Catharsis

equal trade
.:chapter fourteen:.

The air surged with contempt. Eyes narrowed and teeth bared, it was obvious Yahiko was ready for a fight. He shifted his weight and spread his feet apart just as he'd been trained as fingers tightly curled around the hilt of his shinai. If she didn't do something, he would attempt a strike.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru snapped.

He ignored her, his attention totally focused on the white-haired man standing behind his sensei. A war of intimidation was going on around her and Kaoru was caught in the middle. Being the impassioned youth that he was, Yahiko would not back down on his own. His haste to begin a battle he had no chance of winning pushed Kaoru forward.

"What are you doing?" Kaoru demanded, hands on her hips. "Stop!"

The boy stuttered in his stance, his eyes darting angrily from Enishi to Kaoru and back again. She felt her former captor move closer to her. His nearness exacerbating the situation.

"Yahiko," she said, trying to keep her voice at a reassuring tone. "He's not here to hurt anyone—"

"Bullshit!"

A quiet snort from behind tickled her nerves. Without looking at him, Kaoru knew Enishi was purposely nettling the boy. Probably with that same haughty expression she got used to seeing on the island.

Yahiko scowled. Whatever silent communication was going on between the two males, it was pushing the boy further into his anger. Ears glowing red with fury, he raised his weapon. Kaoru didn't allow him a chance to assume an offensive posture. Skilled hands caught the shaft of the shinai and wrenched it away.

"Yahiko, I told you to stop!"

He grunted and grabbed for the weapon. She moved back to avoid reaching fingers and bumped into Enishi. He steadied her automatically, but his hand lingered on her upper arm a few seconds too long.

"Let go of her," Yahiko growled.

Being the jerk that he was, he squeezed her arm fondly before letting his hand fall away. Kaoru could have strangled him for further baiting her student.

"It's okay," she said, putting some distance between herself and Enishi. "He's not here to hurt anyone, Yahiko. Trust me."

"Trust?! Have you lost your mind?" Yahiko tried to swipe the weapon again. "He's a total psycho!"

"Let's go talk about this in the other room, okay?" Kaoru offered.

"Hell no! If he's not leaving, I'm not letting him out of my sight!"

"Yahiko—"

Indignant, he refused once more, "No! No way!"

Kaoru rubbed her temple, Yahiko fumed, and Enishi watched the exchange with smug amusement.

"Fine," Kaoru yielded. "We'll talk here."

• • •

The conversation began awkwardly. The first half hour tested Kaoru's patience considerably. She'd never seen Yahiko so riled. So intense was his attention directed at his perceived enemy that Kaoru was forced to repeat herself several times. It wasn't until Enishi turned his back to them and allowed them some semblance of privacy that Yahiko began to calm down.

"I asked him to stay," Kaoru whispered. "He needs our help, even if he won't admit to it."

He rolled his eyes and sighed impatiently.

"Telling him to leave won't help him. He's needs to be around normal people."

"He needs a sword in the belly."

Kaoru sighed. "I'm not going to turn him away, Yahiko."

His jaw tightened and hands clenched at his gi.

"He needs someone to remind him of his humanity." Kaoru continued, her voice pitched so only he could hear. "We should help him."

"No."

"Yahiko—"

"No!" He glared at her, "I don't want him here."

Kaoru closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Their conversation was just going around in circles. Every time she tried to defend her actions and make a point, Yahiko maintained his original declaration that Enishi was unwelcome and psychotic. As far as the boy was concerned, Enishi needed to leave. The sooner, the better.

The boy's stubbornness was making her want to start yelling again.

"Sano was right, wasn't he?" Yahiko asked, sotto voce.

She blinked, not really following him at first. Then the memory of Sano's accusation came to the surface of her mind, 'You have a thing for Psycho over there, don't you?'

"No," she said, cheeks taking on a rosy hue.

He snorted, then looked away from her again.

"Yahiko," she whispered. "I think we can help him. He could have killed me, but he didn't. He's not going after Kenshin anymore. He's the one who sent all of those supplies after the earthquake..."

Kaoru gazed at the back of Enishi's head, "I really believe that he's trying to change. Everyone deserves a second chance, don't they?"

The muscles in the boy's jaw twitched and jumped.

Kaoru implored him once more. "Please trust me on this, Yahiko. Enishi's not an evil person—"

"Are you listening to yourself?!" He glared at her. "You're nuts!"

"Excuse me?"

"You keep talking about trust... but how can I trust you when you trust him?!"

"Yahiko—"

"He kidnapped you." The boy ranted, "He's the reason everything went to hell! Everything would be normal if he hadn't shown up!!"

"You're placing blame on the wrong person, brat," Enishi interjected, his back still pointed at them.

Yahiko's ears glowed red once more. "You SHUT up!"

"Battousai knew he was being hunted when he came to live here," Enishi turned to look at her student over his shoulder. His eyes shined with spite. "He's a bastard, not an idiot."

Yahiko glared. Enishi returned the look with disdain. Kaoru clenched her jaw and tried to control her temper.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The boy asked between clenched teeth.

