It's Not Easy (7)
The next day, Fox was in the SPD bathrooms, taking his suit out and wearing it slowly. Afterwards, he looked at himself in the mirror and accommodated the stupid ass tie. Just as he was lazily trying to fix it, Nala Loba walked to him, entering the bathroom wearing a black with brown-gold cocktail dress with extra clothing on the outer sides of her thighs hiding the rest. She lifted her hands, moving them towards his collar. Fox looked at her in the mirror and let her deal with it, just like a wife would help her hubby get ready and handsome.
But Nala Loba immediately grabbed the tie at the center and pulled it, breaking it off like noodles around a hot spoon. Fox wasn’t even moved. He smirked a little, but Nala Loba kept a straight face, looking at his face and collar with her indifferently cold resting expression.
She arranged his collar and tieless, dull, obscure gray suit. Looking around him, she knowingly pinched the fabric at his shoulders and pulled up quickly before letting go. With that, whatever erroneous wrinkles from the way Fox lazily put his suit on were deleted.
Then, she checked the insides of his jacket and patted in and out before lifting his neck, disarranging his collar a bit. At last, she grabbed his sleeves and unbuttoned, leaving only 1 button pressed before grabbing the hem of his pants, arranging them to a more comfortable area after stretching them. Fox looked a bit surprised with this last one.
Nala Loba stared at his face, her body still nearly up against his as she now looked at his face from slightly below his jaw, standing on his side. “There, that’s better. Why would you follow usual customs to wear this? Think a bit more before thinking like them. You are not a normal person since months ago.”
“I don’t think my image will affect the country’s joy. As long as I look ordinary, I’ll get past the night unnoted. My face and suit will be among the cheapest,” Fox complained a bit, but his tone was grateful instead. It did feel better to wear this like this.
“You’ll be beside me— we won’t walk from each other. What’s the point of looking ordinary? Besides, you going there is the reason half the most important people in the country are. Don’t treat yourself lightly— you can’t anymore.” Nala Loba shook her head, licking her thump before rubbing it on his chin before he could notice.
Fox blinked, ‘Why is she doing that?’
“You don’t have to go there and chat, just go there and show your fur, how you wag your tail, and that you are ‘fertile’.” Nala Loba said, carefully setting her heels back down as she didn’t want him to notice her tiptoeing. “Not many can reach this place in just a day. Some others are overseas, so if you talk with no one, no one will feel left out and grow grudgies.”
“Hmph.” Nobody could blame Fox for losing his cool when the cold and indifferent voice of the century spoke cutely. “Why are you speaking like that?”
Seeing Fox smile widely didn’t cause any reaction in Nala Loba. She remained quiet for a few seconds before glancing at the mirror, having finished arranging his outfit. “Because I’m chiding you. You can’t understand as a man, so I treat you like a child.”
“I can understand it as a man,” Fox retorted calmly, frowning a little. Nala Loba’s expression remained untainted, sternly stating, “No, you don’t.”
Fox: “…”
“We’ll talk in the car. The route is cleared, 15 minutes from the department.” Nala Loba said, letting the words drift out before turning to head to the exit. Fox looked at himself after standing there doing nothing. He recuperated, saw his polycoria eyes without any ripple in his eyes, face, heart, or mind; and left.
Walking to the car, Fox hurried up, catching up to Nala Loba who hadn’t waited for him. Heading towards the 4-seater silver car with a White driver and a Green co-driver, he inquired, “Would you let yourself be used like that? For me to show off?”
“No,” Nala Loba said, looking left and right before entering the car. Fox followed suit, expecting Nala at the center, but she was at the other extreme of the seats. He pressed his lips before sitting down and continued, “Then why are you doing it?”
Nala Loba didn’t respond even a minute after the silver car went on the move. Fox looked at her until he realized she wouldn’t respond. He leaned his back on the backseat and engaged in the deadly silence prevailing inside the car.
“What’s the point of showing such a ‘secret weapon’ to all your rivals?” Fox uttered halfway through, his face heavily supported by his hand. Nala Loba looked at him, at last, but he didn’t turn to her this time. She said, “He’s not afraid. As for losing you to them, maybe before, not now. I don’t know the specifics, but the president seems keen to believe you’re in his bag.”
“Hah,” Fox exclaimed before falling silent. Nala Loba looked at this, an enigmatic flash crossing her eyes. “You are no special agent going around. The ruckus yesterday made it more clear. It could be said you fell right in his trap. Is that all it takes?”
“Takes? All for what?” Fox asked, feeling confused, looking at her. Nala Loba stared indifferently at him, “A good pussy, some easy money, image equals easier deals, and peaceful tasks— to recruit you?”
