Well I'm on a roll so that means this updating quickly will probably only last for a short amount of time. WATCH OUT, I'm a volatile substance! So no over fluff or yaoi in this chapter but I can't help if it's in there subliminally. Anyway away with the chapter.


Chapter 3 - On the Road

"Face it! We're lost."

"I can't be lost. You may not know where we're going but I do."

"Oh. I know where we are. LOST!"

Yumichika stopped in his tracks refusing to move any further. He was fed up with his friend's stubbornness.

He just watched as Ikkaku got farther and farther away from him. Soon Ikkaku noticed the absence of following footsteps.

Turning around he glared at Yumichika hands across his chest in equal stubbornness.

"Don't start with me Yumichika! I am not in the mood to argue. Let's just keep going. We have to hit the main road eventually."Ikkaku had to practically yell for Yumichika to hear him.

Even so Yumichika still rolled his pale eyes in agitation. Allowing himself to be talked out of something was not his favorite past time because he usually had a point. Approaching the smug Ikkaku they set off together once again on their trek.

The heat was unbearable. Both of them were practically leaking sweat. Ikkaku had already shed everything but the most necessary clothes (the loincloth) and had packed away the rest.

Yumichika did not like the idea of flaunting himself to the world. Ikkaku tried to convince him that they rarely met anyone on these old roads so he should not be such a prude.

Yumichika just used it to enforce his "we're lost" theory and that's why nobody is traveling down these "godforsaken" roads. The heat tended to make them more and more irritable.

Then Ikkaku just wouldn't ask for directions. He acted like it would show some sort of weakness if he simply conceded that he was lost.

Two days had passed and they were no closer to the main road which connected the outer rings of the Rukongai to the rest. For all they knew they could be traveling around the ring and not anywhere close to going towards the center.

The only time they didn't fight was at night and that was partially because they were asleep. If this was any sign of what the rest of the trip might be like then Yumichika felt like turning back.

"Could we please ask someone at the next sight of civilization where the hell we're going?"

There was a long pause. Almost as if Ikkaku had not heard his question. Anger rising again at being ignored Yumichika yelled. "COULD YOU!?" Being so close to Ikkaku's ear when he had shouted, he intentionally sent the bald man reeling at the sheer volume.

"Damn it!" He held his ringing head and conceded. "Alright, if it will shut you up."

"Thank you." Yumichika smiled, feeling a lot better about the situation now that they would do things his way. Soon they fell into a comfortable silence.

Well not so comfortable. The heat slowed down their motions and they were almost going at a snail's pace. This part of land was a valley that seemed endless. There was no shade anywhere.

The plant life consisted of shrubs and long grass without a tree in sight. They traveled with their gazes down staring at their shuffling feet and listening only to the sound of their raspy breath.

"Oi, Yumichika? Pass me the water gourd."

Taking this to be a rest period Yumichika walked over to a bench sized rock to put his pack down. Digging around he produced a couple of gourds. Shaking them near his ear he responded grimly. "We're near out of water, probably just enough for you to take a drink. But we still have one full of Sake." Ikkaku smiled mischievously. Yumichika just threw the water one at him and repacked their things.

"Fine, rain on my parade." He opened the gourd and brought it to his lips. He stopped. Yumichika seemed pretty ragged himself but he just threw the pack on his shoulders and licked his dried and cracked lips. "What about you?"

"I am not drinking Sake." He said with a chuckle on his lips as he continued their walk. Ikkaku found this disconcerting. Catching his friends arm he turned him.

"So you're not going to drink anything." Yumichika raised an eyebrow at the question.

"No."

"Here then. Take the last bit of it."

Yumichika looked at the gourd surprise gently shown in his eyes. Then his face changed rapidly as if he was taken aback. Pushing the gourd back he walked away.

"I don't want it!" Ikkaku caught him again. This time he blocked his path. He shoved the object at his friend.

