“She’s bad news, you know.”

Now if anyone happened to ask, Nick would insist to high heavens that he did not, in fact, let out a girlish squeak courtesy of the voice and the figure it belonged too coming around a tree and into view just as he made to walk by.

“Oh! S-sakura,” he also definitely did not stammer, heart beating rapidly in his chest as he turned and met the softly glowing eyes of his childhood, but very much no longer a child, friend.

In fact, if anything, the white-haired beauty of a kitsune had all the makings of a super milf in a couple of years and his best friend’s figure from her full lips to those enormous straining breasts under her thin robe…

Well, they’d more than once had filled his mind with thoughts one should not have about their friends.

But its not like he could help it!

Nor did her wide hips and those monstrous thighs help matters.

Plastering on a smile, he met Sakura’s eyes that grew slitted for but a moment. Tearing his mind away from the gutter and thoughts of what it would be like to be on the receiving end of the taller, and slightly older, woman’s attention of that sort.

“You scared me there, sheesh,” he admitted to her, both because they were alone enough in this corner of the park.

And also because he trusted Sakura.

For all that they hadn’t been able to hang out as often while he’d been busy getting his degree and she completing her Miko training, unfortunately in different parts of the country. For all that, she still remained his closest friend.

Almost a sister really.

She grinned, showing one of her cute fangs in an equally cute grin, fluffy ears twitching in shared mirth. “Still the same scaredy cat?”

“I’m not a scaredy cat!” he huffed but in truth, Sakura, had always been the braver of the two. Something she’d showcased plenty when she’d kicked ass for his sake.

Something which had been in equal parts emasculating and…flattering, making him feel all kinds of weird and warm inside whenever such took place. For unfortunately, his best friend had had to repeatedly help some people get it into their thick skulls that neither of them were to be messed with.

“Are.”

“Are not.”

“Oh but you are,” she said and with a grin and a sing song stepped close, wrapping him in a close hug. One that filled his nostrils with her sweet almost floral scent, akin to fresh grass across a sunlit field.

To say nothing of her big…personality, the pair with their stiff peaks poking, almost piercing Sakura’s traditional red and white garb and making him shudder, his mind once again full of indecent thoughts about his best friend. Which all but ensured his mouth had difficulty forming words all of a sudden, something the white-haired beauty gleefully took advantage.

“You are a scaredy cat, but that’s alright,” she said, her voice lowering into a purring whisper, lips drawing close to his ear, something which filled a certain part of him with heat when it had no business doing such! “For you are my scaredy cat~”

He blinked before frowning.

“Sakura…” he said in a stern tone, or about as much as he could manage, especially when it came to her.

But she ignored him and the teasing note in her voice fell away.

“That’s why I’m telling you, she’s bad news, you shouldn’t hang out with her.”

Frowning, Nick sighed.

It would seem that in his absence she had regressed.

“Dammit Sakura, I thought we were past this, you’re being weird again.”

But she ignored him again, hugging him tighter instead, which made his breath hitch as he felt her body mold itself against him, all that separated their flesh being a thin barrier formed by his button up and her Miko robes.

And it’d be so easy to just reach, open up Sakura’s robes, slip a hand inside, feel her warm flesh yielding to his fingers, perhaps a cute squeak and moan leaving her lips before he slid inside in truth and⁠—

Shaking his head with a shudder, mortification filled him even though he managed to banish the thoughts for the forbidden thought had proven stimulus enough for that part of him to rise and stand at attention. Loud and proud almost which all but guaranteed that Sakura could feel it pressing up against her.

And judging by her sharp intake, she did.

But she didn’t draw attention to his shame that’d once again seemed to have a mind of its own, shuddering in…pleasure instead? No, that couldn’t be right. Followed by starting to slowly rub against him. Which confirmed his fears.

Unlike what Mrs Ohirume said, Sakura didn’t seem to have grown out of her phase just yet, seemingly regressing if anything but that was alright for he was now here again and would make certain to help her. For his childhood friend, his best friend, meant a lot to him.

“Listen to me, Nick,” she said her husky voice filling his mind with more naughty thoughts which he shouldn’t have for she deserved better from him.

…or settling with him, a tiny part of his mind whispered, which he squashed. It and the dangerous thoughts both.

“You shouldn’t⁠—”

Which is why he had to harden his heart for her sake.

Sighing and ignoring both the proximity, her fragrance, her…everything really, he reached, grabbed the taller beauty’s shoulders and pushed her back, the girl letting him do such, staring into his eyes with her old intensity again.

“Listen, Sakura,” he said and the girl seemed perfectly willing to do just that, her glowing eyes seemingly just for him and even her fluffy tail stood ramrod straight behind her. “I understand you are worried about me.”

“Then—”

“No,” he said with a small shake. “Perhaps I am a scaredy cat but I am no longer a child and so while I appreciate you looking out for me I can take care of myself, you know?” he said with a weak grin, fighting the urge to wince as he did for Sakura’s expression…

Steeling his heart further he ignored how her face started to resemble a statue, what with it no longer holding any warmth, or any sign of her feelings at all.

“So, like it or not, I’ll go out with her.”

Sakura startled before her face turned granite like again.

“In fact, she agreed to go out on a date with me so that’s that!”

His best friend and the most beautiful woman he knew off and very much felt unworthy off, shuddered, lowered her head, her bangs hiding her eyes as she stepped back. “I see,” she said and turned around.

“Sakura, Sakura wait!” he said but she did nothing of the sort, all but running away.

And Nick sighed, rubbing his temples.

“Right, this could’ve gone better.” And that was the truth but nonetheless he had to be firm with Sakura at times. It was for her own good really.

He loved the girl. Really he did, perhaps even…

Shaking his head, he also started to walk, and soon left the park behind.

Such thoughts were best avoided, he was unworthy of her after all.

The name on the screen made him smile. Leaning back in his seat, he accepted the call.

“Nick?”

“Hello Sakura,” he said, tone warm for he’d missed her, despite it being but a few days since their last meeting, even if it’d come as a bit of a surprise…and Sakura had rushed off. “How have you been? No, wait,” he said. “Before you say anything I wanted to apologize.”

“You’ve canceled your…date?” she said, the barely veiled excitement in her voice almost immediately replaced by disgust at t