“…” Fox stared at Nala Loba with a different light. His countenance rested, but he changed it to a superficially indifferent one, somehow feeling he didn’t want her to see his resting face.
“I didn’t think of it like that. Maybe,” Fox said those words intentionally, and so, they intentionally landed on Nala Loba’s ears. She looked at his profile face for several silent seconds as he looked through the window and then stared ahead. Her thoughts were her own.
Arriving at a lavish building, about 40 minutes from the presidential precinct in a cleared route like this one, Fox opened his door before the car even stopped. The White Blood drove and stopped only when he had to, with Fox left behind. On the other hand, as Nala Loba remained impermeable, Fox toured the car, easily catching up with it as flashes went off in the distance towards him.
He opened her door after the car stopped, and without asking or gesturing to her, he peeked his head and shoulders inside before grabbing Nala Loba’s left wrist, bringing her out.
He seemed rough, at first, but he carefully placed his left arm around her lower back. Others didn’t know, but as he seemed strange with his arm placed diagonally on her back, she felt protected by his ‘evolved’ ultra Mintip left arm.
Looking at Fox after flinging her hair a bit, shaking her head to accommodate her small, exotic braids. Then, she looks up at him and says nothing for a while, just keeping up with him as he walks forwards for both. At last, she speaks, “Do I look besotted enough for you?”
Fox instinctively looked down at her, feeling something in the situation. He sees her flawless face that always cause his eyes to lock like no other. Never feeling this, not even with Gerardo Tellez, Riverlye’s ex-boss.
“…” Fox didn’t know what to answer, drawing his eyes up and down from her chin to her forehead hairline. Nala Loba said before the courier at the entrance could nervously speak to them. “I sure hope. Why else would someone look like me in this situation? Sensationalists must be going wild.”
“Hello s- gulp, sir and ma’am. Your invitations are at the top. A few of our most exemplary personnel will guide you through the VIP corridor.” The courier, a regular height white man with square, thin hair rubbed his white-gloved hands.
“Is it quieter?” Fox asked, making the courier more nervous. “Y- yes. There are snacks and waiting rooms if you wish to freshen yourselves.”
“Alright then,” Fox noncommittally said. Nala Loba elbowed him gently, “Babe~, he might think you want to do bad things to me. Be more kind. Thank you, can we go now?”
“Ah- ah… Yeah, sure.” The courier was flabbergasted with Nala Loba’s perfect beauty. After stuttering like an idiot about to lose his head, he stepped sideways to leave room for a butler and maid-dressed pair. Proper and attractive. Nala Loba nodded to them, “We’ll be in your care.”
Fox and Nala Loba were brought to the VIP corridor. It was just through a small door at the side from the big main entrance. It was a bit underwhelming. But after going in, they noticed it had 10 times more luxurious metals and so many lights…
“Would you like to rest?” Nala Loba indifferently, coldly asked. Fox shook his head, “No.”
“Very well.” Nala Loba sped up their pacing. Fox finally stood before the doors leading to the main hall, opened by the butler and maid. He and Nala Loba were welcomed by the sight of hundreds of people immediately. As Fox looked around, wearing a half-concealed disgusted expression, Nala Loba pulled him elsewhere.
Quickly, they moved to a slightly less visible area as they could hear dozens of conversations, all dealing with the same: trying to find out if they could engage in a deal, favors, or find a candidate for whatever was up to offer.
They chatted with no one, but a few dozen people immediately noticed them. Of course, nobody dared walk up to them. Seeing Fox was a sight to behold; ‘the monster’ so up close. Something to tell the fellas who didn’t come here, and their families.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
But seeing him walk away from them and hide in a darker corner made them feel relief. This could be considered the typical image of a politician and a soldier. One thinks the other only knows how to massacre, the other knows the former is full of shit; regardless if they are senseless mass murderers or not.
Fox stared at the ceiling for a long while, just trying to mitigate all the sensations of annoyance building up infinitely in his body. When he looked down, he noticed the reason why his neck felt prickled. A pair of unmoving gray, light blue eyes were etched to it, even after he lowered his chin and looked back into them with 8 impenetrable black pools.
“…” - “…” They looked at each other. Nala Loba seemed to not care of her surroundings as she stepped towards him, landing her smaller feet beside his, and her face so close to his chest. “Later on, we’ll dance. Nothing unnecessary, just what you learned in PSD. Follow my rhythm. Let your trained body do the rest… and show you enjoy holding any part of my body as you do. For the dance.”
Fox imperceptibly nodded. He knew he was supposed to look down and smile at her, at least. But it just didn’t come to him. Nala Loba looked a bit more at his chin before lowering her gaze like a shy maiden. The onlookers smiled, fascinated by this couple, as they just saw this.