"But I'm giving it to you. Drink the rest of it, I won't be upset. "Looking down at the gourd Yumichika snapped.

"I don't give a damn if you'd be upset or not." He yelled as he pushed the bigger man out of the way. "I'm not your woman and I'm not that weak so keep your water." He pushed ahead a new fervor in his step.

"But..." Ikkaku tried to make his point but was not allowed to.

"If you don't drink it I will forcefully shove it down your throat!" Eyes wide he stared at his friends back and could really do nothing more than smile and try to catch up. The guilt seemed to crawl up his leg but he drank the water anyway knowing exactly how his friend felt. The ground began to incline as it started up a pretty steep hill.

The walking slowed considerably but there was no complaining just the increased sound of ragged breaths. Ikkaku could not keep his eyes off his friend. The strain he was exerting was a remarkable feat but not smart. Trying not to make the same mistake twice he slowly spoke.

"Here let me carry that pack." He didn't undermine Yumichika's effort he just placed a hand on his friend's slim shoulder and took the cumbersome pack. Yumichika looked away and wouldn't meet his gaze but there was a lighter timber to his voice.

"Thanks."

Silence again.

As their knees began to burn somewhat they reached the top of the hill where a nice breeze seemed to be their reward. Further down the road they could clearly see the outline of a building at the entrance to an oncoming forest. Yumichika laughed tenderly and placed a hand on Ikkaku's shoulder as he caught his breath.

"We argued for no good reason." He slid his hand down further warming the places he touched on Ikkaku's arm. Ikkaku's eyes widened at the touch but Yumichika was already on his way to the haven.

They almost flew to the solitary building. And as they approached it became ever more promising as the building was an inn. Arriving sweaty and out of breath they could not wait to be inside. Entering the main doors the sudden change from boiling sun on your back to shade was enough to almost bring them to their knees. Their pleasure was short lived though.

Shouting was happening between a small group of people all cluttered around the front desk.

"We want our money back!" A young woman, her hair a tight black bun, striking features, and dressed in powered pink, yelled at two men behind the counter.

"Calm down little sister. We will not get anywhere by yelling." Her brother, dressed in grass green, held his sisters shoulders as he addressed the owners. "We would like to know what is going on or we will have to take our money and go elsewhere." Another older man who stood by listening and nodding with the woman spoke up.

"Here, here I agree with Mina-chan and Riku." He chimed in, his anger evident even under giant white dashed eyebrows.

"Go where!? There isn't anywhere around her to go to! This is the only establishment in at least 50miles. No! We want our money back and free lodging until our father comes for us." The woman was adamant on the subject. Her face was red with anger. It was safe to say the argument had been going on for a while.

"Are you crazy lady!?" The younger of the two men behind the counter, in his early twenties, yelled back at the women. He was dressed in white pants and no top as the heat inside was still stifling.

"Rei don't speak to customers that way!" The older man, in his forties, clipped the boy around the ears. Flinching at the action the young man distanced himself from the man and responded, acid in his voice.

"Well she's a bitch!"

"REI!"

"I deserve better treatment than this." Mina was fuming now. She caught the two eavesdroppers out of the corner of her eye and turned on them.

"You two!" They were addressed so suddenly that it caused both Ikkaku and Yumichika to jump back against the wall. Being approached by the young but pretty ferocious woman they tried to flatten themselves as best as possible against the hard wall. "Don't you dare buy a room here."

"Hey!" Rei rushed up to them. Almost yelling at the woman he cried. "Stop running off our customers." She ignored him and took Ikkaku's hand in hers while putting on the fakest innocent face she could muster.

"Leave while you can. The place is haunted. The spirits here can't rest in peace so they take it out on the living." Ikkaku just looked at his friend with a look that said 'please help'. Pushing the women out of the way the younger man just laughed nervously.

"Don't listen to her. She's crazy!"

"No, I'm not! I'm psychic."

