"Technically, I'm not Greek. I think I told you my mom is English. We just moved to Greece before I gained my second tail, so I don't remember much of my time in England.”
Chagrined, Kevin said, “Ah, right. Sorry.”
“It's fine." When Lilian smiled at him, he flushed red and looked away. "The reason we can understand each other and I don't have an accent is because I'm a Kitsune." When he looked back to give her with an expression that quite clearly said “I'm confused” she elaborated by saying, "Kitsune are blessed by Lord Inari with the ability to understand any language spoken to us so that we can better integrate ourselves into human society no matter what country we live in. This ability works both ways, so the people we are talking to understand us no matter what language we're speaking."
She grinned at him, and for the first time since meeting her, Kevin got a glance at her sharper than average canines.
"For example, I bet you think I'm speaking English, right?"
"Well... yeah..."
"Thought so." Lilian nodded her head. "The truth is, right now, I'm speaking Greek. You just hear it as English because that's your native language. If your native language was German, you'd hear me speaking German. Same with Japanese, Mandarin or any other language you could think of."
"That's pretty convenient."
"The Author felt it would have been a waste of his word count to create a chapter centered around us trying to figure out what the other was saying because of something like a language barrier."
Even though such a scene would have been awesome.
"It would have definitely been funny," Lilian agreed.
"Who are you talking to?" Kevin asked suspiciously.
"No one."
"No one?" Kevin eyed the girl with a look that clearly said “I don't believe you.” There was something very odd about this girl... fox... fox-girl. Whatever she was.
"No one," Lilian nodded her head in affirmation. Kevin decided to drop the issue. A part of him was sure he didn't want to know.
"So Kitsune have the ability to break all language barriers," Kevin got back to the topic at hand. It was interesting. And it kept him from thinking about other things. Things that could easily be considered morally reprehensible or at least morally ambiguous, which was always a plus.
"Not just Kitsune." Lilian shook her head. "All Yōkai have this ability. The only difference between our ability and theirs is that ours comes from our patron god, Lord Inari, while other Yōkai gain their abilities from their respective patron gods."
"Huh?" Kevin blinked in surprise. "So wait, there are other supernatural creatures out there besides Kitsune?" He ignored the gods part, as in plural, more than one. Kevin was not what you would call a devout Christian or anything, but the idea of there actually being multiple gods was just too much for him to take in at the moment.
"Of course," Lilian said as if the answer to that question should have been obvious, even though, you know, it wasn't. At least not to a human who has just been introduced to the world of Yōkai. "Aside from Kitsune, there are Kappas, Nekomata, Oni, Ookami, Yuki-onna... Inu." Her nose wrinkled slightly, as if she had smelled something foul. "There are a large number of Yōkai in this world. So many that even though our matriarch has been teaching me as much as she can about the various races, I still don't know all of them."
"Huh," Kevin scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "You learn something new everyday, I guess." Having satiated his curiosity for now, Kevin decided to get back to the reason they had come here in the first place. "Anyways, we should probably check out one of these stores..." He looked around at the different clothing shops with a frown. " Although, I'm not sure which shop we should go to first―Woah!"
And just like that, Kevin's and Lilian's shopping excursion began in earnest as Lilian, her enthusiasm at the thought of shopping in a real mall overpowering her, began dragging the poor, shy boy by the arm.
They walked from store to store, looking at everything. Lilian was all smiles as they moved about the mall: it seemed that even fox-girls had the fascination with shopping that normal girls have.
The first shop Lilian dragged Kevin into was The Gap, which just happened to be the closest clothing store near them. Kevin had shopped there on occasion. The jeans he was currently wearing were actually from there.
It was at this store that Kevin got his first experience in shopping with a woman that was not his mom.
The first thing he discovered about shopping with a girl was that it was just as bad as every guy who ever complained about shopping with their girlfriend said it was. Of course, seeing as this was Kevin, his reasons for not liking the idea of shopping with a female were completely different than most of the other guys. Other men just didn't like being used as a pack mule to carry around all the clothing their girlfriend's bought. Kevin honestly didn't mind that part. It was certain... other parts about shopping with a female that caused him trouble.
The second thing he discovered about shopping with Lilian, and part of the reason he was not enjoying the experience one bit, was due to Lilian's sense of fashion. It wasn't that she had a bad fashion sense. Quite the contrary. It was just that the clothes she enjoyed wearing were the kinds of clothing that made Kevin's face and body feel all kinds of hot.
There was also the suspicious tightening of his pants that came from looking at Lilian's clothing choice, but he didn't want to think about that.
That's right, Kevin. Just try to ignore it. Clear your mind, calm your raging hormonal body and find peace and zen... or something.
One of the things Kevin noted about the type of clothing Lilian loved to wear was that pants were not on the list. The girl didn't seem to enjoy wearing pants at all. The one time Kevin had suggested a pair of pants for her to wear, she had given him a look. It wasn't quite THE LOOK™, but close enough that his mouth had snapped shut and he felt an inexplicable urge to cower in fear. Needless to say, he didn't suggest she get another pair of pants for the rest of their shopping trip.
