Morning Training

[Zephel]

'Aw, they are just too cute!' Hikaru blocked another of Zeph's punches as the boy stole some quick glances to the pair near the tree. They're a good distance away from the two, but Zeph noticed the cat ears on Kaoru, and suspect him to be a cat demon. So, the brothers decided to communicate using Zeph's telepathy...

'C'mon, nii-san. Wanna play match-maker again? Like what you did to me and Kimiko-chan?'

Zeph grunted as he work on his speedy punches. He has to admit, Hikaru's defence is outstanding, being able to block all of his speedy hits. 'Do I look like a cupid to you? And what the hell made you think I pair you two airheads up? I don't even know why my sanity isn't working that time.'

Hikaru smiled as he kept on blocking, then unexpectedly backs away from the hits, lowers himself down and quickly swiped Zeph's feet, instantly making the older one fall to his back on surprise. Hikaru sighed as he wiped off the sweat on his forehead, standing tall when looking down at his stunned brother.

'Easy. Because you're our brother, nii-san. ...It's your job to look out for us, even when you deny that fact. And I just know it in my heart, that you have this...amazing instinct that could tell who's our foe and who's our friend...with just a single look. And you dragging me here to kick your butt instead of beating the bloody life out of that guy is telling me Kaoru-san is someone that could be trusted to give Eyuki some company. Wouldn't you say?'

Zeph kicked Hikaru's feet right after that redhead is done speaking in his mind, a smirk creeped on the silver-haired's face as he announce, "Never let your guard down, Hikaru. Even when you thought you're winning."

[Kimiko]

Eyuki watched her brothers with her gently smile, sitting tall with her hands rested, folded delicately in her lap. She looked over at Kaoru who seemed to be focusing too hard on the boys a ways away. "What brings you to DD, Kaoru-san?" She asked him in a gentle voice, smiling sweetly at him.

[Makenzi]

Kaoru broke his focused stare on the boys and looked over to Eyuki, his face flushing a light red and suddenly, he was glad to be sitting on something cool to keep from overheating. She was absolutely stunning to him up close. Her smile make his heart beat faster than it had before. He questioned to himself why this was.

" I go wherever my brother goes..." He answered, trying to keep his voice from breaking and going too soft, though failing somewhat and blushed a bit deeper, turning his head away fully. He had never felt anything like he did now. It was like all those years he spent working to keep emotions like these at bay were suddenly useless around her.

[Kimiko]

Eyuki giggled slightly, smiling at him still. Her smile dropped slightly as he looked away. She gently placed a hand against his arm and leaned a bit closer. "Is something the matter?" She asked carefully in her sweet tone, looking up at him with a slight curiosity in her eyes.

[Makenzi]

Kaoru's body stiffened instantly at her touch and he looked back at her, seeing her even closer than before. He felt his face flush a bit more and the thought of holding her close in his arms flashed through his mind for a second before he shoved it away and stood up quickly, taking a few large steps back. He swallowed slightly, thinking that he shouldn't have sat on that ice bench so close to her and instead took a statue stance at his safe distance of a few feet.

"I'm... Fine.... Eyuki-san." He managed to choke out in a gentle voice, his cold and calm exterior completely dissolved because of her. It... Was just getting a bit cold... Sitting there." He lied quickly, glancing away from her to stare at the grass between them, feeling a pang of guilt for lying but not sure how to explain this without feeling like even worse of a person than he felt for even feeling like this in the first place.

[Kimiko]

Eyuki stopped smiling as he moved away from her, standing up and at a few feet distance away. She looked at him with confused eyes then looked down at her ice bench. "Oh.... I'm sorry...." She said a bit quietly, looking up at him again after. "My element is ice, so it doesn't bother me. I sometimes forget that the cold bothers other people." She said, smiling sweetly again, having bought into his white lie.

[Makenzi]

Kaoru just stared at her, somewhat amazed that she seemed to have believe his strange lie. 'No...' He thought before saying it a moment later. "No.. You don't have to apologize for anything, Eyuki-san." He spoke in the soft voice he couldn't control, his eyebrows creased together slightly, feeling guilty. "You didn't do anything to be sorry for...."

'I'm the one who should apologize...' He thought to himself, mentally scolding himself for the strange thought he had a moment before, and staring at her incredulously. His heartbeat calmed from not being too close to her but still beat faster than normal.

[Zephel]

Zeph stopped attacking, and so his Hikaru on his defence, actually. Both of them had their heads turned to the pair a ways away, curious on their chemistry. They both had completely forgotten their cover as they stared at Eyuki and Kaoru, listening.

Only Zeph is able to heard Kaoru's thoughts, purposely or not, he wasn't sure, but it helps him understand what's happening though. For one moment he just wanted to smack Kaoru behind the head for pushing away his feelings and lied like that, but then he reminded himself the young man must have a reason behind his behavior. Reasons Zeph is just dying to uncover since this involves his sister...

"Hikaru..." Zeph whispered to his brother, careful to not cause a disturbance, "...I think you're right..."