“Captain Nala, a pleasure.” A voice sounded from Fox’s left, making him frown. ‘Captain… Nala…’
“Captain Nauer,” Nala Loba snapped her head, turning it to the male voice. Almost a second later, she walked to the origin of that voice, leaving Fox behind. He looked at her back for 2 seconds, slightly unresponsive, before his eyes instinctively moved to the man she was going to.
A young man, rather grown, but still that young. White, black eyes, blond, and tall. He looked military, at least in nature and composition, with an elegant hairstyle of a gentleman. Quite the catch, in other words. Fox looked at this as he also looked at him. Nala Loba then arrived before him, looking slightly up at the blond man, but less than she would to him.
“It’s been a while since I saw you, avoiding me already?” The blond, Nauer, Captain Nauer, looked down at Nala Loba, ‘Nala’. He smiled and raised his right fist, showing its backhand to her. Nala Loba lifted her hand and formed a small fist before bumping his.
“I was stuck. It’s cleared now, as you’ve probably heard by now.” She said and tilted her head to the right. Her neck showed a bit. Nauer lifted his eyebrows, he seemed a little silent before charmingly smiling. “I hope it was good, at least.”
“Mn, payment was 400,000 for the extra effort and time record. You? Is your body lusted after so many beauties still?” Nala Loba remained on her spot and continued the conversation. Fox only had her back view as she moved her head, bit by bit. She was a step and a half before Nauer. The latter smiled, looking at her with narrowed eyes, “None worth it? Hahaha! Ouwie! You know that was a joke, alright~?”
“Hmph.” Nala Loba blew from her nostrils before commenting, “Growing so bold.”
“Anyway, we are now being exposed. How do you feel about it?” Nauer smiled again, he seemed to never lack smiles, as he rubbed his punched arm and shook his head to complement her in silence. Nala tilted her head to the left this time, showing another angle of her neck… this time. “It’s happened at last. Nothing unexpected. Hard work is still fore us.”
“Oh, yeah. About that…” Nauer looked at Fox, who lifted his eyes to meet Nauer’s. Nauer then looked back at Nala Loba and brushed her right shoulder with his left shoulder, “You’ve got a heavy load. Good luck, Nala.”
“Thank you, Nauer.” Nala Loba nodded. Chatting a bit more, Nala Loba looked back at Fox, whose back faced her as he walked to a seat, before she returned her indifferent gray, light blue eyes to the blond man.
“…” Sitting on a sofa with large cushion seats but no armrests with a short backrest, Fox looked around. His fingertips were placed together. Fox blinked, feeling relaxed and in a different state as anyone else. He seemed not to hear them, not to see them, the crowd, as annoyances, but things to study.
Some were having fun, doing a bit of dancing, spinning on the spot, smiling and reddening their faces, or smiling embarrassingly. Fox couldn’t help but twitch his lips in accordance as he did. The more he comfortably looked around, the more he nibbled his lips, engrossed in observing, analyzing, and understanding.
His blinking eyes became calmer and more enjoyable. Fox slowly gazed everywhere, not realizing when his legs stopped stimming, and his arms relaxed with his wrists on his knees and hands hanging from them. His lips were dried, forcing him to pry them open, almost moving his jaw to do so. It hurt a little, so he salivated them a bit.
“…?” Fox felt his right shoulder patted. His instincts nearly lunged his left hand towards the person touching him in a knife stance. But looking up, his suspicions were right as he saw Nala Loba, in a more refreshed and relaxed atmosphere. Also in a good mood, and her shoulders seemed no longer stiff, with her clothes having become looser, instead of rigid like when he walked with him. More like his when she accommodated them for him.
The left corner of his mouth still remained stuck, so Fox opened it further to separate his lips, glancing at Nala Loba with his resting expression. This time, he did not care.
“I need my dance now, unless,” Nala Loba bent over a little and looked down at him. She spoke in suggestion, and even almost said something else, but didn’t in the end, fully staring into his eyes all the same, as if she didn’t know how to stop. Her face at the end was a little expressive.
“Okay.” Fox said, his voice was, as always, without ‘for public’ filters; broken and soft. He stood up and directly grabbed the hand she just presented to him in the air delicately. He walked forth without looking back at her again, and just as he wondered where the dance floor was supposed to be, he heard elegant music.
Fox headed there, asking no more questions. Nala Loba walked after him, altogether becoming the entire place’s center of attention, taking it away from the ‘excellent’ dancers already on the dance floor.
With a few slow but long strides, Fox entered the dance floor with Nala Loba behind him. His hand holding hers over his shoulder, he turned around and faced her with his resting expression. Nala Loba had her resting expression, too. But the glint he used to perceive before wasn’t there anymore, replaced by… just her resting expression.