Lilian, it seemed, enjoyed wearing either very short, tight, hip hugging shorts that allowed him to see every curve of her lovely rear and incredible looking legs, or very short skirts that gave the perfect panty shot when she twirled around in them or bent over.
And on that note, it was during one of those times where she had done just that, which made Kevin realize the girl still wasn't wearing any panties. For a second, he could have sworn his heart had actually stopped.
For tops, Lilian enjoyed sleeveless shirts that exposed a good deal of her midriff. Some of the shirts she had chosen had been pretty scandalous, and more than a few made Kevin feel light-headed enough that he was sure it was only a matter of time before he fainted. That he didn't become an insensate body devoid of all life showed how much fortitude he had gained since Lilian entered his life. He had most definitely gained at least +20 bonus points in desensitization.
Matters were only made worse for Kevin because Lilian not only enjoyed very revealing clothing, she had also decided to give him something of a fashion show. Each store they went to, she grabbed all the outfits she thought were cute, made him wait while she went to change, then paraded about in clothing that would have overprotective fathers everywhere up in arms.
It probably doesn't need to be mentioned, but Kevin's megaton blush was not going to be ending anytime soon.
It was Lilian's need to show off the outfits she wanted to try on that had Kevin standing in front of a changing room in a Fashion21 store two hours into their shopping excursion. He was waiting for Lilian to come out in one of the several outfits she had taken from the racks.
They had already gone to two different stores. Sitting at his side were three bags worth of clothing that Kevin had paid for with the credit card his mom had given him for emergencies. He didn't know what exactly would constitute an emergency, but felt that having a half-naked fox-girl running around the apartment in nothing but one of his larger t-shirts definitely qualify.
While he waited, Kevin nervously tapped his foot on the ground. He was trying to ignore some of the middle-aged women and older teenagers that looked like college girls as they pointed and giggled at him. They had been doing that ever since he got there.
Come to think of it, just about every girl he and Lilian had passed did pretty much the same thing: point, whisper and giggle. At least, they did that when they weren't busy smacking their significant others for staring at Lilian's backside or chest.
He wondered: were they making fun of him because he was in a women's clothing store? Or maybe they just thought it was funny that he was allowing himself to get dragged around by a girl. He didn't know. He wanted to say he didn't care, but that would be a lie.
As more giggling erupted from a gaggle of girls to his left, Kevin tried, and failed, to contain his impatience and mortification. Just how long did it take for girls to get dressed? It felt like he had been standing here for hours!
The sound of swishing curtains and clinking metal alerted him to the fact that Lilian was finished. "What do you think, Beloved?"
Kevin looked up, about to give her a piece of his mind for making him wait so long with all those girls staring at him...
...When he was struck speechless. Lilian was standing there, wearing one of the outfits she had chosen, and she looked good. Really, really good.
As Eric would say, she looked delectable.
Actually, he would probably say something along the lines of how he wanted to shove his face between her “bazongas” and start motor-boating her or something, but that's beside the point.
Starting from the torso, Lilian was wearing a crop top featuring a southwestern inspired pattern with mostly earth tone colors. The creamy, fair skin of her shoulders and toned, flat stomach were exposed to his gaze and the fabric of the top stretched tautly across her well-developed bust.
If that wasn't enough, as Kevin's eyes traveled across the exposed expanse of her flat tummy, they landed on what she was wearing around her hips: a black, crochet tiered layer skort.
It was probably a good thing the skort came with an inbuilt pair of shorts, otherwise Kevin likely would have lost consciousness right then and there. As things stood, the skort was not only wrapped around her so tightly that it allowed him to see her shapely hips and firm butt perfectly, it was short enough that almost all of her long, curvaceous legs were exposed.
Before he could even think of stopping himself, Kevin found his irises wandering down the expanse of those beautiful legs. Toned thighs and shapely calves the likes of which super-models spent the totality of their lives trying to attain were revealed to him in their entirety. His roaming only ended when his eyes landed on what she was wearing for shoes; a pair of cream colored, leather gladiator sandals that featured two ankle straps with buckle closures.
As he found himself staring at the open toed sandals, her toes, which had been painted dark red to match her hair (when did she do that?), wiggled cutely.
Kevin blinked, then shook his head. There must seriously be something wrong with him if he was thinking about how cute someone's feet were. He hoped he wasn't turning into one of those feet people or something. That would just be weird.
"So," Lilian smile widened when she saw her Beloved staring at her. It was nice to see that she could affect her mate like this. No girl didn't like being appreciated by their boyfriends. Even if he wasn't actually her boyfriend. That was a small detail barely worth mentioning. "What do you think?"
Kevin worked his mouth as he tried to speak with no success. His throat seemed to have constricted, leaving his vocal chords incapable of producing any form of sound.
It was only after several seconds of staring that he managed, in a very strained voice, to say, "You look... nice?"
"Why did you sound so unsure when you said that?" Lilian pouted, crossing her arms under her bosom and pouting at him. Kevin would have gulped at the act, but he was having trouble just breathing. Was she doing this on purpose? "Do you think this outfit looks bad on me?"