"Figure it out for yourself, brat."

"Go to HELL you psycho-freak-BASTARD!"

Enishi's eyes narrowed dangerously and Yahiko shot to his feet, "You're not welcome here—"

"SHUT UP!" Kaoru yelled, her temper finally taking over. "Both of you!"

Two pairs of eyes moved to regard her. She huffed and pushed her bangs out of her eyes.

"Buso—"

"I said shut up!" Frustration made her fingers twitch and curl into tight fists. "It's not your place to tell him to leave. I invited him to stay!"

A smirk caught her eye, stirring her ire further. Yahiko saw the look as well and bristled.

"You don't have anything to smile about, Enishi," she said, defending her student. "You're antagonizing Yahiko on purpose. You're a guest! Act like it!"

• • •

He awoke minutes before the first rays of morning touched the landscape. Silence permeated the walls, soaking into his being as he stared up at the ceiling.

Kamiya invited him to stay. Just as he presumed she would. In spite of Kamiya's irritating student, everything was coming together. Even better than he anticipated.

From the very beginning, Enishi assumed he would be walking into a fight. If not an actual physical battle, then certainly a psychological and emotional contest of wills. Kamiya was stubborn. He knew that first hand. But he had an edge. Though he had a difficult time seeing it, he knew Tomoe was smiling upon him. Battousai's departure from Kamiya's home was proof enough. It was obvious why the hitokiri left her. It was the same reason why the cross-shaped scar would never fade.

Nee-san was keeping him and allowing Enishi a chance at solace. Kamiya would fill the emptiness that remained after Tomoe's death.

It was an even exchange. Battousai took Tomoe from him, so Enishi would take Kamiya from Battousai. And if doing so caused the bastard some additional torment and pain, all the better.

'Kamiya still cares for him,' Enishi thought darkly. He would be a fool to underestimate Battousai's influence. Even though her feelings for the murderer were beginning to wane and Battousai was rurouni once again, she still harbored loyalty and deep fondness.

'How can she remain so devoted to him?' Lips formed a tight line, 'Is it because he promised to return? In spite of the fact that he had abandoned her. Not once, but twice..!'

Sitting up and running a hand through his hair, Enishi imagined what the future meeting with his brother-in-law would be like. He still wanted to kill the bastard, but knew doing so would win him no favor with Kamiya. He would have to kill him another way. Kill him in Kamiya's heart.

'Perhaps by the time Battousai returns, Kamiya's affection will be for me alone...'

Sunlight lightened the room, motivating Enishi to rise from his futon. He stood and stretched, flexing muscles and rotating joints. The night was good to him. He slept peacefully, something he very rarely enjoyed. Fastening the last button on his shirt, Enishi slid open the door to his room.

Turquoise eyes were immediately drawn downward. Curled up on the floor just outside Kamiya's door slept the brat, shinai tightly clenched in both hands. Enishi frowned. The door to Kamiya's room was diagonal to his own. At what point during the night did the boy set up camp to play guard dog for his sensei? And dragging his futon with him no less.

Enishi was both disturbed and impressed. The brat managed to do all that without disturbing his sleep. No easy feat. And his attachment to Kamiya was commendable. Not to mention distinctly familiar. A sense of kinship stirred in Enishi's belly. The boy was very much like himself. Floorboards creaking, Enishi stepped around Yahiko, intent on going to the kitchen.

"You don't belong here, you bastard," a groggy voice uttered from behind.

He turned and watched the boy rise to his feet. The tip of the shinai quivered in his direction.

"Leave. You're not welcome here."

"Kamiya would disagree," Enishi said, voice even.

"That's because she doesn't see you for what you are."

Lips twisted into a smile. Hadn't he said the very same thing to Kamiya the day he kissed her?

"That's true. She doesn't." Enishi stepped toward him, "But then that's why she let Battousai, Zanza and a pit-pocket into her home, isn't it?"

Knuckles turned white as Yahiko choked the hilt of his weapon. The boy trembled with anger, then swung precipitously at his enemy's head. Withering stares crackled between them as Enishi held the tip of the shinai in his fist. A sudden, forceful shove, and Yahiko stumbled backward to land hard on his rear.

"Be prepared for the consequences if you ever do something like that again," Enishi said, voice low. "Unlike Battousai and Kamiya, I fight to kill."

He tossed the shinai back to Yahiko. "I have no intention of leaving, brat," he hissed, eyes gleamed with conviction. "I'm here to stay."

• • •

Sweat dripped from her chin as she defended against his attack. Aggressive strikes forced Kaoru backward. She blocked, turned and struck, sending Yahiko stumbling forward. The sparring was far more intense than normal, both sensei and student guilty of pushing the other to their limit. Kaoru wanted to underscore her position as his master and Yahiko wanted to express his frustration with her stubbornness.

The strenuous exercise provided the outlet both individuals needed. He had been getting on her nerves since the moment she stepped out of her bedroom. She knew words had been exchanged between Yahiko and Enishi early that morning, but neither would admit to it. The tension between them was tangible, but the way the boy shadowed her made it worse. Not once since daybreak did the boy leave her side. Even when she had to go to the outhouse, he waited by the door for her. Worse, Yahiko made it a point to be as vexatious toward Enishi as possible.