Fox began, gently pulling her after bowing, and after she lowered towards one side, leaning into it. As she was pulled, Fox moved in the opposite side, looking like small birds with overly long wings initiating a mating, dance ritual.
After an initial ‘chase and dodge’, mostly performed by Fox ‘fleeing’ her arrival, and only sometimes with their roles reversed, they then stuck their chests together as she arched her back backwards. Fox held her lower back, his eyes narrowing when being so close to her neck and collarbone, seemingly intoxicated.
His eyes, however, reflected impassiveness…
From then on, their dance left the introduction and began, moving with elegance as their heads, ‘beaks’, clashed once and again; nonstop. After every long move, their heads closed in, pressing their foreheads or their cheek bones together, never too close with their mouths or noses.
Nala Loba began showing more and more grace, more than she innately portrayed, while Fox became more resolute and ephemeral; a race to meet each other despite the unrelatedness.
During the dance, as they stole the limelight even in social media of everything else within existence, the titles of foreign media such as ‘the refugee kid turns into enigmatic dance & lover!’ and the likes of it; Fox felt and saw many glances from curious people.
One of them, of many, was a redheaded woman, who looked just past her 30s, maybe in her 40s, pretty young. When he first entered, she glared at him, seemingly never leaving his image. It was a bit of a hostile gaze, although she tried to hide it.
However, this gaze changed thorough the night. And as he now danced, only she seemed to see him. Fox glanced twice in her direction. Her image and name appearing in his mind before he could fully complete her facial features. He paid it no further mind.
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP…! At last, their dance ended, with their hair a bit disordered and sweaty. They had to coordinate their every move to a slower pace, so everyone could see well, including cameras for better pictures. Fox had to look good, after all.
Fox held Nala Loba with his right hand intertwining her left hand, both stretching them, leaning towards her side as Fox held her with his left arm around her lower back. Her legs placed together and stretched out as Fox’s feet were besides them, his knees slightly bent.
Her head was thrown backwards, as their dance is supposed to end. But then, Nala Loba lifted her head, rapidly found his face, and directed hers to angle with his. Her eyes looked at him while her face looked somewhat adorable in this position, watching her exert herself like this just to…
There was a foreign aroma about her, atop of hers, male-ish. Something he noticed but denied until now. But her natural scent was untouched, directly from her skin, and hair. Fox only stared at her, looking at her lips once before sticking his polycoria eyes to her nose or glabella. He even moved his lips to separate them again, making hers twitch… but nothing in the end.
“Third time’s the charm…” Nala Loba murmured, so thinly he almost missed despite how close he was situated to her head, face, mouth, saliva and tongue… And then he stood up. Her eyes danced with an attitude, looking at the floor or the ceiling, or just the distance.
The dance floor was cleared. The excellent dancers let the ‘mediocre’ dancers fill the dance floor. Meanwhile, Fox walked to the VIP corridor without a word, while Nala Loba followed him a few seconds after looking at his back.
Nala Loba found him just as he neared a white bench, humorously ordinary and the only one in the VIP corridor, in an awkward position past the center. His jacket off, all his shirt’s buttons off, and his belt folded with his jacket, Fox sat on the bench with his back bent.
Taking one last looking behind her, seemingly noticing something, Nala Loba saw Nauer looking around, trying to find someone or something. Then, she looked back at Fox, and remained standing on the spot.
She walked to Fox and sat on his left. They went silent, and even though Nauer should have already noticed her by now, she just stared ahead. Then, lowering her body, also bending her back, she craned her neck downwards, facing him, ever so close to his profile face.
Fox looked at her, facing her this close. It was similar to other times, but never like this… this close. Fox’s head twitched, just a tad, and his right eye’s right corner did as well, both at the same time. His eyes blinked and became invested in something… anything else as he stood up and walked away from the bench, from Nala Loba.
His fingers twisted as he faced the entrance, barely keeping his neck from arching forth any further as the veins all around his neck and head simply bulged unhealthily.
After seeing him depart just like that, Nala Loba’s eyes felt lost. A while later, she glanced one last time at him before standing up, and then, she turned to return inside. A few minutes later, she returned to the corridor and walked out alone, passing by Fox, who turned and slightly stepped into a refreshing waiting room, giving him her back like a coward.
He noticed, however, she had picked her high heels into her arms and walked with a man’s pair of shoes covering her feet.
Afterwards, Fox rushed further into the waiting room, entering the small janitor room. He leaned against a wall he couldn’t even see, and held his eyes to avoid trying to. Forcing himself to not cough or sneeze, blood slowly streamed from his nostrils, but mostly from his mouth. With some droplets bursting from his ear holes.
His body shuddered nonstop, almost like a mini version of a seizure.
…