Heather, who used her apparently hulkish strength to lift his body from her awkward bridge-like position and throw him across the room. He landed on the mat back first, the air leaving his lungs in a loud whoosh!
“I have to wonder, though,” Kiara continued while musing out loud. “Kevin’s been training with me for over a month and a half now, working his butt off day in and day out to get stronger.” She glanced at Lilian, her eyes sharp and almost accusing. “Why aren’t you doing the same?”
Lilian’s lips thinned. “What makes you think I don’t train? I practice my enchantments everyday.” Sure, it was on the unsuspecting students and teachers at school, but this woman didn’t need to know that.
A Fox's Family (American Kitsune Book 4) Page 29