“
Whatever,” Kevin sighed. He felt tired, and old. A part of him worried about how he hardly even batted an eyelash at the sight of his favorite arcade being decimated. Another part just wanted to head home, go to sleep, and pretend this whole affair never happened.
“
As we can no longer have our duel, I shall take my leave. Farwell,
mi amigos.
”
Kevin didn’t bother watching Juan leave. He merely continued staring at the arcade, his eyes soulless and devoid of life.
“
Kevin!”
His head snapped up at the familiar voice. A small flicker of light entered his eyes as he turned his head.
“
Lilian.”
He smiled as Lilian approached him, closely followed by his mom, Kotohime, Christine and Lindsay. A bizarre fluttering entered his chest, like butterflies flapping about. He did his best to ignore the feeling. Kevin really hoped he wasn’t getting sick or something.
Cha-ching!
Blinking, Kevin turned to the strange noise that sounded a lot like a cash register being opened. The noise had come from Eric, whose eyes had somehow transformed into large dollar signs. Kevin would have wondered how such a thing was possible, but had no desire to deal with the headache such thoughts would bring.
Eric’s expression only lasted for a moment before he was off.
“
BOOBIES!”
With great agility and speed, the young pervert darted toward the group of women, his hands stretched out and grasping as he imagined grabbing onto those large mountains of flesh like a baker kneading dough.
“
Come to papa, you delectable―guwog!”
Less than a second later, Eric lay face down on the ground, blood pooling underneath him from where his nose had a close encounter of the concrete kind. He was clearly unconscious.
Everyone stared at the boy lying on the ground, completely insensate, before looking at Christine, who had a large vein pulsing on her forehead like a giant tic mark. Her fist was still extended and her breathing heavy. Her arm shook with pent-up rage.
Lindsay summed up everyone’s thoughts pretty well.
“
Whoa, remind me never to get on your bad side.”
“
Don’t worry,” Kevin reassured her, “so long as your name isn’t Eric, I think you’ll be fine.”
“
Good to know.” Lindsay seemed most reassured by Kevin’s words.
***
Unbeknownst to everyone, the group of humans and yōkai were not alone. Situated on top of the mall, Professor Nabui lay on his stomach, using the scope of his personalized sniper rifle to spy on them.
He had been tracking their movements and observing their behavioral patterns for quite a while now. Ever since he’d contacted his immediate superior, in fact. It was important to learn everything he could if he wanted this mission to succeed.
Already he’d learned a number of useful pieces of information, like how that woman dressed in the kimono had very keen instincts. She could tell when her group was being watched. He’d already been forced to hide himself several times when she looked in his direction. Inagumi Takashi—Professor Nabui to his colleagues and students—didn’t know who she was, or even what she was, but he knew that, whenever he decided to enact his plan, it would have to be when she was not present.
A battle against her could only end in defeat.
The rest of the group seemed oblivious to his presence, which was fine with him. From what he could see, the only other yōkai was the girl dressed in gothic lolita garb. He didn’t know what she was, but had gathered through his spying that she had control over ice, or perhaps the weather. Either way, she wasn’t much of a threat.
Other than her mean left hook, apparently.
He watched the group leave. It would take a bit more time to put his plan into motion, a week or two at most. He would gather more information, wait for the boy’s mother to leave, and then he would strike.
“
Freeze! Don’t move!” a voice shouted behind him.
Inagumi Takashi froze.
“
Stand up.”
He stood up.
“
Now put your hands in the air and turn around slowly.”
He did exactly as told, making a full 180-degree turn to face someone pointing a gun at him.
A cop. Two cops, to be precise.
“
You’re under arrest for suspected terrorist activity, carrying illegal weaponry, and trespassing on private property. We’re gonna have to take you to the station.”
Well, crap, this was not good. How was he going to get out of this situation?
“
Put your hands behind your head and get on the ground,” one of the cops ordered. “If you make any suspicious moves, I won’t hesitate to shoot.”
As Inagumi Takashi did what was instructed of him, a single thought passed through his mind.
I’m beginning to think I should have left my sniper rifle at home
…
Chapter 7
A Wavering Heart
Ms. Swift wore a large grin as she, Kotohime, Lilian and Kevin entered the apartment. She stretched her hands above her head and arched her back. Kevin winced upon hearing it crack several times.
“
He-heh, that was a lot of fun. I haven’t gone shopping like that in a really long time.” She looked at Lilian and her smile widened. “It helps that I had such a beautiful girl to play fashion model for me.”
