Kitsune: The Flip Side

He woke up because his arm was dead. Completely numb, a heavy weight that didn’t belong to him. Lou tried to move it. Nothing. He turned his head and realized why. Some girl was snoring softly on his shoulder, her dark hair scattered across the pillow. Shit… He wondered who she even was. Though, did it really matter? It wasn’t Kit. That was enough. Annoyance and a sickening sense of shame washed over him, followed immediately by a dull, throbbing headache. He shouldn’t have got that wasted last night, shouldn’t have listened to those idiots and ended up in bed with God-knows-who. Cheating on her with the first girl he met… He gave the girl’s shoulder a light shove. “Hey… wake up.” She just mumbled something in her sleep and rolled over. Louis hurriedly pulled his lifeless arm back and tried to flex his fingers. As the blood rushed back into the veins, it felt like a thousand needles pricking his skin. He looked at his palm, where he had a stylized Hello Kitty tattoo—only the head was a cat skull. Hello, Kitty… I cheated on you. And Kit. Or maybe just myself, most of all? No, the sex was good… probably. He hadn’t had proper sex in God knows how long. He was tired of chasing illusions. Life was passing him by while he stared at a laptop screen hoping for one kind word from her. Tired of the calluses. Yeah, he’d been hurt. Without even knowing it, Kitsune had hit his most sensitive spot. She probably didn’t mean to cause him pain; she just said what she thought. Mummy’s boy… that nickname had followed him through every schoolyard bullying session. That was when Louis learned for life that wealthy parents were no guarantee of success. Daddy’s money wouldn’t buy you status among your peers; it wouldn’t bring you respect or even a safe existence. So he’d learned to fight. He would throw himself at any bully with reckless fury, regardless of their size. Rage more than made up for his slight frame. He’d promised himself he’d make the whole world love him. He’d started working. Louis Sparks was a self-made man. That was a fact. And she called him a mummy’s boy… Lou reached for his clothes scattered by the bed. With a sigh, he squeezed into his skinny jeans and decided that was enough. He nudged the girl again and told her to clear out. Two pretty blue eyes framed by smeared makeup looked at him in surprise. What, did he promise to marry her or summat? Still, the girl wasn’t stupid. Or maybe she was just used to it. With a huff, she pulled on a tight purple dress and headed for the bathroom. He wondered if he’d had enough sense to use protection. Right, there they were—the evidence. Lou tossed the consequences into the bin. The girl came out of the bathroom looking fresher. She winked at him, gave the traditional “Call me,” and headed for the door. She’d find her way out, surely. In the doorway, she nearly ran into Tom. His little brother was coming to check on him, holding a couple of bottles of beer. The little devil knew exactly what he needed… Tom whistled as he watched her walk away, grinning from ear to ear, and winked at Lou. A gesture of approval. But noticing the sour look on his brother’s face, he deflated. “Lou, what’s up? Head ache? Or was the shag shite?” “It was alright…” He reached for a beer, cracked it open, and took a sip. Nectar, honestly. “Then what’s the problem?” Louis gave an indifferent shrug. Tom climbed onto the bed, legs crossed, and sat opposite him. He searched his brother’s face. “You love her? Like, for real?” Louis nodded. “Had a row?” “Not a row, exactly… She just doesn’t take me seriously. Laughs at me. Teases.” “So? Honestly, you’re something else! All girls do that! If she didn’t give a toss, she wouldn’t talk to you at all. She’s a grown woman, older than you. Why the hell would she waste time on a lad she doesn’t like?” “You reckon?” “I reckon,” Tom stated firmly, then offered some solid advice: “Go after her if you love her. Get her something… something that’ll surprise her. Properly.” “Listen, since when did you get so bloody smart? Growing up too fast, aren’t you? I’m amazed. Sometimes I think you can’t even tie your own laces, and then—bam! —you’re a professor of love,” Lou teased. “Piss off!” Tom huffed and whacked him with a pillow. “Hi, Louie. How are you? Long time you not in network.” “Hi… I’m alright.” “You still be angry?” “No. We don’t know each other well. And we don’t understand each other much. Being angry is stupid :)” “I miss you…” His heart leaped and started thudding in his chest. Missed him! “Me too… Forgive me, Kit. (I’m a prick… you have no idea…)” “For what?” “For not replying, and all that…” “Something happen? You are strange.” “Everything’s fine :) Everything’s fine now.” Lou saw she’d sent him a file. He downloaded it. Opened it. Fuck! Tits! Well, cleavage. Hers. Photographed at an angle designed specifically to tease. Oh, the little devil… He smiled, pulled off his t-shirt, took a photo of his flat, tattooed chest, and sent it back. A few seconds later, an emoji appeared—laughing hysterically. “Mine is more beautiful!” “Mmm… couldn’t tell :) Can I have more?” “Mmm… ok!” Louis thought Kit would send another photo, but instead, the video call icon started pulsing. His throat went dry instantly. Lou smoothed his hair down fast and answered. She was sitting in front of her laptop in a light camisole. She’d dyed her hair a bright, fiery orange, and she looked exactly like a fox-spirit now. Her yellowish-green eyes seemed even brighter framed by that orange. She was beautiful, so beautiful… and who cared if everyone looked like big-nosed aliens through a shitty webcam. “Hi…” he muttered, feeling himself turn into a complete idiot. She smiled, then stuck out her sharp little tongue to tease him. Then she started pulling her top up. Louis stopped breathing. But she stopped exactly where a good, smart girl should stop, after having her fill of torturing the lovestruck fool. Oh, she was smart, no doubt—miles ahead of him. “Enough?” she asked. And Lou was just as happy to hear her voice as he was to see her body. “No… more, please,” he asked, swallowing hard. She laughed and said he wanted too much at once. “You’re a sadist… a very beautiful sadist.” “I know.” “Why do you tease me, Kit?” “I like it.” She tilted her head back, ran her palms over her chest, squeezing. Then, slowly, she pulled the camisole off. Nothing underneath. Just a thin chain with a cross and… her breasts. Beautiful, full. Her dark-pink nipples were peaking. Maybe it was chilly in the room, or maybe she was turned on… She leaned back in her chair, lacing her fingers behind her head. “Beautiful?” she asked softly. She smiled. Louis felt like his heart was going to stop. His throat was a desert. “Very…” She stood up, stepped back a bit, turned her back to the camera, and slowly slid her jeans off. She was left in lace knickers. She had an incredibly feminine figure. All soft curves… Lou couldn’t find the right word. Thinking was getting difficult. Especially after she pulled off her knickers and tossed them at the camera. For a second, he thought they’d fall right onto his keyboard. A heavy, hot ache filled his lower belly. Kit, swaying her hips, returned to her chair and sprawled out like a cat, throwing her legs over the armrest. She purred, looking at him through her lashes: “Now you…”