"I can't believe I AM right." Hikaru said in the same silent tone as Zeph, "Dude, he's falling head over heals for Yuki-chan." The redhead can't keep that excited smile from his face, delirous he just witnessed a living proof right in front of his eyes that love at first sight is possible.

"Nii-san...do you think we should help the poor guy?" Hikaru's question was then replied when he felt a pair of strong hands pulled his feet off the ground, resulting the redhead to fell spine-first to the soil, "Nii-san, what are you doing?!"

"I'm helping the 'poor guy'." Zeph replied simply, and started to spin Hikaru around and around. When he made sure his brother is off the soil, the silver-haired tossed Hikaru right towards Kaoru. One, for revenge that Hikaru swiped his feet off. Two, because that cat-demon made Eyuki apologize for something that isn't her fault, and that really pissed Zeph off. Three, just for his viewing pleasure to see Hikaru screaming like a little girl and watch how Kaoru is going to react to this.

If his sister's about to be close to somebody, then that somebody has to prove his worth.

[Makenzi]

Kaoru's cheeks flushed a bit more, if possible, as his ears had cought a bit of the conversation between the brothers. His eyes remained fixed on Eyuki for a while still, though, beforing hearing the sound of something flying in his general direction.

Kaoru looked over to see Hikaru being hurled towards him. Surprised, he acted with swift reflexes and moved towards the red head, catching him in his arms. He stood his ground, softening the catch somewhat for both of them, then set Hikaru back on the ground and looked at him.

"You okay?" He asked, the slight bit of action managing to bring himself back into his usual cold appearance and voice, though his actions would show he actually does care. His voice still held that uncontrollable gentleness as much as he tried to harden it.

His face seemed blank and hard once more as when he first introduced himself to the brothers here. His mind, however, still somewhat panicky about the girl who stood not too far away from him and caring about if he was able to keep her brother from being hurt.

[Zephel]

Instead of answering Kaoru's question, Hikaru gleamed at him, his eyes sparkly in admiration, "Whoah, that is COOL. That is SO cool!! Nii-san did you see that?!" The boy was back on his feet as quick as his grin, pointing at Kaoru incredulously, seemingly unhurt but excited.

Zeph rolled his eyes, "Yes, Hikaru, I did. That's the whole point." He walked over to the two boys, replaying what he saw in his mind. 'Even if he did it to impress Eyuki or genuinely to save Hikaru, he did it automatically...which means his reflex is impressive. And his intentions are good... ...And he's pathetically in love with Eyuki. Have to remember that.'

The oldest brother glanced at his sister for a while, then averted his eyes to Kaoru. He stopped in front of Kaoru and Hikaru, face as emotionless as usual, then suddenly shouted something a little too openly to the only female present there, "Eyuki, do you like Kaoru?"

[Kimiko]

"Eh.... What?" Eyuki questioned, rather confused. "What do you mean?" Of course she liked him. She didn't not like anyone, really, unless they were the kind of person who did wicked things. Kaoru didn't seem wicked so she had no reason not to like him, she reasoned in her mind.

[Zephel]

Zeph sighed, not hearing his sister's reasoning in her mind at all, as his telepathy is basically like an uncontrollable switch. "I've made myself perfectly straightforward. Do you like Kaoru?" He repeated, now averted his eyes from Eyuki and gazed at Kaoru.

"What nii-san means is..." Hikaru walked to his sister, patting her on the shoulder and trying to soften Zeph's sharp question, "Do you think...no. Do you FEEL something? When with him?" He pointed to the cat-demon, mostly understanding Eyuki's true icy interior. "Do you believe...he can melt that wall you build around your heart..." Hikaru's voice almost trailed away in his whisper, his eyes downcasted, both like and dislike the idea of his sister getting close to someone.

[Kimiko]

Eyuki looked confusedly at Zephel, then Hikaru then to Zephel again and Hikaru once more. "I... Don't know.... I just met him. Am I supposed to know so soon?" She asked Hikaru, pouting slightly, truly feeling confused of what they meant. She glanced over at Kaoru-san, still confused then sat down on her ice bench again.

[Zephel]

Hikaru blinked at Eyuki, then scratched the back of his head as he walked towards her, "I'm...sorry, Yuki-chan. ...I just want to ask you, if you feel comfortable around him. That's all. 'Cause...well, if you're not, then nii-san could go all spy-mode and watch his every move--"

"I do NOT went spy-mode on anybody, Hikaru."[/b] The elder brother hits the redhead hard. "You know what? What am I doing, this is your life, your choice, your heart. I'm off." Zeph turns around to walk off, passing Kaoru on the way. "If you EVER hurt her, I will haunt you till the end of time." He whispered, glaring at this guy, then sauntered off.[/color]

[Makenzi]

Kaoru lowered his head slightly at Zephel. 'I could never forgive myself if I did....' He thought, his brows fixed together, truly hating the mere possibility of her getting hurt because of him.