Kaoru put up with his clingy behavior because she understood why he was doing it. She figured by the time he was due to go to work, he'd be tired of lurking around her.

No such luck.

Yahiko decided that playing hooky would be the best way to make an uncomfortable situation worse, thus forcing the discord to continue. Frustrated, Kaoru decided to engage the boy in an impromptu training session. Yahiko heartily agreed. The moment the lesson began, Kaoru was fully aware of Enishi's eyes upon her. At first, she felt distinctly self-conscious. But as the lesson continued, Kaoru became less aware of his scrutiny.

An hour later, Kaoru knew it was time to end the skills portion of the training and have Yahiko work on building his strength. She took a seat close to Enishi as the boy counted out his strikes. They watched her student for several minutes before Enishi finally spoke.

"He's not bad for a brat his age."

"Don't call him that," Kaoru glared at him. "It just makes him mad."

A smirk. "I know."

His blatant devilishness was galling at first, but the amusement that crinkled his eyes made her lips twitch upwards in spite of herself. Still, it wasn't right for him to treat Yahiko like that. The boy was trying to protect her. Kaoru couldn't help but to feel touched by the sentiment.

"I'm serious," she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "He has good reason to dislike you right now. Stop provoking him."

He didn't reply. Instead he shifted in his seat and leaned back, supporting his weight with his palms. She studied him as he watched the boy, trying to get a read on what he was thinking. His focus on Yahiko remained steady until Kaoru succumbed and followed his gaze.

Her best student was clearly distracted. His strikes were clumsy and irregular. His eyes were constantly wandering in her direction, leaving Kaoru no doubt about what was bothering him. She sighed, and swallowed the urge to reprimand him for his sloppiness. It was better to let him get it out of his system then harp on him for not maintaining his consistency.

'I should move,' Kaoru thought guiltily. 'I'm not helping the situation by sitting next to Enishi...'

She stood and straightened her gi when an unexpected comment gave her pause.

"There's a flaw in your defense."

Kaoru blinked. "Pardon?"

Enishi's attention remained fixed on the boy. "When he made a thrust for your torso, you turned and then pushed him." His eyes swiveled toward her, "You're open for attack during those few seconds when you pivot and shift your weight."

The image of Saitou losing his right hand to Enishi's counter to the gatotsu filled Kaoru's mind.

"Plenty of time for someone to slash you to death," he finished.

The kendo instructor replayed her technique in her mind. She didn't think she made any mistakes... and she was successfully able to force her attacker off-balance. That was the whole point of the move.

Lip caught between her teeth and brows creased, Kaoru couldn't see the flaw. Lowering herself next to him once more, she said, "But I didn't make any mistakes..."

"I can show you what I saw," he said.

A blush brightened her features. "Show me?"

"When was the last time you sparred against someone more skilled than yourself?"

"Not since... my father died," she admitted quietly.

"Mmm," he returned his attention to her student. "I see."

A calloused thumb absently rubbed a cuticle as she thought of the days when she had been in Yahiko's place. Her father used to spar with her on a daily basis. At the time, she had been too young to recognize the richness of his lessons. With the benefit of hindsight, she realized how seemingly trivial words of advice had matured into a wealth of knowledge. Each session yielded a deeper understanding of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. With that understanding came a higher level of skill and confidence.

She loved the art and she loved growing in it.

'How much have my skills grown since daddy died?' Concern suddenly drooped her features as unease fluttered in her belly. 'Could it be...? Are my skills starting to get... rusty?'

Kaoru studied Enishi's profile.

'Why did he tell me about the flaw in my defense? Is he trying to tease me...?'

She frowned. Then another possibility entered her mind. As soon as the idea popped into her head, she blurted out the question to confirm it.

"Are you offering to spar with me, Enishi?"

His lack of immediate response gave her doubt. To save face, she quickly added, "Or are you just trying to tease me for not being as skilled as you?"

A mischievous grin lifted his features.

Kaoru huffed and the smirk remained in place, "Never mind. Forget it."

"What happened to the tomboy swordswoman? You're more thick-skinned than that, aren't you?"

She scowled. He looked on, smugness playing about his lips.

"I don't mind showing you how you can improve your defenses," he said. "And if you're up for a spar, so am I."

Cheeks flushed, Kaoru tried to mimic his ability to appear detached. The effort failed miserably. Fortunately, Enishi chose not to capitalize on the opportunity to make her squirm.

"Umm... I really don't think Yahiko would be too pleased to see you with a sword in your hand. And pointed at me, no less," she commented seriously. "He'd probably freak out."

His lips quivered upward. Then a good-natured chuckle bubbled up from within. A real, honest chuckle. One born from amusement and not mania. It was the first time she ever heard such an honest sound come him.

"He probably would," Enishi agreed, voice reflecting his cheer. It was a pleasing tone.

Smiling in return, she said, "Maybe another time."