A Fox's Maid

by Brandon Varnell

  When they finished setting everything up, Kevin couldn’t keep from marveling at Lilian’s spread. He picked up one of the sandwiches arranged on a disposable tray; a croquette sandwich stuffed with ground beef, sautéed mushrooms, lettuce and spinach, with some kind of light dressing.

  “You really went all out today,” he whistled. “This all looks amazing!”

  Lilian’s smile could outshine the sun, while the gentlest of blushes tainted her cheeks a lovely shade of pink. “Thank you. I had to get up a bit earlier than normal to make the bread and cook the beef, but I think it was well worth the effort.”

  “It looks delicious.” It smelled delicious too. The scent alone was enough to almost make him drool.

  Lilian leaned over in anticipation as Kevin took a bite out of the sandwich, watching with the eyes of a hawk—or a girl who’d just made her beloved a sandwich. Even Kotohime studied him with more attentiveness than normal, her expression indiscernible and scrutinizing.

  “So how is it?” Lilian asked.

  Kevin didn’t answer at first, busy as he was savoring the flavor. When he pulled the sandwich away, it was only to stare at the food in awe.

  “This… this tastes incredible. It’s even better than some of the sandwiches I’ve eaten in France.” And the French knew how to make their sandwiches.

  The words were like a panacea for the redhead. Lilian’s eyes shone with a brilliant luster, like gleaming twin stars. Truly, nothing made her happier than a compliment from the young man she’d chosen as her mate.

  “I’m really glad you like it. I also made a potato salad.” Lilian popped open the lid to a red container, spearing something that looked delicious onto a fork, which she then presented it to Kevin. “Here, try some.”

  “A-ah.” Kevin leaned back a bit as Lilian brought the fork to his mouth. “I-I can feed myself, you know. You really don’t have to do this.”

  “I know that, silly, but I want to do this for you.” There was no pout this time, just Lilian’s delightfully curled lips as she held the fork near his face. “I enjoy doing things like this for you, so please, just open up and say ‘ah,’ okay?”

  Dang. How could he say no to that? This girl really knew how to push all the right buttons, and it didn’t even look like she was trying.

  “W-well,” Kevin mumbled, “If you want to… then I guess it’s okay.”

  “Thank you.”

  “B-be gentle please.”

  “Ufufufu, don’t worry, I will. Are you ready? I’m putting it in.”

  Still leaning against her tree, Kotohime began twitching.

  “You two are far too innocent,” she mumbled, watching as Lilian fed Kevin. She paid careful attention to her charge. The way Lilian’s eyes lit up as Kevin opened his mouth, and even went so far as to say “ah” for her, really was a sight to see. She would have found it adorable, were it not for her dislike of Kevin. The boy simply reminded her too much of another human she’d once known; a young man who’d rescued her from certain death and earned her unwavering loyalty… and her love.

  It would be best not to reminisce about the past, Kotohime, the woman admonished herself.

  “Would you like some food as well, Kotohime?”

  The words startled her. Kotohime hadn’t even realized that her charge was there until a tray of sandwiches was practically shoved under her nose.

  “Thank you,” Kotohime said graciously, leaning her sword against the tree and daintily grabbing one of the sandwiches. Ara. It really did taste good. She could understand Kevin’s reaction a bit better now. “You really have become quite the chef,” she complimented after a few more bites.

  “I just followed the directions in the book,” Lilian said modestly.

  “You would be surprised by how many people can’t follow simple directions,” Kevin commented as he finished off his second sandwich. “My mom can’t cook even when she’s following simple instructions. The last time she tried cooking anything other than TV dinners, she nearly burned the apartment down. Heck, the last time she tried cooking a TV dinner, it exploded in the microwave.”

  “That’s not a very nice thing to say about your mother.”

  “I love my mom,” Kevin told Lilian, who’s adorable pout made him want to squeeze her cheeks, “but I’m not going to lie and say she’s a good, or even halfway decent cook. Didn’t I tell you? The whole reason I learned how to cook was because I didn’t want to keep eating takeout every night.”