While Kevin somehow managed not to palm his face, Lilian put her hands on her cheeks and blushed a pretty shade of pink. “Ufufufu, thank you.”
“
Acting bashful doesn’t suit you,” Kevin mumbled, “and don’t laugh like that when you’re trying to appear demure.”
“
Ufufufu, don’t be like that, Kevin.”
“
Seriously, stop that.”
Taking her eyes off the duo as they bantered, Kotohime looked at the clock.
“
Oh my, it has gotten rather late.” The clock read six pm; they had been at the mall for nearly seven hours. “I suppose I should start preparing dinner.”
“
You don’t need to worry about dinner, Kotohime,” Lilian told the older kitsune. “Kevin and I will take care of dinner.”
“
And there you go, offering my services without even asking if I want to make dinner,” Kevin said in mock irritation.
Lilian peered at him with an adorable pout. “Are you saying you don’t want to help me prepare dinner?”
Looking away, Kevin scratched his cheek with his right index finger. “I didn’t say that. I wouldn’t mind giving you a hand in the kitchen, even though you don’t really need my help.”
“
Maybe not, but you have to admit that it’s much more fun cooking with someone else than it is cooking alone.”
“
Well, maybe a little.”
“
Try a lot.”
Kotohime took a moment to study the twin-tailed kitsune she had protected for nearly 60 years. After taking a moment to observe Lilian as if seeing her for the first time, she eventually gave a nod.
“
Very well, I will be interested in seeing what Lilian-sama and… the boy decide to cook.”
“‘
The boy’ she calls me,” Kevin mumbled. “I get the feeling she doesn’t like me very much.”
“
Did you say something?” Kotohime’s eyes sharpened like blades.
“
Not a thing.” Kevin dutifully did his best to ignore the eyes boring into his skull and turned to Lilian. “Come on.”
He gestured for the girl to proceed him. Lilian beamed as she went into the kitchen, Kevin trailing after her. Despite trying not to, he couldn’t keep himself from admiring her small, shapely butt—and was it just him, or had Lilian added an extra sway to her hips?
While Kevin tried to find some means to pry his eyes off Lilian’s rear end, Kotohime stared at him with narrowed eyes.
“
Hmm…”
***
“
So what are we making?” Kevin asked as he and Lilian stood in the kitchen.
“
We’re making
kota riganati
.”
“
Greek chicken?” Kevin tilted his head. “I’ve actually heard of that. It’s a really popular dish in Greece, right? I’m surprised we haven’t made it before.”
“
You know of it?”
“
Mmm. I had it that one time I went to Greece with my mom. I think I told you about that.”
“
Yeah,” Lilian nodded noncommittally, “you said that you don’t remember a lot of what happened back then because you were so young.”
“
That’s right. But, while I don’t remember a whole lot about that trip, there are a few things that I do remember. It’s a little strange, to be honest, some memories seem sharper than others, while other memories seem like one big blur.” Kevin pondered that for a moment, then shook his head. “Anyway, one of the things that I do remember was mom and I having this amazing Greek chicken during our first night there.”
Kevin pulled out some chicken from the fridge and tested its firmness, frowning. This chicken wasn’t fully thawed yet. Great.
“
So, I don’t know what ingredients we need to make Greek chicken.” Kevin turned around to Lilian, chicken in hand. “What do we… Lilian?”
“
Hmm?” Lilian snapped out of the fugue state she’d been in and looked at Kevin. “Yes?”
Kevin studied her with concern. “Are you feeling okay?”
“
Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
His frown deepening, Kevin set the bag of partially thawed chicken in the microwave, and used the defrosting feature to finish thawing it. He then focused his attention back on the redhead.
“
I don’t know. You’re staring off into space like something is bothering you. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
Lilian looked surprised for a second, but then shook her head and offered him a reassuring smile.
“
I’m fine.” Kevin still didn’t look convinced, but Lilian didn’t give him a chance to ask her anything else. “Anyway, we need half a cup of olive oil, juice from four lemons, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper, seven tablespoons of butter, and about half a cup of water. Could you get those for me?”
Kevin stared at Lilian a second longer, before nodding slowly. “Yeah, sure.”
“
Thank you.”
Kevin went to the cupboard to gather ingredients while Lilian preheated the oven to 350 degrees, then she grabbed the non-reactive baking pan and set it on the stove.
With nothing to do but wait for the chicken to defrost, Lilian’s gaze strayed to Kevin. The blond sprinter had just finished gathering all of the ingredients and was now juicing a lemon.