"No! Of course I do!" Kevin quickly tried to reassure the girl. "I mean I don't! I mean, it looks really good... on... you...” Kevin knew he was not making any sense. He'd better wrap this up before he made himself out to be even more of a fool than he had already shown. “I mean, It's just... I'm not really used to doing this kind of thing... giving my opinion on clothes and... stuff."
"Really?" Kevin nodded. "I suppose that's okay then.” She paused to look at him. “So, just to be sure, you like my outfit, right?" Another nod. Lilian smiled brightly. "In that case, I think I'll get this one too. I just want to try a few more outfits on," she winked at him, "Then I've got a present for you. Okay?"
"Ah...um...okay." Kevin absently wondered what kind of present she had for him and whether or not it would end with his death. Given how Dangerous this girl was one couldn't deny there was a very distinct possibility of that happening.
Lilian tried on several more outfits, each and every one of them just as revealing and appealing as the last. Kevin couldn't be too sure, but he thought he was actually getting kind of used to her clothing of choice. As time went on he had stopped blushing (mostly), and even managed to give a more comprehensive opinion of what she was wearing. It probably helped that he was used to Lilian wandering around the apartment in much less.
Much, much less.
It was almost enough to make one wonder why this was so difficult for him in the first place.
When she had tried on the last outfit and he had given her a satisfactory response, they walked off towards the cashier with several new sets of clothes and ended up waiting in line.
While they stood there, Lilian had wrapped her arms around Kevin's left arm and placed her head on his shoulder. She looked so content that he just couldn't bring himself to tell her off. Or maybe he couldn't tell her off because his voice box wasn't working due to her proximity. Who can say?
After nearly ten minutes, it was finally their turn. At the cash register there was a young woman who looked to be in her mid twenties. She took one look at them and smiled.
"You two make such a cute couple," she stated wistfully. Naturally, Kevin's face looked even more awkward as it began to take on a shade of red that would make tomatoes jealous. Lilian, on the other hand, smiled brightly and held his arm even more possessively.
The total cost for the clothes came to $143.82, which was about what they had spent the other two clothing stores. It was expensive, especially compared to what his clothes normally cost, but then, he never before had to buy an entire wardrobe. Allowances had to be made. And since he was using his emergency credit card, which had a $1,000 limit, the cost didn't really bother him. His mom would understand once she realized why he was spending so much on clothing... women's clothing...
He was doomed.
With Lilian now having her own wardrobe, and one large enough that she wouldn't have to wear his clothes anymore, Kevin was ready to leave. Unfortunately for him, Lilian had one more place she wanted them to go to.
"I still have to get your present," were her words as she began dragging him off again. "I saw this nice, little store while we were walking that has something I think you'll like."
It was her tone more than her words that put Kevin on guard, but as she was not doing anything that could be construed as suspicious, there was little he could do other then let her drag him around. It probably helped that she was a lot stronger than she looked.
In very short order, they arrived at the “nice, little store” that Lilian had found. The moment they did, Kevin suddenly found the strength to halt them both in their tracks, strength fueled by dread.
"Is something wrong, Beloved?" asked Lilian, turning her head to look into his wide, incredulous eyes.
"I can't go in there!" a panicked Kevin nearly shouted, his voice squeaking like a scared little mouse. The sound of his shout attracted a number of stares from passerby, but he was hardly noticed. His focus was on the store in front of him.<
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"Why not?" Lilian asked plaintively.
"What do you mean why not!?" Kevin's voice cracked dangerously. He looked like he was on the verge of having a panic attack as he stared at the girl with a wild look in his eyes. "Do you know what store that is!?"
"Of course I do," Lilian huffed and crossed her arms under her chest, which had its usual effect, which many passing males noticed.
Several of these males were then thrown backwards as a jetstream of blood spurted out their noses. Yes, it was a Nosebleed, a very popular trope in Japanese media. Healthy young men who have no sexual outlet will often suffer nosebleeds upon seeing the naked female body, or even just a pair of well-filled panties. This is also known as anime law number 40; the Law of Nasal Sanguination, which has been theorized to be a result of the larger eyes often found in anime and manga taking up too much space and causing males to have smaller sinuses and thinner sinus tissue.
Of course, all this is just theory and really has nothing to do with the story. Please continue reading.
"Then you should know why I can't go in there," Kevin argued back, looking scared. His eyes darted towards the store, the source of his fear, then back to Lilian.
"You'll be fine." Lilian almost rolled her eyes at her Beloved. She loved her mate dearly, but he could be such a prude. "It's just a lingerie store." And with that, she dragged him inside.
The place that Lilian called “just a lingerie store” was actually Victoria's Secret, a place that sold some of the deadliest (for anyone named Kevin Swift) clothing in the entire world. Bras, panties, thongs and all manner of sexy that was specifically designed to arouse the male gender.
For a person like Kevin Swift, it was like stepping into his worst nightmare. There was so much pink, and the images of women wearing nothing more than a bra and panties was far too much for the boy poor to take and he was going to pass out if this-kept-up-because-there-was-just-way-too-much-sexy-and-he-was-beginning-to-feel-light-headed-and―
A Fox's Love (American Kitsune Book 1) Page 13