"You walk around at night talking to yourself. If anybody's not letting people sleep it's you!

"Why you little runt!" A little fight broke out but Ikkaku and Yumichika could not flatten themselves any more to try and avoid getting caught up in it. The older man from behind the counter pulled them out of the fray.

"Forgive my son, gentlemen. Call me Shibuya." He bowed deeply. "Are you here for a room?"

"That's what we hoped for." Ikkaku grumbled. The older man smiled.

"Well we have a...."

"Don't take it!" Mina cut him off quickly followed by Rei's counter.

"I got her dad!" Shibuya just sighed deeply the wrinkles of age showing predominately.

"We have a room, but there have been," He sighed again. "some complaints about noises in the middle of the night but I assure you my son and I are trying to find a solution to it." As the woman tried to form a rebuttal to a conversation she clearly was not a part of Yumichika quickly answered.

"We'll take it!"


The rest of the afternoon passed in a very noisy blur. As much as Ikkaku or Yumichika wanted to have some time in a cool and quiet room alone the fighting duo seemed to follow them.

When they went to put away their things Mina and Rei were right at their heels yelling up a storm. When they went out back to the well to gather water for their bath, the shouting just became louder. Even as they tried to privately wash themselves the pair was relentless in their effort to annoy them!

No amount of placating by a disgruntled Yumichika helped calm these parasites from their continuous loop of insults. It wasn't until bathed, dressed and back in their room did Ikkaku finally snap when one of the insults hit a little close to home.

Mina was inside the room trying to keep Rei from entering when the topic of looks came up for no apparent reason.

"You look like a man!" The young woman, disgusted by the statement responded with the first thing that came to her mind.

"Yeah! Well you're going bald!" The air in the room became heavy and a dark aura emanated from the weary traveler! The two rivals coward together at Ikkaku's death glare.

"OUT NOW!" You almost missed the streaks of pink and white as they disappeared out the door. Ikkaku finished up by slamming the door shut. Silently banging his head into the door he whispered. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" Soft laughter filled the room. Ikkaku's anger soothed at the sound of his friends light heartedness he smiled before asking softly. "What?" Yumichika was drying his hair by slowly ringing out different strands and smiling at his bald friend.

"You know we're just going to see them again at dinner?" Ikkaku clenched his fists and collapsed on the bed roll Yumichika had set up for him and sobbed. "I don't think I can take a night of those two." Silence. He looked up at Yumichika who had stopped in his motions. "What's the matter?" There was another weird silence before Yumichika spoke with a distance in his voice.

"Nothing." His face was grave as he stared out into space. After a tense moment he finally broke out of the trance by shaking his head a little bit. "It was nothing. I was just wondering." He bit his lip as he avoided his friends gaze.

"About what?" Ikkaku moved over to sit next to Yumichika to give him a more effective questioning glare.

"What do you think that girl meant by spirits?" Yumichika sounded distant again but Ikkaku couldn't help himself as he chuckled some. Yumichika snapped a look at him.

"Please don't tell me you believe her. Yumichika, we're already dead. We're the ghosts!" Yumichika huffed frustrated with the situation.

"I know that! That's why I asked what she meant by it. It's just..." Yumichika concentrated hard on something before he finished his thought. "I thought I heard howling." Ikkaku looked genuinely worried. Yumichika tried to distance himself from both him and his overly effective glares. "Oh don't look at me like that." He finally cried, upset.

"Like what? Like you had just said something crazy? Because you did." Ikkaku stood and followed the frantic pacing. "You would have given me the same look if I had done... "He paused looking for a word that fit. Throwing his hands up, he gave up and just pointed at Yumichika's face. "that!"

Yumichika got a little defensive and flipped his hair back sprinkling water droplets around the room.

"No. I would have been grateful for the silence." Ikkaku shook his head.

"I hate you."

"I know."


Ho. The plot develops around this strange little inn.

A.N. Reviews help.