Watching him like this, seeing him cooking with her, made Lilian’s desire to have his love soar even higher.
This… this was what she wanted; someone she could do things with, someone she could enjoy life with. She didn’t want to marry some stuffy old fox who thought her similar to a prize mule. She especially didn’t want to marry some brat who thought she was a toy that he could play with and discard when he was done. She wanted Kevin, a person she could do the things she enjoyed doing because he enjoyed doing them, too.
Feeling her eyes on him, Kevin looked up from his work and turned his head, their eyes meeting from across the room.
“
Lilian?”
Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned a pale shade of pink when she realized that he’d caught her staring. She looked away, turning her head in an attempt to pretend she hadn’t been watching him work. Her heart felt like a pantheon of gods were partying in her chest.
What… what is wrong with me?
Lilian clutched at her chest, which was pounding harder than it ever had before. She glanced at Kevin, whose mouth had opened to say something. He didn’t get the chance, however, as the microwave chose that moment to beep.
“
I’ll get that!” Lilian announced before Kevin could speak. She hurried over to the microwave, pulling out the chicken to begin prepping it as she tried to calm her racing heart.
What is wrong with you, Lilian? Why are you getting so flustered? This isn’t like you at all. You need to calm down.
When she managed to bring both her heart rate and the heat in her cheeks down to manageable levels, she turned to Kevin.
“
Could you bring me those ingredients, please?”
Kevin frowned, but did as he was asked “Yeah, sure,” he grabbed the ingredients and measured out the amount Lilian had requested.
It happened while he was handling the dried oregano. He had finished measuring the spice at the same time Lilian reached out to grab it. A jolt like an electric current traveled through them as their hands made contact. The feeling of electricity traversed their arms and shoulders, then made a path down their spine, sending shivers in its wake.
Lilian almost lost control of her transformation and let her ears and tails out―which would have been bad, since Kevin’s mother was sitting in the living room with Kotohime. Her body shuddered from the crown of her head down to her toes.
“
Kevin…”
The sound of Lilian’s breathless voice made his spine stiffen and forced him to look at her. She was staring right at him with those big, beautiful emerald eyes. A moment later he noticed their hands were still touching.
“
Ack! S-sorry!”
Kevin tried to jerk his hand away, but Lilian was too quick. She snatched it out of the air before he could fully retract it.
“
There’s nothing to apologize for.” Lilian pulled his hand to her face, bringing it to rest on her right cheek. “I don’t mind if you touch me. I like it when you touch me.”
Kevin’s mind, which should have been screaming at him to pull his hand away, had fallen strangely silent. He knew that he should remove his hand, but for whatever reason, he couldn’t do it, almost as if he didn’t want to remove it.
Once again, Kevin had to marvel at just how soft Lilian’s skin felt. The finest silk, imported from whatever country had the best quality silk, simply couldn’t compete with the unblemished and impossibly smooth perfection of Lilian’s skin. From a purely physical standpoint, this girl had absolutely no faults. She was so beautiful it frightened him.
“
L-Lilian?”
Lilian’s eyes, which she’d closed to further enjoy Kevin’s touch, fluttered open, locking him in place, freezing him like a statue made of ice. His mind went on the fritz. A strange buzzing like the sparks of an overloading circuit board filled his mind. He couldn’t think, he could scarcely breathe, all he could do was focus on the vision of loveliness before him.
“
Yes?”
“
My hand…”
“
I’m sorry. I know it’s presumptuous of me to be so physical with you, especially after you told me that you only like me as a friend.”
“
Ah… n-no, that’s not…”
“
But I can’t deny my desire to be with you.” Her eyes bored into his, hypnotizing him with their undeniably enchanting mien. “You don’t have to be with me if you don’t want to. I would never try to force you to love me.” She paused, considering something. “At least, I would never try forcing you to love me the way that I love you. Seducing you is an entirely different matter.”
Kevin twitched, momentarily forgetting that his hand was resting against her cheek. “How is that any different?”
“
It just is,” Lilian insisted. Kevin would have shouted at her or something, but became mute as the feel of her impeccably soft lips brushing against his rough palm rendered him speechless. “But please, regardless of how you feel about me, will you please just let me be close to you? I want to stay by your side, even if it’s just like this.”
Confused and guilt-ridden, Kevin found his defenses crumbling. Despite how much experience he had when it came to dealing with Lilian, hearing that voice filled with earnest longing, seeing that open and honest expression looking at him with a love so intense it terrified him… it made resisting her impossible.