  “No, you didn’t tell me that, actually.”

  “Oh,” Kevin said, right before he shrugged, “well, now you know.”

  “Right…”

  After they finished eating, Kevin and Lilian cracked open some sodas from the cooler and enjoyed the carbonated beverage alongside the afternoon breeze.

  Coach Deretaine would have a fit if he knew I was drinking soda. The thought amused Kevin, but he didn’t think it for long as a voice called out to them.

  “Kevin! Lilian!”

  As one, Kevin and Lilian looked over to see Lindsay and what appeared to be her entire soccer team walking onto the field. The tomboy’s black sport shorts wrapped snuggly around her toned hips, and the old sleeveless shirt she wore looked ready to fall apart at the lightest touch. A soccer ball was tucked under her left arm as she jogged up to them.

  “Hey, Lindsay!” Lilian greeted her former rival for Kevin’s affection. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “This place has the best soccer fields for a friendly scrimmage,” the tomboy answered, her grin widening when she saw how close the two were. “Look at you two, getting all cozy with each other. You look like the perfect little couple.”

  While Kevin blushed and Lilian radiated inconceivable amounts of joy, the tomboy’s attention shifted to the beautiful woman in the kimono. Kotohime struck an intimidating vision of incomprehensible loveliness, as per the usual. Her kimono that day was dark blue, and depicted a colossal wave like the kind people saw during storms.

  “Good afternoon, Kotohime.”

  “Good afternoon, Lindsay-san.”

  Lindsay didn’t think she would ever get used to the way Kotohime added a Japanese suffix to her name. It didn’t even sound right with her American name.

  “I see you’re polishing your… katana.”

  Indeed she was. Sitting in seiza underneath the tree, Kotohime had removed her katana from its sheath and was laboriously, maybe even lovingly, polishing her blade with an almost tender caress.

  It was all kinds of creepy.

  “It is a very important process that you can never do too often," Kotohime responded, the Uchiko Ball in her left hand caressing the gleaming blade as if it were a lover. “The surface polish of a katana is just as important to the act of cutting as the geometry of the blade itself. It is especially important for the durability of the edge and surface friction of the blade. It would be very bad if I went into battle with a dull and unpolished katana, and my blade became stuck within the flesh, muscle and bone of the person I was gutting.”

  Upon finishing her explanation, Kotohime looked up from her work to see Lilian and Lindsay hiding behind a very frightened Kevin. All three of them were staring at her with wide-eyed expressions of pure terror.

  Kotohime tilted her head in adorable confusion. “Ara? Was it something I said?”

  ***

  After meeting Lilian and Kevin, Lindsay managed to somehow rope the redhead into playing a game of soccer, claiming they were one player short and needed her to play with them.

  Although it was probably more accurate to say that Kevin had convinced Lilian, stating that he wanted to watch her play. Lindsay had been surprised when the beautiful girl actually blushed after Kevin’s comment about how he thought she’d be really good at the sport.

  Surprisingly enough, Lilian really wasn’t that bad. It was obvious that she had never played soccer before, but dang if that girl couldn’t kick. At least two of their goals were because of Lilian’s impeccable aim and incredible k
icking power. The ball had been in the net before the goalie even realized what happened.

  Lindsay dribbled the ball down the soccer field, juking and weaving her way to the net on the opposing side. Other girls ran all around her, some trying to cover her and others attempting to take the ball from her.

  While utilizing her unique talent for dribbling, Lindsay checked the field in her peripheral vision. Two people on her left were doing their best to keep someone from blindsiding her. Lilian was on her right, keeping pace just a few yards away.

  “Lilian!”

  Upon reaching the goal post, Lindsay punted the ball over to the redhead, whose pace suddenly picked up significantly. The increase in speed astounded Lindsay. It seemed almost unnatural, this sudden boost in acceleration.

  Lilian leapt into the air and twisted around with an acrobat’s grace, her body spinning along an axis as her foot slammed into the soccer ball, which launched it forward as if it had been fired from a cannon. It shot past the goalie and tore through the net like a rock through wet toilet paper, continuing on for several more yards before exploding against a tree in a shower of bark.