“
Lilian… I…”
Lilian’s eyes, half-lidded and filled with an fervent desire for intimacy, gazed at him with unfathomable depths. He could easily get lost within those orbs that seemed to reflect a never ending sea of viridian. Yet even as he stared into her vibrant irises, his gaze was invariably drawn to her soft pink lips, parted and glistening and oh so kissable. All he would have to do was…
“
Yes?” Lilian’s voice, nothing but a breathy whisper, caused the hairs on the back of his neck to rise. Maybe it was his imagination, but it seemed like her face was drawing closer.
His mind lost within a haze of desire, Kevin didn’t even chance realize that it wasn’t Lilian moving toward him, but the other way around.
Kevin tilted his head.
“
Lilian…”
Lilian tilted her head up to meet his, standing on her tiptoes to help close the distance between them.
“
Yes?”
“
I just… wanted to…”
They were so close, close enough that Kevin could pick out the individual features of Lilian’s beautiful face. Even from this distance, mere centimeters apart, her face looked perfect.
“
What is it, Kevin?” Lilian’s breath, warm and carrying the scent of cinnamon, caressed his lips and sent goosebumps racing across his skin.
“
I think that I… that I want…”
“
Go on…”
Kevin didn’t say anything. He was beyond the ability of being able to form words. His body, mind and heart, it seemed, were unable to resist the hormonal compulsions controlling them. He closed his eyes and leaned even closer.
Lilian’s actions mirrored Kevin’s. She shut her eyes and tilted her head further. They were so close now that she could practically taste his lips and it was driving her insane. She’d always wanted Kevin, yet her desire for him had never been stronger than it was now. She didn’t want him. She needed him.
Their lips were barely a centimeter from making contact. Just a little bit farther and—
“
Ara, ara, you two are taking an awfully long time in here. Would you like me to help you prepare dinner?”
Like a man who’d been smacked in the face with a scorching hot frying pan, Kevin jerked away from Lilian. With his eyes wide and his cheeks looking similar to burning coals, he busied himself with measuring ingredients.
Lilian shot Kotohime the most vicious glare she could muster, but the older kitsune was unfazed. The maid-slash-bodyguard simply tilted her head and smiled innocently.
“
No,” Lilian ground out, practically spitting venom. “We’re fine. Thank you for your concern, though.”
Kotohime’s knowing smile really pissed Lilian off.
“
Don’t mention it, Lilian-sama.” The smile widened, further angering the twin-tailed beauty. “This humble Kotohime will always be there to help Lilian-sama make the best choices possible.”
“
Hmph!” Without giving the other woman another glance, Lilian set about helping Kevin finish dinner.
She and Kotohime were going to be having words, and soon. Her bodyguard was definitely overdue for a long, harsh conversation.
***
Kevin’s mind was in turmoil as he got ready for bed that night.
Dressed in a pair of long pajama bottoms and a baggy t-shirt, he stood in front of the bathroom mirror flossing his teeth.
Kevin wasn’t really sure what had happened back there in the kitchen, nor did he understand what had possessed him when he’d been making dinner. He’d almost kissed Lilian! Kissed her! What had he been thinking? Yeah, he liked the girl, but enough to actually kiss her? No… well, maybe. He honestly didn’t know anymore, and that was the problem.
Even though all of Lilian’s flags had been raised—and before he’d even realized it to boot—he had yet to instigate any romance between them because he didn’t want to give her false hope. He still didn’t know if these feelings, these desires, he had for her were because he actually loved her, or because of her body. He’d never felt this way before, not even about Lindsay. His body craved Lilian with an intensity that honestly scared him.
Another factor he needed to consider was whether he even deserved to be with Lilian. While he had never treated her poorly, he had spent a good deal of time pushing the girl away.
There was also his confession to Lindsay to consider. Sure, she had turned him down, but the fact remained that he had confessed to her, and it didn’t change that his confession had hurt Lilian. Someone like him, who could confess to a girl when another girl so obviously loved him, didn’t deserve a person like Lilian, did they?
He was actually grateful that Kotohime had interrupted them before he and Lilian could do something he might regret later on.
Speaking of their resident maid-slash-bodyguard, he was very impressed with her poise--terrified beyond all belief, but also impressed. Lilian had been seemingly trying to bore a hole through Kotohime’s skull throughout dinner, but the kimono-clad femme had completely ignored it. That woman was colder than ice.