  Lindsay shook her head in astonishment. Even after seeing this happen three times, it still amazed her. Who knew Lilian had so much power in those deceptively soft-looking legs?

  “Lilian! That was amazing!” Lindsay ran up to the girl, her grin large enough to split her face.

  Lilian’s breasts swayed as she took a deep breath. “You think so?”

  “Of course! I’ve never seen anyone kick a ball that hard before!” Lindsay’s excited shout was almost drowned out by the other girls, who crowded around them to celebrate their success. Meanwhile, the other team looked like they were having a literal drop in morale. A black cloud of depression hung over their heads like a brewing thunderstorm, threatening to pour rain on them should they get any sadder.

  “Well, thank you… I think.”

  “Anytime. Now let’s keep playing!”

  ***

  Kevin and Kotohime sat on the sidelines while Lilian played soccer.

  An uneasy silence passed between them, though it might have been more on his side than Kotohime’s. The maid-slash-bodyguard appeared as unflappable as always. She seemed completely unaware of the thickening tension, which grew as the indefinite silence continued.

  So, naturally, Kevin tried to focus on something else.

  Perhaps it was because of the mild weather that day—mild for September, at any rate—but Lilian had chosen to wear one of the outfits she’d bought with his mom. Her black skin-tight shorts appeared to have been painted on, and her tank-top stretched across her bust, revealing glorious curves that would send any man into a coma.

  Yes, it was very easy to focus on nothing but that beautiful body as Lilian ran back and forth across the field.

  I’m really glad Eric isn’t here. God only knows what he would do if he saw Lilian like this.

  As the game wore on and Lilian continued proving herself an amazing kicker, Kevin decided that he should do something nice for the girl. Every time he’d had track practice she’d always be there, keeping an ice-cold bottle of water and a towel ready for him. It was only right that he return the favor.

  But what could he do for her? Maybe get her a nice gift? What about cooking a type of food that she hadn’t tried?

  Perhaps I could… hmm… oh, that might work.

  Kevin glanced at his silent companion. Kotohime kept her attention on the game, her dark chocolate eyes locked onto Lilian as the redhead ran across the field. She seemed to be purposefully ignoring him. He tried not to let it bother him―too much.

  “Hey, Kotohime?”

  “Is there something you need, Kevin-san?”

  “Has Lilian ever tried shaved ice?”

  Kotohime broke her self-imposed attempt at ignoring Kevin, and regarded him with a curious gleam.

  “Can you repeat that?”

  “I asked if Lilian’s ever had shaved ice?”

  She pondered the question, trying to recall any time her charge might have had the human treat.

  “No,” she shook her head after giving the question due consideration, “I do not believe Lilian-sama has ever tried this shaved ice that you speak of.”

  “I thought so.” Kevin stood up. “In that case, would you mind watching our stuff for a little while? I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “You do not need to worry about that. I will not let anyone touch our supplies.” Kotohime placed her left hand on the hilt of her katana. “And should they try to, well, no one can escape the bloody conclusion, ufufufu…”

  Kevin shuddered.

  “Erm… right…” By the gods, was this woman freaky. Who spoke of blood and killing so easily and laughed about it afterwards? “Well then… I… I’m going to get something real quick. Try not to kill anyone while I’m gone.”

  “I will do my best.”

  For some reason, Kotohime’s words didn’t inspire much confidence in him.

  Kevin crested a small hill and scanned the park laid out before him, observing the various walkways surrounded by desert flora and fauna. He passed park benches sitting under shaded trees, or in the presence of giant saguaro cacti that overlooked the park like silent sentinels. The metal gates leading to the Olympic-sized swimming pools speared through the sparse foliage. Kevin remembered going there with his friends and causing a lot of trouble when he was younger.

  Ah, good times.

  The tiny little building beside the gates, which appeared especially minuscule sitting next to the much larger changing rooms, was Kevin’s destination. He slowly ambled up to the window where an obese male with a severe acne problem and a basketball-shaped head stood. Kevin saw that he was reading a DC comic; Superman, it looked like.

  “Can I get some shaved ice, please?”

  “What size and what flavors?”

  “Um, I’d like an extra-large with all five flavors.”

  Since he didn’t know what Lilian would like, Kevin thought it best to let her try every flavor. Then she could tell him which one she liked best. It would be like a science experiment… only without the science part.

  And perhaps he shouldn’t have put the words “experiment” and “Lilian” in the same sentence. Now all he could think about was them sharing a bed and committing acts of passion and eroticism that were better left in an erotic novel… or an ecchi manga… or a hentai.

  Whoa! Down boy! Kevin tried to ignore the tightening in his pants as he handed money to the guy at the register. He really hoped no one was paying attention to him. Ugh, seriously? I’m getting turned on now of all times? Lilian isn’t even present!

  It had been happening more often lately, the arousal he felt whenever he thought of Lilian. He’d never felt this way about anyone else, not even Lindsay. This desire, this craving, it was completely foreign to him. Several times he almost found himself wanting to take the redhead up on her offer of showering together. It was frightening, how badly he wanted her.

  But that’s not love, is it? I couldn’t possibly allow us to become intimate without offering the same level of commitment she’s offering me. She doesn’t deserve that. And I don’t deserve her.

  After getting his shaved ice, Kevin was about to head back down to the soccer field. He didn’t get very far, however, before three people he’d never seen before blocked his way.

  They were a rather unique group of individuals. The first guy was so thin he reminded Kevin of a twig. He had wavy brown hair, and his hands and feet looked far larger on his rail-thin body than they would have on a normal person.

  The second male staring Kevin down was large, the exact opposite of the skinny kid. If the first had been thinner than a toothpick, then this guy was larger than a whale. Actually, as Kevin studied the boy closer, he really did resemble a baby whale. The only person who could compete with him in the fat department was Kevin’s boss.

  The third was the most unusual of the group, if only due to how n
ormal he looked in comparison, like someone with brown hair standing beside two people with neon pink and lime green hair respectively. The only thing that appeared off about him was his height. Barely reaching up to Kevin’s chest, the boy in the middle looked more like a junior high student than a high schooler.

  “Can I help you three?” Kevin asked.

  “You can help us by staying away from our Lilian!!” The skinny one shouted in a nasally tone.

  “We don’t want you hanging around our Lilian anymore!” This time it was the fat one, who spoke in what Kevin could only describe as a blubbery voice.

  Kevin stared at the trio.

  Blink. “Did you just say.” Blink. “Your.” Blink. “Lilian?” Blink. Blink.

  “Are you deaf or something? Of course that’s what we said! And if you know what’s good for you, then you’ll heed our advice and stay away from our Lilian!”

  Kevin remained silent for a good three seconds, his face holding the same emotional range as a brick wall. In return, the three boys stared him down, as if they hoped glaring at him would cause Kevin to spontaneously combust.

  “Right.” Kevin scratched the back of his head with his free hand. “So, who are you guys exactly?”

  “I’m Marcus Slim!” The skinny one introduced himself, bending his left leg while his right one remained straight, and extending his left arm. Kevin felt like he’d seen that strange pose somewhere before…

  “I’m Ian Port!” The fat one mimicked Marcus’ pose, only inverting it so that he was using the opposite limbs and facing the other way.

  “And I’m Nick Brief!” The kid in the middle lowered his center of gravity, knees bending as he took a horse stance. He raised his arms above his head and crossed them to form a giant “x.”

  Kevin blinked several times as he heard the kid’s surprisingly deep voice.

  This kid would make a good Epic Movie Trailer Guy.

  “And together we make the Lovely Lilian Lovers fanclub!” The trio shouted in eerie synchronicity, like they had rehearsed this several times before confronting him. Gaudy music reminiscent of the Power Rangers opening theme song started playing in the background. He looked for the source, but was unable to ascertain the source’s location.